All of my photos from the Inauguration ceremony and address are hosted on Flickr if you’d like to see more, please check them out! I’ve also posted photos from each day of my trip to Washington DC in a photo hunt for the Inauguration, and photos from my brief stay in NYC as well.
Tagged: inauguration
February 6th, 2009
Revisit Travel Photos from the Inauguration and NYC
February 6th, 2009
Finally, a Polished Photo Set for Inauguration 2009
Bottleneck at L'Enfant Metro Station.
Emon woke me up at 3:30 am. I personally thought it was a miracle we made it to the metro station in Maryland by 5 am, and it actually wasn’t too busy despite all the hype beforehand. The foot traffic wasn’t too bad, but getting through the escalators and ticket machines took forever. We ended up taking the L’Enfant Plaza stop.
Metro Crowd at L'Enfant.
The Capitol Building in the distance.
Here’s a shot right outside the station. You can get a sense of what the crowd was like. At this point, I was trying to figure out the best way to get into the mall, and Twittering from my phone. Emon found where to get coffee while I google mapped our way to 14th Street and Independence Ave.
Around 6 am, right outside L'Enfant Metro Station.
We ended up as close as you could get without paying for tickets: around 4th Street, on the mall. Around that time, my phone stopped working. I managed to get a couple emails out to people back in Madison, but the network connection died soon afterward.
Early Morning view of the Capitol Building, around 6 or 7 am.
People started to faint because the crowd at the front was packed tight. So, we decided to comb the crowd and take photos after waiting there for three hours. Turns out, the gates surrounding the mall had a pretty cool subculture going on and was a good place to get away from the huge mass of people.
Hanging out by the gates pre-inauguration. The gates followed along the north side of the mall, along with about a million toilets.
Special Police hanging out at the gates.
A place to sit down.
We caught our breath and headed back into the crowd to wait for the ceremony to begin.
There really were that many free flags. Wish I could say there were free juice boxes.
Blanket nation.
Beach ball toss before the actual swearing-in began.
Cute kid.
After hours of waiting in the cold, listening to the Inaugural concert again on the jumboscreens, and suffering through Shakira’s awkward performance, the ceremony began. First things first, Bush had to go.
The face a guy made when Bush was booed for the second, maybe third time. Ouch!
Reactions during Obama's speech.
The ceremony was epic and Obama’s speech left me without words (hence the photopost). As for the walk home, it was complicated by the exodus of people from the National Mall.
Lots of people, only one metro station.
Many took to the streets, bridges, and even interstate by foot instead.
The walk home. Yes, we can.
All of my photos are hosted on flickr. If you would like to see more from the trip to DC, please check them out!
January 19th, 2009
Photos of Washington DC: Day 1
Morning and happy MLK day. We just woke up. How about a day 1 on DC photo post to warm up? All of my photos are up on Flickr in the set, Washington DC Day 1.
Train Ticket
We left Greebelt Station at 3 pm or so. Although there were long lines to get a metro ticket, we only had to wait about 15 minutes and the station wasn’t too busy. Not to busy yet, that is.
Dancing to Jazz
We (Emon, Francisco, and I) got off the train at The National Archives. This was the first thing I saw: a couple dancing to jazz music. It’s nothing spectacular but cute, such was the mood that day.
Everyone was walking back from the concert at the Lincoln Memorial. The traffic and crowds were both dense. Button sales spiked.
We walked further into the city.
Flags were everywhere.
Washington Monument
A scene from the park.
White House
This is as close as you get. The road is blocked for the parade tomorrow. We got closer (with F’s lens).
White House
Interview outside the White House.
Outside the White House
Bleachers for the parade tomorrow.
Emon recharging iPhone at Au Bon Pan
Chinatown
Great Expectations.
Cold water. My face. I must wake up, blog about religion, and push onward. Before I go, we’re watching the local FOX News right now. They’re taking pictures and blogging on the show. It’s like watching an infomercial for social media. Terrible.
January 16th, 2009
Best Inauguration Links
Places to go in DC:
- The Brewmaster’s Castle
- Ben’s Chili Bowl (1213 U St., NW; 202-667-0909; benschilibowl.com) “has been around for 50 years and was the only neighborhood restaurant to stay open during the 1968 riots, which began a few blocks away. During inauguration week, expect long lines and jubilation, especially late at night—the best time to indulge in a chili half-smoke and cheese fries.The Lincoln Theatre is one of 14 stops on the Greater U Street Heritage Trail, a walking tour of historic sites. Other nearby spots on the trail include the African American Civil War Memorial and Howard University. You can download a map of the trail online at culturaltourismdc.org or ask for one at Ben’s. While in the neighborhood, look for the Duke Ellington mural (1200 U St., NW) by local artist G. Byron Peck and the new Barack Obama mural (2007 14th St., NW) by Shepard Fairey.”
