January 24, 2009

The Inauguration of Barack Obama

The Inauguration of Barack Obama - Washington, DC

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A couple of weeks ago, I got a surprise call from Senator Webb's office asking if I wished to attend Obama's inauguration in Washington, DC. Are you kidding!? I'd barely hung up the phone before I was renting lenses and starting to plan the trip.

Within the next hour, luck struck twice when a close friend's sister that lives on Capitol Hill loaned me her apartment for the duration. That put me about three blocks from the Capitol steps (the site of the ceremony) AND the ability to drive since I could park my car there in her neighborhood. I tend to prefer the train to DC, but this allowed me to keep my own schedule and, better yet, take as much gear and crap with me as I thought I might need.

As far as lens rentals go, I snagged two lenses that seemed a good fit for the various possibilities. The first is a Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS - a lens I have coveted for ages and plan to buy (AFTER I get a 5D Mark II body). Knowing there could well be some serious distance to cover, I also grabbed a Canon 100-400 f/4-5.6L IS, the first push/pull lens I've used. Both were superb and, ultimately, fit the bill perfectly in harmony with the Canon 24-70 f/2.8L that I already own. Security prohibited me from carrying any "large" camera bags, but one of the lens bags that came with the rentals had a neck strap and was within size requirements. Therefore, I carried two bodies and lenses on shoulder straps and a third lens in that bag around my neck so I would have the option to swap off when needed.

The weather was bitter cold (as is so often the case in January in DC), so I crowdsourced a bit among my Twitter compatriots and assembled a great series of suggestions for winter weather gear. A few hundred dollars (ouch) later, I was ready to go with a new wind/waterproof Columbia jacket with removable fleece liner, uber-warm socks, a nice Thinsulate stocking cap/beanie, Manzella Cascade Convertible mittens/gloves where the mitten end flips open to reveal exposed fingertips, and a set of high-tech "long underwear" (for lack of a better description) made by Under Armour. Special attention is to be paid here to the gloves that are ideal for photographers. My hands stayed toasty warm with the mitten ends closed (mittens beat gloves for overall finger warmth), but with a flick I could have my fingertips ready for working the buttons on the camera.

The Under Armour was... interesting. Dignity goes right out the window when a non-athletic guy like me crams himself into a pair of these things. I began referring to it as my "Super Suit" in honor of The Incredibles. This Teaser Trailer immediately came to mind. Maybe not that bad... but I did feel like a human sausage. Fortunately, they go UNDER one's clothes and not even my wife has seen me in them in "raw form". All of that said, they quite literally kept me from freezing during Inauguration as well as utterly eliminating that horrid "freezing while sweating in your coat" situation one so often encounters in the dead of winter. I'm impressed... albeit compressed... while wearing them. :)

After arriving in DC on Monday, I spent the evening scoping things out and getting a sense of how everything was laid out for the big day. Light was fading fast by the time I was out and about, so most of my first shots here are evening and night shots of the Capitol building. The mood around the area was already like a gigantic block party, though, with happy and excited people literally everywhere. The capitol lawn was crawling with folks wanting to see as much up close as possible before the major security wall came down on Tuesday morning.

Monday night was also special because I finally got a chance to meet Steve Simon, co-panelist on TWiP and tremendous pro photographer, in person. As coincidence would have it, the accommodations he arranged via Craigslist somewhat at the last minute were approximately two blocks from the apartment I was using. A mere block walk for both of us brought us to a decent coffee shop in the middle, a chance to chat, and a walk around the capitol grounds to see the preparations. I shared what I knew of the layout, security, etc., for Tuesday with Steve. We were ticketed to be in different parts of the capitol grounds the next day and, with millions of people attending, figured this would likely be our only chance to hang out.

I started Tuesday morning at 5 AM, grabbing a quick take-out breakfast from a local diner and returning to the apartment to eat and pack gear. I was out in the crowds before 6 AM and making my way to my ticket gate. Thus began what I refer to now as "the death march". The next five hours were spent in an ever-increasing mob packing itself into an ever-decreasing space. By 10 AM I was crammed into a barricaded intersection with people packed so tightly that I couldn't raise my arms or even dig my iPhone out of my pocket. I spent much of it with my cameras and long lenses clutched to my body while I was swept along with the crowd if it moved. Granted, movement was rare andnever exceeded five steps in any direction. As the ceremony time approached, the crowd started to get a bit of a cranky mob mentality and I seriously started to wonder if I might end up in a riot or stampede. A lot has been discussed about this breakdown in security and crowd management, especially for Purple Ticket holders.

