Macro photograph of a flower in stained glass at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC

Macro photograph of a flower in stained glass at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC

Macro photograph of a flower in stained glass at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC

The stained glass window that contained these flowers is in a staircase off to the side of the balcony at the National Cathedral, and it’s fair to say that I would have missed this window had I not gotten lost trying to find my way back downstairs. Luckily, there was just enough room on the sill for me to set-up my tripod and get myself wedged into the window sill to take these photos.

A bird flies high above the roof of the U.S. Botanic Gardens

This photograph was another attempt to find more light in the U.S. Botanic Gardens. Looking up, I saw the structured grid created by the panes on the greenhouse roof being intersected by another diagonal structure, which looks to be a stairway to the observation catwalk. Rather than frame the shot with horizontal and vertical lines, I framed a canted angle and waited for the bird in the sky to fly into the right position. In the far right corner, you can just make out the silhouette of a tall plant stretching itself into the frame as if to remind you that the botanic still rules this roof.

A macro photograph of a large planter at the U.S. Botanic Gardens in Washington, D.C.

This is a color photograph of the planter previously posted in black and white.

Eggplants and bell peppers for sale at Eastern Market in Washington, DC

Pumpkins on display at Eastern Market in Washington, DC

Organic tomatoes on display at Eastern Market in Washington, DC

Eastern Market in Washington, DC suffered severe damage from a large fire in 2007, and only recently reopened a couple of weeks ago. Walking through the outside market, you’ll typically see a variety of organic and locally-grown fruits and vegetables for sale; these photographs are just a sampling of what you’d find on display. The photograph of the pumpkins was recently chosen to appear in the 8th edition of the digital travel guide, Schmap.

Close-up of the number 32 on a trolley car in Glen Echo Park, Maryland

Close-up of the number 32 on a trolley car in Glen Echo Park, Maryland

Close-up of the number 32 on a trolley car in Glen Echo Park, Maryland

Close-up of the number 32 on a trolley car in Glen Echo Park, Maryland

This set of photographs was motivated by the interesting shapes and contrasting colors of the number 32 on a trolley car in Glen Echo Park, Maryland. This, of course, is the same trolley car that was the subject of the rusty trolley, trolley wheel, and suspension posts. The first photograph in this set captures the number 32 in its most abstract form; each successive photograph becomes less abstract and reveals the identity of and some degree of context for the number.

Paint peels from the rusty chassis of a trolley car in Glen Echo Park, Maryland.

Paint peels from the rusty chassis of a trolley car in Glen Echo Park, Maryland.

Paint peels from the rusty chassis of a trolley car in Glen Echo Park, Maryland.

This trolley car’s rusty chassis and peeling paint reflect its age and exposure to the elements. Besides providing great texture for photographing, the rust and peeling paint reveal what is no longer visible as well: the innumerable stories of its riders. Who were they, and where were they going? To work; to visit a loved one; to school. Maybe some simply got on to enjoy the ride and the sound of its steel wheels on the rails.

The Crystal Pool building on a cool fall day at Glen Echo Park, Maryland

The sun sets over the horizon as a children's; art building sits empty in Glen Echo Park, Maryland.

Although it doesn’t serve any practical purpose at Glen Echo Park since it can more accurately be described as a wall, the Crystal Pool building is a prominent feature in the park that is often a willing subject for artists painting en plein air; and if I had to guess, it’s probably frequently photographed as well.

My take on the Crystal Pool building was to photograph it using an extreme wide angle lens so that I could capture its height and as much of cloudy sky. On the left-side of the frame, you can see the back of a children’s art building sitting at the top of a small hill.

Ivy grows on a crumbling white wall of a building in Glen Echo Park, Maryland.

Ivy grows against a wall with peeling red paint in Glen Echo Park, Maryland.

Close-up of ivy against a white wall

Ivy grows on a red wall of a building in Glen Echo Park, Maryland.

I don’t know the name of this ivy, but it seems to be growing everywhere across the Washington, DC area. This was especially true for the Crystal Pool building in Glen Echo Park, Maryland where the ivy covered much of the right side of the building. It’s probably not accurate to even call the Crystal Pool building a building since there’s nothing but green grass behind its facade, but it’s interesting how the organic manages to thrive as the man-made object slowly deteriorates against time and the elements.

A kid waits to catch a football from his friend at the Memphis Italian Festival.

After Memorial Day each year, the Memphis Italian Festival is held to celebrate the “values of family, faith and fellowship in the Italian-American tradition.” The proceeds from the festival benefit the Holy Rosary Parish School, and it’s a fun event to people watch and try a variety of Italian food.

When I came across these kids at a football throwing booth, I stopped and watched as each kid attempted to toss a football through the hole to his or her friend. Since the distance was about 15 yards, not many were able to do it in the three attempts they were given; but the anticipation on the kid’s face as he waits, and hopes, for a successful catch tells the entire story.

A warm summer sun sets over the Mississippi River.

The sun sets behind a bridge over the Mississippi River

A meerkat looks into the setting sun while its family burrows in the dirt.

An elephant stands in the warm afternoon sun at the Memphis Zoo.

My first SLR was a Pentax K1000 that I purchased from a used camera store in Memphis, Tennessee. I eventually replaced that Pentax, but sometimes I wish I had it just to see the exposure needle move up and down in the viewfinder again.

The two sunset photos were taken from Tom Lee Park on the banks of the Mississippi River back when I was still a beginner at photography in the mid-1990s. If I had to guess, sunset photographs are really popular first photographs for beginners, and I was no different. I haven’t taken sunset photographs since then, but these photographs remain in my collection because they were my first “keepers”.