- Old Post Office Pavillion: “Crummy shops and what not, but go down to the bottom level in the corner and the Park Service runs an elevator up to the top of the tower. Great photos of DC if it’s a clear day.”
- Frederick Douglas’ house in Anacostia: “The tour is great, and the view of the city is lovely. Especially appropriate for this weekend.”
- Presidential Inaugural Committee Announces Whistle Stop Train Tour Events (Saturday)
- We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration “NPR Broadcasts A Star-Studded Concert; President-Elect Obama Speaks Live Sunday: Listen to the concert here on Sunday, Jan. 18 at 2 p.m.
- The president, vice president and their families will participate in a prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral.
Museums:
- “Smithsonian Exhibits: Inaugural and Otherwise:” open at 10 a.m. Visitors to the Mall will be able to go into the Smithsonian museums throughout Inauguration Day. The museums close at 5:30 p.m.
- The original portrait of Mr. Obama used in his “Hope” poster will also be displayed at the National Portrait Gallery.
- “Presidents in Waiting” (On Inauguration Day, the National Portrait Gallery opens “Presidents in Waiting,” an exhibition that focuses on the office of the vice presidency and the individuals who first served in that office and then later became president. It continues through Jan. 3, 2010).
- National Museum of African Art. DJ Adrian Loving mixes African percussion and hip-hop. (Sun., Jan. 18, 2-4 p.m.)
- The National Archives (700 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; 202-357-5000; archives.gov) “has an inauguration exhibit January 12 through 25 that includes the first printed draft of the Constitution with George Washington’s handwritten notes. Elsewhere in the archives, you can see the original Bill of Rights, the Emancipation Proclamation, and more. On Inauguration Day, the swearing-in ceremony and parade will be shown live in the archives theater starting at 11:30 am. Seats are first come, first served.”
- The Spy Museum
- The Newseum
Restaurants, Bars, Shops:
- Local 16 for a hip hop-type scene
- Spanish food: Great tapas restaurant called La Tasca
- Full Kee Resaurant
- Georgetown Cupcake
It may not be much, but it’s a place to start. Is there anything to add? Tomorrow, I’m off to NYC and Saturday, we’re going to Washington DC. I have my iPhone handy and my Canon ready to go.
January 11th, 2009
Lastly: "Signs of Change" Collage
Pretty self-explanatory: a literal and symbolic interpretation of Obama’s slogans: “Change we can believe in” and “Yes We Can.” Black and white version also available. Click here to view.
January 11th, 2009
“Hands” Collage
"Hands" Collage
This is the first collage I did from the four or so magazines about Obama being man of the year, or our savior, or a post-racial, and/or post-civilizational president. Yup, I got all of them and, for the most part, didn’t read a word of them. Guilty. Turns out, I’m lucky because the images give you a good idea of the message and meaning behind the upcoming presidency. One of the things I noticed off the bat was the use of hands in the magazine photos. Holding babies and shaking hands when greeting a past enemy or rival are among common, always a little compelling images we see in the media of candidates during the campaign. The point I tried to put across, however, was that the uncommon shots really do point out how very effective it is to feature hands as a sign of political power.
January 10th, 2009
New Years’ Resolution and Photos from NYC
South Seaport in NYC (Flickr)
I spent New Years 2009 in NYC. Click here to see photos from my trip on flickr. I’ll be going back to NYC on my way to Washington DC for the Presidential Inauguration. This time, I’m bringing my Canon SLR. Plan on many more photos to come!
So, my new years resolution…
January 10th, 2009
Inauguration 2009
Travel Journal
It’s official. I’ll be going to the Presidential Inauguration in Washington DC. If you won’t be in DC, you can join the celebration online. Such is the democratization of web. I hope you’ll follow me here, too. I’ll be posting photos, writing about my plans (once I finally get it together and make them), and reflecting on the experience on Obnoxious Fellow.
Last time I was in DC was for the election. I spent the historic night with a group of bloggers and new media characters at NPR headquarters. I was very grateful for the opportunity and had a blast watching new and traditional media make history together in covering the “first election the Internet won.” Very cool.