Cabs lined up at Times Square

Cabs lined up at Times Square, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Another photo I took during a recent weekend in NYC. I love how the colors really pop in the artificial lights of a city night.

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.025 sec (1/40)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 800

Ice Skaters at Rockefeller Center

Ice Skaters at Rockefeller Center, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Just another busy holiday weekend at the Rockefeller ice rink!

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.25 sec (1/4)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO Speed: 400

Thai Coca-Cola cans

Thai Coke can III, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Coca-Cola marketed special edition aluminum cans in honor of last summer's Olympic games. I saw the first discarded can, labeled with Coke written in Thai, while I was in Chicago back in June. Since then I've seen two other "Thai cans" littering D.C.'s streets, both stumbled upon randomly and shot exactly as I found them. Maybe I'll start a series. =)

Thai Coke can I, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Thai Coke can II, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Rock Creek Parkway by Night

Rock Creek Parkway by Night, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Having some fun with light trails. If you look closely, you can see the Air Force 9/11 Memorial off in the distance, all the way across the river in Virginia.

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 15 sec (15)
Aperture: f/14
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO Speed: 100

Figures in Shadow

Figures in shadow, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

The two wings of D.C.'s National Gallery of Art are connected by an underground tunnel that creates some cool photo opportunities. At the moment, a new installation there looks like it spices it up a bit. Might have to go down and take some new pictures.

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.4 sec (2/5)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO Speed: 400

Show-Off

Show Off - B&W, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

This great egret at the Assateague Island refuge off the Virginia/Maryland eastern shore was putting on a big show trying to chase another bird out of his space. The other bird took off shortly after this little dance!

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/1250)
Aperture: f/6.3
Focal Length: 250 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Early Signs of Winter

First Freeze of Winter, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Winter has blown into D.C. this week in a big way. Just a few snow flurries so far, but the temperatures are quite chilly and the wintery breeze cuts to the bone. I snapped this photo of frozen dew drops on my way to work earlier this week. Brrr!

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Rainy Day

Rainy Day, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Wet leaves make for slick sidewalks and messy streets, but the tail end of autumn is still a beautiful time.

Blogged on DCist Morning Roundup: Play with Fire, Get Burned Edition on November 21, 2008.

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 42 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Yummy-looking Boots

Yummy-looking Boots, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

This young horse was debating whether my boots looked tasty enough to take a nibble (verdict was yes!).

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/800)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Cake!

CAKE!, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

I stumbled across this beautiful cake sitting outside the Convention Center following the Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show. It was made by The Sweet Life in Annandale, VA. Yum!

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 39 mm
ISO Speed: 1600

Passing through McPherson Square

McPherson Square, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

I've been playing around with a new toy, the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II. Very fun little lens! Great and affordable alternative to the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS.

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.025 sec (1/40)
Aperture: f/2.8
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO Speed: 1600

Election Day 2008 in D.C.

Polling station in Foggy Bottom, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

I wish I had some photos to share of the city-wide celebrations that took place after Barack Obama was announced the new President-Elect of the United States. This town (which voted 93% for Obama) went nuts! A huge crowd congregated outside the White House and partied long into the night, despite the rain. I do have a few shots from my local polling station in Foggy Bottom, but for some photos of the dancing in the streets of D.C., check out these two great posts from DCist.

The above shot was blogged in the Morning Roundup: Moving Forward Edition on DCist, November 6, 2008.

Campaigners, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Huh., originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Middleburg Hunt

IMG_4040-20, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

I was able to be there for the Middleburg Hunt's Opening Meet of the season this past weekend. (We're talking foxhunting here, just in case you needed some clarification!) It was fun to see all the horses and riders in their best turnout, along with meeting the Middleburg hounds for the first time. The whole morning took me right back to my days as a kid learning to ride next door to the Woodbrook Hunt Club in Lakewood, Washington. Different place, different crowd, but the traditions are the same.

More pictures from the Opening Meet can be found here!

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture: f/6.3
Focal Length: 44 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Happy Halloween!

