I was originally going to break the story into three parts, but realized it lent itself well to four parts: the preparations, the ceremony, the transition to the reception, and the reception. Since these were the online versions, I tried to keep them focused on the highlights and humor of the day. Once again, congratulations to Lindsey and TJ!

Space shuttles Enterprise (left) and Discovery on display during a ceremony to transfer ownership of Discovery to the Smithsonian's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on April 19, 2012. The Discovery takes the place of the Enterprise at the museum. The Enterprise never flew in space. The Discovery was not cleaned after its final mission to space.

On Tuesday, the space shuttle Discovery was flown to Dulles-International Airport for transfer to the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Today, the shuttle was finally put in its new home. The Smithsonian and NASA had a ceremony in which NASA transferred ownership of Discovery to the Smithsonian. Discovery took the place of the shuttle Enterprise in the Smithsonian’s collection. It was very interesting seeing the two shuttles nose-to-nose. Enterprise never flew into space and was mostly used for landing tests. On the other hand, Discovery flew 39 missions and logged 365 days in space. I’m actually glad the Smithsonian plans to keep Discovery in its current shape, instead of making it spotless. I think this decision lets Discovery’s hard-working nature come through.

Space shuttle Discovery is moved into its new home at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on April 19, 2012. Discovery takes the place of the museum's previous shuttle, Enterprise.

A young boy holds his drawing of the space shuttle Discovery at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on April 19, 2012.

isitors to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center were encouraged to sign a banner for the space shuttle Discovery's induction on April 19, 2012.

Instructors used a cooperative exercise to teach children about teamwork during "Welcome Discovery" celebrations at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on April 19, 2012. The goal was to move the plush pig to one of the posters on the floor without dropping it.

The space shuttle Discovery flies by the Smithsonian Castle on the back of a 747 plane on the way to Dulles Airport on April 17, 2012. Discovery will become part of the collection at the National Air & Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

This morning was the final flight of the space shuttle Discovery. During its 27 years of service, the shuttle flew 39 missions. The final flight took it from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to the Washington-Dulles International Airport. She now becomes part of the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, part of the National Air & Space Museum. Atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, Discovery flew over a few DC area landmarks, including the National Mall. The shuttle piggybacks on the larger plane because it does not have engines. I stood on the steps of the National Museum of Natural History to get this photo. Having the shuttle fly over the Smithsonian Castle seemed fitting, given its new home.

Close up photo after the break.

The space shuttle Discovery flies over Washington, DC on its final flight on April 17, 2012.

Last night I went to the DC Film Alliance’s DC Film Salon, a monthly meeting for DC-area film and video professionals and students. Lat night’s topic was do-it-yourself (DIY) video gear solutions. These includes a homemade dolly system, a homemade steadycam rig, and something the maker called “strollercam.” I’m going to mostly talk about the strollercam, but some other thoughts first.

Most of the speakers emphasized how numerous regular household items work quite well as substitutes for much more expensive gear. For example, one of the speakers showed a bean bag tripod that was essentially a bean bag chair you could buy at Target, to which he added straps to keep it in place on location. The same speaker also showed one of his homemade sand bags. While one bag may cost $30, he probably spent $20 on a bag of sand and the fabric to make two separate sand bags. As the speakers kept saying, there are usually cheaper alternatives to expensive gear.

One of the speakers said that sometimes people looked at his steadycam rig condescendingly but for the most part, that went away once people saw that he handled himself professionally and knowledgeably. He joked that while some people would snootily ask him “is that the swing arm from a computer monitor?”, other people asked the same question gleefully, in awe of his creativity.

A creative solution doesn’t always need to be complex, which brings me to strollercam.

Les Owen stands next to his "strollercam" rig.

Les Owen, the video producer at the United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” and owner of LDO Video, needed to do moving and tracking shots in a grocery store. He originally wondered about using grocery carts to stabilize the camera, but other video producers dissuaded him from using the carts, based on their experiences. One day, his wife suggested using a jogging stroller. Les dug it out of storage and then wondered how he could attach a tripod to it.

