Photo Bernie

July 2011 Road Trip

2011-07-22T18:35:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a road trip to Virginia Beach VA and Asheville NC areas. Here are a few of the 250 photos I shot.

Sunrise at Sandbridge VA

Dupont State Park NC

Blue Ridge Parkway

Skyline Drive

U2 Pictures

2011-06-22T23:09:00.000-07:00

At the moment I rank the U2 concert in Baltimore tonight (June 22) as the best concert I've ever seen. Here are a few pictures I took ... not bad for a pocket-sized Canon camera.

Cloudy Day In the Yard

2011-05-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

More Random Biltmore Pictures

2011-04-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

Weekend Reflection: Asheville

2011-04-23T10:22:00.000-07:00

I took this last weekend in Asheville, North Carolina, one of my favorite places.

CLICK HERE to visit the Weekend Reflections blog.

Random Vanderbilt Photos

2011-04-22T18:41:00.000-07:00

Visit my main blog for some narrative about my recent visit to Asheville NC. Here are some of the pictures I shot during a tour of Biltmore. More are on the other blog and more are coming.

Spring In the Yard

2011-04-10T17:23:00.000-07:00

Spring

2011-03-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

More Winter Randomness

2011-02-05T13:43:00.000-08:00

Weekend Reflection: DC Last Summer

2011-01-23T09:41:00.000-08:00

It is cold here today so I decided to warm up by digging through photos from last summer. Here is one I shot from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC.

CLICK HERE to visit the Weekend Reflections blog.

Weekend Reflection: Drive-by Reflection

2011-01-09T08:50:00.000-08:00

This is along MD 17, just north of Middletown, Maryland.

CLICK HERE to visit the Weekend Reflections blog.

New Orleans - That Cathedral

2011-01-01T08:38:00.000-08:00

St. Louis Cathedral is the focal point of Jackson Square, the original center of New Orleans. Here are a few photos from my recent road trip.

Click here for a detailed history of the church.

Asheville - Dec 2010

2010-12-29T19:46:00.000-08:00

These holiday pictures were shot at the Grove Park Inn:

These were taken on my friend Eliz's mother's property:

This is the Civil War-era piano that Eliz and her Mom restored:

Mist and Fog - Two More

2010-12-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

Just discovered a new editing tool on Blogger. Till now I did not know how to make the photos larger.

Misty Weekend Reflection

2010-12-12T09:14:00.001-08:00

Three bare trees overhang a flagstone patio
Two lone leaves linger from November
One lone man is reflected
In mist, fog, puddles

CLICK HERE to visit the Weekend Reflections blog.

Fog and Mist

2010-12-12T07:16:00.000-08:00

This next one is black-and-white. The scene was almost that way anyway.

Weekend Workplace Reflection

2010-11-26T15:05:00.000-08:00

I work in this building. It is forty miles from home. This picture is as close as I'll get to the building this holiday weekend.

CLICK HERE to visit the Weekend Reflections blog.

Beauty and the Bleak

2010-11-25T08:47:00.001-08:00

Sometimes there is beauty in the bleakness of a cold November morning. These photos were all taken around my house a few minutes ago.

Patio reflection

Pile of leaves in the driveway

Last of the trees to change color

This is as warm as it will get today

This photo and the two below it show the view from a window next to where I am sitting as I write this

Tall Fall Reflection

2010-11-20T13:49:00.000-08:00

CLICK HERE to visit the Weekend Reflections blog.

My Red Tree

2010-11-20T13:41:00.000-08:00

This Japanese Red Maple is in my back yard. I love this tree. I photograph it every fall and here are some of this year's shots.

Random Color

2010-11-13T07:27:00.001-08:00

Weekend Reflection: Sunrise in Middletown

2010-10-30T08:02:00.000-07:00

This is the last week this year that sunrise is after 7:30am.

CLICK HERE to visit the Weekend Reflections blog.

Colorful Commute

2010-10-28T18:36:00.001-07:00

These are not great pictures, but it's hard to shoot and drive. My commute sucks; there is no better way to describe it. But traffic was so slow one day this week that I actually could enjoy (and photograph) the beautiful color on I-270, south of Frederick, Maryland.

