Kerrin Nishimura – We Love DC https://www.welovedc.com Your Life Beyond The Capitol Mon, 23 Jun 2014 09:59:47 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9.9 Weekend Flashback 6/20-6/22 https://www.welovedc.com/2014/06/23/weekend-flashback-620-622/ Mon, 23 Jun 2014 13:00:28 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97712

Would it really be that bad if we all just quit our jobs and spent all of our time doing whatever we want? Yeah, you’re probably right, it would be awesome. But I guess we could just look at some photos from the weekend and mentally quit our jobs for a few minutes instead. If only to keep the country running for a little while longer. 

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Featured Photo https://www.welovedc.com/2014/06/18/featured-photo-239/ Wed, 18 Jun 2014 15:00:30 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97652

I think we can all agree that the only thing cuter than a panda face is a panda butt. It’s big and round and, presumably, pretty squishy. Put them together and, well, your brain could a splode. Bao Bao is doing an excellent job of trying to kill us all, or win our undying affection, one can never tell, in this adorable photo by Dan Reidel. If you look through Dan’s photo stream you’ll see quite a few shots of the pandas doing their panda thing but Bao Bao is particularly skilled at milking her silly bear-ness for all it’s worth. While we all miss our little Butterstick (aka Tai Shan) his little sister is doing her best to fill his, um, paw prints. Great shot, Dan!

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Week in Review: 6/9-6/12 https://www.welovedc.com/2014/06/13/week-in-review-69-612/ Fri, 13 Jun 2014 17:00:57 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97630

The Week in Review is ready to go, don’t keep it waiting.

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Week in Review: 6/2-6/5 https://www.welovedc.com/2014/06/06/week-in-review-62-65/ https://www.welovedc.com/2014/06/06/week-in-review-62-65/#comments Fri, 06 Jun 2014 17:00:55 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97594

It’s the weekend. Get out and enjoy it.

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Featured Photo https://www.welovedc.com/2014/05/28/featured-photo-232/ https://www.welovedc.com/2014/05/28/featured-photo-232/#comments Wed, 28 May 2014 15:00:25 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97504

Phoneography is arguably one of the most popular, if not the most popular, ways to take a picture. Cameras in many phones are now better quality than some of the original digital cameras that were released onto the market years ago and the size comparisons are a joke. Aside from the ease of portability and the excellent quality of the images is the ability to edit and share the photos on the same device with which they were taken. Hundreds of apps have been created that let you add any number of filters; adjust contrast, brightness, and saturation; crop and straighten; add text and emoji; upload to social media sites; and ultimately become an internet (and sometimes real-life) famous photographer*. Instagram is perhaps the best example of this. Flickr and Twitter have even jumped on the filter preset bandwagon. Love it or hate it Instagram created a platform for many brilliant photographers to showcase their talent. It also created the much maligned “selfie” and millions of photos of lunch. And dinner. And cappuccino art. You win some, you lose some I guess.

Many of the photos that get posted to our Flickr group and that we share with you in our photo posts were taken with phone cameras. This excellent shot by DoctorJ.Bass being one of them. The geometry of the lines and shapes of the parking garage and buildings across the street combined with the dramatic contrast in light and dark make for a very eye catching photo. It can still be hard to believe that such an amazing image was captured with a phone. Not only that but instead of having to use a computer to download and process the photo DoctorJ was able to open an app, import the photo (unless the app was used to take the photo), and select a filter preset. Once saved the photo was exported to Flickr for everyone to see.

I personally have at least a dozen photography related apps on my phone that I use regularly but I’d say the one I’m drawn to the most lately is VSCO Cam, which is what DoctorJ. used to edit this photo. I love the presets but it also allows you to edit the photo on your own – tweak the contrast, brighten, saturate, crop, straighten, fade, change the hue, and more. It has recently added a social media-esque feature they refer to as Grid. Users can edit their photos and upload them to their own grid where others can view them. You even get your own nifty website address. The beauty of Grid (or downside, depending on where your need for constant reassurance and confirmation of your greatness lies) is that while you can follow people, and have their photos show up in your feed, there are no “likes” to be exchanged or collected and you have no idea how many people are following you. It’s simply a clean, aesthetically pleasing way to post your photos for the world to see**. Of course the photos can also be saved to your phone and uploaded to any social media platform or photo site you want.

