Women's March on Washington

The day after the inauguration of Trump, there was a rally in Washington DC - the Women's March on Washington.

Normally I take photos of nature, animals, and occasionally friends and family. But I have lived near Washington DC for almost 20 years, and I have never photographed any significant or historic events in the area.

#washingtondc #womensmarchonwashington #womensmarch #nikographer #imwithher #sheswithme #peace #wmw

A photo posted by Jon (@the_real_nikographer) on Jan 21, 2017 at 4:29pm PST

Recently I have been open to trying new things, as I did with my trip a couple weeks ago to Jackson Wyoming.  Attending a crowded rally in DC, planning for the logistics of shooting there and the uncontrolled/unknowable aspects of being on foot during such a busy time has in the past made me decide to do other things.  But not this time.

So I got up at around 5am, and made to a parking area off Ohio drive behind the Jefferson Memorial around 6:15am and then waited.  I was unsure what to expect even with this small aspect of the day, where and when to park.  But when I got there the lot was nearly empty, heck it was an hour before sunrise - nothing new with regards to planning and traveling for wildlife and sunrise - but the lot could have been closed, the road access could have been closed or diverted, a ton of things could have made this first step a problem  But luckily it worked out.

#washingtondc #womensmarch

A photo posted by Jon (@the_real_nikographer) on Jan 21, 2017 at 3:56am PST

I got to the lot and then rested a bit, and was reassured by this first step working out.  Then I walked to the Jefferson, and was the only one there - an odd and eerie thing.  The capital would be over run with people in the hours to come but this was the calm before the so called storm.  I tried to use the facilities there but they were accessible but closed for repairs.

As dawn approached I walked over towards the Washington Monument, it was foggy and damp out.  And there were a few others also getting a jump on the long day ahead (not pictured in this shot).

#womensmarch #washingtondc

A photo posted by Jon (@the_real_nikographer) on Jan 21, 2017 at 4:22am PST

On Friday I called the park service to see about the march, routes, access and restrictions.  What I learned was that there would be restrictions and security for those inside the protected area (whatever that actually meant).  But that throughout the rest of Washington D.C. it would be just like any other day and there would not be blockades, or checkpoints, or heightened security.  So I took a backpack that was too large for the restricted areas never intending to go inside a restricted area.

As I got closer and the morning progressed, I realized that there would people everywhere and I would be able to see "the event" from all over the place.  I walked down the Mall and then south on 4th street (I think).

During the entire day I took about 2,700 photos, and walked 10 miles.

#womensmarch #washingtondc #womensmarchwashington #nikographer

A photo posted by Jon (@the_real_nikographer) on Jan 21, 2017 at 7:51pm PST

For the most part I managed to remain on the edges of the crowds and assembling marchers.  However a few times I had to "retreat" to get to less crowded areas.  One time a couple of guys took the baracades along 7th street and made an opening so that the people in the street could easily move to the sidewalks and grassy areas.  Most people continued to move towards the Rally area, but within a short time the area was nearly packed with those that didn't want to move closer and wanted a spot to rest.

Another time at roughly 7th and Independence I stopped to shoot the crowd from in front of a jumbo-tron type display.  There was space in front of the display because the angle from right in front of it was too oblique to be able to see the screen.  However even that spot filled in as more people moved in to the area and gathered.  I managed to shoot a handful of images facing the crowd from this spot and it worked well.  I also got up a couple feet by standing on something to get a better angle on the crowd - though it was an awkward spot and eventually after I had move off a person asked those nearby not to stand there (on it) anymore.

And later when the intersection of Independence and 15th street was in the preparing stages of the actual march proper, I managed to I guess look like a press photographer and stayed IN the intersection along with organizers, police and actual press photographers.  I took the time to shoot photos and talked to everyone there. It felt like one of those act like you belong moments and it worked out.  Everyone was friendly and I even chatted it up a bit with a particular press photographer from New York city.  He seemed like a seasoned veteran of the trade and was nice and had some interesting quips about the day that I appreciated - such as some background on the "American flag hijab" thing, which he said started in NYC.

