#OccupyCongress
I swear I’m shooting more than just the Occupiers. Really. But the Occupy Movement has social, cultural and economic undertones (and overtones), whereas most of the paid work I shoot does not.
This past Tuesday, Occupiers from across the US gathered in DC for a protest against Congress. The crowd, though relatively small (maybe a thousand), still found ways to annoy the local authorities, remain in the news and enjoy a beautiful 50 degree day in mid-January. I tagged along as they “occupied” the Rayburn Congressional Building, marched through the streets (“Whose streets? Our streets!”), back to the Capitol and eventually found their way to the White House.
Capitol Police head toward the entrance of the Rayburn Congressional Building
Protestors occupy the entrance to the Rayburn Congressional Building.
An employee inside the Rayburn Congressional Building stops to take a photo with his cell phone of the Occupiers going through security.
Communication between DC Police, Capitol Police and building security was on full display throughout the day.
A protestor dressed as a Guantanamo detainee enters the office of Maryland Congressman Elijah E. Cummings.
“I’m just his assistant.”
Capitol Police, having taken back the balcony, watch over the protest taking place outside of the Rayburn Congressional Building.
With Capitol Police looking on, a young couple celebrate the moment.
Leaving Congress, Occupiers begin their march through the city, on “their streets.”
Guy Fawkes, one of many Fawkers at the rally, leads the crowd of a thousand down Independence Avenue during the height of evening rush hour. Some good old-fashioned rasta roko.
Employees inside the Federal Aviation Administration building look on as protestors march by and encourage their participation.
Protestors block the path of a rather unruly DC Police officer with an American flag. I hate to say he deserved it, but he deserved it. #Subjective
Protestors’ flags fly in front of the Capitol Building.
Guy.
With Capitol Police nearby, Guy observes the Occupiers at the Capitol Building as the protest pushes on into the twilight hours.
The Occupy Movement is comprised of people of all ages, races and religions. And contrary to popular belief, some of them have jobs.
Last stop, White House.
“Mic check!”
Cheers to the Secret Service and US Park Police, the DCPD, the Capitol Police and the protestors for an incident-free day. There were moments of tension, but that’s exactly what a protest is designed to cause. It’s supposed to be an annoyance — an interruption to normal day-to-day life — causing those who aren’t part of the protest to take notice of the grievances of the protestors. Occupy Congress took place the day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day and it was, appropriately, a peaceful demonstration.
Death of Bin Laden, DC Gathers at White House
I parked on the corner of 17th and New York, mine being the only car on the block. As I lit my cigarette I noticed a steady stream of college students from GW and Georgetown, draped in flags, sprinting through the empty streets. I hadn’t anticipated this, but I had timed it right. I weaved my way to the front gate. The “USA” chants were already resonating throughout Lafayette Square but at that point I could still raise my elbows. A hundred people, maybe two. Three hours later, in the dead of night, reds and whites and blues waved as far as my eye could see. Thousands. I found myself caught up in the moment, joining in on an emotional rendition of our National Anthem. I didn’t know anyone killed in the 9/11 attacks but they were Americans, like I am, with mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters, like I have. I’d like to believe that the joy we saw last night stemmed not so much from the death of an evil man but from the hope we all share that those families might now experience some kind of closure. It was quite a night.
Cherry Blossomish
I created this post about three weeks ago but never published it. No better day than today. 
I Can’t Work a 9 to 5…
This past weekend I shot Audi’s corporate party here in DC to celebrate the release of their new A8. As an objective observer, this carmaker does it right. The space was awesome, the food looked amazing, the cars outside made my eyes well-up and the evening’s entertainment was Wyclef Jean.
The man has serious talent. He brought people up on stage, joined the masses for a quick break-dance and the music throughout seemed to be exactly what his Audience wanted. (See what I did right there?)
(all images ©2011 David Phillipich – shot for MOSHE ZUSMAN PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO)
DC Thundersnow 2011
Last week we had some shitty weather here in capital city. Yeah, I said it. It gets compounded here in DC because traffic is so bad to begin with; many drivers are from other states and countries and the three plows we have take their time getting around.
I had some fun on facebook with my trip updates – here’s the first one trying to get out of Georgetown at 4:30.
Needless to say, it was an exercise in patience. Final tally was about 3 hours, 6.4 miles. Luckily I had my camera to keep me occupied on the streets and highways turned parking lots.
DCist Exposed Photography Show
So the third photo I took (Off Duty) with my new Mark II was selected to be in the 2011 DCist Exposed Photography Show. There were over 1,000 images submitted, so to be one of the 42 photographs selected is pretty cool. The exhibition will be on display at the LongView Gallery in Washington DC from March 15-27. This is the fifth anniversary of the Exposed Show and to accompany the exhibition, DCist will be putting out a special edition magazine with this year’s selections and those from the previous four years.
Should be neat.
Just Walkin’ About
CDIA had what is now known as a “Photo Walkabout” this past Saturday. Premise is simple: meet at the school, pick a random intersection somewhere in DC, go to said intersection and roam around a two block radius for a couple hours and see what happens. I like to refer to it as “walking until something’s interesting.” I found the following things interesting. Those who know me know I love black and white, which explains why these are in black and white. So without further ado, black and white interestingness.
Ginuwine Good Time
This past Saturday night I had the opportunity to work with Dannia Hakki of Moki Media once again to photograph a party at Eden, one of the hottest night spots in DC. The party was poppin’, the dance moves were crazy and they couldn’t even blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol. R&B star Ginuwine and his wife, hip hop artist Solé, hosted the event in honor of their daughter Cypress’ 16th birthday.
