Joyful Release

This past weekend, I visited Rock Creek Cemetery, the oldest colonial cemetery in the District of Columbia. It is owned and overseen by the St. Paul's Rock Creek Episcopal Parish, which was founded in 1712. This once parishioner-only cemetery expanded into a public cemetery for Washington, DC citizens in 1840 by an act of the U.S. Congress. Since then, it serves as the final resting place for such notable public figures as:

• Abraham Baldwin, signer of the U.S. Constitution;
• Montgomery Blair, postmaster general in President Lincoln's Cabinet;
• Charles Corby, baking innovator of "Wonderbread;"
• Gilbert H. Grosvenor, chairman, National Geographic Society; and
• Alice Roosevelt Longworth, President Theodore Roosevelt's daughter.

Its historical importance aside, what drew me to Rock Creek Cemetery was its collection of art. Due to older burial traditions, such as burial with decorative headstones or internment in family mausoleums, the cemetery is covered with remarkable sculptures and structures. Today's photograph features an unusual headstone topped with a sculpture of a joyful angel throwing its arms to the sky. The rejoicing angel stood out from the other more solemn tributes and seemed to beautifully symbolize the dichotomy of death. For the living, death is full of grief and loss, but for those who have passed, I imagine it is full of release and joy. Perhaps those  who chose this gravestone for their loved one selected it to be a reminder of life's joy in spite of their sadness.

Trapped

Yesterday, I treated myself to a quick getaway. I took out a Zipcar for the day and went to explore some new places in the District, places I've only read about but had yet to visit. And of course, I took my camera along to document my excursion. Luckily, lots of snow remained on the ground after last week's snowstorm and only added to the drama of Saturday's photos. I'm looking forward to sharing with you some of the photos from this jaunt.

Today's photo from yesterday's collection captures a familiar spot -- the Tidal Basin -- but in a way I've never seen it before. The entire Tidal Basin was frozen and covered with snow yesterday. I'm sure this happens every winter, however, I've never witnessed it before. This image features a tree branch, probably from one of the now bare Cherry Blossom trees, trapped in the frozen water. Yet while there is stillness during winter, like this trapped branch, I also discovered that there is life as well. In the coming days, I'll share some photos from my Saturday excursion that illustrate either the liveliness or silence of winter.

Galloping through the Tulips

Sometimes, great photographs are just a matter of perspective or where the photographer decided to place the camera lens.

When photographing the tulips in Washington Circle last year, I thought it would be interesting to include the statue of George Washington and his horse among the tulips. After struggling to get both subjects into the frame, I found that when I crouched down into a sitting position near the outside border of the circle and photographed the scene in front of me, it would appear as if George Washington and his steed were galloping through the blooming tulips. Digital cameras give us the freedom to experiment without the worry or cost of developing multiple rolls of film. I doubt I would have discovered this great composition if I was counting the number of film frames at my disposal.

Solemn View

Arlington National Cemetery did not always use the emblematic marble upright gravestones. In many of the older sections of the cemetery, visitors will find diverse private markers like the one seen in this photograph. These different markers add character, art and history to the cemetery's now more modern design.

To Infinity and Beyond

This photograph captures one of the three spires that make up the United States Air Force Memorial. During this visit, I tried to discover as many angles as possible to photograph the memorial's spires. At the base of this 24-story tall aluminum steel memorial spire, I looked up and was awed by how its curve seemed unending.

When I look at this image, I feel so hopeful. To me, it symbolizes life's continuity and limitless possibilities. We have the ability to design structures, like the U.S. Air Force Memorial spires, that seem to reach infinity and beyond. What a beautiful truth.

Translucent Leaves

Have you ever seen the Pixar movie, A Bug's Life? Even though I've loved all of the Pixar movies and short films, A Bug's Life still remains my favorite. It was not as popular as the Toy Story films, Up or Wall-E, but I loved its humor and inventiveness, especially the creativity behind the world designed for these bugs.

To accurately create the ants' environment, Pixar designers developed a very small video camera and ran it along the ground, like an ant, in the grass outside their offices. Their footage showed them that from an ant's vantage point, leaves appear translucent like the ones I photographed in Georgetown this summer. Instead of a leaf appearing as solid, the sunlight from above filters through the leaves and gives them this transparent appearance.

Olympic Iliad in Seattle

Modern art still confounds me, however there is something about Alexander Liberman's "Olympic Iliad" near the Space Needle in Seattle that speaks to me. Perhaps it's the red giant steel cylinders against the green grass or the sculpture's conflicting appearance of disorder and balance at the same time, that draws my attention. Whatever the reason, this public artwork has always stayed with me since my visit in 2005.

Liberman, known for his use of industrially manufactured materials, assembled the red cylinders, cut at varying angles and lengths, to form an immense structure than one can walk around and underneath. While one might suggest its form resembles a spider, glazing at it does not fill me with dread. An unusual response, since I intensely dislike insects, particularly spiders. Rather, "Olympic Iliad" makes me feel free. I wonder if that was Liberman's intention since his design makes some cylinders appear to be floating in the air.