Small camera pouches double as tripod leg holders.

His solution was to use small camera pouches, for point & shoot cameras, as the tripod leg holders. The stroller already had screw joints on the side. Les cut a hole into the camera pouches, removed the screw from the stroller, and then re-attached it, using the screw to hold the pouch in place. With the two back tripod legs in place, he needed a way to secure the front tripod leg.

The front tripod leg is held in place with plumbing conduit and packing foam.

He took a piece of plumbing conduit and stuffed it with packing foam. Then he cut a slit for the tripod leg. And with that… strollercam!

Strollercam

Les shared some of the lessons he’s learned from using the strollercam. It’s intended more for subtle moving shots instead of quick, fast-paced shots, since it’s not extremely stable at high speeds. He also learned that the floor surface needs to be clean to really deliver smooth motion. To that end, he bought a piece of roll-out carpet that he can put over sidewalks with cracks and other uneven surfaces. He can also deflate the tires and put weights in the seat to help smooth out bumps. The rig can be hard to turn, so he tends to do any camera motions with the tripod head. He found that the strollercam also works great as a dolly for tracking shots, in which a person walks and talks. He once took a wire shelf and bungee cords to make a platform for a monitor right behind the tripod. I asked him why he used a stroller with three wheels instead of four. He and another speaker replied that a triangle is more stable than the rectangular shape of a four-wheeled stroller. Additionally, the front wheels can turn unpredictably on a four wheel stroller.

It was fun to see how people can creatively solve problems facing them. Sure, it’s easier to buy a product but when you create something like this, a little piece of you is in it. You get to say “I made it,” even if you were following plans. I really enjoyed the event, especially the people I met and the way their creations got me thinking about looking for quirky solutions to my gear needs. Feel free to share any of your DIY creations in the comments.

Jefferson Memorial at sunrise from the Tidal Basin, on March 23, 2012.

While I have spent most of my life in the DC area, I had never actually seen the cherry blossoms at sunrise. I decided to change that oversight on the morning or March 23, 2012.

Washington Monument at sunrise from the Tidal Basin, on March 23, 2012.

Cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin on March 23, 2012.

Bill Seelig takes photos around the Tidal Basin on a 4x5 view camera on the morning of March 23, 2012.

Morning in DC from the Tidal Basin on March 23, 2012.

The 18th Street Singers begin a concert warm up with massages.

I was asked to shoot photos of the 18th Street Singers in DC before their latest concert. I went to a rehearsal and the warm up before the concert. They were especially interested in facial expressions.

The 18th Street Singers as seen from the balcony of the First Trinity Lutheran Church in Washington, DC.

A pitch pipe rests on sheet music.

More photos here.

Back in October, Wolf Trap asked me to shoot a meeting of the Imagination Conversation, a project of the Lincoln Center Institute. The project aims to address problems in America’s educational system to make American graduates more competitive in the marketplace. I’ve had quite a few teacher friends over the years. As an undergrad, I finally saw how hard my teacher friends worked to create lesson plans for their students. I realized I had taken teachers for granted for a long time. Since then, I have come to agree with what one of the panelists said: we have undervalued education, especially in the last decade. I believe this is a shame and I truly hope initiatives like the Imagination Conversation can show people why education must be a priority for a society.

Back to the videos. They were shot in October. This is not to say that it has taken me this long to edit them. After shooting the meeting, I was asked to first create some videos for the Board at Wolf Trap. Those were intended just for the Board. A few months later, I was asked to create shorter versions that Wolf Trap could post on Youtube. I also created the accompanying graphics.

Two more videos after the break.

My latest video for the EU Delegation to the US through Momenta Creative. Opening graphic by Femath Media.

The Washington, DC chapter of Zonta, an international women’s service organization, asked me to shoot a video at their scholarship recipients dinner and then create a short piece that gave an overview of Zonta’s involvement in the educational community.

Back on November 28, the Eu and US ambassadors held a joint press brief after Pres. Obama met with EU leaders about the European economic situation. The video is 20 minutes long, so feel free to skip around.