Airplanes
Plane and Streetlight (March 5th, 2022)
A picture of a passing airplane I took while at Long Bridge Park in Arlington, VA. The park is located across the way from Reagan National Airport, so I often get the chance of seeing airplanes landing on the runway adjacent to the park. I appreciate the feeling of calm serenity that emits from this photo.
Into the Blue (Dec 28, 2022)
Close up photo of an American Airlines plane preparing to land at Reagan National Airport in Arlington, VA. This was taken at Gravely Point Park which is directly next to one of the airport's runways, thus allowing for closeup photo moments like this. I am particularly fond of the stark contrast between the blue afternoon sky and the yellowish white of the airplane. In fact, I am currently producing a drawing based on this image so that I can practice drawing vehicles.
Trains/Railroading
Landscape and Environment #2 (Fall 2021)
This image was part of my "Landscape and Environment" photo project for my Digital Photography class at George Mason University (Fall 2021). This image was taken along the walking path at Long Bridge Park in Crystal City, VA. I appreciate how I was able to capture a dynamic, slithering motion in the composition. This can be seen in both the overhead lights to the left and the Virginia Rail Express train and tracks on the right.
Landscape and Environment #8 (Fall 2021)
Another addition to my "Landscape and Environment" photo project for my Digital Photography class at George Mason University (Fall 2021). This image is of the caboose that resides at Bluemont Park in Arlington, VA (a railroad used to pass through the area long ago). I believe the way the sunset shines on the car gives it a fresh and vibrant appearance despite its apparent age.
N&W #611 at Manassas, VA (2016)
I took this photo while attending a rail excursion in Manassas, VA, on June 5, 2016. The locomotive in the picture is Norfolk & Western J Class #611 (owned by the Virginia Museum of Transportation) which had pulled an excursion between Manassas and Front Royal, VA, earlier in the day.
VRE #53 at Manassas, VA (2016)
This was another photo I took while in Manassas, VA. The locomotive in the picture is Virginia Rail Express #53 arriving at the Manassas train station just a few feet away from me.
Digital Photography Final Portfolio (Fall 2023)
For my Digital Photography class's final project, we were given a list of prompt words and were told to take photos that related to the words we chose. I chose to represent each word I chose for my photo prompt using toys I staged in assorted compositions.
#1 Of Nature
#2 To Hang
#3 To Scatter
#4 Of Reflection
#5 To Pair
#6 To Bend
#7 To Repair
#8 To Mark
#9 To Lift
#10 To Crumple
#11 To Tie
#12 To Wrap
#13 To Roll
#14 To Open
#15 To Spread
#16 To Split
#17 Of Time
#18 To Surround
#19 To Collect
#20 To Tear
Project 4B (Fall 2021)
This was an exercise we did for my Digital Photography class at GMU (Fall 2021). Here we were told to use Adobe Photoshop to create a series of five dreamlike compositions using photos we took on our own. My project features more random dream compositions I had developed while working, though at least two of them (#1, #3 and #5) are more directly related to a certain theme. For #1, I themed it to the ideas of life and death and composed it to represent two separate paths: one serving as the path to life (represented by the angel statue) and the other serving as the path to death (represented by the skulls and tank). For #3, I themed it around the Star Wars franchise and included various merchandise I already owned. As for #5, I chose to base it around trains and even included some of the models I owned into it.
Project 4B #1
Project 4B #2
Project 4B #3
Project 4B #4
Project 4B #5
Photo-Cubism (Fall 2021)
This was an exercise we did for my Digital Photography class at GMU (Fall 2021). We were assigned to create a "photo-cubism" image by taking multiple photos of a single location from different angles and then editing them together into a single composition. My project is based on photos I took at Benjamin Banneker Park in Arlington, VA. I then edited the photos in Adobe Photoshop to create a more or less unified landscape and also included a blue background to match the scene.
