The Phillips Collection

My favorite art museum in DC, this is the place to take visitors from out-of-town.  Located about a block from the DuPont Metro Station (at 21st and Q NW), Duncan Phillips started the collection in the family residence in 1918, and opened it to the public in 1921.

The most famous painting in the collection is Renoir’s “Luncheon of the Boating Party”.  People really love this painting, and for good reason.

Leica M9 w/Zeiss 18mm f/4 lens; ISO 800; 1/25 sec.

A detail of the ceiling and mantlepiece in the Music Room.

Leica M9 w/Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 lens; ISO 1600; 1/15 sec.

The gallery rooms in the original residence are intimate and calming.  They stress that the furniture in the rooms is intended to be used, and these galleries are nice places to relax.

Leica M9 w/Zeiss 21mm f/2.8 lens; ISO 400; 1/30 sec.

Staircase in the Sant Building, looking out onto the courtyard.  This used to be an apartment building, and a complete interior rebuild was completed in 2006.  It added additional gallery space, an auditorium, a library, classroom, and workshop space.

Leica M9 w/Zeiss 18mm f/4 lens; ISO 800; 1/500 sec.

National Gallery of Art, East Building

Part of the immense Calder mobile (untitled) completed just before he died.  It weighs about 1,000 pounds but moves subtly in the air light currents inside the building.

Leica M9 w/Voigtlander 90mm f/3.5 lens; ISO 800; 1/90 sec.

On the main floor with Ellsworth Kelly’s “Color Panels for a Large Wall” in the background.

Leica M9 w/Voigtlander 15mm f/4 lens; ISO 400; 1/30 sec.

Painting, viewed from above.

Leica M9 w/Zeiss 25mm f/2.8 lens; ISO 400; 1/25 sec.

“Multiverse”, by Leo Villareal, is a light sculpture that lives alongside the underground moving walkways between the East Building and the cage/museum shop at the east footing of the West Building.  This shot looked awful in the Leica’s monitor, but it actually “cleans up pretty good” in the computer.  I need to go back and try a few more shots.

Leica M9 w/Zeiss 25mm f/2.8 lens; ISO 1600; 1/30 sec.

A friend just made a trip through this area, and that gave me an excuse to look around the archives a little…

This picture was taken in December, 2004 along US 101 between Eureka and Crescent City — just south of Wilson Creek.

Near Wilson Creek, along US 101

This was shot on color film with a Voigtlander rangefinder and scanned.  The color image was very flat so I used Nik Software Silver Efex Pro to render the image in B&W simulating Fuji Neopan 1600 film with a green filter.

There are several routes between home and the Charleston area.  The shortest, 329 miles and (according to Google) 6 hours non-stop, passes by Seneca Rocks.  It’s roughly half way so it makes a nice break in the drive.

The rocks are a quartzite formation that almost looks like a blade slicing up through the surrounding countryside.  The current satellite view on Google Maps shows this well.

Seneca Rocks and the North Branch of the South Fork of the Potomac River

On the way home last Friday I stopped and spent about 1 1/2 hours just walking around.  It was a pretty dreary day so I was shooting with the hope of coming up with a decent black & white shot, as well as some close-up shots of whatever else caught my attention.

For Distant Viewing

In 1943 and 1944 Seneca Rocks was a training area for the 10th Mountain Division.

Base of the Telescope

The Sites Homestead was established in the early 19th Century.  The log cabin that forms the basis for this house was built around 1839.  It was expanded in the 1870s and remained in the Sites family until the Forest Service acquired it in 1968.  Quite a view when you step out the front door in the morning.

The Sites Homestead

Chimney and Window, Sites Homestead

Barrel, Sites Homestead

If your GPS can’t find Seneca Rocks, the coordinates of the road intersection (US 22, WV 55, & WV 28) are 38.834576, -79.376246.  The entrance to the Discovery Center is a few hundred yards to the south.  The Seneca Rocks Discovery Center is closed until Spring, but you can park on the lower parking area.

Yesterday I stepped out of my car in a parking lot…

…And shot it with my Blackberry.  Should have had a real camera along.  This is the white line between parking spaces, painted with leaves left lying.

Post processing in PhotoShop with Nik Software’s Sharpener 3.0.  The next step was to use a PhotoShop watercolor effect.  I don’t use the “Artistic” filters that often, but the image quality with a smart phone often leaves much to be desired.

One of several big clocks at the Orsay (a former train station), this one is over the entrance.

Clock at Musée d'Orsay

I rediscovered this picture while looking back in my files for images to use in an A/V presentation about the Orsay’s misguided photo policy.  This was shot in 2009 — and the museum now believes that allowing normal people to  produce images such as is too disruptive, probably not dignified, and ultimately harms the museum.

