Non-Linear

I saw a photo of this atrium on a Washington DC tour book. I showed it to Kathy and she said "I know where that is, National Portrait Gallery." We were staying not too far away so we visited. The evening was really nice, with cool temperatures and the undulating atrium roof was spectacular. The locals seem to hang out here, buying coffee and pastries and chatting one another up. Kathy is sitting on a planter on the left patiently waiting for me to finish shooting some photos and video. The "no tripods" rule is in full force here so to get this shot, I had to hold my camera over my head and press it firmly against a wall while shooting 3 frames for this HDR composite. I was able to hold it perfectly still and it worked just fine. After walking around the nearly empty galleries, we walked to a local restaurant in the fading light and had dinner.

Ambience of Silence

Ambience of Silence, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

This is the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. On the day Kathy and I visited there were very few other guests walking the galleries. It was nearly silent and the sound of our footsteps reverberated across the vast open spaces. I could almost hear the hushed voices of visitors past, diminished but not forgotten.

A Portrait of You

A Portrait of You, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

On the evening of March 6, 1865, Abraham and Mary Lincoln arrived at the Patent Office Building in Washington DC. They joined an estimated 5,000 guests who had gathered to attend the President's second inaugural ball. Construction of the building begain in 1836. It was used as a hospital during the American Civil War. It was spared from the wreckers ball in 1958 by then President Dwight Eisenhower. Today the building houses the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.