Category: photo things!

DC Sakura Matsuri 2013 – Matsuri!

Well, after walking and walking and walking, I made it to the end of the parade route, where I was able to finally cross Constitution Avenue to the side where the matsuri was taking place. Then it was another 4 block or so walk to get to the nearest entrance to the matsuri, where I stopped to rest for a few minutes. I decided to pace myself after looking in on the huge crowds of people milling about (or trying to!) inside the matsuri fence, because there would be no sitting inside! I managed to spend about 4 hours there, got to see some interesting booths, inflicted my Japanese on some poor folks, and basically had fun. I saw a very high-energy J-Pop band called “M’sh”, and watched some friends perform in a cosplay “fashion show”. After that was over I decided it was time to start the long walk back to my car in the Potomac Park, so I headed back to the Tidal Basin, taking a few more photos along the way. I did stop at the Jefferson Memorial to buy a soft drink and take another short rest, but since I was so close to the car I figured it would be better to keep going. Finally I got to my car at about 5 PM, after starting at 8:30, drove home, unloaded my SD card, and promptly went to sleep!

So, one week later I managed to upload some more photos here! As always, click to see the full-size photo!

Enjoy!

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There were a few people at the matsuri...
There were a few people at the matsuri…
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... just a few...
… just a few…
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... thousand...
… thousand…
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And you thought DC *traffic* gridlock was bad...
And you thought DC *traffic* gridlock was bad…
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Dancers performing a traditional Hokkaido fisherman's dance
Dancers performing a traditional Hokkaido fisherman’s dance
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DC Japan Model Railroad Club
DC Japan Model Railroad Club
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Some cosplay friends at the NHKWorld booth
Some cosplay friends at the NHKWorld booth
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A couple of Cherry Blossom Queen candidates
A couple of Cherry Blossom Queen candidates
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I have a bag, it's a pink bag, others may have other bags, but this one is mine. Any questions?
I have a bag, it’s a pink bag, others may have other bags, but this one is mine. Any questions?
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M'sh!
M’sh!
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Rock Guitarist Face #1
Rock Guitarist Face #1
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Rock Guitarist face #2
Rock Guitarist face #2
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ValNika vlogs!
ValNika vlogs!
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Chillin' at the Tidal Basin...
Chillin’ at the Tidal Basin…
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It was... a little crowded...
It was… a little crowded…
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DC Sakura Matsuri 2013: Tidal Basin Morning

So, the last of the cherry blossoms are dropping their petals, and the primary colors are turning from pink and white to green, after a seemingly endless Winter. Here are photos I took during my walk from the Tidal Basin to the DC Sakura Matsuri (street festival) on Saturday.
I’ll have photos from the matsuri itself in a later post.

Enjoy!

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As promised, more cherry blossoms…

Here we go, a batch from Tuesday evening (the only time I can get down there is around 5:30. Dang job!). I got some pretty neat pictures of the blossoms, and especially pictures of people enjoying them! I also got some eerie effects by photographing cherry trees at night, lit by streetlights!

So, here are some more, and even more to come later! Enjoy!

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Some more cherry blossoms, 2013

Here are a few more photos I took during a long (long) walk around East Potomac Park, to see the cherry blossoms. More to come!

Enjoy!

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Evening on the Potomac

Just a few scenes from Washington DC, near the Tidal Basin and along the Potomac River, near sunset Friday night. The cherry trees are just barely beginning to open, especially the “weeping sakura”, the willow-like species from Japan. The main trees, the Yoshino, will be in full bloom in a couple of days, now that our cold weather has (finally!) moved on, allowing the warm Spring air to coax the blossoms out. I will have some photos from the peak in a couple of days.

Until then, here are a few to enjoy!

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DC Kite Festival

This past Saturday, as part of the DC Cherry Blossom Festival, they held a kite-flying festival on the grounds of the Washington Monument and on the National Mall. The day was perfect for kite flying, plenty of breezes in the morning, cool but not cold, with just enough puffy clouds in a crystal blue sky to make the kites stand out. I got some great photos of the kites and the flyers (there was as much color on the ground from people’s coats as there was in the sky) of all ages. I also managed to find a couple of early cherry blossoms, on three trees that just couldn’t wait to bloom. Most of the cherry trees along the Tidal Basin have yet to bloom, but they’re in the late stages of budding, so the coming weeks should have an explosion of petals!

Here are some of the photos, I’ll have them all on a photo page soon. Enjoy!

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Two girls in their Springtime finest!
Two girls in their Springtime finest!
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Sign: "Wings Over Washington Kite Club"
Wings Over Washington!
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handfull of cherry blossoms on a few branches
桜を見た! A few lonely little cherry blossoms peeking out of their buds early, getting the jump on their cousins (and getting a couple of early photographers, too!)
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Cherry blossoms and branches against cloudless blue sky
THERE you are! Another tree with a few handfuls of cherry blossoms
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Nerdtour 2012 quickie: some tilt-shift fun

I figured I’d try the “tilt-shift” action in the latest Adobe Photoshop Elements, modifying one of my Nerdtour photos.
Continue reading “Nerdtour 2012 quickie: some tilt-shift fun”

Nerdtour 2012 quickie: Yokohama Chinatown

Chinatowns in all big cities are pretty much alike, but the one in Yokohama is very colorful at night, just like most of urban Japan, and much more so than the DC Chinatown. Here’s a prime example:
street scene in Yokohama's Chinatown