Tag: American Flag

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A Pirate and an American Flag

Skull & Crossbones with Yacht Ensign on a Fence in Ocean City, MD.

This presents, for comparison, two nearly identical, outdoor still-life style photographs. The first has been edited with a gold-tone filter to give it more of an “old time” feel/appearance and the second is almost at captured by the camera.

Please feel free to leave a comment saying which one you prefer – and why. Thank you.

(Yes, the links do work to browse prints for sale at Fine Art America/Pixels Gallery. )

Skull and Crossbones with Yacht Ensign in a gold tone edit.
Pirate and American Flag (yacht ensign style) as photographed – no edit, other than cropping.

Link: Edited Photograph Prints

Link: Natural Photograph Prints

Can you identify the location in Ocean City, Maryland where this display can be seen in person? Hint: it is near a dune crossing.

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American Flag Photography at Fort McHenry

There is no better place to shoot flags (as in “with a camera”) than at the birthplace of the Star Spangled Banner, Fort McHenry, in Baltimore, Maryland. Remember that just a little more than 200 years ago the British were actually shooting at our flag – with big guns (cannons).

When I visit in Baltimore I often go for a walk at Fort McHenry. This particular day had one of those “postcard” skies, with fair-weather cumulus clouds against a bright blue background; so I went to Fort McHenry for a couple hours…with my camera bag, of course. Today I actually got to photograph two American Flags flying over the Fort at the same time and on the same flagpole. Read why below the photograph…

Twin American Flags at Fort McHenry in Baltimore

If you bring an American flag or buy a flag in the Ft. McHenry Gift Shop – a ranger will “run it up” the flagpole, let it fly in the breeze for a short while and then bring it down. You will then be a proud and patriotic owner because you have a flag that actually flew over Fort McHenry. They will even provide a certificate of authenticity for your flag stating that it flew over Fort McHenry. How cool is that?

This image is available, along with more of my photographs, in my online gallery at US Pictures, Bill Swartwout Photography.