Paul Barrios Photography

I put out an invite on Facebook a little while ago about going on a photo walk with some of my photographer friends. Out of the many invites, three showed up: Israel Groveman, Sarah, and Lauren. Though I wanted to have more people come, it was kind of nice having a small group. We enjoyed some good conversation about photography techniques, getting gigs, gear, and life in general.

Our first stop was the National Zoo. Yup, the zoo. It has been a long time since I have visited so when I was planning out the walk I knew I wanted to include a visit there. Sadly, the zoo was not what I expected. There is a lot of work going on and a lot of the exhibits were closed. I felt bad because there wasn't a lot to photograph and my friend Sarah could only join us for that part of the trip. After about an hour of just exploring we decided to move on to the next destination.... Georgetown.

There were some cool things in Georgetown as always. Our group, now down to three, had to hit the famous "Exorcist Stairs". While there we met a gentleman named Dave. Dave trains for races that take place inside the Empire State building in NYC. His workout includes running up and down the stairs 100 times! It blew our minds. We blew his mind too. He wondered why, after so many years since the movie's release, would people still come to the "Exorcist Stairs" to take pictures. It was a good question. I know that I have many pictures of those stairs and I guess it's just a "'ya gotta do" type thing when I am shooting down there.

After the stairs we enjoyed a good lunch at Sweet Green. I enjoy getting wraps from this place. They are really good and fulfilling. While there we had a really good conversation about faith and social issues. Though Israel and I have different opinions about things at times, I appreciate his passion and was really inspired to be more vocal about what I think.


Last stop... U Street to the famous Ben's Chili Bowl! If you know anything about me you must know that I love visiting places that are rich in culture and history and this place has it. I know I had already eaten but I could not help indulging some more and ordering a chili dog. Yup... I ate a chili dog. I was a little nervous because I don't really eat much meat other than chicken. Despite my fears I could not pass up having one. I survived... for now :-) The thing I enjoy the most about this place is the down home atmosphere. Okay so it is a little "hood" (that means "ghetto" or "urban" for those who need the translation) but I dig that. There is nothing like loud Go Go music to build an appetite. I actually really like Go Go and have since I was in high school. I know the scene was pretty different from what my suburban friends were used to but they seemed to have a good time. After a little more exploring around the U Street area, we decided to bid DC a fond farewell.

Though I expected more people to show, I really did enjoy getting to know my friends a little better and really learned a lot from each one of them. I want to do this again and am already planning an outing in October... Great Falls for some cool fall photography. Stay tuned!