if a woodchuck could chuck wood...

Welcome friends, both new and old! We kicked off the semester last week with a photo shoot in Dupont Circle. In addition to the first-timers who joined us at Dupont, we've got another handful of new people interested in checking out the group! Hopefully we'll get to meet you all this coming Saturday.

Speaking of which, I'm already completely pumped about what we'll be doing. ....dude! I just noticed the sun coming through my window and making a cool shadow on my wall. Anyway, this Saturday we're going to be working our photography magic in Adams Morgan. We'll meet at Starbucks at 11AM. I'll ramble on about some things while you pretend to be interested. (In case I forget, remind me to mention Flickr, and Mocha Hut.) For those of you who joined us last semester, we're gonna shake things up again this time...

Each week, we're going to highlight a member to talk about their experience, how they like to shoot, what they've learned, what catches their eye, and basically anything else. This gives us the advantage of hearing another perspective and gleaming insight from each other. Please let me know if you would like to share your two cents, and we'll put you in the hot seat --I mean, the spotlight =) You can bring photos as examples, heck, you could set up a Power Point presentation, or you could use Stuart as a dummy --er, model, yes, a model!-- to explain a technique. It can be whatever you want it to be. The idea is that we can learn from each other and have a good time doing it.

Having said that, Rodney is going to be taking this experiment by the horns and be our first spotlight fella. If you have seen his photos, you know this guy has a mad eye for capturing amazing pictures! It'll be good stuff, fo' shizzle!

So that's all happening at Starbucks (whew!) then we'll grab some lunch (approx. noon). It looks like the weather might be way too awesome to eat inside, so we might find ourselves gathered 'round a couple park benches.

After lunch (say, 1:00), we'll put our cameras in motion and hit up Adams Morgan. Rodney, our Adams Morgan native, is gonna take the reins here too and show us how it's done! Here's a list from Rodney himself of ideas and things to look for:

• Ethnic and Cultural Diversity
• International Feel
• Adams and Morgan Schools (--these 2 schools define the area known as Adams Morgan)
• Neighborhood Buildings
• "Funky" Shops, Coffee Shops, Cafes
• Sidewalk Vendors
• Parks (Kalorama Park, Walter C. Pierce Park)
• Markets (Food Market at 18th and Columbia [across from McDonald's--Saturdays], "Western" Market [Arts & Crafts market in Marie Reed School Plaza--18th & Wyoming, NW--open noon til dark] )
• Murals (Madams Organ Mural, Toulouse Lautrec, Laundromat Mural (1728 Columbia Road))

"As we're shooting, keep in mind what defines Adams Morgan: people, places, activities, and history. Think of how it's different from D.C. and try to capture that!" -Rodney

If you've got some time to kill or if you have a fascination with history, here's a good article about Adams Morgan.

Goodness! Do I really have that much to say?? Every time I sit down to write one of these I think, "Oh, this will just be a quick one," and then I proceed to tell you about pointless stuff for what feels like an eternity. Sheesh! ...oh well, you love it and we both know it! =D

So that's the plan for Saturday, nicely divided into three parts: Starbucks at 11:00, lunch at noon, photo shoot around 1:00. I hope you can make it for all three parts, but feel free to come and go as you need.

Call me if you need anything. 703.303.3131 -Stephen