"I have a dream": Black and White Photographs of Washington, D.C.

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Last week I spent two mornings photographing a few of the iconic monuments in Washington, D.C.  My timing was rather interesting.  Gazing at the likenesses of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr., one sees how far our country has come in terms freedom, equality and race relations. Sadly, the disturbing recent events in Ferguson, Missouri highlight how far we still have to go.  As these contradictions swirled through my mind, I decided to present my Washington, D.C. photographs in black and white.  

When we hear the term "black and white" we think of opposites. If someone thinks in a "black and white" manner, they are unable to appreciate context and subtlety.  To me, "black and white" photography is somewhat of a misnomer. Often what makes these images interesting or dramatic is the the gradations of gray between the two extremes of black and white.  

These photographs are dedicated to all Americans who continue to struggle for freedom, dignity and equality.

Lincoln Memorial

U.S. Capitol at Sunrise

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Thomas Jefferson Memorial
(seen from MLK Memorial)

Washington Memorial and Capital
(seen from top of Lincoln Memorial)

World War 2 Memorial

Lincoln Memorial
(in Morning Light)

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Lincoln Memorial
(Just before Sunrise)

Reflecting Pool and Jogger with Reflection of
Washington Monument (Seen from Lincoln Memorial)

World War 2 Memorial:  Freedom Wall
(each star represents 100 Americans who died in the war) 

Washington Memorial and Reflecting Pool
(seen from Lincoln Memorial, at Sunrise)

New York State of Mind: Five Great Places to Photograph of the Manhattan Skyline

"Some folks like to get away,
Take a holiday from the neighborhood.
Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood.
But I'm takin' a Greyhound on the Hudson River line.
I'm in a New York state of mind."
(Billy Joel)

Here's the thing - It's been 33 years since I left my family's New York home for college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Since then, I haven't lived in New York, but I will always consider myself a New Yorker.  Maybe that's what happens when you have a mom from the Bronx and a dad from Brooklyn.  Its just in the blood.

One of the many things that I love about New York is Manhattan's beautiful skyline.  Between December, 2010 and July, 2014, I photographed the New York City skyline from several different vantage points:  1) The DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge)section of Brooklyn; 2)Hamilton Park, in Weehawken, New Jersey; 3)  The "Top of the Rock" observation deck, in Rockefeller Center, Manhattan: 4) Long Island City, Queens; and 5) Liberty State Park, Jersey City, New Jersey (and the Statue of Liberty ferry boat).

View of Manhattan from
Hamilton Park, Weekawken, New Jersey
July, 2014 (morning).

View of Manhattan from
Liberty State Park, Jersey City, New Jersey
July, 2011 (morning).

View of Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan from
"DUMBO" (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge),
Brooklyn, New York.  August, 2011
(Evening before Hurricane Irene hit New York City).

View of Manhattan from
Hamilton Park, Weehawken, New Jersey.
July, 2014 (sunset).

View of Empire State Building and Lower Manhattan, from
"Top of the Rock" observation deck at Rockefeller Center
December, 2010 (morning).

View of Statue of Liberty and Manhattan from
Statue of Liberty ferry boat (from Liberty State Park).
July, 2011 (morning).

Close of Up Chrysler Building and Midtown Manhattan
from Long Island City, Queens.
April, 2012 (morning).

View of Lower Manhattan, including the new
Freedom Tower, from Hamilton Park in
Weehawken, New Jersey.  July, 2014 (twilight).

View of Manhattan from
Hamilton Park, Weehawken, New Jersey
July 2014 (morning).

View of the Brooklyn Bridge from "DUMBO" (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge), Brooklyn, New York.  June, 2013 (morning). 

View of Manhattan from
Hamilton Park, Weehawken, New Jersey
July, 2014 (twilight).