Siblings

Posted by Richard Harrison on 05/12/2013

They’re grown now. Gone their separate ways. Pursuing their lives in accord with the values and visions they developed over the years. Their paths cross from time to time. Holidays. Weddings. And at some point births – and funerals.

Charles and AnnaSummer Circa 1989

I had no idea the day made this photograph where it might go. What it might ultimately mean to me. How incredibly precious a piece of history it would come to represent. The truth is were it not for this photograph I would probably have no memory of the events of that day at all. As it is I can only vaguely recall our activities: Visiting the Tidal Pool at the Jefferson Memorial just off the National Mall in Washington, DC. A spring day and from the looks of it shortly after the cherry blossoms had disappeared. I always enjoyed making photographs of the kids. Most parents do.

It’s more difficult now. These days more often than not we’re simply sharing our lives through photographs we post to various social media sites or swap by text and email. Charles, entertaining us with images from his latest trek with Green Tortoise and Anna most recently with the daily growth spurts of Ben the Mutt who joined her and Massie in Austin a few weeks back. We’re now observers of one another’s lives rather than daily participants.

It takes a while to adjust to that. Sometimes I wish we lived in a smaller country.

Eastern Sierra – 2013

Reston – 2011

MCM 2013

Posted by Richard Harrison on 27/10/2013

Had the opportunity Sunday to attend the 38th running of the Marine Corps Marathon and watch my son Charles and his partner Margy finish the course. I had lived in the Washington, DC area for most of my life and was here when this started in 1976 but this is the first time I’ve ever gone done to the river front and the Mall to watch it being run.

The first few years this “Peoples’ Marathon” was not heavily subscribed but that’s changed over time. Early on its runners numbered in the hundreds; today there were more than 30,000 registered and traversing the route that runs through a section of Arlington, across the Potomac and into Rock Creek Park, past the Lincoln Memorial and down the Mall before turning south back across the river to Crystal City and then back north past the Pentagon and finishing near Roslyn in the shadow of the Marine Corps Iwo Jima Memorial. A mostly flat topography but 26.2 miles is still 26.2 miles.

The weather was incredible. Started out a bit chilly and overcast but the sun was soon shining and the temps rising into the mid 50’s. And no wind – a boon to runners and spectators alike.

I have to admit I shot about 600 images but in events of this type it’s difficult to get by on single takes of anything. For your viewing pleasure I paired the lot down to manageable volume. You can click-through on the images above or just click here.

Memorial Day

Posted by Richard Harrison on 26/05/2013

I’m in California this Memorial Day (spoken as an Easterner) and I’m certain there are hundreds if not thousands of image possibilities nearby that would be appropriate for posting on this holiday but I’m stuck inside getting ready for the next week’s trip to Mono Lake for my continuing volunteer training. So, I dug into my archive and came up with these shots.

They were taken in June 2012; not on Memorial Day but close. I was downtown to attend a Summer Solstice ceremony being put on by the local Lithuanian Community, within which I have several friends.

I tried to take advantage of the early evening sun and then decided to stay on and attempt a few night shots of the WWII Memorial. To my eye it’s much more attractive at night than during the day. The shadows lend to the ethereal air. You can judge for yourself.

Click the photo to go to the portfolio containing all the photographs.