for the love of DC photography
You may be as surprised as I was to learn that photographing a rodeo could be done within an hour’s drive from downtown D.C.! Pablo Benavente made this perfectly timed and well-lit capture at the Loudon County Fair in Leesburg, Virginia.
This photo by pablo.raw is a marvelously messy mix of parts of faces and flailing limbs, all anchored by the remarkable expression on the face of the euphonium player.
I’ve shot the occasional DC Rollergirl photo, so I know a good one when I see it. The falling of the light on the skater’s face and upper body, whether naturally occurring or cleverly set up is what really makes this beautiful image from Pablo Benavente. The subtle rendition of the cluttered surroundings balances perfectly with the skater’s focused expression and the smooth skin tones of her arms, shoulders and back.
Another great example from Pablo Benavente of the benefits of always having your camera with you, for those unique moments that you can’t believe you’re actually seeing. Pablo told me via email that he was visiting the Folklife Festival on the Mall when he noticed these tourists “playing with the Port-A-Potties. I mean, I’ve seen people posing with the monuments, buildings, etc., but it’s the first time I’ve seen someone posing with the Potties!” The framing adds another level to the shot: “leaving the photographer out of the frame makes the photo more interesting.”