#womensmarch #washingtondc #womensmarchwashington #nikographer

A photo posted by Jon (@the_real_nikographer) on Jan 21, 2017 at 11:44am PST

This type of photography is new to me, and I have been trying to find a way to show meaningful moments from the day.  I realize that I could post photos from throughout the day and that various messages marchers had would be seen via their signs and actions, and the images would invoke various responses.  I don't usually try to express my own political leanings through my photography, and I am mindful of which images I choose to share.

With that, here are a couple of images that are a start to my selecting and sharing meaningful images:

Granda


Hijab


-
With that, I will add images to this post as I process and share more images.

update 1 - 2 new images

I took a lot of portraits of those at the rally, there were some really interesting looking people.  I used to setups while at the rally, D500 w/ 70-200mm f/2.8 and D810 w/ 17-35mm f/2.8 (I swapped lenses between those 2 bodies a couple times).





update 2 - A couple more photos...






Update 3
Two more images from the march, there was a genuine positive attitude at the march.  People were excited to express themselves and to get their message out there.  Everyone wanted to be seen and to have their voices heard.






-Jon

DC Fireworks July 4th 2010

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

Yesterday was the 4th of July and I made my second serious attempt to shoot the DC fireworks.



Like any major event downtown or nearby Washington DC it takes the right mindset and a plan to avoid unplanned pitfalls or something which might make the night a bust. For the 4th of July the things to plan for are the spot to shoot from, transportation to and from there, and having the right gear and supplies to make it somewhat comfortable.

I was leaning towards trying to shoot from near the Iwo Jima Memorial and did just that. I started surveying the area, road closures, access to various places around 1PM - a full 8 hours before the fireworks. I parked in a grassy area setup by the park police near the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery when heading north on the George Washington Parkway. By 2:30 or so I had walked to the Iwo Jima Memorial and picked a spot in the shade to wait and finalize my plans from. By around 7PM the area started to get fairly busy and I picked my final spot - where I took this shot looking back up the hill from.

For supplies I packed a Gatorade, 4 frozen waters, a soda and some trail-mix.

read more...

For gear I packed my D300 and D300s, 80-400mmVR and 18-200mmVR and my two tripods. I also had a cable release and stereo microphone. Last fall I got a VariND, a variable Neutral Density filter and I brought that, and a circular polarizer too. I also brought a bag chair, and a couple of camera bags to carry the stuff in. In all I probably had like 30 pounds of stuff, maybe more.

I posted this one last night right after I got home. It might be the best of the night I got.



What Worked Well
The gear I picked was enough. Lol, I brought a ton, but I did leave another camera home (Fuji S5) and a video camera. Since I knew I'd be walking a lot and heading back to my car in the dark, I didn't bring my 200-400mm. It is a great somewhat fast lens but is huge and weighs a lot. The 80-400mm worked better because I had a ND filter for it, and could shoot long exposures without having to stop down to f/18 or more and go past the sharp range of the lens (and avoid highlighting dust spots on my sensor).

Part way in to shooting I had to adjust my exposures a bit and remembered something from a podcast I had just listened to regarding low ISO. Nikon makes the ISOs below 200 low-1, 2 and 3. The reason these are low is that below ISO 200 the camera doesn't perform as well, possibly with more noise than at ISO 200. So I adjusted my ISO up to ISO 200.

The VariND on the 80-400mm lens also worked well. I wound up using it to adjust my exposure once I was setup and rolling. I chimped some shots, and increased the ND a bit.

While reviewing last year's images I realized I was not zoomed in nearly enough. This year I made sure to try to get tighter shots, more full frame. Part of my thinking was that fireworks are set off all over the country, but the thing that makes seeing them in Washington DC so special is the surroundings / the monuments, the Capital Building, etc. I did way better than last year, but it wasn't until almost the end that I zoomed in on the 80-400 past around 250 or 300mm.

What Didn't Work Well
Operating two cameras led to many more shots than what I could have done with just one camera. However I think I did two things wrong. I had the tripods very close and touching eachother, or at least the stuff I had hanging from the tripods (to add weight) were touching. This led to shooting with one camera and adjust the other and moving that first camera a bit. I have some images that show movement in the camera.

