The President came to town today. Wouldn't you know, but a business owner in Tipp City wrote to the White House inviting Dubya to give a speech at Tipp High School, and damn if he didn't accept. So I've been hearing that protest groups were going to stage demonstrations. As a fledgling photojournalist I decide to head on over, camera in hand, and see what I could see, maybe to get some nice dramatic photos of protesters. I didn't use the digital, just film.
Well, for starters, the protest gaggle had it all wrong and they were positioned at the wrong damned exit on I-75. So I hung around, watched Air Force One fly overhead and into Dayton International, schmoozed with the local newspaper photographers, and waited for the procession.
Now, I have to admit that the Airman in me still feels a little nationalistic and/or patriotic pride, but the political hippie in me is furious, and I was feeling a little awkwardly stretched.
So there I was mere yards away from a man so powerful that his decisions effect the lives of every man, woman, and child on the planet. As the caravan of a myriad flashing lights, vans full of the MiB's, and distinctly sinister black limousines approached, I couldn't help but quietly hum to myself with an amused smirk the Darth Vader theme.
As for the protesters, I drove over to the exit they were at afterward, and all that was left of the gaggle were three middle aged women chatting amongst themselves nonchalantly holding poster boards upon which they made their points with thin markers, and I couldn't read what they said.
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The flag in our town square, as is yours I imagine (except for our Canadian friends), is flying at half mast for the Virginia Tech shootings. The adjacent fountain cycles through different colors after dark. I wanted to capture a shutter-blurred photo of the flag waving at half mast with the fountain glowing red, but I dunno. Here's what I got:
I'm just not feeling it. Starting to think this was a lame idea to begin with, no matter what angle I may try. What do you think?
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Right off the exit where Bush came off, there's a gi-huge-ous flag next to the highway. You've no idea how much I would have loved to have gotten a shot of the presidential entourage passing with the massive half-mast flag in the background, but the proper spot for that angle was cordoned off. Oh well. I can see it in my head, and it's a great image.
Well, for starters, the protest gaggle had it all wrong and they were positioned at the wrong damned exit on I-75. So I hung around, watched Air Force One fly overhead and into Dayton International, schmoozed with the local newspaper photographers, and waited for the procession.
Now, I have to admit that the Airman in me still feels a little nationalistic and/or patriotic pride, but the political hippie in me is furious, and I was feeling a little awkwardly stretched.
So there I was mere yards away from a man so powerful that his decisions effect the lives of every man, woman, and child on the planet. As the caravan of a myriad flashing lights, vans full of the MiB's, and distinctly sinister black limousines approached, I couldn't help but quietly hum to myself with an amused smirk the Darth Vader theme.
As for the protesters, I drove over to the exit they were at afterward, and all that was left of the gaggle were three middle aged women chatting amongst themselves nonchalantly holding poster boards upon which they made their points with thin markers, and I couldn't read what they said.
---
The flag in our town square, as is yours I imagine (except for our Canadian friends), is flying at half mast for the Virginia Tech shootings. The adjacent fountain cycles through different colors after dark. I wanted to capture a shutter-blurred photo of the flag waving at half mast with the fountain glowing red, but I dunno. Here's what I got:
I'm just not feeling it. Starting to think this was a lame idea to begin with, no matter what angle I may try. What do you think?
---
Right off the exit where Bush came off, there's a gi-huge-ous flag next to the highway. You've no idea how much I would have loved to have gotten a shot of the presidential entourage passing with the massive half-mast flag in the background, but the proper spot for that angle was cordoned off. Oh well. I can see it in my head, and it's a great image.
posted by Grover at 4/19/2007 08:43:00 PM
1 Comments:
I like the picture, Grover. However, I think it would be better if the flag was a little more in focus... not so blurry.
So, you didn't hear what our commander in chief had to say?
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