Fall Photo Therapy

2010-10-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

Weekend Reflection: Fall Has Begun

2010-10-09T10:18:00.001-07:00

This is Kingsbury Pond in the park in Middletown, Maryland.

CLICK HERE to visit the Weekend Reflections blog.

Georgetown Reflection: Kidney Walk DC

2010-10-02T12:29:00.001-07:00

The weather was perfect in DC this morning for the 9th annual Kidney Walk DC. There were approximately 1,000 walkers this year. My little team raised just over $500 but the event raised close to $200,000.

CLICK HERE to visit the Weekend Reflections blog.

Weekend Reflections: Lincoln Memorial

2010-09-26T07:57:00.001-07:00

CLICK HERE to visit the Weekend Reflections blog.

More DC Georgetown Waterfront Area

2010-09-25T21:21:00.001-07:00

Yummy!

Why put steps into this water if they don't want anyone to go in?

Corner of the Kennedy Center

Inside a nearly empty Metro car

Hirshhorn Museum Sculpture Garden - Washington DC

2010-09-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

Weekend Reflections: Georgetown Waterfront

2010-09-19T11:59:00.001-07:00

Part of one building reflected in the window of another at the Georgetown Waterfront, on the Potomac River in Washington DC.

CLICK HERE to visit the Weekend Reflections blog.

Weekend Reflections: Window in MIddletown

2010-09-11T09:25:00.001-07:00

The steeple reflected in this window is one of the main skyline features on Main Street in Middletown, Maryland.

CLICK HERE to visit the Weekend Reflections blog.

Frederick Weekend Reflection - Carroll Creek

2010-09-05T08:50:00.001-07:00

This is similar to a photo I posted yesterday, but I made this one specifically for inclusion on a web site I just found this morning that shows off reflection photographs.

CLICK HERE to visit the Weekend Reflections blog.

Frederick

2010-09-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

Spent an hour or two in Frederick, Maryland today. It's a historic and photogenic town.

Washington Windows

2010-08-25T20:36:00.001-07:00

As I was going through the couple hundred photos I shot during my friend's recent visit to DC, I saw a pattern developing. I like photographing windows and reflections. Here are a few:

Another Weekend at Bernie's

2010-08-08T13:57:00.001-07:00

Mixing the mundane with the fun. Not a bad weekend, all things considered.

This bulb burned out:

This is where it lives:

I'm not afraid of heights but I'm not a fan either.

I visited a street festival in nearby Frederick, MD.

Lunch:

Did this instead of the gym. Just as much sweat.

Weekend at Bernie's - A Day In The Life

2010-08-03T18:39:00.000-07:00

I've always been fascinated by those 'day in the life' photographic series. I decided to do one on a random Saturday in my own life. This is pretty mundane stuff ... except for the last picture.

More Washington DC - late July 2010

2010-07-29T19:23:00.001-07:00

Downtown DC window

Garden in front of Smithsonian Castle

FBI Building

Old Post Office Pavillion

My visiting NC friend inside Natural History Museum

Street lamp and jet

DC bike lane

Washington DC - late July 2010

2010-07-28T18:05:00.000-07:00

Here is the first in a series of shots taken during a good friend's recent visit.

The Lincoln Memorial:

The Smithsonian Castle Building:

Playful Tourists:

Another DC Daytrip

2010-07-11T19:27:00.001-07:00

The last few times I photographed in DC I spent time near the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. This time I walked east toward the Capitol building.

The National Archives building is in the background of this picture (with the Lincoln banner).

Money is made in this building, literally. Tourists can tour it but they don't you take home any of the bills.

In the Smithsonian Sculpture Garden:

Fishing is allowed on some bridges:

Bees

2010-07-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

Rolling Thunder 2010

2010-05-30T16:24:00.001-07:00

These pictures are from the Rolling Thunder rally today. See my other site for more details.

Vietnam War vets searching 'the Wall' for names of people they might have known.

While I was in DC I visited the Pentagon Memorial Park for the first time. This site honors those who died when one of the terrorist planes crashed into the Pentagon. Each of these "benches" represents one of the 184 people who died ... 125 in the building and 59 on the plane (not counting the terrorists, of course).

