Korean War Veterans Memorial

Korean War Memorial, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

19 United States soldiers on a night patrol

Kathy and I were walking around Washington D.C. on what would prove to be our longest day there. We had started out fairly early walking from our hotel over to the National Cathedral and then walked around the Smithsonian museums for quite a while. We both had our cameras of course and we took turns carrying our tripod which came in handy as the sun went down and darkness closed in. We walked from Union Station, along the mall all the way to the base of the Lincoln Memorial. Once there, it was Kathy's idea to walk over to the Korean War Veterans Memorial. 

It was very striking and a little sad. Several of the figures of the soldiers seemed to have haunted or frightened looks on their faces. But they were brave. They answered not only their nations call, but helped another country facing aggression. 

Taking photos here was a little challenging. There were just too many people milling around to risk setting up a tripod as somebody might trip on a leg and get hurt. I decided to use my gorilla pod, and just wrapped the legs around one of the metal poles that supported the chains that surround the memorial. This worked pretty well, with the longest exposures being 30 seconds long and still very sharp.

A plaque near the memorial reads "Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met."

Check Six

Check Six, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Following close behind a taxing 747-400

Taking HDR sequences from a moving car following a moving aircraft is difficult to say the least. Thank goodness for Photoshop's auto align function. We were riding in Mike's car who works at LAX in operations and were following this Singapore Airlines cargo plane. The tail was nearly overlapping the hood of the car. I have photos of it but being that my head doesn't tilt that far back, I had to extend my arms forward and just guess where it was when framing the shot. I guess I should try creating a vertorama. Being this close to such a large moving aircraft is amazing. You hear and feel it adjusting it's flight controls and throttles. When it turned in front of us the car rocked a little from the exhaust. Thanks to Kevin and Mike for an amazing day!

Objects in Mirror are Closer than they Appear

Objects in Mirror are Closer than they Appear, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I think we're being followed...

I was on a ride along with a very cool LAX airport operations guy. He was called on to escort a FedEx MD10 Aircraft that needed to taxi from one side of the airport to another. An escort was required since a mechanic was behind the controls and an active runway had to be crossed.

When I looked at the aircraft in the side mirror, I started laughing at the "Objects in this mirror are closer than they appear" text you see in the picture. It reminded me of that scene in Jurassic Park where the T-Rex was chasing the Jeep. That aircraft looked huge! 

Milestones in Flight

Milestones in Flight, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

So much history in just one photo. From left to right are:

Charles Lindberg's "The Spirit of St. Louis" which was the first aircraft to fly solo from New York to Paris.

Scaled Composites "Space Ship One" which is a rocket powered aircraft that made the first privately funded space flight.

Bell Aircraft's X-1 rocket plane in which US Air Force pilot Charles "Chuck" Yeager first exceeded the speed of sound on October 14, 1947.

Divine Illumination

Divine Illumination, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

We arrived at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. fairly early and the sun was still at a fairly low angle. Sunlight was casting beautiful colored light beams across the Cathedral's marble floors which are already quite striking. I was told by one of the priests that had we shown up a couple of hours later, the light changes quite a bit and is in no way this dramatic. I really want to return here the next time I visit.

The Space Shuttle Enterprise 2

The Space Shuttle Enterprise 2, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

As I was walking around the space hanger, I noticed a flight of stairs with a platform at the top that was 15-20 feet above the floor. There wasn't a sign that said "Museum Staff Only" so I decided to go up there and take another HDR series from there. The Udvar Hazy Center does not allow tripods but I was able to use my gorillapod without anyone objecting.

The Space Shuttle Enterprise

The Space Shuttle Enterprise, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I was amazed when Kathy and I first entered the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport. Directly before us was the incredible SR-71 Blackbird and in the distance beyond was the Space Shuttle Enterprise. Being a big fan of space flight, I just couldn't believe I was actually standing in front of this incredible (and huge) piece of American history.

This was the first Space Shuttle orbiter vehicle. It was built for flight test in the atmosphere and never flew in space. It was carried to a launch altitude on the back of a specially modified 747 where it was released and then it glided down to land at Edwards Air Force Base.

The Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery

The Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

The Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., was dedicated on May 15, 1920. While many ceremonies are conducted throughout the country, many consider the services at Arlington's Memorial Amphitheater to be the nation's official ceremonies to honor all American service members who serve to keep the United States free.

Halloween Time at Disneyland

Halloween Time at Disneyland, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

The entrance to Disneyland is beautifully themed with a Halloween decorations.

Heavy Metal Thunder

Heavy Metal Thunder, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I saw this cool motorcycle parked just outside of the Uptown Whittier Car Show.