Fortunately, I did make it through just a bit before the ceremony started and, ultimately, ended up on the back of the capitol lawn. While not close enough for tight shots of the platform - even with the 400mm lens - I was able to witness history firsthand rather than via Jumbotron. Any group of strangers you stood with for even a few minutes turned into a temporary group of old friends. This was most evident to me when a group of about six of us immediately fell into happy conversation and, at the close of the oath, were all tearfully hugging one another. Nobody ever got around to asking names and, I suspect, none of us will ever see each other again... but we sure were happy to be together "again" for that hour or so. :)

I grabbed quite a few shots of people in my vicinity and their various emotions. There are a few shots of the ceremony itself but, as I said, they are somewhat distant. Upon leaving the ceremony and heading back to the apartment to rest for a few and eat, I managed to stumble on the other event I had hoped against hope I'd witness: Bush gettin' the hell outta Dodge on Marine One. As I came around the back of the capitol, the event was already starting and I arrived in time to get - again, distant - shots of the Obamas and Bidens escorting the Bush's to the helicopter as well as the wave from the stairs as the helicopter, thankfully, took one of the worst presidents in US history out of our collective lives. See ya.

After a brief stop to download shots and actually bend at the knees into a sitting position for a few minutes, I bundled back up and headed out in search of some parade-related activities. The parade route itself was going to be a bit of a hike and I'd heard it was already essentially closed after filling up (or at least being locked down) by about 8 AM that morning. My assumption, though, was that Obama's motorcade had to leave from the capitol to start the parade, so I hung around by the barriers there and was rewarded with a nice presidential and VP limo drive-by. People already lined the barricade, so I had to shoot over their heads to get anything... but it was my first time seeing a presidential motorcade and the car they now call "The Beast".

I had originally planned to stay Tuesday night, but I was exhausted by this point and decided against breaking up my next day with driving. I packed and headed out of the city by about 6:30 PM on streets with little to no traffic. This seemed great at first until I realized the city had been chopped into a million pieces with police road blocks and barriers. Ten official Inaugural Balls meant the motorcade was going to be zipping around quite a bit and security didn't want anything or anyone slowing it down. I spent well over an hour winding around the streets of DC with my GPS trying to find a way to get far enough past the lockdown to reach I-66. I witnessed some of the most bizarre, mid-intersection barrier arrangements I've ever seen and my main memory is that the city was either flashing blue lights, glowing red flares or some combination of the two. It was like some kind of scifi escape scene from a movie.

All in all, I had a tremendous, albeit exhausting, time and am thrilled to have been able to witness this historical event firsthand. I have a few shots I really like and quite a few that are just taking up disk space. They are all geotagged and appear here, as usual, in both HTML gallery and slideshow form. Also, for the sake of experimentation, I'm placing them on my me.com account as well. I have a set on Flickr, too, mostly to use their nice Map View for my geotags. Lastly, I'm putting up a Google Earth map with my GPS geologger data overlaid.

UPDATE: Oh, and one relevant bit of audio in closing: Super Suit! :)

Enjoy!
- Aaron

The Inauguration of Barack Obama - Washington, DC

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• Interactive slideshow (flash)
  

October 18, 2008

Rally in the Valley - Obama in Roanoke, Va

Rally in the Valley - Obama in Roanoke, Va

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I had the opportunity to photograph Sen. Barack Obama's rally in Roanoke, Va. It's the first shoot I've done for the Democratic Party of Virginia since 2006. I did a great deal of political event photography for the DPVA in 2004, specifically the DNC in Boston and numerous other campaign events. I covered Governor's Kaine's campaign kickoff, his historic inauguration in Williamsburg, Va and the 2006 JJ Dinner with Pennsylvania Gov. Rendell.

I've gotten involved in so many other projects since 2006 (not the least of which is acting as producer for the TWiP podcast and, you know... a more than full time job here at SBC) that I haven't been as involved in Democratic photography. My former blog, Documenting Democracy, has gone silent (no real loss... there are so many other superb progressive blogs in Va that have a vastly more effective voice than I'd ever have in this arena) and serves now more as a 2004/2006 photo repository. My "voice" in this scene is through my photography which I do voluntarily and offer freely to the Democratic party and our campaigns (assuming they find images that they deem useful, of course).

So... anyway... I was eager to cover this event since Obama's campaign is so phenomenally inspiring and, frankly, historic. It's a lung-filling breath of fresh air after the last eight, horrid, spiraling years under Bush's sorry excuse for a presidency. Sorry to my Republican readers, but I'm briefly putting on my partisan hat here at halfpress and calling it like I see it. DPVA hooked me up with a press pass and a nice little reserved spot in the front of the risers and I quickly realized how much I've missed covering things like the DNC and rallies.