081012_NHtrip_0236-18, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Have a safe and candy-filled night! =)

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/1000)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 37 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Tsankawi Caves

Tsankawi caves, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

These incredible rock formations are part of a 15th century Pueblo dwelling outside White Rock, New Mexico. It is officially a detached portion of Bandelier National Monument.

(Shot with the Canon Powershot A620.)

Autumn Palette

081012_NHtrip_0428-35, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

This little maple just peeking out over the carpet of dead leaves caught my eye on a recent hike.

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/320)
Aperture: f/6.3
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO Speed: 400

Abandoned Mill Building in Manchester, NH

081013_NHtrip_0149-12, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Rounding the corner of this more than 150-year-old abandoned mill building in Manchester, New Hampshire, the dismantled "Pandora" sign that clearly adorned the roof at one point really caught my eye. This place has clearly seen better days, but it was pretty cool to explore - see some of my other shots in my flickr gallery.

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 18 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Mountains of New Hampshire

081012_NHtrip_0664-56, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Taken just before sunset outside Whitefield, NH during the "leaf-peeping" season of 2008.

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400)
Aperture: f/9
Focal Length: 123 mm
ISO Speed: 800

Lone Silhouette

Lone silhouette, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Featuring the most noble bird... the pigeon. =)

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture: f/29 (?)
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Autumn Birthday Leaves

Autumn leaves, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

I've always liked October, for the crisp autumn mornings (or not so crisp, maybe, here in DC, but definitely chilly in the Northwest!), the crunchy leaves blanketing the streets, and because it means my birthday is here. For my birthday today, just one of many photos I took last weekend in New Hampshire. The fall foliage was incredible!

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/1250)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 22 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Fire and Bronze

Fire and bronze, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

This is on display at the Smithsonian American Art museum. I love the color, lights, and bokeh effect in the background.

Sculpture information: "Sculpture Group Symbolizing World's Communication in the Atomic Age", 1959. Harry Bertoia.

Photograph featured on DC Blogs Noted for October 15, 2008.

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.02 sec (1/50)
Aperture: f/1.8
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 500

Evening Glow

Evening glow, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

I spent most of Sunday at a horse show in Berryville, Virginia. The soft evening light combined with the dust in the air made for a beautiful backdrop in this shot.

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/640)
Aperture: f/7.1
Focal Length: 116 mm
ISO Speed: 400

Jump!

Jump!, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

This is just one photo in a series that I took this past June of a beautiful sunrise over Lake Michigan, as seen from Chicago. I've put a few other favorites below, all taken with the Canon Digital Rebel XSi and EF-S 18-55mm kit lens. I have to mention that this was also the dawn of the summer solstice - if we hadn't stayed out all night, there is no way I would have been up early enough to catch it! ;)

Man and his dog, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Sunrise over Lake Michigan, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Church in Dupont Circle

Church in Dupont Circle, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

This is Church of the Pilgrims, a Presbyterian church on 22nd & P Streets NW. I'm having fun experimenting with effects in Lightroom!

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/640)
Aperture: f/9
Focal Length: 10 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Lightning over D.C.

Lightning over D.C., originally uploaded by soleil1016.

In honor of the big storm that rolled through last night, here's a shot I took back in June of a similar evening. None of my lightning shots yesterday turned out anywhere near as dramatic as this bolt, stretching over the Watergate and the Kennedy Center (lower left).

(EXIF not readily available. Shot with the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi and EF-S 18-55mm kit lens.)

Pictures from the new Pentagon 9/11 Memorial

Pentagon 9/11 Memorial in B&W, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

The newest DC-area monument is the 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon, unveiled on the 7th anniversary of the attacks. There is a good Washington Post article on it here.

Open arms

Open arms, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

This video installation at the Smithsonian American Art museum changes every second or so - which makes this totally unplanned and pretty lucky. (I just told my friend to stand there and "do something with her arms" - made for an interesting shot!)

Named DCist Photo of the Day for September 30, 2008!

