It Happened

F/6.3, 1/25 second
ISO 800

This month’s favorite photo comes from our visit to the Newseum.

Along with a few friends, Jenny and I visited the Newseum today. When we got to the museum, I realized I left my memory card in my laptop. While I usually carry a spare card in my bag, I had recently taken it out while reorganizing and I forgot to put it back in. I quickly called some friends who were running late and asked if they had any spare SD cards. Fortunately, they did! Unfortunately, it was only 256MB (was actually a microSD card in an SD adapter), so I had to forgo shooting in RAW and dial down the JPG settings a notch. Aside from the fact that I couldn’t shoot in RAW, it was a great learning experience. Since I could only hold about 28 photos, I had to be really judicious while shooting. I’ll spare you the details of my learning experience, but I’m actually really grateful for it and will make it my goal to go out and shoot a very limited quantity again.

After a short orientation video, visitors walk by a portion of the Berlin Wall.

The Newseum is one of the relatively-few museums in DC that charges admission. It’s a large museum and the ticket includes a 4D movie. One of my favorites exhibits was a room with at least a hundred front pages from the last hundred years or so.

There’s also a rooftop terrace with a great view up and down Pennsylvania Avenue. It has one of the best views of the Capitol outside of the Mall.

The 9/11 exhibit included headlines from around the world on September 12 and a twisted piece of metal that had been a broadcast antenna on top of one of the Twin Towers.

This map shows the level of freedom of the press around the world. Green is “free,” yellow is “somewhat free,” and red is “not free.”

You can also film your own news segment, either on your own or with a friend, and then watch it online. Darcee and Kaylyn teamed up for a Valentine’s Day themed report.

I have a mixed review about the Newseum. It’s regularly $20, but we got tickets on Groupon for $10. Even though the ticket is good for two consecutive days, it’s only worth the $10. While the open atrium allowed for a lot of natural light, I feel like it led to a lot more walking and wasted space. There were some really neat displays and I really enjoyed a lot of the interactive displays. While I had a good time, I don’t think I’d go back a second day in a row, and I definitely wouldn’t spend $20. Find yourself a coupon or someone looking to sell day 2 of their ticket and the visit will be worth the reduced price.