Some days are just good picture days. Perhaps it's by choice or maybe just by opportunity, but the 23rd of January was a good picture day by choice and opportunity. Ever since attending Alyssa's wedding in the capital building I had wanted to return to take pictures of the building itself. There are so many angles and patterns and contrasts and shapes in the architecture. So on this day I decided to return. It was late in the afternoon, around four o'clock. The sun was low in the sky, casting long shadows and enriching colors. The above photo is "Reflection of Grandeur." I thought while walking the grounds, "who needs to go to Athens to take pictures when you have these buildings right here." Of course, the weather in Athens would be nicer and the ocean and the depth of history. O.K., maybe there should be a trip to Athens!
Of course, Jeanne and I were scheduled to go to Athens many years ago. We were going to sail the
Mediteranian in the "Windsong" beginning in the Greek Isles and ending in Barcelona. It was an advertising trip sponsored by one of the TV stations (KIRO) in Seattle. We were excited about the trip but then something happened called "Desert Storm." Saddam Husein (often referred to by Linda Hickman as "SoDamn Insane" decided to mass his troops along the Kuwaiti border and President Bush (1st) decided to protect American interests in the region. It was a short war, but because of it the cruise company decided to pull all its ships from the Mediterranian and move them to the Caribbean region. So, instead of cruising the Greek Isles and French and Spanish Riviera, we wound up in the Bahamas. It was fine. I didn't take many pictures back then anyway, so it's better if we go in the future.
The angles, contrasting shapes and light plays were just too fun. It was cold and as you can see from the flag, there was a stiff wind, so it was nice to periodically be able to retreat to a warm car.
It's hard to imagine the pride and devotion the people must have had in and for their government to have created such buildings. I'm not sure we'd commit the kind of money necessary to build such lasting edifices now. In fact, I wonder what kind of legacy we'll leave at all. We spend billions of dollars on social programs that show no results. We might be better building buildings that remind us of liberty and justice for all.
This mosaic is just in front of the main entrance to the capital. You can see the reflection from the door at the top of the picture. The color and workmanship attracted me to it. It's funny to think how few of our politicians anymore know anything about labor. Most have probably never held a real job.
The size of the structure is impressive. In order to convey how huge it is there must be a point of reference. This is probably some State senator or lobbyist, sitting in the rotundra area, probably thinking the poparazzi are on his trail. Now that I have an 18mm lens, I'll have to return to get more of the massiveness into a single photo.
Along with size there is also elegance. The marble and granite are spectacular but make one wonder just how many resources were committed to create this structure. But then that is the kind of thinking my generation would employ instead of the kind of patriotism and pride that led to a society wishing to spare no cost to enshrine and celebrate the freedom and values they lived and died for. I wish there was a picture of me trying to bend backwards as close to horizontal as possible to take the below picture of the inside of the capital dome. It is full of fun shapes and colors, almost like looking through a kaleidescope.
Some days are just good picture days. Perhaps it's by choice or maybe just by opportunity, but the 23rd of January was a good picture day by choice and opportunity. Ever since attending Alyssa's wedding in the capital building I had wanted to return to take pictures of the building itself. There are so many angles and patterns and contrasts and shapes in the architecture. So on this day I decided to return. It was late in the afternoon, around four o'clock. The sun was low in the sky, casting long shadows and enriching colors. The above photo is "Reflection of Grandeur." I thought while walking the grounds, "who needs to go to Athens to take pictures when you have these buildings right here." Of course, the weather in Athens would be nicer and the ocean and the depth of history. O.K., maybe there should be a trip to Athens!
Of course, Jeanne and I were scheduled to go to Athens many years ago. We were going to sail the Mediteranian in the "Windsong" beginning in the Greek Isles and ending in Barcelona. It was an advertising trip sponsored by one of the TV stations (KIRO) in Seattle. We were excited about the trip but then something happened called "Desert Storm." Saddam Husein (often referred to by Linda Hickman as "SoDamn Insane" decided to mass his troops along the Kuwaiti border and President Bush (1st) decided to protect American interests in the region. It was a short war, but because of it the cruise company decided to pull all its ships from the Mediterranian and move them to the Caribbean region. So, instead of cruising the Greek Isles and French and Spanish Riviera, we wound up in the Bahamas. It was fine. I didn't take many pictures back then anyway, so it's better if we go in the future.
The angles, contrasting shapes and light plays were just too fun. It was cold and as you can see from the flag, there was a stiff wind, so it was nice to periodically be able to retreat to a warm car.
It's hard to imagine the pride and devotion the people must have had in and for their government to have created such buildings. I'm not sure we'd commit the kind of money necessary to build such lasting edifices now. In fact, I wonder what kind of legacy we'll leave at all. We spend billions of dollars on social programs that show no results. We might be better building buildings that remind us of liberty and justice for all.
This mosaic is just in front of the main entrance to the capital. You can see the reflection from the door at the top of the picture. The color and workmanship attracted me to it. It's funny to think how few of our politicians anymore know anything about labor. Most have probably never held a real job.
The size of the structure is impressive. In order to convey how huge it is there must be a point of reference. This is probably some State senator or lobbyist, sitting in the rotundra area, probably thinking the poparazzi are on his trail. Now that I have an 18mm lens, I'll have to return to get more of the massiveness into a single photo.
Along with size there is also elegance. The marble and granite are spectacular but make one wonder just how many resources were committed to create this structure. But then that is the kind of thinking my generation would employ instead of the kind of patriotism and pride that led to a society wishing to spare no cost to enshrine and celebrate the freedom and values they lived and died for. I wish there was a picture of me trying to bend backwards as close to horizontal as possible to take the below picture of the inside of the capital dome. It is full of fun shapes and colors, almost like looking through a kaleidescope.
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