Meet Lacey!

Lacey, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

Lacey is my family's new Australian Shepherd pup. Unfortunately, she is growing up clear across the country in Washington state, but I did get to spend a couple of weeks with her while she was still in the young puppy stage. What a cutie.

I took a number of portraits of her, but I love the way her eyes jump out at you in this shot. I used Adobe Lightroom for most of the post-processing, applying the "Aged Photo" effect for the sepia conversion.

EXIF:
Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Lens: EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS
Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125)
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 55 mm
ISO Speed: 400

"Old Waffle Shop" a Finalist in the Washingtonian contest!

Old Waffle Shop, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

My photo "Old Waffle Shop", which features the classic 1950s diner in Penn Quarter located across the street from Ford's Theater (site of Lincoln's assassination), is a finalist in the July "Best Photo" contest at Washingtonian magazine. If it wins, it will be published in the September issue!

Please place your vote by July 31, 2009 at http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/people/capitalcomment/13093.html

Thanks!

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Thank you also to FamousDC for the shout-out on July 21!

Fourth of July Fireworks in Washington, DC

Fourth of July 2009 in Washington, D.C., originally uploaded by soleil1016.

I set a goal for myself that this year I would get some real photos of the Fourth of July celebration at the National Mall. I met up with some fellow DC photographers, Phil and Brian, on the Virginia side of the Potomac, where we set up our tripods a couple hours in advance and waited for the big show to begin. It was well worth the effort! I've seen a number of fireworks shows in my life and I have to say the DC spectacle tops them all, at least in terms of incredible scenery. It was pretty special to be here for the holiday.

Fourth of July 2009 in Washington, D.C., originally uploaded by soleil1016.

More photos can be seen at my Zenfolio site, where you can also order prints. Full slideshow follows below.



Thank you to DCBlogs for the spot in July 7th's DCBlogs Noted!

Lazy summer afternoon

Lazy summer afternoon, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

This group of teenagers was kicking back on the Chicago waterfront on a pleasantly warm June afternoon. I like the desaturated color version, but I tried a black & white conversion that is appealing to me, as well. Any preference?

We are all keeping our fingers crossed for a clear and not-too-hot Fourth of July weekend here in DC, void of the severe thunderstorms and steamy afternoons that we've seen over the past few weeks.

2009 Budweiser Upperville Jumper Classic

2009 Budweiser Upperville Jumper Classic, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

I was happy to make it out for the Grand Prix at the Upperville horse show this year, despite taking the LSAT exam on the following day! It was sunny and 80 degrees (about 20 degrees cooler than last year, phew), which made for a beautiful afternoon, but I think heavy rain earlier in the week unfortunately kept a lot of folks from competing who might otherwise have been there. The class had only 18 entries and was finished in one hour without a jump-off (which is the jumper version of a tie breaker).

Full slide show follows below. If slide show fails to load, photos can be found here.

Heart of Magnolia

Heart of magnolia, originally uploaded by soleil1016.

A week full of showers and gray weather needs a little spot of color! This magnolia was one of many blooming back in April at the National Arboretum in D.C.

EXIF:

Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi
Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/320)
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 100 mm
ISO Speed: 200