Bright Lights, Bright Shirts

Thought of the day courtesy of the great British statesman and Prime Minister Winston Churchill:

"Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."

Our nation's leaders should take to heart Churchill's wise words. If we did more listening and less talking, we might be able to resolve more issues faster and keep policy moving forward instead of remaining in this stalemate.

The Other Shirt Ship Hull

Like I shared in yesterday's post, the ship made of men's dress shirts at the Kennedy Center was presented in two parts. Visitors could actually walk between the two parts of the ship's hull and see the interior.

When I photographed the opposite hull from yesterday's photo, I loved how this spotlight behind the art exhibition was diffused by the shirts in front of it. The material of the shirts seemed to dull the intensity of the spotlight, making it broader and an interesting addition to today's image.

A Ship of Shirts

Yes, you read the blog post title correctly. I did say: A Ship of Shirts. At least that's what Finnish artist Kaarina Kaikkonen created at the Kennedy Center as part of the Nordic Cool exhibition.

Entitled Are We Still Afloat?, Kaikkonen constructed the hanging sculpture as ship broken in two using a thousand men's shirts. Taking up most of the walkway in the Hall of States inside the Kennedy Center is an art installation that appears as a large ship constructed with dress shirts donated by the men of Washington, DC.

The artist is known for creating large scale, site-specific environmental installations made from simple recycled materials and domestic items, such as clothing and paper.

Check out the Kennedy Center's video interview with Kaikkonen below to watch how she built such an interesting ship.

Dual Nature

This moment was a little creepy. While I love the Muppets and puppets in general, I prefer not to see their handlers at the same time.

If the performer is really good at becoming visible. yet invisible as the puppet's handler, as in the Broadway musical, Avenue Q, then I'm fine. But, when the handler's presence or actions draw my attention away from the puppet and focuses on them instead, I find it unsettling.

As you can tell from this photograph, the puppet handler's appearance and similarity to his puppet is very strange. In person and in this photograph, my eye is drawn to him and not his friendlier looking puppet. During the parade of costumes before the High Heel Race, I wish that the puppet spoke more than the handler. I'm confident that Jim Henson would have agreed with me.

Playing Dress Up

Boy, do people love to dress up. To be honest, I'm not a fan myself. While I love to get into fancier clothes or wear flashier jewelry for a night on the town, I don't enjoy donning costumes and playing characters. After years of dance recitals, you would imagine that I would be used to that routine, but I think the experience actually created this aversion to playing dress up.

Although I don't dress up for costume parties or Halloween often, I do love when others do, especially if their costumes and adopted personas are creative and inventive. Each Tuesday before Halloween, I look forward to the annual High Heel Race in Dupont Circle. Every year, the runners never fail to impress me with their costume tributes to American pop culture.

High Heel Race competitors' costumes usually reflect the dreams and desires of our pop culture-obsessed society. For all the typical Lady Gagas, Amy Winehouses and Pan Am flight attendants in this year's race -- which celebrated its 25th anniversary last week -- there were more imaginative entries, such as these mermaids "swimming" with fisherman.

Practicing my night photography at the race, I was so disappointed that many of my photos didn't come out until I saw this one. I love how the blurriness of light perfectly depicts the dreaminess of these racers. Even if the image was in sharper focus, I don't think I would have liked it more than this final composition.

Today's photography lesson -- Don't delete photos on your camera. Wait until you upload and see them on a larger screen before deleting. Sometimes, the small LCD monitor on our digital cameras fail to reveal the possibilities of a so-so photograph. I'm glad I waited and didn't rashly delete this one from my camera during the race.

Closer Look at Apple Tribute

Here's another look at the memorial to Steve Jobs at my local Apple Store.

I wonder if Apple came up with the format of this tribute or was it organically developed by customers. Either way, it is beautiful. Even with Sunday's bright sunlight washing out some of this image, the color of the Post-It notes are so bright that most of its color was not altered.

It would be nice to think that creativity led grieving fans to this memorial concept, instead of Apple marketing or PR executives.

Apple Tribute

In my last post, I shared a tribute to Steve Jobs, the co-founder and former CEO of Apple who passed away last week due to cancer.

When walking by my local Apple Store this weekend, I came across this interesting memorial to Jobs on the store's windows. Hundreds of Post-It note messages of love and appreciation lined the windows. Grieving fans also left real apples etched with messages to Jobs near the entrance of the store as well.

It was quite a sight, seeing not only this colorful display but onlookers with their iPhones taking photos of the makeshift memorial. Perhaps that is the greatest tribute to Jobs -- his devotees using the technology he shepherded to capture this memorial honoring his contributions to the world.

Learning from a Crazy One

I'm a PC person. It's in my genes (thanks Dad). However, I love great innovation more. Steve Jobs -- the former CEO of Apple who passed away yesterday -- was the king of great innovation. He defied convention and created new technologies and devices that have revolutionized my life and quite frankly, the world. Not a bad dent to leave in the universe in only 56 years, right?