As you’ll see, they have a beautiful family and the event was a huge success. In lieu of gifts, Cypress asked the party-goers to make donations to the Somaly Mam Foundation, a nonprofit charity committed to ending modern day slavery and human trafficking in North America and around the world. The party raised over $2,000. In a time when sweet sixteen parties are ruined because the Escalade is the wrong color or the Gucci Couture Chanel Coach Prada handbag is the wrong size, Cypress asked that money be donated to help those less fortunate. Not that I count for anything, but I was very impressed. And they had cupcakes…so, you know…boom.
Paul Wharton, the local DC fashion guru and television personality stopped by too. It was a great night with fun people and Ginuwine even had a bit of a dance competition…Success!
All photos ©2011 David Phillipich
One Lounge, DC
I photographed the one year anniversary of One Lounge in Dupont Circle last week, thanks to a Jeff Hutchens recommendation. The owners; Niko Papademetriou, Seth McClelland, Filipp Zeldin and Daniel Kramerto were awesome to work with, as was Dannia Hakki of Moki Media, my PR contact for the evening. Alex Ovechkin and some of his Washington Capital teammates made an appearance and with some convincing, posed for a few photos with some adoring fans. I highly recommend One Lounge for drinks and word on the street is the tapas are delish. Check it out.
Personal Shots at a Professional Event
I’ve been shooting more events lately, which is basically, “Ok, looking right here” *flash* ”great, thank you…”
At a recent black tie, I was able to do a little “me” work while the guests were having dinner. They’re very particular about not poppin’ shots while they’re poppin’ skrimps. Then, they danced.
Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert Rally in DC
When I heard that Jon and Stephen were going to be in town I knew I had to be there. I’ve been a fan of both for many years, particularly the satire offered up by S.C. He plays the part of angered conservative cable TV talk show host perfectly and relentlessly, and proved it once again during their “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear,” held today on the National Mall. Only Stephen could interrupt the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens in the middle of performing his hippie ballad “Peace Train” in front of what was, according to Stewart, some 10 million people, all whilst sporting blue pants covered with white stars and a denim shirt with a black leather bomber jacket/accent piece. Call your kids, call your wife, because that’s amazing. Then again, Stewart interrupted Ozzy Osbourne mid-Crazy Train. You just can’t make this kind of stuff up, only they did.
It was essentially a glorified variety show, complete with continuous comedy and musical acts like John Legend and The Roots, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, Yusuf (the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens), Ozzy Osbourne, Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow and Tony Bennett. There were also a number of special guests that dropped by, perhaps highlighted by Kareem Abdul Jabbar and R2D2, examples proving that not all Muslims and robots are to be feared. And oh, the signs!
I got there early to meet my friend and fellow TA, John Pellett. Disgusted with our partially-blocked view despite being up front and on the rail, we set out to find a way into the hallowed “friends and family VIP side” of the stage. When all was apparently lost, a young lady meandered toward the two of us with a twinkle in her eye. Seconds later I was reaching over the railing, fingers stretched toward two “special guest” tickets. Bing. Bang. Bong.
Lauren and Aaron – An Iron City Classic
Finally, it’s here! Lauren and Aaron’s big and beautiful wedding in downtown Pittsburgh. I was fortunate enough to be a second shooter for Moshe Zusman again and this time we brought along a good friend and great photographer, Dawn Deeks. The wedding party was enormous, the venues were incredible, the food was delicious and the bride and groom, well…go ahead and see for yourself.
(I had an awesome time!)
Kaitlyn and Joshua’s Wedding
Had the opportunity to be a second shooter for Moshe Zusman this past Friday for Kaitlyn and Joshua’s wedding at Foundry United Methodist Church in downtown DC. The wedding party, fourteen rockers strong, were a pleasure to work with and be around. We followed their coach bus around town (enjoying the wonder that is air conditioned seats), making stops at Union Station and National Mall. The reception took place at Sequoia on the Georgetown waterfront, where the party roared on late into the evening. It was a perfect day. Congratulations to the newlyweds!
Twas a Nice Day for a CDIA Wedding
Promise kept. Wedding shots!
The images below are just a small sampling from what was a crazy fun day. The mock wedding at CDIA is an all day event that includes getting ready, a pretend ceremony at a church, lunch, strolls through Georgetown and a reception complete with introductions, wedding cake and dance music. (I provide the jams. My DJ skills will one day rival my friend, Drew Gulan, and I will then challenge him to a spin off. My scribble-scratch backspin loop makes all the girls go “haaayyyy.”)
Planning in Minnesota? Book Drew for your wedding at www.midwestsound.com
*Reminder* – click on any image to see it full size.
Kite Festival
A while back, the Smithsonian held their 44th annual Kite Festival on the mall. I was there early, before most of the kite runners…but not all.
International Pillow Fight DC – 2010
Sometimes you just have to bash a stranger in the face.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
DC in the Morning
I hate going to sleep.
Every now and then (think weekends) the restlessness in me wins and I’ll hop out of bed, shower up, get dressed and be downtown by 5:00 a.m. It’s a terribly interesting time to be awake in our Nation’s Capital; bums and joggers share sidewalks in the darkness, pooches pop their morning squats and other up-until-dawn devotees stroll up and down empty streets. And I dig it. It’s quiet, which is probably why I enjoy it so much. The tourists are still tucked under their hotel sheets, dreaming about whether to spend the day at the Air & Space Museum or take a chance on the Newseum (pick the latter). The Tourmobile and Circulator busses waiting to pick up those tourists are idling quietly in their respective garages. You can hear birds.