I shot in manual focus on both cameras. This speeds things up, prevents focusing on close trees and makes for consistency. However, I didn't pay close enough attention on the 18-200mm and D300s and a large group of early shots are out of focus, focused closer than what I wanted.

Shooting two cameras at the same time isn't something I've ever done like this, so all in all I did ok.

What I Might Try Differently Next Year
Shooting from near the Iwo Jima Memorial was pretty cool. I got the shots I wanted and had planned for. Getting all 3 Washington icons in tight formation was what I'd seen in my minds eye.



Next year I might see about shooting from downtown DC or somewhere else. I've seen some shots from behind the Capital building looking west that were very good, and made the Capital build the major "dc" element...

Original content posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

Nikographer.com / Jon

DC Fireworks Photography and Tips

From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/





I've had the upcoming fireworks on the brain. I've been thinking about how last year went, what I might try this year, and what I should do to make the most of it.

read more

When last year was approaching I was kicking myself because all my decent DC fireworks shots (very few or none) were posted and used already. So I knew I'd probably take tons in 2009 and have at least one to use that was fresh and different to lead in to this year's 4th of July Celebration in the Nation's Capital.



Flickr Description:

Last year (above) was the first year I took the 4th fireworks in DC seriously and set out on a mission to photograph the event.

I went super early and made an entire day of it. This year I want to do something similar but better and different. I liked the view from the VA side of the river, but a review of images from a minute ago and nothing is tight enough, way too much empty space and everything had to be cropped.

What worked was the monuments - to set the location and day in to context.

This year I'm trying to come up with a new plan. I might go over to the DC side, but I don't want to be so close that I can't get at least one monument. I am also thinking about going up towards the Iwo Jima Memorial.

Are folks as psyched as me for the 4th and taking photos?

There are lots of guides and tips out there - briefly: use a tripod, mirror delay, cable release, 2 or 3 second shutter speed, take photos continuously (it ends very quickly), manual focus, ~f/8 for some DoF and if you're in the DC area you probably should get to the spot at least a few hours early, probably more.

Any one have a good spot to recommend? Maybe something high up like a rooftop or somewhere else unique? (if it is a secret, email me)

Here are a few more detailed tips in case you're in need of a little help. It took me a couple of tries to get the right approach and get the shots I got last year.

Fireworks Photography Tips

#1 Find the right spot - The spot you shoot from is key and fundamental to all the rest. In DC getting one or more landmarks is a must. The fireworks are launched from the east side of the reflecting pool, and that area is off limits. I walked around there last year during the day, and late in the afternoon they lock down the fireworks area and neighboring land. A spot that is not too close is good so you can get a good complete shot. However I've also seen some shots from between the Washington Monument and the Capital and they were night, tight, and well done too. Rooftops are a nice shooting location too, I've not done it, but I've seen some nice results.

#2 Use a Tripod - Exposure times should be something like 1 to 2 or 3 seconds so you cannot try to handhold the camera. The tripod should be solid, and if you have a backpack with stuff in it, hang it off the hook in between the legs for extra weight and stability.

#3 Timer, Mirror delay, Cable Release - All of these things will help minimize camera shake and blur. In 2009 I used all 3 things and they helped but also took up considerable precious time. The fireworks take forever to get started, but once they do, it seems like it last a few minutes and is over. Use a 2 or 3 second timer, mirror delay if you have it, and shoot as close to continuously as you can. In 2009 I ONLY took around 150 shots and wished I had gotten more.

#4 Turn OFF in Camera Noise Reduction - Leaving it on will double the time the camera spends on EACH photo, effectively cutting the number of long exposures you can capture in half. So turn off IN-CAMERA-NOISE-REDUCTION! If you only plan to shoot a few shots, keep it on, but see tip #3 if you want to get lots of shots - keep it off.

#5 Get to the spot early - One of my first years trying to shoot the fireworks I made my final approach around 2 hours before dark and I was late, entire areas were full and unavailable to even attempt to park at or shoot from. Use Metro is possible.

