Category Archives: Travel

US Capitol

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The US Capitol topped and tailed our trip to DC.  We came into Union Station when we entered the city and so the Capitol is just a short walk away.  Chris went and shot some images there while I was in my meeting so I bypassed it when I was trying to catch up with him.  This ended up working in my favor.

On our return leg, the weather had improved from the cloudy skies we had started out with and, more importantly, the sun was starting to go down so the light was getting a lot more friendly.  Also, a third upside was that there weren’t too many people around any more.  Therefore, while we were a bit bushed and also keeping an eye on the time of our train back to the airport, we stopped off and grabbed a few shots of the Capitol before heading home.

Lincoln Memorial

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Continuing the Washington tour, we headed to the Lincoln Memorial.  This one isn’t an unfamiliar subject and there is only so much you can do that is new.  I was also a little constrained by the time of day we were there but enough of the excuses.  I still got a few shots of the memorial as we looked around.  It is an impressive structure and very popular.  Consequently, there are a lot of people there at almost any time of day.

With so many people there, you are not often going to get the chance to have the scene clear of people so you make the best of it.  I figured I would go as wide as possible in order to make the people less prominent in the shots.  Whether this really worked or not, I am not sure.  I also decided to do a panorama inside the building to try and get the wide shot without the distortion the fish-eye can bring.

That didn’t stop me playing with the fish as well.  It certainly provides a different look at some things but the large amount of vertical references really shows the distortion.  Still, it was worth a try.

MLK Memorial in DC

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The next few posts will all be related.  My nephew, Chris, was staying with us recently and, while he was here, I needed to travel to Washington DC for a meeting.  Since Chris had never seen Washington and my meeting would not take up the whole day, I took him along so he could see a bit more of what the country has to offer a visitor.  It was only one day but Washington is nice and compact when you are looking at some of the more obvious tourist attractions provided you are ready to walk.

It was an early start and a long day out but we covered a lot of things.  Today I shall start with one that was new to me as well.  The Dr Martin Luther King Jr memorial is a relatively new addition to the collection of monuments around the Mall area in Washington.  I had heard about it and was interested to see how it looked.  I was not alone as there were plenty of people walking across to find it.

A number of features were of interest to me.  There is a quote from Dr King on one of the stones which says “Out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope.”  I am not familiar with the full quote and its context but the entrance to the memorial is a large rock from which a central section has been extracted.  This section is placed further into the memorial and it is on this section that his likeness is sculpted.  As I saw the relationship between the two parts, I was quite taken with it.

I know the memorial has not be universally well received but I liked this entrance feature combining with the sculpture, the wall of quotations and the general feel down by the tidal basin.  I imagine that it will be a popular place in years to come.  The Vietnam Memorial was controversial when it was created and it is now considered iconic so we shall see how time judges this memorial too.

Virginia Air Power Park

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Just down the road from the Virginia Air and Space Museum is the Virginia Air Power Park.  This has some similarities to the Air and Space Museum and some differences.  First, since it is also close to the Air Force and NASA facilities, it shares the access to some interesting exhibits.  Therefore, there are some very interesting aircraft on display.  This includes an XV-6 Kestrel from NASA, just like the Air and Space Museum.  Strange that such a rare aircraft should have two on display in such close proximity!

The differences are more pronounced.  It is an outdoor exhibition and decidedly less glamorous.  Getting funding to look after the aircraft is a continuing issue for the team there and they are working hard at it.  Some of the aircraft are repainted but others a in need of a new coat when they can get it.  Since everything is outdoors, I imagine that the preservation task is a more difficult one.  We were there on a rather grey day.  It had been raining heavily and was still cloudy and dull while we were there.  Some of the aircraft were standing in large puddles which can’t be good for them.

None of this is meant to be critical of the team.  That they are doing what they can to keep these aircraft on display is great but it must be a struggle to make sure that they are not going to rot away.  Not only are there aircraft but also some interesting missile and some rockets from the space program’s test activities.  They also have some capsule hardware from test activities.

There is a building at the park as well which currently contains a wide selection of models of different aircraft, ships and spacecraft.  Again, if you are passing by, I would recommend you pay it a visit but you might need to make sure you have some shoes that don’t mind puddles!

Virginia Air and Space Museum

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Located in Hampton Virginia is the Virginia Air and Space Museum.  Hayman and I checked it out as part of our tour of local museums.  I had been warned by Liza that everything inside was pretty crowded and she certainly wasn’t wrong about that but more of that later.  The museum is a very modern looking facility with glazing at both end walls allowing lots of light inside.  That also makes for a few problems with the levels of contrast between parts of the building but I doubt they planned it based on the needs of photographers!

In fact, they really didn’t.  The building has a great collection of aircraft.  The close proximity to NASA facilities has obviously been helpful in getting access to some pretty unusual exhibits.  The Apollo 14 Command Module is on display as is the HARV F/A-18 Hornet, a research F-106 and an XV-6 Kestrel among many other interesting airframes.  They even have an MMU from the Space Shuttle program (although getting a shot of it from the moving elevator was tricky).  The result of all of these exhibits is that they have to be squeezed in.  They are usually suspended from the ceiling which makes them look more dynamic.  However, they do tend to overlap a lot.