I use Steve's innovations at work, at home and at play. I even use his camera technology in the iPhone to take photos I've featured on this blog.

In 1997, Apple launched the "Think Different" advertising campaign, one of my favorite ad campaigns during my lifetime. It beautifully summarized what set Apple apart from its competitors, but also defined their leader as well.

Steve Jobs thought differently and looked at the world differently. Instead of stifling or conforming his vision, he took risks and followed his gut to creative genius. As he shared with the 2005 graduating class at Stanford University in his commencement address, change only happens when we dare to be bold and follow our intuition. Thank goodness for the world, Steve Jobs listened to his.

"Think Different" by Apple Inc.

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Monkey on His Back

As Hurricane Irene wrecked havoc on the East Coast, she also disrupted my travel itinerary. A canceled flight provided an extra day in California, but resulted in a ticket on a packed, anxious return flight to DC on Monday night.

When we finally arrived at the airport in Washington, DC, my fellow passengers were already standing in the aisle, ready to disembark before we had even reached the gate. Standing in front of me, anxious to leave, was this guy with a monkey on his back. Now, it was actually a backpack shaped like a monkey, but looked as if it was a real monkey on his back.

Thank goodness for my inconspicuous iPhone camera, which allowed me to take his photo without this guy's knowledge. To onlookers, it appeared as if I was simply checking my messages on my phone. It did make me wonder though how many people are taking photos with camera phones without our notice.

Happy World Photography Day!

Today is World Photography Day. Amateur and professional photographers will be out-and-about with their cameras celebrating this intriguing art form and documenting the sights and actions of August 19, 2011. To peruse what photographers around the world are sharing today, visit the World Photography Day gallery.

Recently, I just added a new camera to my photography mix -- an iPhone. I'm probably one of the last people in my circles to succumb to smart phone technology, but I was philosophically adverse to receiving email on my cell phone. Knowing my obsessive compulsive tendencies, I knew that I would be checking and sending email all the time if I had access to a smarter cell phone.

Well, my concerns have proven accurate as I now obsessively use (and check) my new iPhone. But on the upside, the iPhone provided access to a decent camera phone. My past cell phones also had a camera feature, but photographs taken with my phone were rarely worthy of posting on this blog (except this one). Such accessible photo technology is expanding the number of amateur photographers exponentially and probably increasing the number of people participating in today's photography celebration.

My next challenge is figuring out how to use the iPhone camera to take really great photographs. At a wedding last weekend, I took this photograph during the reception in the crystal chandelier-lit ballroom. I had just used the iPhone camera and was placing it back in my handbag when I accidentally took this image. It's a beautiful mistake, right?

While I didn't intend to capture this image, the iPhone camera's movement caught the light, energy and happiness in the abstract. James Joyce once said, "Mistakes are the portals of discovery." I'm looking forward to what these "camera mistakes" lead me to discover about photography and advancing my technique and composition

Gold Spire

This is the top of one of the pillars framing the entrance to the Jefferson Family Cemetery at Monticello. At a distance, this gate spire seemed ordinary. But after moving closer, I became intrigued by it.

Jefferson was a collector of ornate objects. He filled his estate with architectural characteristics and decorative items that would tell a story to onlookers, whether pieces were from Lewis and Clark's explorations of the American frontier or portraits of important figures, such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin or Isaac Newton.

Thus, it isn't surprising that his love of ornate elements would be extended to his final resting place as well. This gate spire is gold-tipped. Gold is a repeated design element on the cemetery fencing, and a featured part of the family crest of the front of the gate. Even in death, Jefferson still rested in luxury.

Jefferson Coat of Arms

I've mentioned before on the blog my love of lions. So, you can imagine how pleased I was to find a lion used in the gold coat of arms on the Jefferson family cemetery entrance gate.

Inscribed in the seal are the words, "Ab eo libertas a quo spiritus" which loosely translates to mean "He who gives life gives liberty." It's an ironic motto for slave-owning family, because their slaves' liberty was held by man and not their creator.

Jefferson's Weather Dial

Thomas Jefferson was obsessed with the weather. Twice every day, he would collect and record weather measurements. He installed a large weather vein to the top of the main entrance to Monticello. However, in case of inclement weather, Jefferson also devised this weather dial that was connected to the weather vein but placed on the ceiling of the main entrance. Instead of needing to walk outside to gather his wind measurements, Jefferson would just need to step out his front door and look up at the exposed weather dial.

Ingenious, right? Jefferson was well-known for devising efficient, easy ways to conduct day-to-day tasks. He even boiled down how to live your best life into ten simple rules. A poster of the Jefferson's Ten Rules, which I've included below, is sold at the Monticello's gift store. I love the rules' simplicity and timelessness. Jefferson selected words and phrases thoughtfully, as evidenced by his evergreen prose found in the Declaration of Independence, intending for his words to live beyond him. He succeeded.

