DC Photo Walk

     Trey Ratcliff's Photo Walk Across the USA came to DC recently. Trey was one of the pioneers of HDR photography, which stands for High-Dynamic-Range. Although people may not know the name of this type of image, nearly everyone has probably seen one, or many for that matter. These images are hyper saturated and hyper detailed, often giving the picture a surreal quality. This isn't my style, but I can completely appreciate the artistic and technical skill that goes into it.
     I was very curious about the photowalk, and didn't know very much about Trey before I showed up. It ended up being a fantastic experience! At first I had been apprehensive that it would just be Trey pushing everyone to do HDR but that was far from the case. He was excited to see people do their own thing and encouraged everyone's own eye and style. 
     We generally followed Trey around the National Mall, taking our own pictures and then gathering around when he started to talk. Here Trey would explain what had caught his eye about the frame he chose, and what perhaps he was trying to depict or evoke. I liked that he tended to start with a more abstract, artistic, at times philosophical approach. That was something everyone could really relate to and use to inspire and analyze their own work. Then Trey would continue on to the technical end, telling what lens and settings he was using and why. I think he really had some good things to say, and seemed very down to earth, a trait I highly prize. 
     It was a great atmosphere in which to take pictures, surrounded by others just as enthusiastic about photography as me. On a lovely summer evening with a great excited energy in the air. Below are what I was able to capture.