The camera was a Leica M8, and the lens was the incredibly sharp Zeiss 25mm f/2.8.  Shot at ISO 320 and 1/45 second exposure.

I stumbled across this picture while working on another project.

Not traditional composition and framing, which is why I like it.

Lincoln

It was shot with a Leica M8 and a Voigtlander 90mm lens.  The image is very low key, with no startling whites or deep blacks.  Typical for an M8 image, the DNG (RAW) file required very little post processing.

Cité Metro Station

This is an interesting piece of engineering.  These photos were taken inside what is essentially a big underground steel tank that the tracks pass through.  The station serves Île de la Cité – the island where Notre Dame Cathedral is located.

Cité Metro Station

Another view of the Cité Metro Station, with a train arriving

Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame Cathedral

Notre Dame Cathedral

Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral

Looking towards the organ

Around Île de la Cité

"Love Locks" on the Port Archeveche Bridge

An American group performs on the St. Louis Bridge

Looking into the chamber at the Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation -- in memory of over 200,000 people deported from France by the Nazis.

A last view of Notre Dame Cathedral and Île de la Cité

[All photos in this posting taken with a Fujifilm X10 camera.]

A return to this gem of a museum and grounds.

The Hotel Biron is the centerpiece, housing almost 300 pieces of art from Rodin’s collection — including a trio of Van Goghs.

Hotel Biron and the grounds (Fujifilm X100)

On the grounds (Fujifilm X100)

Detail of "Pierre de Wissant Naked Figure" (Fujifilm X10)

Outside looking in... (Fujifilm X100)

...And inside looking out. "Paolo and Francesca in the Clouds" (Fujifilm X10)

Two busts of "The Man with the Broken Nose" (Fujifilm X10)

Statue merges with visitors (Fujifilm X100)

Self portrait -- lower right corner of the mirror. (Fujifilm X100)

Outside, a tradition of leaving the admission stickers on posts and poles.

The Louvre

Almost too big.

Ascent to the "Winged Victory of Samothrace" (Fujifilm X100)

The mob in front of the Mona Lisa (Fujifilm X10)

Since my last visit, in 2009, the Orsay has initiated a stunningly stupid “No Photo” policy in the museum.  Their reasoning shows how out of touch a museum can be.  Sayeth the Orsay:

“It is forbidden to take pictures and to film in the museum.  In the interests of the safety of works and visitors, and to ensure a more pleasurable visit, photography and filming are no longer allowed in the museum galleries.  This measure has been introduced in view of the increased number of visitors taking photographs “at arm’s length” using mobile phones.  Reproductions of most of the works in the collections can be downloaded from the website (catalogue of works, works in focus in particular).”

[It should be noted that the quality of the online images is dreadful.  You can't download an image that will print decently even onto 4" x 6" snapshot size paper.]

So I decided to go into spy mode.  I equipped myself with both digital pen and digital watch cameras.  A couple of test shots yesterday and then more comprehensive coverage today.

One of the MANY "No Photography" Signs

Manet's "Olympia"

Manet's "The Fife Player"

As you can sort-of see, the Orsay is a great museum.  A “repurposed” train station, it begs to be photographed.

What the museum management fails to understand is that if people just wanted to view works of art from an online catalog, they wouldn’t need to go to a museum.  “Museum” comes from “muse” — which is an experience.  People take pictures at a museum because they want to remember or share their experience.

Why is that so hard for the Musee d’Orsay to understand?

Actually arrived on the 23rd, but arrival days are recovery days.  Of note from the arriving flight:  (1) The White Cliffs of Dover really are white in the morning sunlight (sorry, but no picture), and (2) that ugly green de-icing stuff (from Toronto) sticks.

Green De-Icing Goop...

First Stop was the Musee d’Orsay.  One of my favorite museums, but recently saddled with a rather unfortunate “No Photography” policy. This policy is just plain stupid, and shows a museum management out of touch with visitors and the 21st century…But more on that and my spy mission later…

There are a few places where it seems to be tolerated, most notably behind one of the two big clocks that face the Seine.

Photos at one of the d'Orsay's clocks

I go out to the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum near Dulles Airport to test new cameras and lenses.  It is a challenging venue, and if things go wrong, they go wrong in a very noticeable way.   From the overhead walkway, this particular location always draws me.

Vantage Point

I like the open space, gray concrete, shadows, the pieces of “museum stuff”, and seeing what people are doing.

The camera being tested is the Fujifilm X10 — which hit the dealer shelves on Tuesday.  This shot was made as an EXR JPEG (EXR’s SN mode, for you Fuji geeks) with only a little bit of Noise Ninja in post-processing.  Everything else was done in the camera: 1/35 sec., f/2.5, ISO 640.  EXR makes all the selections once you decide which of three modes you will use.

The intelligence in cameras is getting a bit scary…The X10 produced a very nice image with almost no input from me.

