Twice on Sunday Bonus Photo - Rainbow Staircase

For this week's extra shot from my archives, we have this photo I took of the illuminated staircase at the Signature Theatre in the Shirlington section of Arlington, Virginia. The stairs change colors and display the entire spectrum.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 56/365 - Experiments in Bokeh

This may look like an old school Lite-Brite, but it's actually just an out of focus shot of a tree trunk that was wrapped in Christmas lights. I cranked up the shadow level in Picasa to strip out everything except the lights. This is a great time of year to play around with bokeh shots.

Usually I forget to try and bokeh a subject and then it strikes me after I'm reviewing the downloaded images that "dang, that might have looked cool as a bokeh shot." This shot is really too busy and crowded to make good bokeh, but I still kinda liked the way it came out.

Tonight the outdoor shopping area near my apartment was having an open house with free horse and carriage rides, giveaways, and a special Santa for animals to get their pictures taken with (although some little kids did wind up horning in on the Kris Kringle action as well). I met up there with my friends Chris, Desiree, and Adriana. Chris and Des brought their dog Chewie with them and dressed him up in his reindeer costume so he could get his picture taken with Santa.

Can't wait to see how that comes out. Hopefully Des and Chris will post the shot on Chewie's blog shortly.

(Taken with my Nikon D80)

Day 8/365 - Autumn Has Fallen

Autumn has definitely arrived in Washington, DC. I went for a walk on the National Mall at lunch today and noticed this tree near the National Museum of the American Indian that was ablaze with color. I love Autumn. It's definitely my favorite time of year. There's always so much new and exciting change going on in Autumn, even more so than in Spring I think.

For me, Fall always marked the start of the new school year with the attendant shopping for new clothes and supplies, the start of football season, the start of the new tv season, and the build-up to Halloween and Thanksgiving (two of my favorite holidays). Plus I love the cooler weather and being able to wear jackets and sweatshirts again. Fall brings apple cider and pumpkin pies and trees dressed in technicolor dreamcoats -- leaves fluttering through the air like feathers and rustling as they blow across the sidewalks and streets.

Although I did really hate having to rake leaves as a kid, so Autumn has that going against it. Now that I live in an apartment building though, I don't have to worry about that anymore. It's all good!

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)