Andrews Air Force Base Air Show 2010

2010-05-15T18:26:00.000-07:00

Some DC Photos

2010-05-01T18:36:00.001-07:00

Washington DC is an awesome place. If you look past the horrible traffic, the self-important wannabes and the partisan crap, you get the Capitol of the Free World. All of the famous buildings, monuments and people you hear about are here. The icons are accessible and photogenic. Here are a few samples from my day trip today. I live an hour away; I really should do this more often.

Lincoln Memorial close up

Lincoln Memorial further away

Abe himself

Kite flying on The Mall

Inside a Metro rail station

Inside a Metro car

U. S. Treasury building up close

Breakfast in front of the White House

White House fencing

White House from a more familiar viewpoint

The IRS - taxes, anyone?

Albert Einstein - what's he doing here?

More Springtime In the Yard

2010-04-26T19:29:00.001-07:00

More Spring: Snakes and Wind

2010-04-17T12:44:00.000-07:00

Spring in the Hood

2010-04-11T17:21:00.001-07:00

Spring is beautiful in my neighborhood. Many of these pictures are taken in my own yard.

Cherry Blossoms 2010

2010-04-01T18:31:00.001-07:00

First Snow Of the Season

2009-12-05T18:12:00.000-08:00

My Favorite Tree

2009-11-19T18:01:00.000-08:00

This Japanese Red Maple lives in my back yard and is my favorite tree. It is beautiful all year long, but is especially stunning during the fall.

Shades and Solitude 1

2009-11-14T11:52:00.001-08:00

Ocean City MD October 2009

2009-10-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

To caption or not to caption, that is the question. And this time, the answer is “no.” I’ll go with the old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words.

To briefly set the scene: these photographs are from my recent two-day vacation in Ocean City, Maryland. The off-season there is very quiet, many businesses are closed till spring and there aren’t very many tourists there on a late-October Tuesday.

Hopefully these shots capture some of what I saw and felt.

Middletown Heritage Fest - Bonus Shots 1

2009-09-27T06:55:00.000-07:00

I took two hundred pictures at this year's Festival. I posted a few on my Middletown Daily Photo site and here are a few more. This series shows off some of the vintage cars - yes, I'm a car geek.

New Orleans Photos

2009-08-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

A big Howdy from Andrew Jackson

Guns and churches

OK, I know what you're thinkin'

Artist waiting for customers

French Quarter pattern study

Dangerous job with a great view

I used to go fishing here as a kid

This is why I love water so much - I grew up walking distance from this spot

Love that lake

Asheville Area - more photos

2009-08-02T09:23:00.001-07:00

I was tempted to caption these, but I think I'll let them speak for themselves. The first bunch are Crabtree Falls, a mile-long hike off Blue Ridge Parkway, northeast of Asheville. The last three are in the city.

Asheville

2009-07-31T19:54:00.000-07:00

I recently took a road trip through Asheville NC, Vicksburg MS and New Orleans LA. I took over 400 photographs and I'm going through them, savoring the images and associated memories. It was a great vacation!!

Here are several shots in Asheville, North Carolina, a very artsy town.

Remember, you can click on any image to see a larger version.

Andrews Air Show 2009

2009-05-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

The annual Joint Services Open House was May 16 and 17 at Andrews Air Force Base. This is the 4th year I've gone to this exciting free show. Here are some of the pictures I took.

Click on each picture to see a larger version of it.

Cherry Blossoms, part 2

2009-04-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how lucky I was to be in DC right in the peak of the cherry blossom blooming this year.

A very windy day ... those specks in the picture below are blossoms flying past me during a 40 mile per hour wind gust.

These next three include the Jefferson Memorial across the Tidal Basin.

T.J. checking out the tourists.

Close-up ...

Blossoms going for a swim.

VERY windy!

Cherry Blossoms in DC

2009-04-05T07:51:00.000-07:00

Finally, blue skies, a good camera and time all converged yesterday. I braved the wind and the crowds and took plenty of pictures of cherry blossoms in Washington DC.

