The sky was dreary at the Tidal Basin this morning, and the Japanese Cherry Tree blossoms were not quite at peak. So I added some artistic touches using the same (and only) iPhone app with which I edited all images in this post – Enlight (very highly recommended).

These magnolia trees in front of the Eisenhower “Old” Executive Office Building (next-door to the White House) caught my eye. But the sky was totally grey and the light was dull. I replaced the sky with one from a previous photo (taken in California!), and modified the temperature of the light on the trees–all from the screen of my trusty phone.

Four Stars for the Old Executive – In earlier times, visual design details mattered and they are found everywhere in Washington, including these stars and bars on the base of a street lamp. As everything in here actually is a shade of grey or black other than the stars, which are gold, it was an easy decision to render this image in black-and-white.

White House Security – I had not intended to walk by the White House until I noticed the drama of the Washington Monument behind it, disappearing into the clouds and mist. Walking closer to the “people’s house” (ahem) yielded too many distractions from fences, guard posts, and rooftop security. So I retreated to the Ellipse where I found these earlier monuments to the defense of the White House irresistibly ironic.