Are there any apps that you prefer? Maybe some that we haven’t heard of? Feel free to let us know in the comments. And you’re welcome to post your Instagram name, or VSCO page, or Tumblr, or whatever, as well. We always want to see your photos no matter the platform.

 

*results may vary

** For the record I am in no way affiliated with VSCO, I just happen to like their app.

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Week in Review: 5/19-5/22 https://www.welovedc.com/2014/05/23/week-in-review-519-522/ Fri, 23 May 2014 17:00:12 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97483

If you’re lucky enough to get Monday off and plan on enjoying the long weekend at the beach, at a barbecue, getting out of town, or even just sitting at home being lazy make sure you take a moment to recognize why we’re able to do this. The men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces are the reason our country continues to be a land of freedom and possibility; it’s our duty to remember this and honor that sacrifice. That doesn’t mean you can’t get out there and have a good time though. There will be plenty of photo ops this weekend, one of my favorites being Rolling Thunder. It’s truly a moving (no pun intended) sight to see. Remember to post all of your amazing shots to the photo group. Happy Weekend everyone!

 

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Weekend Flashback: 5/16-5/18 https://www.welovedc.com/2014/05/19/weekend-flashback-516-518/ Mon, 19 May 2014 13:00:23 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97430

Did you have a good weekend? Did you do anything fun? I ate some ribs, drank some really good beer, consumed mass quantities of ice cream, and discussed the merits of the Paleo diet. I’m still on the fence about whether it’s a lifestyle choice I could commit to seeing as it doesn’t allow beer OR ice cream. Anyhoodle, it looks like a lot people were out and about this weekend and took their cameras along for the ride, lucky for us. The rest of the Weekend Flashback is after the jump.

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Featured Photo https://www.welovedc.com/2014/05/14/featured-photo-235/ Wed, 14 May 2014 15:00:21 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97352

Many photographers find it difficult to take photos of people not because it’s physically hard but because the interaction required can be off-putting. It’s much easier to point your camera at a landscape or a building and push the shutter than it is to point it toward a person because that person might look at you or talk to you. Trees don’t look at you funny. Buildings don’t ask what you’re doing. But here’s the thing: a lot of those same photographers *want* to take photos of people but because it’s out of their comfort range they don’t. The challenge, then, is to do it anyway. Go take photos of people. Start with your friends and family. Begin by suggesting poses — “pretend you’re James Bond and model your finger guns!” or “everyone do the chin shelf!” Then once everyone is loosened up just start capturing the fun. Some of the best shots come when everyone is goofing around and not paying attention to the camera at all.

The most excellent photo above by pablo.raw is an example of what you can capture when people are relaxed and having fun. The subject isn’t shying away from or feeling intimidated by the camera, she’s interacting with it and being herself. These are the kinds of things you want to achieve and the best way to achieve them is to feel at ease behind the camera. And of course the only way to feel at ease is to practice. It may take you some time but in the end it’ll be worth the effort.

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Week in Review: 5/5-5/8 https://www.welovedc.com/2014/05/09/week-in-review-55-58-2/ Fri, 09 May 2014 17:00:44 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97311

We want to wish an early Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. You have the hardest job in the world and, honestly, you don’t get enough credit for it. Honoring you one day a year is the least we could do to let you know how awesome you are. We want you to do whatever you want on Sunday and enjoy the heck out of it. Here’s a gift* from us: the Week in Review.

 

*We didn’t have a lot of cash to buy something so we thought you’d appreciate a handmade gift. Hope you like it!

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Weekend Flashback: 5/2-5/4 https://www.welovedc.com/2014/05/05/weekend-flashback-52-54/ Mon, 05 May 2014 13:00:27 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97295

There’s so much good stuff in the Weekend Flashback that that’s all I’m going to say about it. Enjoy.

