Today Susan Ford Bales, daughter of President Ford, swings a mighty champagne bottle to christen the aircraft carrier named after her dad, the USS Gerald R. Ford, in Newport News, VA this morning.
Susan Ford Bales swings the champagne bottle
Susan Ford Bales connects with the bow of the USS Gerald R. Ford as she christens it today.
Yesterday I took a look at the Navy’s latest and mightiest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford. President Ford served heroically on a carrier in the Pacific during World War II, and this newsiest ship in the fleet is named after him. Susan Ford Bales, the president’s daughter in sponsor of the ship, and will dedicate it today during a ceremony at the Newport News shipyard. I’ll be there, and will post photos of the event!
The USS Gerald R. Ford Ready for Dedication, Newport News
A bust of Vice President Ford in the U.S. Senate hallway
Yesterday I started out the morning with a visit to the U.S. Capitol. I was thinking about my trip to Newport News, VA for the dedication of America’s latest and greatest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, named after my late boss and friend. President Ford always considered himself, “A man of the House.” He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1948, and served until 1973 when he became Vice President of the United States, appointed to fill the office of Spiro Agnew who resigned in disgrace. I photographed a bust of him in the hallway near the senate chambers. All vice presidents serve as president of the senate, where they can only vote to break a tie. They are all represented with their likeness displayed in the halls of the senate.
The U.S. Capitol in the morning light.
Washington, D.C. Here’s a look at the Washington Monument from the National WWII Memorial tonight using the iPhone 5s with three different lenses and “films” with the Hipstamatic App, and one with the Pro HDR app. All taken within four minutes of each other
Monument, Hipsta App, Tinto 1884 lens, Ina’s 1982 film
Monument, Hipsta App, Lowy lens, Uchitel 20 film
Hipstamatic App, Lowy lens, Ina’s 1982 film
Monument, Pro HDR app
This is my second trip to Washington, D.C. from Los Angeles in a week. I never get tired of crossing over and looking down at the Rockies. Today was no different. I don’t know how many times I’ve flown over this particular patch, and it always looks different. After I arrived at Dulles Airport I raced over to the National Air & Space Museum in Chantilly, VA, and was treated to one helluva sunset. It was my first time there, and it’s worth the trip just to see the Space Shuttle Discovery and the SR-71 Blackbird housed inside. Tomorrow I attend the annual dinner of the International Center for Journalists, and then down to Newport News for the christening of the USS Gerald R. Ford, our latest aircraft carrier that’s in a class of its own, (as was its namesake).
SR-71 Blackbird at the Nat’l. Air & Space Museum
The Eastern Rockies
Air & Space Bldg., Chantilly, VA
I love working with talented people, and the actor William Macy is one of the best. I was on the set of Showtime’s “Shameless” tonight at Warner Bros as the guest of director David Nutter and executive producer of the show Michael Hissrich. My son Jack is the reason I ventured over to Burbank to observe the production, he is interested in a film career, and was invited by David Nutter to watch him in action. Macy plays Frank Gallagher, a guy with a major drinking problem, and there’s no question that he isn’t a drunk, but plays one on TV! He kindly posed for a few portraits, and then also insisted that he and Jack have a shot, er picture together!
Bill Macy and Jack Kennerly on the set of “Shameless”
Actor William Macy on the bar set of “Shameless”
I never run out of things to see in my neighborhood here in Santa Monica. My youngest son Jack displayed a painting he finished today of composer Jean Sibelius, based on a Yousef Karsh portrait taken in 1949. This made for a good black and blue moment!
Jack Kennerly and his painting of composer Jean Sibelius today
And just up the street my friend Bill Shaffer had a 1956 Daimler Roadster parked in front of his place. What a classic, also keeping up with the blue theme.
’56 Daimler Roadster
In our backyard birdbath, a fine little Townsend’s Warbler showed up for a dip.
Townsend’s Warbler
I joined official presidential photographers David Valdez (Bush 41), Sharon Farmer (Clinton), and Eric Draper tonight at the National Archives for a panel moderated by former Clinton press secretary Dee Dee Myers. It was a great evening before a sold out crowd, and I think Sharon should run for mayor of DC, she is the best ambassador this city has ever seen! We will always miss our departed colleagues Yoichi Okamoto (Johnson), Ollie Atkins (Nixon) and Mike Evans (Reagan).
Presidential photographers Sharon Farmer and Eric Draper and moderator Dee Dee Myers at the National Archives.
This morning in Malibu I took a picture of a surfer standing on his board backlit by the rising sun. The first shot is how it looked before I lowered the levels in Photoshop. There is no manipulation outside of dropping the exposure level, and what a difference. It looks like one of those A-bomb test on the Bikini Atoll. The photos were taken on the iPhone5s using Hipstamatic App, Tinto 1880 lens, and Big Up film.
This is the RAW file:
Raw file of surfer in Malibu before Photoshopping
After using curves to decrease exposure:
Malibu Lagoon pic after photoshopping only using levels to drop exposure
My trip earlier this week produced a few photos that I found on when I went back through them. It’s always a good idea to take a second look at your takes. I took this as the sun rose in the east over spectacular clouds.
Flying out of LAX Oct. 26th
Here’s the engine from my window in the early morning light
Jet engine in the early morning light
Flying over America produces good photos–I always try to sit by the window not over a wing
Formation in the desert on the way to Denver