Jefferson's Ten Rules
By Thomas Jefferson

• Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today.
• Never trouble another for what you can do yourself.
• Never spend money before you have earned it.
• Never buy what you don't want because it is cheap.
• Pride costs more than hunger, thirst and cold.
• We seldom repent of having eaten too little.
• Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly.
• How much pain the evils cost us that never happened.
• Take things always by the smooth handle.
• When angry, count ten before you speak; if very angry, count a hundred.

Wicked Dessert

So, what could be better than seeing finally seeing the Broadway musical, Wicked, in person? Nothing, but this delightful dessert in honor of Wicked's run at the Kennedy Center came close.

Served by the Center's Roof Terrace Restaurant & Bar and created by Executive Pastry Chef Ben McCormick, this Pistachio Mousse Cake topped with a chocolate witch's hat was a perfect ending to a delightful dinner before showtime. Although our table's true hit of the dessert course was baked Alaska dessert, our Wicked-inspired dessert provided a great introduction for the evening's performance in the beautiful Kennedy Center Opera House.

Red, Red Wine

Happy Friday! Thank goodness this week is drawing to a close. I wasn't sure it was ever going to arrive! Today, I'm sharing a more random photo to prove that any situation can lead to an interesting photograph.

While sitting and resting my feet at the Chefs Take a Stand to End Domestic Violence on Wednesday, I looked over and saw this lone glass of wine sitting on the table. Its owner was nearby, but seemed to be ignoring it. Something about the way the setting sun's light illuminated the wine in the glass drew my attention, and my camera's lens.

Even though I was not able to photograph the restaurant's view of the Potomac River from my seat or even the lively auction occurring indoors at the time, I did capture this intriguing photograph of a lonely, yet translucent, glass of wine. You just never know what photo opportunities are available in the most ordinary locations.

Dinner by Candlelight

Each table at Lincoln Restaurant was lit by candles in these glass lanterns. They gave off the perfect amount of light and created such a beautiful glow off of all of the copper elements in the dining room.

Photographing candles can be tricky. In my experience, it is best to turn off your flash before taking the picture. Not using the automatic flash allows the true color of the scene and the glow of the candle appear closer to how you saw it. While your final image may be darker, the candlelight will look more authentic and appealing than if you used flash photography.

Lots of Pennies

Yesterday, I enjoyed dinner at a new restaurant in DC -- Lincoln Restaurant. The small plate dishes were delightful. The wine list was interesting. But, the best part of the whole experience was the restaurant's decor, which was inspired by the images and words of President Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln's entire dinning room floor, and some of the walls, are covered in real pennies. Such an innovative design approach! According to their website, the restaurant designer used more than a million pennies to create its copper-colored tiled floor. They even utilized pennies to create these stars on the wall.

The lights outside the restaurant created this interesting reflection on one of the penny-tiled walls. Oh, how I love originality! Vision like that can create such beautiful environments.

Water or Ice?

According to American poet Robert Frost, the world will end either by fire or ice. Personally, I'm not sure which one will rule the day, but I thought of that poem when I viewed this close-up image of the water at the top of the fountain in the Clarendon Market Common shopping area today. Doesn't the water look frozen or like ice? I struggle with finding the right shutter speeds to photograph running water. While this setting was not perfect, I do enjoy the created effect in this composition. It looks as though an iceberg appears at the top of this fountain.

Robert Frost is one of my favorite poets and if you aren't familiar with "Fire and Ice," I've included the full text below for your enjoyment.

"Fire and Ice"
by Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Be the Candle, Be the Mirror

Author Edith Wharton once said, "There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." Oh, how I love that quotation. At times, we are called to be the candle, the source of new ideas or the change we wish to see in the world. Other times, we are asked to be the mirror; to strengthen and inspire others to be the candle themselves.

Fifty years ago this month, a group of young men and women chose to be both the candle and mirror by risking their lives to spread the truth about the treatment of people of color in the segregated southern United States. In 1961, these white and black students boarded commercial buses in Washington, D.C. and traveled throughout the deep South, challenging segregation laws along the way. They risked their lives and the possibility of imprisonment by defying the restrictive Jim Crow travel laws, such as using the wrong restrooms or sitting at the wrong lunch counters at bus stations. Over that summer, Freedom Riders were attacked and beaten by angry mobs, and some riders were almost killed.

In spite of the dangers, their courage and commitment to non-violent protest served as a candle showing the world the willingness of people to stand up against such inequality. Freedom Riders became a mirror as well, bringing national attention to the violent disregard for the law that was used to enforce segregation in the South in the 1960s. Thank goodness for you and for me that more than 200 young Americans answered the call to be candles in the Civil Rights Movement. I only hope that when I am asked to take a stand and also be the light of change that I will be as brave and courageous as these heroic Americans.

To learn more about the Freedom Riders, watch the American Experience documentary about their travels in 1961 on your local PBS station or online.

Snowy Sidewalk

In my neighborhood, winter is passing into spring. Just ask my allergies. While I'm happy that our sidewalks are no longer covered in snow and ice, I'll miss the interesting patterns and scenes created by winter weather. However at the same time, I'm looking forward to spring's beauty.