My photos here aren't going to win any awards or anything... but I did look for some opportunities to capture a little of the mood. One really needs to shoot from a press riser with some massive, tripod mounted Scott Bourne-class lenses to get the tight, dramatic shots. :) I was using a 24-70L on one body and 70-200L on the other and did a bit of roaming about when not in my slot.

I have more shots to edit, so I might be amending the gallery later. I also made sure to take some shots that represent how the press pool area works (mostly if any TWiP listeners are curious) and you'll see videographers and wire service photogs in there. Most of those are shot with an 8mm fisheye lens both for effect and to give a sense of scale to the arena and our place in it.

I hope to fit in a few more events around the state before the big day when Virginia elects its first Democratic president since 1964. If I do, I'll post'em here.

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• Interactive slideshow (flash)
  

April 24, 2007

Lantern Bearing

Lantern Bearing

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• Interactive slideshow (flash)
  

In the eleven years I've worked at SBC, I've never witnessed a Lantern Bearing but have always been fascinated with the concept. From a photography standpoint, I've always had a weakness for low-light shots involving flames or other interesting lighting (Williamsburg Blacksmith - Paris, France - Canal du Briare, France). Lantern Bearing didn't disappoint in this regard...

Low-light photography is challenging enough. It gets even more challenging, though, when need to assemble six-shot, 360-degree panoramas involving people. Fortunately, the juniors here were wonderfully willing to oblige and patiently put up with my odd request to stand very still while I walk in a circle pressing a button on the end of cord. :)

Links to 48 images from last night can be found in the drop-down box above. I think the slideshow works especially well for this. Click on the images below to see two 360-degree panoramas from last night. You will need Quicktime to view these (Mac users are set already and Windows users who have installed iTunes should already have what they need as well).

For those not familiar with VR Panoramas, just hold down your mouse button on the image once it appears and drag around. Be sure to look up and down as well.

Enjoy!
- Aaron

January 6, 2007

A startling place to see my work...

In 2004, I did a lot of photography for the Democratic Party of Virginia related to the election. One of the highlights for me was being the state party's photographer at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. Among the 12,000 photos I took that week were a few of Vice Presidential candidate and Senator John Edwards, in particular this one, this one, and this one.

A few weeks after returning from Boston, I again photographed Sen. Edwards for the party at one of his stops in Roanoke, Va.

The configuration wasn't as conducive for getting good shots that day, but I had an opportunity to meet Senator Edwards backstage after the rally. I came prepared with a set of 13"x19" prints of the three photos I mentioned above in hopes that I might give him copies and get a personal set autographed as a keepsake.

His staff gathered around me in the hallway looking at those and other shots I had from Boston and I had a nice chance to talk with his personal campaign photographer. One of Senator Edwards' aids held onto his copies of the prints for him and I took home the copies he had personalized for me ("To Aaron - Sen. John Edwards") in silver ink.

I always wondered whether the prints I had given him ever made it to his home or office through all of the chaos of a national campaign. The other night, though, I got a call from my parents that answered the question in a most unexpected way.

Mom and Dad are fans of CBS Sunday Morning stemming back to the Charles Kuralt days and they record it on their Tivo since they are usually too busy during the live broadcast to watch it. They called me on the phone to say that they had just seen my photos on national TV. They were matted, framed and hanging on Sen. Edwards' walls in his home and were clearly visible in the CBS interview. In fact, the cameraman used one of them as the focal point for a dissolving transition.

Needless to say, I am both pleased and flattered to have confirmation that the twins of the autographed photos I matted and framed for my walls are also hanging on his. :)

The full interview can be viewed online here at the CBS website. I also have the specific excerpt here (Mac users need the free Flip4Mac Quicktime plug-in).

October 22, 2006

New VR Panos and Related News

Brian Greenstone of Pangea Software dropped me a note just a bit ago saying that he'd just finished making the first Universal Binary of his PangeaVR plug-in. I've been eagerly awaiting this since I've not been able to use it effectively on my Intel-based MacBook Pro.

PangeaVR is a panoramic VR viewer for QTVR files, but it utilizes OpenGL and the GPU in your graphics hardware to make the movement liquid-smooth compared to the native performance of QuickTime Player. Like I said, it's free and it's a quick and painless install for both PowerPC or Intel-based Macs, so go download it here.

The timing is also good because I've just completed two new VRs recently:

View with QuickTime or Fullscreen PangeaVR

I took this in our yard yesterday to capture the fall colors. Be sure to look straight up through the canopy in front of my favorite, five-trunked tree.

