DC Scenes
Celebrating Latino Culture at Fiesta DC (photos)
From Art to Email: A Brief History of Photography.
• May 3, 2012
Since its inception, photography has been a fusion between science and the creative eye. The first permanent photograph was produced in 1826 by the French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. The term “photography,” from the Greek, means “drawing with light” because at first it was considered a drawing aid. Its first popular incarnation was the daguereotype in 1839, named for its inventor Louis Daguerre. Each daguerreotype was a one of a kind image on a polished silver plated sheet of copper. The format appealed to an emerging middle class, which could not afford expensive oil portaits.
In 1884, George Eastman of Rochester, NY invented film, which replaced the photographic plate; thus a photographer would no longer need to carry boxes of plates and toxic chemicals around. Four years later, Eastman’s Kodak camera went on the market with the slogan “You press the button, we do the rest”. Suddenly anyone could take a photograph and leave the complicated development process to others. Photography came to the mass-market in 1901 with the introduction of the Kodak Brownie; and continued to broaden its appeal in later years with the creation of the 35mm film format, color emulsions, the Kodak “Instamatic”, the Polaroid instant process, film cartridges and one hour photo kiosks.
The first digitally scanned photograph was produced in 1957 by Russell A. Kirsch, a computer pioneer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The first such photo was set at 176 x 176 pixels. But the image quality of affordable digital cameras did not approach that of film until just recently. Manufacturers continue to push the envelope on chip design and image processing software, and storage costs continue to decline. Digital cameras are now as common as telephones, because they are often one and the same. The physical act of taking a picture has become highly automated, to the point where the most technology-challenged among us are capable of taking perfectly exposed and focused images, if perhaps not always artistic ones.
Digital photography has already had a profound effect on how people take and view photos. For dedicated hobbyists, digital is also about replacing the darkroom with the computer, and sharing those images with the world via the Internet. Learning any new skill involves trial and error, and the instant feedback that digital imaging provides cannot be underestimated. Mistakes can be instantly deleted, so the cost per image is no longer a concern. It is the difference between carefully firing a muzzle-loaded rifle versus blasting away with a machine gun. The latter requires less operational skill, but has a much greater chance of success.
The optical system in the modern camera works the same as that in the older cameras – using a lens with a variable diaphragm to focus light onto an image pickup device. The diaphragm and shutter admit the correct amount of light to the imager, but in the case of digital, the image pickup device is electronic rather than chemical. Basic rules of photography, like lighting and composition still apply, but the latest cameras have been liberating in the sense that one can devote that much more attention toward capturing the image and less on camera mechanics.
Christmas Tree Arrives at the Capitol (photos)
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Christmas arrived early to the US Capitol West Lawn. The 63 foot Sierra white fir from California’s Stanislaus National Forest arrived in DC on Monday morning on November 28, following a 20-day tour across the country. The tree will eventually be decorated with more than 10,000 LED lights and some 2,000 handmade ornaments from the State of California. The lighting ceremony for the 47th Capitol Christmas tree will take place at 5 p.m. Dec. 6, led by House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). A Capitol Christmas Tree has been an American tradition since 1964. The Capitol Tree will be lit up until 11 p.m. every night through Jan. 1. In addition to the Capitol Christmas Tree, over 100 companion trees from the same forest will be placed at other Washington DC buildings, such as the Supreme Court, for the holiday season. A 19-foot fir will be set up in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian after being blessed by the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians in a Dec. 5 ceremony.
[gallery ids="100397,112967,113030,112977,113022,112987,113014,112997,113006" nav="thumbs"]Legendary Astronauts Awarded Congressional Gold Medals (photos)
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Space legends John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins were awarded Congressional Gold Medals, the nation’s highest civilian honor, on Wednesday, Nov, 16, 2011. The ceremony was held in the US Capitol Rotunda. Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. Aldrin, pilot of the lunar module, was the second to step foot on the moon. Collins piloted Apollo 11’s command module. Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth.
Click on the icons below to view photos of the event. (All photos by Jeff Malet)
St. Patrick’s Day Parade in DC (photos)
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Constitution Ave. was a sea of green as Washington DC kicked off its annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations with a parade on Sunday March 11. Traditionally, the District hosts the parade on the Sunday preceding the actual St. Patrick’s Day which won’t arrive til March 17. The parade featured floats, Irish dancers, bands and military units. The grand marshall of this year’s parade was popular restaurateur Cathal Armstrong (Restaurant Eve, Virtue Feed and Grain). View our photos of the event by clicking on the photo icons below. [gallery ids="119788,119690,119682,119675,119665,119657,119649,119641,119632,119698,119706,119778,119769,119760,119752,119744,119733,119724,119714,119621,119611,119601,119494,119485,119797,119477,119803,119468,119809,119817,119504,119513,119591,119581,119572,119562,119553,119543,119533,119524,100530" nav="thumbs"]
Shakespeare’s Birthday Open House at the Folger (photos)
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Shakespeare’s Birthday Open House at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C. took place on Sunday April 22, 2012. Young and old alike were on hand to enjoy jugglers & jesters, music, song & dance, and stage combat workshops. It was also the one day of the year when the Folger reading rooms would be open to all. The highlight of the day was a cake-cutting ceremony in honor of Shakespeare’s birthday presided over by Queen Elizabeth I.
