The Ghosts of President's Park

In March 2004, President's Park opened in Williamsburg, VA. The ten-acre park displayed large bust sculptures of all forty-three presidents in chronological order. The park also included a replica of the Oval Office and a souvenir shop. Prior to the opening, I can remember when the statues were stored behind some trees on Route 199. I remember seeing the huge heads and asking myself, “What in the world are those and where are they going?”

Eventually the statues were moved to the nearby site and President’s Park opened as one of the many historical institutions in Williamsburg. The museum was composed of both an indoor and an outdoor facility. Inside there was a small theater, a replica of the Oval Office, and a gift shop. Outside, there was a winding path that guided you through the presidential sculptures as well as other displays of historical information.

I believe that I visited the museum four or five times. I enjoyed the historical standpoint of the park, but I always felt that there was something missing from the site. Maybe the museum needed more presidential artifacts or more presidential inspired movies. Or even a replica of Marine One or a presidential limo. All in all, it was a pretty cool concept at first, but the park lost its luster as the years went by. There became fewer visitors, but neither the artifacts nor the sculptures changed. I remember that when there was talk of adding the Barack Obama sculpture, the museum was already in a financial crisis due to the lack of visitors.

On September 30, 2010, the park closed due to financial issues. The site remained dormant for some time. Eventually the land was auctioned off in 2012, and the statues were moved to a farm in Croaker, VA.

As of now there is talk of reopening a similar venue, but with more attractions that would detail the daily duties of the President of the United States as well as other similar points of interest. Unfortunately, several of the current sculptures cannot be used due to the damage that was sustained when the busts were moved from the park to the farm.

The deterioration of those monumental busts is unfortunate, but even on a cold winter’s day, one can still observe the majesty of the sculptures with pure delight.

Elon Phoenix at William & Mary Tribe

The following pictures were taken at the CAA baseball game between the Elon Phoenix and the William & Mary Tribe in Williamsburg, VA. The game was close until the Tribe's Cullen Large's hit toward second base was mishandled, which allowed Josh Smith to score the game-winning run. The Tribe won 4-3.

Williamsburg in the Winter

The following pictures were taken at Colonial Williamsburg and the College of William & Mary. Enjoy.

Bruton Parish Church

The Wren Building

The Capitol

The Wren Building

The Governor's Palace

The Magazine

Autumn in Hampton Roads

These are various pictures taken around Hampton Roads during the autumn season. The locations pictured include Sandy Bottom Nature Park in Hampton, VA, Oak Grove Lake Park in Chesapeake, VA, and the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA. Enjoy.

Hampton Roads Independence Day Fireworks

Independence Day is a time for vacations, food, fun, and fireworks! Like most Americans I prefer the first three before the latter, but firework shows can provide any photographer with a great series of captures. Unfortunately, shooting fireworks can be a little tricky, especially for someone who has little to no experience doing so. But why is something so fun so difficult to capture? Below I have posted a few pictures of local firework shows and some tips to help you when shooting fireworks. Enjoy!

Tips for Shooting Fireworks:

Survey the location and frame your photo prior to the show: There is absolutely nothing wrong with an isolated picture of the fireworks, but you can add more flare to your photographs with the surrounding scenery. Try to locate the setup prior the show and frame your shot around the fireworks. Focus on a fixed focal point and use a small aperture (between f/8 and f/16) to increase your depth of field.
Be careful of your surroundings: You do not want to shoot in a place where anything might obstruct your view, nor do you want to obstruct anyone else’s view. Shooting at a higher point can be a great advantage when photographing fireworks.
Use a tripod: It is almost impossible to properly shoot fireworks without a tripod due to the long shutter speeds needed.
Shoot in a low ISO: Shooting at a low ISO will allow you the necessary time to shoot fireworks and decrease any grain (noise) in your photo.
If possible, use a shutter release remote to decrease the chances of camera shake. If you do not have a shutter release remote, you can also use the timer on the camera to prevent/decrease the chances of camera shake.
Once you have framed your photo, turn off the auto focus (as well as the image stabilization or IS) on the lens. This will prevent the camera from searching for new focal points between shots and waist critical time between fireworks.
There are two ways to shoot the firework explosion:
- The first method is to use the bulb mode on your camera. The bulb mode allows you to keep the shutter open for as long as you hold down the shutter button (or button on the cable remote). Ideally you want to use a remote when using this method to decrease any chances of camera shake. Understand that timing is the key! You should anticipate the explosion of the firework and open the shutter (by pressing the button) right before the explosion, keeping the shutter open until the firework is finished exploding. Do not keep the shutter open for too long! Fireworks are a good source of lights and a long shutter speed can over expose the fireworks, washing out the colors of the explosions.
- The second method is to use the manual mode on your camera. From past experiences I have noticed that the best settings are somewhere between f/8-f/16 and between five to seven seconds. I usually start with f/8 and five seconds and make any necessary adjustments between explosions. You should not use the aperture or shutter priority modes. Shooting in aperture priority mode can mislead the camera to use a shutter speed that is too long. Shooting in shutter priority mode can mislead the camera and change your depth of field.