 

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Featured Photo https://www.welovedc.com/2014/04/30/featured-photo-233/ https://www.welovedc.com/2014/04/30/featured-photo-233/#comments Wed, 30 Apr 2014 15:00:46 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97233

Bokeh is something that you’ll hear a lot of photographers talking about. Photographs with good bokeh have an appealing aesthetic; a quality that is as much because of the photographer as it is because of the lens the photographer used. When you isolate the subject and create a small depth of field the background becomes blurred and and the subject stands out. Shallow focus is a good way to achieve this, just set your aperture to wide open. If the subject has a stark color contrast to the background the effect can be even more dramatic as is the case in this lovely photo by Ian Livingston. Not only does the white tulip stand out against the red ones but the blurring of the background tulips makes it even more of a focal point. The photo looks like a pastel painting and would certainly look great framed and hanging on a wall. Well done, Ian.

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Week in Review: 4/21-4/24 https://www.welovedc.com/2014/04/25/week-in-review-421-424/ Fri, 25 Apr 2014 17:00:57 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97193

Happy Friday everybody! I’m just gonna leave this here and let you scroll through your Week in Review. Have a good weekend!

 

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Weekend Flashback: 4/18-4/20 https://www.welovedc.com/2014/04/21/weekend-flashback-418-420/ Mon, 21 Apr 2014 13:00:01 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97105

It’s Monday again but that’s okay. There are worse things in life than “suffering” through another Monday; unrelenting tooth pain for one (ask me how I know…). We’re still looking for a few good writers to help out with our photo posts and if you think you’re up to the task don’t hesitate to drop us a line. We’re waiting to hear from YOU! And with that you are now free to enjoy the Weekend Flashback at your leisure. Happy Monday!

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Featured Photo https://www.welovedc.com/2014/04/16/featured-photo-231/ https://www.welovedc.com/2014/04/16/featured-photo-231/#comments Wed, 16 Apr 2014 15:00:05 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=97043

There have been a lot, A LOT of cherry blossom photos posted over the past week. One could argue that every angle and vantage point around the Tidal Basin has been used and abused, that it’s hard to create a unique and unseen photograph of those fluffy little flowers. While that may be true to a certain extent I’d argue that that just makes it more of a challenge. It used to be that you could get down to the water by 8 am and still have the place (mostly) to yourself with a good hour or two until the tour buses and sandal-clad tourists started making the rounds.  Now only the most dedicated, those who are willing to forgo those extra moments of shut eye just so they can have a moment with the trees without the distraction of fellow human beings, are the ones who get the photographs of the bloom in all it’s glory. Cathy Hammer got down to the Tidal Basin before sunrise on a Sunday to get this amazing shot. She set her f-stop at 13, set the shutter for 30 seconds and let it go. The result is stunning. The water seems to be frozen and the whole scene shows crisp detail. A scroll through her photostream offers some wonderful evening shots as well. It may be an angle we’ve seen before but certainly never quite like this. Great job, Cathy.

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Week in Review: 4/7-4/10 https://www.welovedc.com/2014/04/11/week-in-review-47-410/ Fri, 11 Apr 2014 17:00:59 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=96997

Those little pink and white flowers that draw thousands of gawkers every year to our fair city have finally emerged from their hiding places. Unlike Punxsutawney Phil who always gets the forecast wrong these little joyful fluffs of joy mean the warm weather is here. Unfortunately it also means the trees are in constant danger for the next few weeks as every bride, groom, mother, father, son, daughter, man, woman, child feels the need to climb into the very, very old branches for a photograph or to pluck the flowers. If you don’t want to make the trek down to the Tidal Basin then this Week in Review is for you. Enjoy the cherry blossom goodness and don’t forget to throw your hat in the ring if you’re interested in becoming a WLDC photo writer!

