Shots Ring Out in the Memphis Sky

I can't believe I never posted this picture ... it is from last year in DC on Martin Luther King Day. I lived by the African American Civil War Memorial on U Street and fittingly there was a service going on there. These boys were so cute ... trying hard to keep up the paintings while the speech went on and on. So sweet.

On this day of remembrance ... this is a good video to sum it all up. Typical I know, but it always gives me chills thinking about how brave and amazing he was. Really, I feel honored to share his birthday (Jan. 15th for all those wondering what the real day is).

For those who do not know, there is a National Monument planned for Martin Luther King, Jr. The National Capital Planning Commission and The Commission of Fine Arts approved the site location for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. December 1999. They broke ground in November of 2006.

This is what it is going to look like:


And this is the future location - between Lincoln and Jefferson right on the title basin:


Its funny because I still feel like I will be back to DC ... I don't know how or when or what ... but I feel like my time is not over in DC ... maybe I am in denial still ... maybe this summer?? I hope!

Field Trip!

DC is wonderful when you don't have to work! I have been walking all over this town, meeting up with friends for lunch and running errands while everyone else is workin away in their offices. It is the best because I get to go on field trips too! Yesterday I went to the Natural History Museum and was amazed by a few things:

1) Geology is the coolest! I always knew this ... I would have totally majored in geology if I could just understand chemistry ... tooo much chemistry to understand how all those metamorphic, sedimentary, and ionic rocks are made. Heat, pressure and atomic elements - its really amazing. I was memorized by the minerals and gems.

2) PLATE TECTONICS ... I have always thought that this was the most interesting concept. The earth's crust is broken into different plates that float around on magma and slide, crash, grind, and slip past and into one another! Crazy!

3) Women/mothers that go to the National Mall on a hot hot hot day with more than two children in tow are AMAZING. I saw multiple women with gaggles of children and they were still having a good time! It was awe-inspiring. But I was not envious. It was soo hot and soo crowded - they are good mothers to be still braving it all to give a little fun and education to their kids. I solute you mothers of the world that visit the National Mall in August ... you are rock stars.

this one's for april (and her brother)

US Holocaust Memorial Museum - July 2007

April's little brother is serving a mission for our church in Latvia ... I thought of them both when I took this picture.

Reflections and Transparency

Tourist Silhouette

I feel like the photo above needs to stand alone, but I wanted add some words of explanation and some additional photos as well ... so I will try to separate the Tourist photo from the others with words. These were taken on July 2nd when my mother and I visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The structure itself is very dynamic and provocative. I particularly enjoy the combination of brick, steel, and glass. Very industrial, yet warm and solid. I really like the way this photo came out. I knew it would be good when I was quickly snapping this fellow tourist/photographer before he moved or noticed. Its like self-documentation. I like how the man is a shadowy figure and the glass is simultaneously reflective and translucent. I also like all the different lines, angles and layers that are going on. The photo below also captures those same elements but adds perspective and dimension.

Ladder

The time of day lent for some interesting lighting on the top floors of the steel and glass walkways. I took the opportunity to take a self-portrait because I was wearing such a brightly colored shirt and the whole window/mirror/reflection-thing in pictures is so trippy. Photographing yourself and you watch yourself doing it. Funny. I wish it wasn't so light and washed out and that some of the shadows were in better places but that's the way it is.

See-through Reflection

The exhibit was also very moving and though provoking, however the summer crowds make the emotionally charged exhibitions difficult. I was much more affected by the exhibition on the bottom floor (the one you didn't have to wait with a ticket for) titled - "Give Me Your Children: Voices from the Lodz Ghetto" which documented the German's invasion of Poland and the life of children in the subsequently created ghettos. This exhibition presents their voices—preserved in letters, diaries, memoirs, and oral histories—as well as historic photographs and original documents. I had to choke back the tears more than once. It is shocking and extremely saddening to see what people can do to each other.

Sunset Boat, 2006

This was the surprise of the day when I went walking through the National Botanical Garden's public garden.
Who knew there was an original Dale Chihuly there???
Its amazingly beautiful.

European Juxtaposition

These buildings, the Louvre and the British Museum, have many things in common. They both house world renowned museums, they both have numerous pillars and dramatic pediments, and they both have new construction made out of glass. Both are incredibly amazing and these pictures just don't do them justice.

The Louvre - Paris, France

The British Museum - London, England

Rodin Sculpture

Sometimes I feel that really great pictures get lost when viewed with a collection. We skim over individuals all too quickly in pursuit of the next beautiful shot. When perusing my photo collection the other day (when I was inspired to create my photo groupings ONE, TWO, and THREE) I was setting aside some of the photos I liked from my trip to Europe in February. I posted a link to my flickr page for each city (London, Paris and Rome) but I didn't post any of the actual pictures on my blog. I like a lot of the photos I took and so I have decided to post a few here and there. These first two are from the Musee Rodin in Paris.

The Thinker

Sculpture is so interesting to me. Both of these examples of Rodin's work are bronze casts, which is even more work than a marble sculpture. The human form is also especially intriguing to me ... the definition of muscles and the fine balance of proportion is amazing!

Ahhh ... so soak it all up! Ponder and view the work of Rodin!

(photo grouping #3) Circles

Eiffel Tower - Paris, France

Eiffel Tower - Paris, France

Musee de Orsday - Paris, France

(photo grouping #2) Crowns, Knights, and Keys

CROWNS

London, England

Boston, Massachusetts
Even crowned in death.

London, England


KNIGHTS

London, England
(close to Westminster Abbey)
I love the weathering on this and the feather headdress. So dramatic!

Paris, France

(Hotel de Invalides)
Not a great picture - I couldn't get close enough ... but its a window knight - how cool is that?!

KEYS

Rome, Italy
The bees on this fountain are the symbol of the Barberini family that commissioned it.

Rome, Italy
I love the detail on the keys, they are big and chunky. I couldn't get a picture without the birds - boo!

Rome, Italy
(St. Peter's Basilica)
This motif was carved at the base of all fours of the canopy. Carved out of marble and inlaid with red ... a lost art!

Rome, Italy
(St. Peter's Square)
I love the marble against that beautiful blue sky!

Of course all the key pictures were taken in Rome. Keys are a big theme in Rome because of Peter. Christ bestowed the keys of the priesthood on Peter:

"And I will ^agive unto thee the ^bkeys of the ^ckingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt ^dbind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."