50th Anniversary of the March on Washington - Part One

One of the great things about living in Washington, D.C. is that history is alive and well, nearly every single day. Today marked the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, an important even in American history, and one that has special meaning to me. My great aunt and grandmother were at the original march, and, though they couldn't return, I felt like it was my place to go. In the course of my careers, I got to spend 20 minutes sitting and chatting with Georgia Congressman and Civil Rights champion John Lewis. Today, I got to hear him speak to thousands of people at the Lincoln Memorial, and it was just as special.
 
I've been to a few gatherings in D.C. before. I remember Glenn Beck speaking; I walked around before the 2013 inauguration events. Those were just different, somehow. It felt as if people weren't only there to witness something. There was an energy that was just... there. It was fun to take pictures of a day like this, but I don't think I could have possibly captured the energy or the emotion that was in the air.

I don't know how to pull that off yet. I've also realized that I like to put subjects on the right third of my photos. Now I'm going to have to force myself to put things on the left, just to see what that looks like!

No matter one's politics, the significance of the historic occasion is unimpeachable. To see Myrlie Evers-Williams, the wife of slain civil rights activist Medgar Evers speaking, asking for the nation to "stand your ground" and fight for the ideals you believe in - shivers. The message of the day, when you stripped away the causes individuals were championing was quite simple, and quite beautiful - Take care of one another; be good to one another. Great lessons, on a great day.

I leave you with a shot of the one possession that I own which I would retrieve from a fire.

Equipment Used

Nikon D7100 Camera
55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens
35mm f/1.8 lens


 Images

A Return to Nationals Park - Drama and Luck

So it was back to the place that made me realize that I needed a new camera to take the photos I wanted - or a new lens. I went with the new camera, and returned to Nationals Park for a game. Mind you, I was 50 feet away from my apartment without my camera before I decided that I should bring it. After all, I take my gear almost everywhere I go, why not to a game?

I love baseball. Specifically, I love pitching. I could watch a good pitcher for hours, and be perfectly happy. Luck was with my, and Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants was on the mound - he's my size, but happens to be really really good at throwing a baseball in one of the most contorted motions out there. Leg up. Lean back. Kick. Point towards home. Unravel and deliver. Pow. 93 mph. Leg up. Lean back. Kick. Point towards home. Unravel and deliver. Pow. 74 mph changeup. He's just so fluid, smooth, and violent, all at the same time. It's a treat to watch (even if he did get shelled for one inning).

But the real highlight came later in the game. The Nats were comfortably ahead until the 8th, and then began giving the game back to the Giants. The stands were filled with suddenly ecstatic Giants fans (of which my friend was one), and a lot of teeth gnashing Nats fans. Two outs, and the Giants have clawed back to within one with a pair of runners on. The crowd was electric. Tense, excited, nervous - it was great!

The Final Pitch

Then, a high lined shot to left-center. The kind that is too fast to catch, and quickly sinking to the turf. Everyone spun to see the result, and I brought my camera up, figuring I could maybe catch a futile dive as the game skidded out of reach for the Nats. Nope. Not quite. I'll put the full-size pics up first. Go down to the "Images" section to get the cropped shots.

Please note - I put a copyright on the closeups because within 30 minutes of the game ending, the only other photo of the catch I saw, had already been thrown on a t-shirt.

Equipment Used

Nikon D7100 Camera
55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens

Images