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Weekend Flashback: 4/4-4/6 https://www.welovedc.com/2014/04/07/weekend-flashback-44-46/ Mon, 07 Apr 2014 13:00:35 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=96933

Yeah, it’s Monday and it’s raining but that’s far superior to it being Monday and snowing. It feels like we’ve finally (FINALLY!!!) turned the corner and can now enjoy all the trappings of Spring — cherry blossoms, warmer temperatures, baseball, and tourists. Our photographical contributors got out there and got to snapping so grab another cup of coffee and take a look through the Weekend Flashback. You deserve a break after all your hard work so far this morning.

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Featured Photo https://www.welovedc.com/2014/04/02/featured-photo-229/ Wed, 02 Apr 2014 15:00:20 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=96863

If it weren’t for the modern SUV one might look at this and think they were looking at a photo taken many, many decades or centuries ago. Arlington National Cemetery has always had an air of mystery and solemnity about it from the time it was created. Kevin Wolf does an excellent job of capturing the scene on a foggy winter morning. The layers of history are distinct and yet blend together so well due to the monochromatic nature of the photo. Without color to distract the eye we can look around and pick out different details hidden by the fog.

Arlington House was built in 1803 by George Washington Parke Custis, the adopted son of George Washington. During the Civil War the property was taken by the Union army and used as a place to bury their dead to ensure that General Robert E. Lee, Custis’ son-in-law and leader of the Confederate army, would never return to live there. After the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was dedicated in 1921 the number of visitors and vehicular traffic heading to the cemetery increased. In an attempt to ease the traffic jams the Arlington Memorial Bridge was built in 1932. On the hill below Arlington House the eternal flame at President John F. Kennedy’s gravesite is visible at night. These are just the things shown in this photo, there’s so much more going on in the acres of land just beyond this scene.

We get used to seeing these sites and others around the city as we go about our daily lives and it’s easy to overlook them. They start to blend into the background. It really is amazing how much history surrounds us. Washington DC is such a layered city, in more ways than one, and sometimes it’s nice to take a moment to appreciate just how lucky we are to live here.

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Week in Review: 3/24-3/27 https://www.welovedc.com/2014/03/28/week-in-review-324-327/ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 17:00:34 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=96778

Every week I’m blown away by the myriad photographs in our Flickr pool. This week was no exception. I won’t yammer on about it, you can take a look for yourself. Enjoy your Week in Review.

 

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Weekend Flashback: 3/21-3/23 https://www.welovedc.com/2014/03/24/weekend-flashback-321-323/ Mon, 24 Mar 2014 13:00:18 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=96695

Today’s Weekend Flashback is full of great photos. The photo group is full of even more great photos. Maybe it’s the light at the end of the cold, snowy tunnel that got everyone’s creative juices flowing. Maybe it’s the lead in the water. Whatever it is keep it up guys and gals! Click through to check out the rest.

 

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Featured Photo https://www.welovedc.com/2014/03/19/featured-photo-227/ https://www.welovedc.com/2014/03/19/featured-photo-227/#comments Wed, 19 Mar 2014 15:00:51 +0000 http://www.welovedc.com/?p=96644

Did you know DC has a roller derby? Have you ever gone? Maybe you should so you can try your hand at some panning like pablo.raw. Panning is one of the more challenging techniques in photography. The goal is to clearly capture the subject while blurring the background to give you a sense of movement. We’ve posted other photos that give an example of this but Pablo’s photo really demonstrates how much movement you can get. It’s more challenging to pan indoors or in low light conditions so photogs will use a flash to help freeze the moment. This is called slow sync flash and it allows for a slower shutter speed with more light coming into the camera. From there it’s up to the photog to decide if they want to sync the flash with the front or rear curtain as both give different results in the final image. Some sleuthing on Flickr will give you some great ideas about how this feature can be used. After trying your hand at it make sure you post your best shots to the photo group!

P.S. Tonight is the opening of Exposed DC at Longview Gallery. As someone who has previously had photographs in the show and attended many of the opening night festivities I can tell you that it’s a super fun awesome good time. That’s not even including all the yummy noms that will be offered. The show runs until April 6 so if you can’t make it tonight you’ll have ample time to check it out later. The photographs are for sale as well so it’s a great, and relatively inexpensive, way to begin your private art collection. Tickets are $15 ahead with a limited number for $20 at the door.

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