WINTER IS OVER

Finally. Washington DC really is a phenomenal place to live. Just not during winter.

I think winter is like a houseguest. Having someone stay over at your place is fun for the first few days, maybe even the first week. It's new and different and they are on their best behavior. But then a week turns into two. And two turns into ten. And they start leaving their dirty laundry on your sofa. And you wish they would just go home. After the first cold, windy, snowy week, after I take a few pretty photos and shovel my driveway, after the snowman is set up in the front yard, and after I have one good 4-wheel drive adventure on unplowed roads I wish winter would just go home.

Today is the first day of spring. But I have been celebrating it's arrival for the last several days. A 32-mile bike ride to Great Falls, a couple good runs, some pickup soccer, and my sunroof open every time I hop in the car have been among the recent festivities. Last night I grabbed my camera, left my jacket, and sat near the Lincoln Memorial to grab a few shots of the official end of winter. Buh-Bye.

PRAGUE ON MY BLOG

This spring I'm taking a trip to see my sister while she's studying in Berlin. Since she'll have been there for quite a while by the time I get there I think she'll have plenty of ideas of things to do and places to see. We are also planning to travel to Prague, where neither of us have ever been before. Has anyone been there? What are the must-see places? Where to stay? Where to eat? I'm sure that I'll be lugging some camera gear with me too—any good photo spots? And how the heck do you pronounce Czech words? I think their letters make different sounds than ours. Comments appreciated—I need to start planning!

YOU & ME & HIM

Last month I moved into a house with enough space to set up a small studio for portraits. Unfortunately, I don't always have models hanging around when I want to try out some new lighting techniques. So what do I do? I adopt the Dave Matthews philosophy and "make the best of what's around"—meaning I jump in front of the camera. Usually I end up looking like a deer caught in the headlights. But every once in a while I end up looking halfway normal. I'll let you decide on this one.



If you are reading this, you have probably seen my new website. But just in case you haven't, make sure to visit www.nicholasdonner.com. I'm really really happy with how it turned out and stoked about how easy it is to maintain. Props to Photobiz.com for taking care of all the technical stuff for me so I can focus on my art.

ON TAP - MARCH 2010

Everything you wanted to know about what's happening in DC for St. Patrick's day is in this puppy. Just hit the streets a few days ago. Grab a copy while you can!

I'm really looking forward to kicking off the holiday with Shamrockfest next weekend. The Roots, Train, Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers, and Scythian, among others. I don't know how The Roots make it into an Irish festival but hey who cares? Their show at 930 Club a few months ago was one of the most awesome live shows I've seen all year. I can't even imagine how great their show will be when you add in a few glasses of green beer.

BEFORE PHOTO

I completely forgot to post "before" photos of the furniture. The reason I am so proud of this project is because it started with near junk. Check this out: