Friday, February 11, 2011

MCP Project 52: Looking Up


looking up
Originally uploaded by Teckelcar
This week's MCP Project 52 theme is Words.

This week it only took a moment for me to decide what to do. All I needed was a clear day a Richmond and I would be all set.

Larry noticed shortly after we moved to the Richmond area that the Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom by Thomas Jefferson was writ large on a a building in the historic Shockoe Slip area of downtown Richmond.

The statute reads as follows:

We the General Assembly of Virginia do enact that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burdened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities. 1786
Thomas Jefferson


We have been meaning to photograph it for years and this was just the impetus I needed. And as a bonus just two blocks away is the Flood Wall upon which are banners celebrating Richmond's history. If I wasn't happy with the Statute I could use the Flood Wall instead.

So Wednesday dawned clear and bright and a bit cold, but it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. After sending off children to their respective schools I headed to Richmond. I was able to snag a parking spot 30 feet away from the Statute. I spent the following hour playing tourist, photographing the Statute, the Flood Wall and even the Canal Walk. It was a very productive hour.

I took a full on picture of the statute, but it's so boring compared to this one. I like how the paint colors fade into the sky and how the words stretch away. I did minimal processing, the photo works just the way I shot it.

Update:
Woohoo! My picture got featured this week!

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