Here are a few of the photos.

These trees add beauty to a boring government building ... almost.

The National Mall ... America's backyard.

Pre-Inauguration Photos 2

2009-01-19T04:04:00.000-08:00

This is the 'blue line' that many of us heard about during traffic reports last week. The middle lane of Pennsylvania Avenue was closed while crews painted this line. The inaugural parade follows this line to the glass-enclosed presidential reviewing stand you see in the distance.

Here it is up close.

There will be plenty of security tomorrow.

and, of course, barricades.

And miles of portable restrooms.

Plus posted directions and opinions.

Pre-Inauguration Photos 1

2009-01-18T08:17:00.000-08:00

There is a huge, multi-artist, FREE concert at the Lincoln Memorial this afternoon. I took this photo yesterday as Bruce Springsteen was rehearshing a song with a choir.

Bono, Beyonce, Garth Brooks, James Taylor and many others are scheduled to perform and HBO will play the concert back tonight.

On Tuesday, these seats will be full and both the outgoing and incoming Presidents will be on the platform.

That rectangular thing with the colorful vertical stripes is one of 20 giant screen TVs being set up on the Mall. Many (most?) of the estimated 2 million people coming to Washington for the inauguration will see Barack Obama take the Oath of Office on these screens.

The National Mall was relatively empty Saturday but it will be a sea of people on Tuesday.

The police have a monumental task ahead of them on Tuesday.

Church Tour in Middletown

2009-01-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

I'm not particular religious, but I am fascinated by churches.

I recently had the opportunity to see the inside of this one in Middletown, Maryland. This shot is an interior view of part of the stained glass window in the photo above:

The view from the pulpit:

A side window:

A closeup of the crest on the altar.

Stand up and sing.

Visit my other photo site for more exterior and interior views.

Moon Over Rockville

2008-12-12T19:58:00.001-08:00

The moon was bright and full tonight. Moonrise was just after sunset and I brought my camera to work to take pictures of it. These were taken from a balcony next to a conference room overlooking Rockville Pike in Rockville, Maryland.

Bonus shot looking up the street:

Circles and More Circles

2008-12-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

The Theme Day theme this month for City Daily Photo sites is circles and spheres. I was stumped at first - where would I find a unique circle in Middletown, Maryland for my Middletown Daily Photo blog? The clock on the Mt. Zion Church steeple? Been there, done that. A tire? Ho hum.

So I dug through some Middletown photos from the past few months in search of circles and stumbled upon playground equipment in the park. My Daily site has the 'official' photo. Here are a few more:

And here is the older shot that inspired the rest:

Leftover Fall Shots

2008-11-27T07:16:00.000-08:00

I posted many fall photos on my Middletown Daily Photo site. Here are a few extras.

What?

2008-10-26T15:26:00.000-07:00

I was tempted to post this picture with no explanation.

Honestly, the big surprise for me was that I didn't see the guy was head over heels, or more accurately heels over head, till I inspected the photo up close in Photoshop.

Here is the full, uncropped photo:

It was one of several I snapped in a hurry while walking through the Frederick, Maryland Octoberfest a few weeks ago while on my way to somewhere else.

This one leads me to believe that the guy in the water was helping someone find something in the river.

Martinsburg Air Show

2008-10-15T20:28:00.001-07:00

I took these photos at the Martinsburg WV Air Show almost a month ago. For a still-unknown reason the disc was corrupted. The folks at the camera place were able to restore them (a miracle) but it cost more than the disc did. At least I have the pictures. Here are some of them.

Did I ever mention I love photographing airplanes? Look elsewhere on this site for some shots taken at an air show at Andrews Air Force Base.

Vintage Cars

2008-10-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

These cars were on display at the recent Middletown Heritage Festival.

A black and white version of a photo on my Middletown Daily Photo site.

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

2008-10-03T19:57:00.000-07:00

There are many quaint, historic towns in the Frederick and Washington Counties of Maryland and the adjacent parts of West Virginia. I took a little ride with my wife and mother-in-law today to one such town: Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Located on the Potomac River just a few miles from Sharpstown, Maryland and the Antietam Battlefield, Sheperdstown has numerous shops and restaurants and a college. Our waitress at the Blue Moon Cafe said tourists rule by day and the students own the night.

