David Hume Kennerly

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).

 

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!

 

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!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

In our backyard birdbath, a fine little Townsend’s Warbler showed up for a dip.

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:

After using curves to decrease 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.

Here’s the engine from my window in the early morning light

Flying over America produces good photos–I always try to sit by the window not over a wing

Like most of us who travel regularly for our jobs, I only get a few hours in any one place. The last couple of days are no exception. I’ve been in Wyoming since day before yesterday, and of course had to satisfy my picture-a-day project that I’m shooting on the iPhone. My first stop was Yellowstone, which was a left turn out of the Jackson Hole airport, and a couple of hours to Old Faithful and some other wonderful sights. Yesterday I was shooting a job most of the day, so I got up before sunrise, and headed over near Moose, WY for a quick glance at the Grand Tetons. First light is one of the best times to shoot, so I made the most of it!

View of the Grand Tetons, early morning just after sunrise.

During my shoot yesterday, I spotted a young Moose peeking into someone’s window. You never know what you’re going to see, so always have your camera ready. This one was made with my Canon 5D Mark II with a short 70-200mm lens.

I was in Yellowstone National Park today, and a ranger told me, (jokingly), that Old Faithful kept erupting during the government shutdown, even though nobody was around to see it. I’m glad something in this country is working without a pause for politics!

Saw Alfonso Cuaron’s brilliant film Gravity last night at the AMC theatre in Century City. It’s Das Boot in outer space. Visually stunning, push-you-back-in-your-seat drama. For those who have a bad case of the plausibles, this isn’t for you, but as off the wall incredible entertainment, you have to see this. As a reporter asked the director, “how was it to film in outer space?” It definitely looks like it was shot there.