The previous posting has pictures from a recent trip to Philadelphia.  That reminded me of a shot taken in 2004 (I believe) early one morning from a hotel room window…Hand-held, pressed against the window for steadiness

I’m not sure how good a picture it really is, but I’ve always liked the “atmospherics”.  This how it feels to be in a strange room in a strange city early in the morning.

Early Morning in Philadelphia

This was shot with a Leica M6, using a 35mm f/2.5 Cosina/Voigtlander lens on Ilford chromogenic B&W film and scanned.

Attending a conference earlier this week a couple of blocks from the river game me a chance to do a little walking around with the Fuji X100.  The X100 imposes one significant restriction; it has a fixed focal length lens.  No zoom, so you have to compose by thinking through things a little more, and moving the camera (an yourself) instead of zooming the lens (or changing lenses).  That said, the camera’s large sensor and good low-light characteristics give the photographer more technical capacity to work with.

USS Olympia and USS Becuna:  To say that the cruiser  Olympia is iconic is a bit of an understatement.  Commodore Dewey’s flagship at the Battle of Manila Bay, Olympia also transported the remains of America’s Unknown Soldier from France to the United States in 1921.  The fate of Olympia is uncertain, and the ship may be moved, sunk for a reef, or scrapped.  Keeping old ships afloat is very expensive and requires period dry-dockings which may run into the millions of dollars.  Dry berthing, now being studied for the battleship USS Texas, is initially expensive, but may be the only practical way to save these very old hulls.

Becuna is a late WWII submarine which made five war patrols.  Becuna was decommissioned in 1969.

The cruiser USS Olympia and submarine USS Becuna

USS New Jersey:  Berthed across the Delaware River in Camden, New Jersey as a museum, this ship is an Iowa class battleship, the final class of battleship completed by the US Navy.  New Jersey was laid down in 1940 and commissioned in 1943, the second of six ships of her class, four of which were completed.  New Jersey was decommissioned for the final time in 1991.

USS New Jersey, framed by the restaurant/club ship Moshulu

I like the swans and the color…

Swan boats and kayaks

Local guys fishing near the observation tower. USS Olympia and Philadelphia in the background.

Fishing

There’s just something incongruous about these swan boats watching over an old warship through the night.  Or maybe it’s the other way around.

Swan boats and USS Olympia at night

I’ve got a new camera — a Fujifilm X100.  This is a bit of throwback, since it emulates the classic 35mm, fixed lens rangefinder cameras of the 60s, 70s, and 80s.  In practice, I think that the X100 will be both a complement to my Leica digital rangefinder camera, and a good camera to carry as the camera — when I don’t want all the other stuff.

With bad weather threatening today, I decided to take Metro down the the Phillips Collection.  I really haven’t taken the X100 out on enough trips so…

This first shot deals with my fascinations with motion and with mass transit.

Fujifilm X100, ISO 800, 1/6 sec, f/16

The gauze effect of the special shades at the Phillips Collection — looking onto the Hunter Courtyard.

Fujifilm X100, ISO 400, 1/50 sec, f/5.6

And heading home on Metro, during a wait at one of the stations.

Fujifilm X100, ISO 800, 1/9 sec, f/4.0

Sometimes you get lucky enough to have two or more frames to choose from.  Or maybe that’s not lucky.  In this case, the first picture is mostly about the the action, while the second tells more of the story.  (The metadata embedded in the file shows that they are taken less than a second apart.)  To even be faced with a choice is a bit of luck, but as Woody Allen said, “Eighty percent of success is showing up.”

I like the story shot.  Shorter on action, it shows the two key players as they realize the outcome of the play.

Observation:  It would be very rare to see a shot as wide as the second one in an American newspaper.  To make the players large enough, this would need to be close to a half page wide.  American papers just don’t allow that kind of real estate for soccer — especially women’s soccer.  But you do see more shots like that in the European press.

Action

Story

This last shot is another example of Woody Allen’s observation on success.

Just a little photo-diversion…Checking out a new camera (Fujifilm X100) with the scooter in the lower level of the Metro garage.

Piaggio MP3 500 (Shot with Fujifilm X100)

This started out as a normal color image, but was rendered in B&W in Photoshop using Nik Software’s Silver Efex Pro.  The fill flash also lit up the reflective rim tape and speed tape.

Jim Hamilton runs an online key duplication service for motorcycles and scooters.  Last week he called my cell phone to confirm my shipping address and missed me (I was underground on Metro).  I called back from the Vienna station and missed him.  Later, he caught me at home.  After a couple of minutes of business, we spent some time just talking.  When the topic of locksmiths came up, I remembered this photo that has been hanging around wherever I live for years and years.