View our photos of the event by clicking on the icons below. [gallery ids="100752,122355,122346,122338,122331,122323,122314,122305,122297,122289,122373,122280,122380,122270,122387,122261,122393,122364" nav="thumbs"]
Rain Does Not Dampen Spirits on Earth Day
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Rain poured down on the Earth Day Celebration on Sunday April 22 on the Washington Mall, but that did not dampen the spirits of those who attended. View our pictures from the weekend which featured a sculpture of the Earth made from recycled products by renowned sculpture Tom Tsuchiya, a rally from the group iMatter, and a concert headlined by rock group Cheap Trick.
Atlas Recycled is a 7-foot-tall sculpture by Tom Tsuchiya depicting the mythical Greek titan Atlas bearing the earth on his shoulders doubles as a recycling receptacle for aluminum cans and plastic bottles. In addition to being a recycling aid, Altas itself was made primarily from reused materials. Pieces of 14 used atlases and road maps cover the entire surface of the sculpture. Most of the rigid foam, polymer and steel that form the structure were reused from the creation of some of the artist’s previous sculptures.
iMatter, which marched on the Mall in the rain on Sunday, is a campaign of Kids vs Global Warming, committed to creating opportunities for the voices of youth to be heard on the climate crisis issue. Five 16-17 year old plaintiffs have sued the US government for jeopardizing their future by failing to address climate change. The government has a legal responsibility to protect the atmosphere as a public trust, for all generations. Youth from the iMatter network across the country have taken legal action to demand that the courts recognize the atmosphere as a commons that needs to be protected.
View our photos by clicking on the photo icons below. [gallery ids="100753,122480,122488,122496,122504,122512,122520,122528,122537,122544,122552,122560,122568,122574,122472,122464,122456,122610,122381,122603,122391,122597,122398,122592,122408,122416,122424,122432,122440,122448,122582" nav="thumbs"]
Japanese Stone Lantern Lighting Ceremony (Photos)
• April 12, 2012
The Cherry Blossom Festival Japanese Stone Lantern Lighting Ceremony celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Gift of Trees, took place on Sunday, April 8 at the Tidal Basin. The lantern was carved 360 years ago. It was first lit in 1651 and was given to the City of Washington as a gift in 1954, symbolizing friendship and peace between Japan and the United States. The lantern is lit only once each year during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. See photos of the ceremony by clicking on the photo icons below. (All photos by Jeff Malet) [gallery ids="100728,120929,120937,120948,120956,120964,120971,120981,120989,120997,121005,121013,121021,121030,121039,121049,121060,120921,120910,121097,121088,120809,121081,121075,120820,120829,120837,120845,120853,120861,120869,120877,120885,120893,120901,121067" nav="thumbs"]
It’s Not Officially Spring, But the Cherry Blossoms Are Out (photos)
• April 5, 2012
It was March 17, and spring hadn’t officially arrived yet, but warm weather has caused cherry tree blossoms to mature much more rapidly than usual around the tidal basin. Hurry down before it’s too late. Click on the photo icons below for our slideshow. (Photos by Jeff Malet) [gallery ids="100562,100575,100576,100577,100578,100579,100580,100581,100582,100583,100574,100573,100572,100563,100564,100565,100566,100567,100568,100569,100570,100571,100584" nav="thumbs"]
Supreme Court Health Care Hearings (photos)
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This week the Supreme Court heald hearings on the constitutionality of President Obama’s signature health care law, which attracted the attention of proponents of both sides of the issue. View our photos of the activity surrounding the Court on March 27-28 by clicking on the photo icons below. (photos by Jeff Malet)
View additional photos by clicking here. [gallery ids="100706,100693,100692,100691,100690,100689,100688,100687,100686,100685,100694,100695,100696,100705,100704,100703,100702,100701,100700,100699,100698,100697,100684,100683,100670,100669,100668,100667,100666,100665,100664,100663,100662,100671,100672,100673,100682,100681,100680,100679,100678,100677,100676,100675,100674,100661" nav="thumbs"]
Blossom Kite Festival (photos)
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It was perfect flying weather as hundreds of kites of various shapes and sizes populated the skies over the National Mall on Saturday, March 31. The Blossom Kite Festival, formerly the Smithsonian Kite Festival, is an annual kite event usually held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. in late March during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. View our photos of the event by clicking on the photo icons below. (All photos by Jeff Malet).
View additional photos by clicking here. [gallery ids="120383,120291,120284,120276,120269,120261,120253,120246,120239,120298,120306,120313,120374,120366,120359,120351,120343,120336,120329,120321,120232,120225,120216,120120,120112,120392,120103,120398,120403,120095,120410,120128,120136,120144,120207,120199,120191,120184,120176,120168,120161,120152,100711" nav="thumbs"]