View with QuickTime or Fullscreen PangeaVR

This was the tent for Sweet Briar's huge celebration gala during this year's Homecoming weekend. A gallery of photos I took during the weekend festivities can be found here.

More VR's to come...

February 1, 2006

Photo Slideshow: Inauguration of Gov. Tim Kaine

I don't usually mix the photos between halfpress and my other blog, Documenting Democracy, but I've been experimenting with a fantastic new flash-based slideshow tool and decided to use my most recent set of photos from DocDem for the initial test.

First off, those of you with Flash plug-ins installed will notice that the random image box in the top right of the screen (next to the banner) is far more complex now (those without will see no difference). It replaces the original Python application I wrote last year to place a random photo from my galleries on the page with each reload and provide a pop-up tooltip caption and photo specifications. I've replicated all of that functionality with this new tool while adding automated dissolves. You can manually control the show, too, by fiddling with the various buttons along the bottom. Clicking on any of the images will take you to the appropriate normal gallery while just hovering over it with the mouse will give you the caption.

I want to begin offering all of my photos with my traditional HTML galleries and, possibly, these new slideshows. To kick off the process (and to give me a vehicle for experimentation), I've put together my three galleries from the inauguration of Gov. Tim Kaine in a slideshow.

Open the Slideshow (three galleries)

I've created a legend for the buttons in the bottom of the slideshow window. It will play sequentially through all three galleries. You can skip to another gallery by hitting the gallery icon on the left and move around through the photos with the +/- buttons and the individual photo numbers. Previews of the other photos will appear if you hover over the numbers.

You can read all the background stories on these photos and reach the regular galleries by visiting Documenting Democracy, specificially the articles for Friday, the Ceremony, and the Richmond Ball.

I'll be doing a lot more with the slideshow application in the coming days and will post more geeky, behind-the-scenes technical information once I have time to write it. :) In the meantime, enjoy the photos!

- Aaron

January 14, 2006

Inauguration in Williamsburg

Just a quick note (before I collapse in bed) that I've posted my first batch of photos from my trip to cover Tim Kaine's inauguration for the Democratic Party of Virginia. You can find them at my other blog, Documenting Democracy.

Enjoy!
- Aaron

December 31, 2005

Equipment Update & Informal Reviews

Life has been pretty busy and I've not been doing as much creative photography of late... at least nothing worth sharing on the blog. I'd intended to reverse that trend during the last 10 days or so of vacation over the holidays. Such is life. I've certainly not been bored and the holiday has been a pleasant and relaxing one for the most part. I've got a few days left. :)

I did, however, realize I was more than a bit behind with updating my Equipment, Software & Tools List where I try to keep a running inventory of my bits of gear. I'll write about a few of the items and my experiences here for anyone interested.

Click the "continue" link for the full barrage discussing backpacks, bags, a boom, DIY stands and cases and some words about high speed wireless networking the open source way... :)

Continue reading "Equipment Update & Informal Reviews"

August 22, 2005

Canon Announces EOS 5D and "fills the gap"

The rumors have been swirling for quite some time and they appear to have been mostly correct.

Canon officially announced the EOS 5D today to fill the approximately $5500 gap between their 20D and the 1DS Mark II. The 20D is an incredibly capable camera that lacks only a few of the highest end features, but the price difference in the existing models has really separated the high end pros from the "prosumers" and other professionals not wanting to drop over $7,000 on a single camera body.

The 5D comes in around $3300 retail (over twice the cost of a 20D) but picks up the key features people have wanted: it's full frame, has a true spot meter and a larger LCD screen (2.5" vs. 1.8"). This means no more 1.6x crop factor and EF-S lenses, but it also means your lenses better be of the highest quality or you're going to be suffering from more cases of chromatic abberation, softness and distortion. Frankly, I'd take those risks for a full frame SLR, but I'm most definitely not in the ~$3000 price range right now for an SLR (especially having only bought the 20D four months ago). :)

Full details of the new camera can be seen here at DP Review.

Canon also announced the EOS-1D Mark II N (not the successor to the highest S model), two new lenses (24-105mm F4.0L and 70-300 F4.0 IS), the Speedlite 430EX and four new point-and-shoot digital cameras.

I'd say these are all additions to the existing line-up rather than replacements for any existing model (except for the 1D Mark II N replacing the former 1D Mark II). The new 5D definitely represents a nice middle point in the product line between 20D and the highest end 1Ds Mark II, so I'm eager to hear the first hands-on reviews. Arguably, the 1D Mark II N is the true middle point from an overall feature and form-factor standpoint, but the 12 megapixels of the 5D vs the 8 megapixels of the N will make that a hot topic for debate.

I imagine the forums today are going to be insane and mostly intolerable. :)