Exposed DC

for the love of DC photography

In Frame: August 2, 2013

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Today instead of one great photo for In Frame, I give you three:

"They're watching me" by Kevin Wolf
“They’re watching me” by Kevin Wolf
"Washington-Lee High School" by Kevin Wolf
“Washington-Lee High School” by Kevin Wolf
"blue corner, blue sky" by Kevin Wolf
“blue corner, blue sky” by Kevin Wolf

Kevin Wolf was in our annual Exposed show for the first time in 2013, with this stunning lightning-on-the-Mall shot. Perusing his Flickr stream shows photo after photo of technically perfect, poster-worthy shots of Washington, D.C. I have no doubt that Kevin, like any of us, takes lots of clunkers, too, but what his stream shows is not only that he’s a good photographer and image editor, but he’s an excellent content editor, a skill too many photographers don’t value enough. I watch what’s uploaded to our Exposed DC pool every day, and have been impressed with the way Kevin has approached his submissions. Instead of going forward and uploading the three photos that floated to the top of his pile for the day or week, he’s been going through his history and finding groupings – a mini-series, really, to share. He submitted these three above to the pool most recently, taken in January, February, and May of this year.

How much time do you spend working on your photography skills after you’ve clicked the shutter and put the camera down? Do you upload everything that comes off your SD card, or the 15 “best” photos of a so-so roll, or do you use a critical eye and toss everything that doesn’t work, even if it only leaves you with one or two – or zero – truly impressive shots? Do you go through your history to see how your ‘eye’ has developed and changed? To find patterns to your photos that you didn’t even realize were there at first? To recognize your failures so that you can consciously work to improve them?

In Frame: July 31, 2013

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"The Wedding Reception" by Robb Hohmann
“The Wedding Reception” by Robb Hohmann

Shooting weddings can be a lot of fun, particularly when you’re not the official wedding photographer. It seems likely that Robb Hohman was playing the role of guest when he snapped this vibrant candid shot of two fellow revelers engaging in the usual kinds of reception shenanigans. This pricelessly evocative image was captured on film using a Voigtlander Bessa-R3A rangefinder.

In Frame: July 29, 2013

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"Eastern Market, Washington DC" by John Griffiths
“Eastern Market, Washington DC” by John Griffiths

I love a deceptively simple-looking architectural photo. John Griffiths worked some magic with the exposure of Eastern Market’s ceiling, managing to fill the darker walls and market stalls under the overhangs, without overexposing the rafters near the skylight. The soft light gives the large warehouse the aura of a cathedral.

In Frame: July 26, 2013

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"Chinatown blues" by Lynford Morton
“Chinatown blues” by Lynford Morton

It’s Friday, so it’s time for most of us to finish up work and try to relax – which I’ll try not to say in every single Friday In Frame, though it’s likely to continue influencing my choices. It’s been a particularly long week, so I was searching the pool for something soothing. Some lovely flora will sometimes do the trick, or perhaps a sunset over the water, and there’s always the cute doggie route. But then you run across this and have to start all over again. I kept coming back to this incredible street portrait by Lynford Morton. The lines are just perfect, with the trumpet parallel to the framing arch. The blue cast, that’s surely coming from the vibrant displays on the Verizon Center, makes it look as though our musician, who is somehow mastering the look of easy intensity, is standing on a club stage rather than the sidewalk. As Lynford noted on Flickr, “A guy in the crowd requested some New Orleans themed song, and when they got going, you couldn’t tell you weren’t on Bourbon Street.” And indeed, the entire image radiates that feeling.

In Frame: July 24, 2013

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"the whiff" by Phil
“the whiff” by Phil

According to National Geographic, Andy (yes, that is the name the U.S. Botanic Garden gave its corpse flower) bloomed while the place was closed, denying the general public the opportunity to enjoy its much-anticipated but short-lived stench. That didn’t stop this young woman from anticipating the notorious “dead body” smell in this marvelous moment captured by Flickr contributor Phil. (EXIF.)