Boba and the Beanstalk (Fall 2021)
This was another photo project for my Digital Photography class at GMU (Fall 2021). Here I was tasked with telling a narrative using a series of 15 photos. For my story, I chose to retell the classic fairy tale of "Jack and the Beanstalk" using some of my old toys. As you can tell by the title of this project, I chose to have my Boba Fett action figure star in this series as a stand in for Jack. As for the rest of the characters, Boba's father is played by my Darth Vader figure, the old man who gives the magic beans to Boba is played by Obi Wan Kenobi, and the giant is played by my younger sister, Bridget. Most of the photos were shot around my house and yard.
#1 Boba is sent to sell the cow
#2 Boba sets off
#3 Boba trades his cow for magic beans
#4 Boba is punished for bringing back magic beans
#5 Boba wakes up after a long rest
#6 Boba beholds the beanstalk
#7 Boba climbs the beanstalk
#8 Boba finds the Giant's castle
#9 Boba enters the castle
#10 Boba finds treasure
#11 Boba is captured by the Giant
#12 Boba flees the Giant
#13 Boba exits the castle
#14 Boba chops down the beanstalk
#15 Boba defeats the Giant
Landscape and Environment (Fall 2021)
This was another photo project for my Digital Photography class (Fall 2021). Here, I was tasked with capturing photos of different landscapes and environments. I based my series of photos around different locations around my hometown, along with a few other places I tend to visit. Also note that photos #2 and #8 can be found in the "Trains" subsection also located on this page. I go more in depth regarding what I was thinking when taking these photos. The same goes for photos #10 and #12 which can be found in the "Nature" subsection of this page.
L&E #1 My Neighborhood
L&E #2 Train at Long Bridge Park
L&E #3 Subway
L&E #4 Tennis Courts at Madison Manor Park
L&E #5 Lecture Hall at GMU
L&E #6 Parking Garage at GMU
L&E #7 My Backyard
L&E #8 Caboose at Bluemont Park
L&E #9 Williamsburg Shopping Center
L&E #10 Oakwood Cemetery
L&E #11 Bike Trail at Isaac Crossman Park
L&E #12 Bike Trail at East Falls Church
L&E #13 East Falls Church Metro
L&E #14 Victory Comics
L&E #15 St. James Catholic Church
Nature
Into the Sunset (July 13, 2023)
This picture was taken at La Jolla Cove in San Diego, California, while I was on vacation. It was a perfectly clear evening that day, and I couldn't help but try to take a picture of the sun as it set across the Pacific Ocean's horizon. I enjoy the symmetry I achieved with this picture in how the sun is positioned towards the center of the composition, almost perfectly balanced out by both the ocean and the rocky shore below it. The orange haze that surrounds the horizon also helps with this illusion.
Phone Hunt #20 (Fall 2021)
This photo was a personal addition to my Phone Hunt assignment for my Digital Photography class at George Mason University (Fall 2021). The subject is a closeup of a mushroom I found on the rocky side of a hill while on one of my walks. Despite its small size in reality, I appreciate how the image makes the mushroom look much larger than it actually is. I also appreciate how well it shows the divide between darkness and light. Whereas the top of the image is shrouded in darkness thanks to the incline of the hill, the bottom of the image (along with the mushroom itself), is filled with light thanks to the position of the sun above.
Landscape and Environment #10 (Fall 2021)
This picture was taken as part of my Landscape and Environment series for my Digital Photography class at George Mason University (Fall 2021). The location shown is Oakwood Cemetery in Falls Church, VA. I was hoping to capture the rolling direction of the gravestones as they lined the hilltop. This, as a result, gives the overall photograph more visual flow and motion. I also appreciate how this image almost perfectly divides the composition between the blue sky above and the green grass below.
Landscape and Environment #12 (Fall 2021)
This picture was yet another addition to my "Landscape and Environment" series for my Digital Photography class at George Mason University (Fall 2021). This time, I focused my camera at a small corridor of the W&OD bike trail that exists between the power station (on the left) and the highway (on the right) near the East Falls Church Metro Station in Falls Church, VA. I have always been a fan of capturing unique spaces such as these, hence its inclusion in the portfolio. Aside from the shadow cast by the power station wall, I believe this exhibits a near perfect balance of visual symmetry and near-endless depth.