Key Man

This was shot in 1972 or 1973.  The gentleman in the picture ran a locksmith/key shop on San Carlos Street, probably between 3rd and 4th Streets.  The shop was, quite literally, in a stairwell.  Thousands of keys hanging on little hooks in front of little paper tags — stretching up those stairs.  You did your business from the sidewalk, and could only see all the way up if you kinda hunkered down and peered into the dimness.

My first encounter was when I was looking for a duplicate key for a Fiat 1100 sedan.  The locksmith walked up several steps, looked a bit, and came back with my blank.

This was a few blocks from San Jose State University where I majored in Photojournalism.  There was a great deli nearby, and also real magazine “rack”, actually a store — the kind with magazines and newspapers from all over the world.

Later I went back to shoot a few pictures.  The camera was probably a Pentax Spotmatic 35mm SLR.  The lens was a Vivitar 28mm f/2.5 — an incredibly sharp lens.  The film was undoubtedly Kodak Tri-X.  The back of the photo mount is labeled “Environmental Portrait”.

This isn’t the usual kind of camera I’ve been acquiring lately, but I was looking for something that was very easy to carry around and would be resistant to hazards.  I hadn’t looked at Panasonic cameras recently after an uninspiring experience with a Lumix LM2.  Panasonic chose to invoke noise reduction even in the RAW files (an action which prompted an online petition drive) and the overall performance wasn’t all that great.  The only happy news from the experience was that I sold it on eBay for more than I paid for it.

But on my recent short vacation back to Oregon, I got thinking on the need for a pocketable compact camera again.  My brother gave his wife a Panasonic and as I played around with it, I found that the user interface was acceptable, and the feature set allowed a certain amount of flexibility.  The things I didn’t like were the retractable lens and the startup delay that lens imposes.  Also, those retractable lenses represent a pathway for stuff to get inside the camera mechanism.

I spent a few hours online researching manufacturers sites and looking at reviews.  After visiting a few stores, I decided on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2

Some major factors in my decision were:  Wide-angle lens (the equivalent of a 28mm lens on a 35mm camera); weatherproof/waterproof; folded lens path (no delay on startup for the lens to extend); and optical image stabilization (I just think it’s a better solution to move one lens around than to move the entire sensor around).  Orange?  Since they didn’t offer it in black…

Folded Lens Path -- Allows Camera to be Sealed.

Early in January I went to my usual test location — the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy facility of the National Air and Space Museum — to give it a try.  It’s not a brightly lit venue, and the lighting is mixed.  This puts you right at the edge of a camera’s performance, so you can blow a shot without really trying hard.  A good place for a test.

Images.

There are some brief exposure notes under each image.  I used a monopod for all the shots, with the camera’s image stabilization turned on.  Post processing was in Photoshop; adjusting the curves (for white and black point), cropping a little, Noise Ninja, and some light sharpening

f/3.3 @ 1/10 sec, ISO 400

f/3.3 @ 1/13 sec, ISO 400, -1/3 stop

f/3.5 @ 1/20 sec, ISO 400, -1/3 stop

f/4.0 @ 1/5 sec, ISO 400, -1/3 stop

To be certain, there is no way that these images can reveal all the performance details of the camera.  Noise reduction is smeary and chunky — and you can’t turn it off and just use a post processing tool such as Noise Ninja.  In terms of image quality, the TS2 is nowhere close to what I can get with my Leica M8 and a Zeiss or Leica lens.  But I certainly find the results acceptable for the purpose of having a camera that’s handy and rugged.

And, naturally, a little over month after I bought my TS2, Panasonic announces the TS3.  The TS3 adds GPS and also has a little bit of a grip on the right side (the lack of a grip was mentioned in several TS2 reviews).  Oh well.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3

Crossing over to the Green Gate - Evening in Gdansk - Ferries and the Crane.

…You look down the Stara Motława and see the crane (that tall dark structure on the left bank that almost hangs over the water).

Gdansk (Danzig when the Prussians or Germans controlled its history), while not held in the same romantic historical regard as Krakow or Warsaw, nonetheless is practically bursting at the seams with history and historical connections.

This was just an evening stroll after crashing in the hotel.  (I’m no longer fighting it…My arrival day in Europe might as well be dead time.)

The stroll turned into dinner outdoors on ulica Długa.

Ulica Długa is yet another part of another city in Poland blasted to bits during WWII — and painstakingly restored with the help of old photos and paintings.  Gdansk became known more for it’s massive Lenin Shipyard (birthplace of Solidarity) and related industries.  As a result, some of the rebuilding and reconstruction has been later coming.

Piaggio MP3 500

Not exactly the kind of scooter Gregory Peck and Audry Hepburn motored around on in “Roman Holiday”…500 CCs and a top speed of around 90 (I’ve only had it up to 75).

I was warned…People will walk across parking lots to ask “What is that?”.  And roll down their window at stoplights on Route 7 to ask the same question.