#6 Exposure Plan - You need a plan for how you are going to get the right exposure. I didn't my first time and tried to "freeze the action!" Yeah, that doesn't work. What makes the fireworks so cool is a long exposure where the light streaks and blurs and makes huge patterns. So that means you need a longer exposure than you might plan for if you didn't have a plan. A 2 second exposure at ISO 400 and f/5.6 is a very long time if you have anything that's even remotely bright (like fireworks). I'd say with those settings you'd get an over-exposed frame. I shoot in manual mode. This helps to produce consistent results. But it still take some experimenting to find the right values. This shot from last year was adjusted from the RAW but here's the exif
Exposure 1.6 seconds
Aperture f/7.1
Focal Length 48 mm
ISO Speed 100

#7 Shoot in RAW - I used to shoot in JPG, or JPG+RAW and mostly used the JPGs. That was a couple years ago. Now I shoot only RAW. The main thing that changed was I discovered Photoshop Lightroom. Lightroom makes working with RAW files so much easier. And by that I mean easier to get better results than decently exposured JPG in camera. For night photography and fireworks photography RAW probably makes even more of a difference. Getting a couple stops of exposure to adjust in the RAW file lets you shoot and make little mistakes and overcome them. I don't go out planning to shoot mistakes. Fireworks happen so fast, go off some times one at a time, 2 or 3 or 4 at a time and there's just no time to meter for a 3 second exposure that isn't visible before you start exposing the sensor/film. If you aren't the type to work with RAW now, than do yourself a favor and shoot both at the same time, and use what you're comfortable with now, but give yourself options later when you get better at editing the camera's files.

#8 Use a black card to block the lens - One trick to get crazy shots of fireworks is to take multiple sets of launched fireworks and combine them in to one exposure. This can be done a few ways, but the old-school way, ie from film days, is to keep the camera's shutter open for an extended period of time and only let the light in when the fireworks are exploding. To do this block the lens during the in between time with a black card or something that won't let any light in.

#9 Check the Histogram - The histogram can be pretty helpful with fireworks. I'd recommend shooting RAW and trying to get just a touch of the histogram up on the right side, ie clipping just a little. Most of the pixels though should be dark and recorded in middle or left side of the histogram... Note some camera display histograms that are really one color, not full RGB histograms, or maybe they're an average. So be a little careful making all the exposure calculations based on the histogram. Chimp the images too. One more note or word of caution on that - since by now it is dark out and your eyes have adjusted, the camera screen will seem really bright, and I've mistakenly underexposed in situations like this. One more way to get the right in field exposure would be to use the highlight warning feature available on many cameras where the blownout highlights blink bright white on the back of the camera...

#10 Fill the Frame - Far away firework are just that, far away. Shoot with a telephoto lens if you have one and zoom in on the action. Usually you can't get close to the fireworks, so I think this is a valid tip. If you are close, be careful and shoot with a wider angle...

#11 Mode other than Manual - Since not everyone shoots in manual mode, here's another way to try setting up the camera. Pick Aperture mode, select f/8, ISO 200, and -1.0 EV (exposure compensation). Shutter speeds will vary and the -1EV will compensate for the night time vs. bright fireworks. You don't want the camera to turn the night scene in to a day time looking exposure. -1 may be ok, try it and adjust from there.

#12 Shoot from a hill or get a front row spot - Once the action starts you don't want someone walking in front of you so get a front row spot, or shoot from a hill, not necessarily the top but along the hill.

#13 Plan for the Wind! - Wind is a very good thing to have on a night with fireworks. It will help to clear the smoke from the sky. However one way this can backfire is if you are down wind from the fireworks, the smoke will be streaming right towards you and block your view. There's not a lot to do once this happens, it is kind of a bust in my opinion. A related tip is don't shoot from too far away - atmospheric things can get in your way like haze or heat. Perfect conditions would be late afternoon showers and cold air in the evening.


That's it for this year and planning - unless I think of a new one before it is too late. Good luck and don't forget the tripod or the camera/lens mounting plate!

Original content posted at http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/

Nikographer.com / Jon