The Wharf at D.C.
Original Description
For this gallery, I decided to visit the Wharf in D.C., partly because it felt similar to home, and partly because it was so different from it. I grew up by the Jersey Shore, and love the environment of boardwalks and wharfs, since they remind me of being at home by the ocean. The D.C. Wharf, however, is very different from what I grew up with, and that's what drew me to this location. Originally founded by Native Americans who fished along the river, the Wharf has recently become subject to new urban development projects, meant to bring residents and visitors closer to the D.C. community.
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My goal with this series was to capture the essence of the Wharf by documenting all it has to offer. I wanted to give viewers a taste of what visiting it is like. My photos of the docks, the kayaks, the activities, the restaurants, the storefronts, and the streets all try to recreate the fun, modern, and upbeat community. I think I did this most successfully with my images of Pearl Street, the boats along the dock, and the view of D.C. through the spokes of a bike wheel. All three incorporate leading lines within them: Pearl Street's lights zig-zag across the top of the image, leading your eyes down the street as if you're walking it yourself, the radial symmetry of the bike wheels allows one to take in the entire image, and the boats are so perfectly aligned with the dock that your eye follows it throughout the entire piece. I like the bike one specifically because of the vibrant red in the last third of image — it provides such a nice contrast with the green leaves, and adds a pop of color to the entire gallery. I love the way the boats and the boardwalk work together in the other photo to lead you through the piece, and feel as if it extends beyond the frame (which, of course, it does). The river itself forms a pathway between the walkway and the boats as a result of how the entire image is aligned. I think these three photos capture three of the best elements of the wharf: the waterfront, the brick storefronts, and the bright colors, designs, and atmosphere.
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Final Description
For my second trip to the Wharf, I actually switched up what I wanted to focus on. I found in my first draft that my most successful images were the ones that looked at the small yet vibrant or intriguing details of the Wharf, so that's what I set out to do with my revisions. Above, you can see the final ten-image gallery. Cutting out images was certainly difficult, but I found that these ten fit my desired theme the best.
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I decided to capture the fun, modern, and colorful energy of the Wharf by focusing on the small details that make the big picture. Rather than take scenic pictures of the river, I wanted to try and convey the essence of the place through the smaller moments that are just as vital. The colors and shapes in each image help contribute to this. There was a lot of red and yellow scattered around the Wharf, and, as primary colors traditionally seen in toys and games for kids, I thought taking pictures of those would help convey that sense of fun. Next to the bright colors, I wanted to include some exciting, geometric figures that were also prevalent through the wooden slabs of the dock and the angular sides of the buildings. That's what inspired the many linear images.
Each image leads into the next one in some way. The first photo depicts a car facing towards the left, implying that it will drive off to lead viewers to the next image. The next image, the Boathouse, has the same geometric pattern of the bricks, and the green from the plants leads to the next image, which features a green chair. The grid-like lines of the chair are meant to correlate to the next image, featuring a reflection with similarly grid-like lines, this time forming diagonals. The diagonal lines are then prevalent in the next image, of the criss-crossing lights along Pearl Street, and again in the next image of the fire pit. Because the lines of the fire pit are also radial, the next image is the wheel of a bike, as it also has the same radial patterning. After that, the images are related by color, as they all feature reds and yellows (with the occasional pop of blue).
Overall, my experience at the Wharf was very modern and upbeat. It was a place built and designed for entertainment. I wanted to capture this fun and modern spirit by photographing the vibrant and geometric details of the Wharf. To me, this place was different from any other place I'd been in D.C., simply because it was so new and stylish. Most other places you visit have reminders of living in the US Capitol, whether it be through statues or government buildings, but the Wharf was solely designed with entertainment in mind. The bikes going by, the boats rocking on the water, the swings along the dock, and the many restaurants all contributed to this. But rather than take panoramas of these views, I wanted to get in closer, and show the details that go into making this place so bright and lively. I hope that I was managed to convey the essence of this place through my gallery, and that viewers enjoy perusing it.