Middletown Heritage Festival

2008-09-27T21:05:00.000-07:00

Here are some random photos from the Middletown, Maryland Heritage Festival 2008. See a few more on my Middletown Daily Photo site.

This is one of the best town festivals I've even seen. There is something for everyone, but more quantity and quality of everything ... two music stages with great area bands and even one new national recording act, living history exhibits capturing various eras of Middletown heritage, craft items for sale, town information and a contest to encourage people to notice things in town and a wide variety of great food.

Hanna's Wet Visit

2008-09-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

Tropical Storm Hanna was pouring it's heart out over the Mid-atlantic this weekend. Here are a few shots in Middletown, Maryland. Visit my other site for two more.

Dog and Pony Show

2008-08-30T19:28:00.001-07:00

We were in Salisbury, Maryland recently for a dog show. At the end of the first day we drove out to Assateague Island, the National Park Service site where the famous ponies have the right of way.

The aforementioned dog show was actually an agility trial. Agility is the dog sport where dogs run through tunnels, jump over bars and fly through weave poles. We have three Border Collies, and this one is in the middle of her agility career.

Clouds near the ocean are different from clouds further inland.

A pond at Assateague:

We were so busy playing with the dogs on the beach that I didn't actually take any pictures at the beach. Maybe next time.

Dogs and Water

2008-07-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

Border Collies aren't especially noted for loving water, but 'our girls' love to play with water from a hose.

Let me dry off, then I'll be ready to play again!

Patterns and Graphics

2008-07-07T20:16:00.000-07:00

I've been shooting so many pictures for my other photo blog, that I've neglected this one. So here are a few graphic and pattern studies. These are segments of some of the buildings I've photographed for the other blog.

Burnside Bridge Study

2008-06-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a quartet of photos of Burnside Bridge, a landmark that played a significant role in the Civil War's Antietam Battle.

Crops

2008-06-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

There are many farms in my part of Maryland.

Fortunately the weather has been good so far this season, and many crops are off to a good start.

Farmland is quite photogenic, isn't it?

Jamaica 1986

2008-06-16T07:30:00.000-07:00

If you're an avid photographer, do you ever look over your earlier work to see how you've changed? Or to compare present technique, style and skill with your past?

I found these in the same box of old photos you see in the previous post. What I've learned from seeing these again is that I've loved sunsets for a long time. I've also learned that editing is sometimes as important as skill; these are the four best shots from at least two rolls of film. Most of the other seventy shots will remain in the box.

Another observation: one of the biggest technological changes in photography isn't really that much of a change. The darkroom. In the film days, the artistic process that began with pressing the shutter button often continued in the darkroom with creative manipulation of selected images. The darkroom has been replaced by Photoshop and a computer, but the idea is mostly the same - additional creative manipulation of a selected image.

Another thing I've learned by seeing these pictures is that landscapes have always been my favorite subjects. I also enjoy event photography and shooting architectural juxtaposition photos (an old building reflected in a modern glass building, for example).

But broad vistas, especially sunsets, are my favorites.

Balloon Race

2008-06-14T19:49:00.000-07:00

I was digging around some boxes of old photos today and found these from either 1989 or 1990. I had been invited to participate in the Preakness Balloon Race, one of many events held during the week leading up to the middle gem of the Triple Crown in Baltimore.

The "race" is more about nice visuals than any real competition. It is a "hare and hound" race; the hare balloon lifts off first, then the hound balloons sort of chase it. Whichever balloon lands closest to hare balloon is declared the winner. The balloons lift off from a park and fly over residential areas. It's quite a site!

The balloons in this event usually carry a pilot and either 2 or 3 of the balloon's corporate sponsors or a couple of celebrities. I was an alleged celebrity that year. Here is a shot of the pilot:

I got the invitation just two days before the event, which means I didn't have time to talk myself out of it. I enjoyed the ride and the opportunity to take these unique photos, but I don't think I'd do it again. The thought of three men in a large wicker basket 400 feet above the ground messes with my sense of logic and safety.