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.025 sec (1/40)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 22 mm
ISO Speed: 800

Old Waffle Shop

Old Waffle Shop, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

This is the result of me playing with my new copies of Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Lightroom. Too fun!

Named DCist Photo of the Day for September 24, 2008!

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.006 sec (1/160)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 10 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Two's a crowd

Two's a crowd, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/640)
Aperture: f/6.3
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 200

US Marine Corps Memorial

Iwo Jima Memorial, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Also known as the Iwo Jima memorial, located in Arlington, Virginia.

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/7.1
Focal Length: 18 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Harvest Moon rises behind the Washington Monument

Harvest Moon rises behind the Washington Monument, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

This photo was taken September 17, 2008, during the rising of a full harvest moon. Our first glimpse of it was a bright red orb just peeking over the top of the Lincoln memorial... I will try to get more pictures up. Beautiful sight!

(EXIF not readily available. Shot with the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi and EF-S 55-250mm lens.)

Blue Skies Above

Towering Firs, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Douglas Fir trees in Washington state. (yes, there really are blue sky days in Seattle!)

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture: f/7.1
Focal Length: 10 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Cicada on Chain Bridge

Cicada on Chain Bridge, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

This photo got a fair amount of attention yesterday when it was named Photo of the Day on DCist.com. Coming from the blissfully low-bug-populated Pacific NW, I find the late summer insects here in the DC area pretty disgusting. The cicadas in particular are too big for my taste... although this one was better looking than some. =)

Captured with the ultra wide-angle EF-S 10-22mm lens, which happened to be on my camera at the time this guy landed at my feet. I was surprised at what a decent job it did of focusing on a subject so close to the lens (within a few inches!).

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 22 mm
ISO Speed: 400

Handpicked

Handpicked, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

A shot from my local Wednesday farmer's market. The farms are starting to get their fall produce in, which means the end of the delicious summer corn and the beginning of apple pie season!

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/20
Focal Length: 44 mm
ISO Speed: 800

Sunflowers at Eastern Market

Sunflower heads, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

With summer winding down, these beauties won't be around much longer.

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 200

Rainy Bokeh Friday

Rainy bokeh, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

They say a storm's a-brewin' for this weekend, with Hanna on the way. Hope everyone on the Eastern seaboard stays safe and dry!

(EXIF not readily available. Shot with the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi and the EF 50mm f/1.8 lens.)

Butterfly and Thistle Flower

Butterfly and thistle flower, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Another summertime shot from the Virginia countryside.

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/1600)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 250 mm
ISO Speed: 800

Curious Cow

Curious Cow, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

This cow (outside Middleburg, Virginia) was the only one brave enough to check me out at first. The others soon followed.

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture: f/8
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO Speed: 400

Trains leaving Foggy Bottom station

Trains leaving Foggy Bottom station, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

A quiet Friday evening in the Washington D.C. metro.

Thanks to DC Blogs for the "Noted" listing on 9/3/2008!

(EXIF not readily available. Shot with the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi and the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM lens.)

Wading on Assateague Beach

Wading on Assateague Beach, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

A real summertime post for Labor Day. Savoring summer as long as possible!

(Snapped with the Canon Powershot A620.)

After the Rain

After the Rain, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Seeing as it is a very rainy morning here, this shot seemed appropriate for the day!

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.02 sec (1/50)
Aperture: f/10
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO Speed: 200

River below Bridal Veil Falls

River below Bridal Veil Falls, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Mom and I made record time on our hike down to the falls and back up before heading to Vancouver for a family dinner. This was taken from the footbridge over the creek.

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 1 sec (1)
Aperture: f/16
Focal Length: 10 mm
ISO Speed: 100

Sunset on the Washington Coast

Evening view from Ocean Crest Resort, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

I hope to use this blog to feature some of my favorite recent photographs. Feel free to leave comments of all kinds- I would appreciate the feedback!

Thanks and enjoy.

Amanda

EXIF:

Camera:	Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure:	0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture:	f/22
Focal Length:	22 mm
ISO Speed:	400