Published by Hankins-Lawrence Images, LLC of Bethesda, Maryland

http://www.hankinslawrenceimages.com           

 Table of Contents

 1. Spring is here!

2. Photographing the Cherry Blossoms

3. Software Review: Ephemeris

4. Subscription Information

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  1. Spring is here!

 It seems hard to believe that when we wrote last month’s issue of HLI PhotoNotes, the DC area was covered with snow. Just about a month later, spring has arrived.

 Yesterday, we spent the morning on the National Mall taking photos at the Smithsonian Kite Festival. We joined thousands of others from the Washington D.C. area to watch hundreds of kites flying in the sky.

 The coming of spring to D.C. means it’s almost Cherry Blossom Time. The National Cherry Blossom festival is a two-week event, commemorating the 1912 gift of Cherry Trees to the people of Washington from the city of Tokyo. The festival includes cultural events, children’s events, and a parade. The highlight of the festival is the blossoming of more than 3,700 cherry trees. They are a sight you have to see to believe. We’re providing some tips on taking great photos of the cherry blossoms in our main article this month.

 In addition to the Cherry Blossom Festival, there are events going on almost every weekend here in the D.C. area. Be sure to check the local events calendar in your area to see what sorts of festivals are scheduled for your hometown.

 Have a great time with your photography, and we’ll be in touch next month.

 Patty & Bill

 2. Photographing the Cherry Blossoms

by Patty Hankins & Bill Lawrence

 It’s almost that time of year again!  The metropolitan Washington, DC area goes a little crazy during cherry blossom season.  Each year, over 3,700 cherry trees around the Tidal Basin near the Jefferson Memorial, East Potomac Park, and the Washington Monument grounds come into bloom sometime in late March to early April.  At peak bloom, the path around the Tidal Basin looks like it is lined with puffy pink and white clouds.  It really has to be seen to be believed.  It is well worth the trip, and don’t forget your camera!

 Currently, peak bloom is estimated to be between April 8-14, 2003. The dates may change depending on the weather.  You can check out the current estimates from the National Park Service at the site: http://www.nps.gov/nacc/cherry/index.htm

 In our opinion, the best place for photography during peak bloom is around the Tidal Basin.  But, that being said, it is worth exploring the area around this park, because there are many other great views!  A favorite shot (which we’ve shot, too) seems to be getting the Jefferson Memorial framed by cherry blossoms from across the Tidal Basin.  We went during peak bloom in 2002, and it was amazing the number of photographers out there (as well as the weather crew for Good Morning America).

 If you are going to come during peak bloom, we offer a few tips:

 1. As with many landscape subjects, early morning or late evening tends to be the best time, because of the warm tone and the low angle of the sunlight.  The photograph of the Jefferson Memorial framed by blossoms on our site (URL) was taken right as the sun was rising.  For you early birds, it is best if possible to arrive before sunrise.

 2. If you do want to take sunrise photos, you will want to bring a tripod for your camera. That way you can take longer exposures without having to worry about holding your camera perfectly still.

 3.  If you want to park in the public lot adjacent to the Tidal basin near the Jefferson Memorial, coming before or shortly after sunrise is about the only time you have a reasonable chance of finding a parking space.  After that, you take your chances during peak bloom.  If you are planning on driving, check out the suggested parking for the Jefferson Memorial (look up “National Mall” on the NPS website www.nps.gov) for suggestions for other places to park.

 4. The Tidal Basin area is a moderate walk from the Smithsonian Metro station, so this is a good option unless you want to be there before sunrise (it does not start running until 5:30 AM on weekdays, 8:00 AM on weekends). The Smithsonian Metro station is on the Orange and Blue lines. Visit Metro’s website (http://www.wmata.com/default.cfm) for more information about the DC area subway systems.

 5. For you film folks, bring lots of film.  For those with digital, make sure you have lots of room on your storage media.  Experiment with shots from different angles.  Also, remember you are shooting white blossoms (and with the Jefferson Memorial, a near-white building) that can fool your light meter, so bracketing your exposures or using exposure compensation manually may help to ensure that you get the perfect shot.

 6. Everyone has their own style of shooting, but we’ve found a wide angle lens and a moderate telephoto lens to be helpful.  The photo on our site of the Jefferson Memorial was taken with a zoom lens at a 35mm film equivalent of about 100mm focal length.

 7. Be prepared to see and be seen.  Typically, by late morning the Tidal Basin area is packed.  Lots of people and dogs.  Many bring picnic meals.  Last year we saw at least one formal tea ceremony. It’s also a great chance to see what equipment other photographers are using.

 8. Want to be there before sunrise, but don’t know when sunrise is?  We’ll tell you how to figure it out using one of our favorite programs – Ephemeris - in the next article.

 So if you get a chance, please come to DC to see the Cherry Blossoms blooming. And if you can’t make it this year – there’s always next year!

Check out our online version of this article, available here, for some photos from the 2002 cherry blossom season.  You can also see some of the cherry blossom photos in the Jefferson Memorial section of our Monuments galleries.

3. Software Review:  Ephemeris

by Patty Hankins & Bill Lawrence

 Sunrise and sunset are some of the best times of day to take landscape photographs. The sun is lower in the sky, so you avoid the harsh light and shadows of mid-day, and you can capture incredible colors in the sky as the light reflects off clouds and buildings. In addition to knowing when sunrise and sunset are, it helps to know where in the sky the sun the sun will be at any given time.

 Fortunately for photographers, a program called Ephemeris exists to provide us with all the information we need to plan great sunrise, sunset, moonrise and moonset photographs. All you need to do is enter the date and your location, and the program will tell you when and where in the sky the sun and moon will rise and set. All you need is a compass, and you can set up your sunrise photo before the sun has risen.  In addition, it provides information on the phases of the moon.

 Ephemeris is available in two versions –

 Ephemeris 1.0 for Pocket PC’s using Win CE 3.0 – developed by Jonathan Sachs is available for download at http://home.attbi.com/~jonsachs/#Ephemeris%201.0

 Ephemeris 2.0 for windows based computers is available for download from Digital Light and Color at http://www.dl-c.com/

 Best of all – this software is available for FREE!!!

 So, depending on whether you use a Pocket PC or a windows based computer – head to one of these two sights and download Ephemeris. It will help make sure that you’re in the right place at the right time to take some wonderful sunrise and sunset photographs.

4. Subscription information

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