Sugarland

2008-06-10T19:32:00.001-07:00

The headliner for my radio station's summer concert was Sugarland, a very popular country music duo.

I usually have pretty good access for this event, but I did not have an official photo pass this time. Security people at concert venues are trained to not allow pro cameras into the seating area; my new digital camera is more or less a pro camera but it doesn't look like one because the usual lens I use isn't all that long. The first set of tickets I had weren't all that close to the stage, so I put my camera back in the car before Sugarland took the stage because I didn't want to get hassled about the camera.

Silly me. Right before Sugarland came out, a co-worker came up with 5th row seats! Because I didn't have my camera with me any more, she gave me hers. It's a decent camera but not as good as mine for capturing moving subjects with tricky lighting.

I did get a few decent shots, however, and enhanced them a bit with Photoshop.

And these were taken earlier in the day with my "good" camera.

Sugarland's "set list":

One of our DJs on stage:

Our staff backstage with the band. I'm the one on the left who needs to lose 25 pounds.

The promotion crew did a "no rain" dance:

It didn't work ... at first. It did stop raining right after the gates opened.

Peaceful Reflections

2008-06-08T05:52:00.000-07:00

I like this shot so much that I might post it on more than one blog.

This peaceful little lake is in a peaceful little park in a peaceful little town near where I live. I was nearly alone in the park when I captured this image early yesterday morning. The setting was, you guessed it, peaceful.

Stuff Is Still Blooming

2008-05-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

My wife's green thumb continues to pay off, especially in the front yard.

This character wasn't very happy with where I was standing while taking the other photographs in this series; there was a nest nearby. Too bad I couldn't record the angry sound he/she was making.

In The Hood

2008-05-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

There are many small Colonial-era towns in my part of Frederick County, Maryland. Middletown is one of my favorites. The weather is great today, so I took my camera on a little tour.

I also started another blog. The "daily photo" concept is fascinating to me and I decided to try it myself. No, I don't really have time for yet another blog, but in many ways I can't afford not to do this. It is a personal project that works different parts of my brain and my emotions, yet it is also a public project that I can share with you.

Just Foolin' With Photoshop

2008-05-21T21:19:00.000-07:00

One of these days, I'll read the Help screens. Meanwhile, here is some random experimentation.

Andrews AFB Air Show

2008-05-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

The annual Joint Services Air Show at Andrews Air Force Base near DC is an exciting place for airplane geeks and photo buffs. I'm not quite at the geek level, but I love looking at planes, on the ground and in the air, and I love to photograph them. Here are a few photos I took today. I tried to capture the motion as well as the shapes.

A Few More Shots Around The Yard

2008-05-04T19:37:00.000-07:00

In The Yard

2008-04-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

I love the colors of spring and they are definitely popping up all around.

The National Mall - April 19, 2008

2008-04-19T17:36:00.000-07:00

I took a daytrip into DC this morning and took a few photographs of and near the Washington Monument, the relatively new World War II Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial. Here are some of them.

Antietam Battlefield

2008-04-12T12:24:00.000-07:00

The Antietam Battlefield, site of the bloodiest one-day battle of the Civil War, is less than 30 minutes from my house, yet I had never been there. Today I took a little field trip with my new camera to combine my interest in history with my interest in photography. Here are some of the results.

Near the Visitor Center:

Mumma Farm:

Burnside Bridge:

One of the MS Walks held in Maryland today was right on the grounds of the Antietam Battlefield:

Holding an event that battles a disease on the site of a battle to save our country provides an interesting synergy.

First Time

2008-04-10T09:14:00.000-07:00

After a year of thinking about this blog I finally decided to just dive in. No rhyme, no reason, no particular pattern - just a few of my first shots with a new digital camera.

A sweetgum tree in our backyard:

Backyard gazebo:

Wind chime near the kitchen window, sometimes peaceful, sometimes noisy:

Pretty, but I don't know what it is. My wife planted them in the backyard and they pop up in the spring:

In addition to learning how to use the features on this camera, I'll also have to unlearn some of what I know from shooting film for forty years and learn how to get what I want from digital. I will also try to learn how to use Photoshop.