This isn’t a problem if you are visiting to see everything which is, after all, the purpose of the museum.  It does, however, make getting photos a bit more tricky.  I ended up using a combination of lenses.  A wide angle zoom and a fisheye zoom were the two I chose.  The fish is a lens that viewers can tire of quickly but, in this case, it was a case of trying to get unobstructed shots where possible.  It also let me try a few odd angles for fun too!

While not a museum I would go back to repeatedly, this was certainly a good place to visit.  I might go back one more time with some new ideas about how to shoot certain things but even that might require the cooperation of the management!  If you are passing and have a couple of hours, do pay it a visit.

Fort Monroe

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As our day exploring was running down, we made one diversion from the center of Hampton to Fort Monroe.  Up until last year, this was apparently still an active military facility.  Now it has been vacated by the military and is open to access.  The feeling of the place is still very clearly that of a military base, even if the large number of troops are no longer there.  It is also plainly very old.

At the center of the Fort is an old Victorian style structure with massive stone walls and a moat.  There are a few entrances you can drive through and inside is the heart of the fort.  It appears that the housing has been turned over to people now so, while it is quiet, it isn’t deserted.  I have no idea who the housing now belongs to but it is certainly interesting to drive around.

Outside the main fortifications are plenty of other buildings.  These include gun emplacements as well as some very nice high end housing.  As you drive around you come to some nice houses that you assume must be for the senior officers.  Only as you come around the next corner and see even bigger houses do you realize that the really senior officers must have been there.  Indeed, as we walked along looking at the buildings, one of the residents came out and said hello.  She told us that this was Generals’ Row while the other houses were Colonels’ Row.  I am guessing the enlisted guys did not see much of this area.

The access to the shore means that plenty of people come to the piers to fish or to walk along the beach.  I have no idea what the future holds for this place but it certainly is worth a diversion if you are in the area to see something that is a bit frozen in time – at least for now.

Fort Eustis

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Hayman and I had a day free ahead of ISAP so decided to go exploring the areas around Norfolk.  There is not a shortage of aerospace related museums in the area.  With the military presence and NASA, plenty has happened nearby and so having enough to fill museum collections does not seem to be a problem!

One place we decided to check out was the museum of Army Transportation at Fort Eustis.  The museum is located just inside the main gate and they are happy to have the visitors and make you feel most welcome.  The museum obviously has more than just aircraft so you can see watercraft as well including some very large amphibious vehicles.  There is also a rail section although that was being renovated while we were there and was closed off.

Since it is Army material in the museum, there are a lot of helicopters in the collection.  Some fixed wing aircraft are also included but the really unusual things are the concept vehicles that never got off the ground – so to speak!  Hover cars and research aircraft into vertical flight are included in the collection and make for an interesting sight.

One downside to the location is that the aircraft are housed under cover but with open sides.  This is fine for the visitor unless they like to take photographs.  If that is what you want, you will be fighting some harsh external lighting with subdues under cover lighting.  However, them’s the breaks!  The aircraft are in various states of restoration.  Some have been recently repainted while others are awaiting the funds to have their turn.  It is great to know that someone is taking care to make sure they are preserved.

If you find yourself up near Hampton and you have some spare time, pay them a visit.  It will certainly be an interesting diversion.

 

Theater With the Personal Touch

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Our trip to Woodstock included poking our heads into the Opera House on the square.  An old building that has history dating back to the early days of the town, we were nosing around the front door when a passing lady told us to head inside.  I was not going to bother but she was quite insistent so we did head in.  One of the staff was in the lobby and greeted us warmly.  He suggested that we should wander around upstairs if we wanted.

We headed up to the auditorium.  It was great.  A small venue so everyone was very close to the stage.  It seemed really cozy.  There was a balcony too so we checked that out as well.  They have a variety of acts throughout the year so the place seems very busy.  They had a musical on that evening but they also had music acts performing at varying times.

The restoration of the place was nicely done and it was in great condition but also felt suitable period.  While Woodstock is not a big town , it does appear that you could keep yourself entertained with the the various acts coming through on a regular basis.  Not only that but the friendliness with which we were greeted by everyone really made you glad to have made the trip.

One last picture of something interesting.  Some of the original seats are on display in the lobby by the box office.  Not a comfy as the present seats, perhaps, but they do have a feature that few seats have today.  Under the seat is a wire frame in which a gentleman can slot his wide brimmed hat during the performance.  Probably a common feature in years gone by but certainly a novelty now.

ISAP Here I Come

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It is that time of year again when ISAP members get together to share knowledge, learn knew things, see what each other have been up to and generally have a lot of fun.  Throw in some chances to shoot some great airplanes and you have a great time.  I can hardly wait.  Hopefully more to report from the trip.  We even have an air show tucked in at the end of the weekend so it should be fun.

You shall find out more when it happens – or a little while afterwards…  Blogging might be a bit sporadic while I am gone.