The Andy Aupperlee Explosion 5000

The George Washington Memorial Bridge is not in this picture. My camera, a Nikon D300, is hanging over the edge of the aforementioned structure, better known as the Aurora Bridge. I bolted the camera to a tripod, tilted it against the rail, and extended the center post so that the camera hovered some 160 feet above the ground. With a remote shutter release clenched tightly in my fist, I fired off frame after frame. The result is the latest addition to my “Scene from 99” series. In this entry, I captured the George Washington Memorial Bridge from the air (above), land and sea (below).

“Scene from 99” is an ongoing series exclusive to the Andy Aupperlee Explosion 5000 that features images and commentary about Seattle’s iconic Highway 99.

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Aurora Avenue bisects the heart of northern Seattle. From They Battery Street Tunnel to 224th Street, Aurora is the designation given to Washington State Route 99. Heading north, Aurora climbs Queen Anne Hill until it reaches The George Washington Memorial Bridge. After crossing Lake Union, Aurora charges through Fremont and slices through Woodland Park Zoo. I took this south facing photograph of Aurora Avenue and the George Washington Memorial Bridge from the 41st Street pedestrian bridge. The Space Needle is partially obscured by Queen Anne, and the Seattle skyline sits to the east (left of the photo). Yachts moored on Lake Union are also visible in the far left of the photo.
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This weekend the folks at Seattle’s Bold Hat Productions staged the seventh annual Hop Scotch Spring Beer and Scotch Festival in Fremont. Over 50 microbrews and imports, along with Scotch and Tequila samples were featured at the event. The tasting is a benefit for the Seattle International Film Festival.

So to summarize:
Lots of beer.
Fremont.
Cool charity.

Of course The Andy Aupperlee Explosion 5000 was there.
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Kristen, Curtis, Claire, Chris & Kate.
Feierabend. Seattle, WA. September 5, 2008.
Nikon D300. Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens @ 11mm.
Aperture Priority. 1/6 sec @ f/2.8. ISO 1600.

I knew the evening was destined to be a classic the moment I read the email. What Kate succinctly proposed had enormous potential: “Hi friends! This Friday is Chris’s birthday and Curtis and I were thinking what better way to celebrate then a little DAS BOOT!! Let’s say 8:30ish at Feierabend (near REI). ” As a similar email did nearly a year ago, this note was followed up by several references to this movie, and of course this movie too. I immediately thought back to the last time I traipsed through the halls of Feierabend. It was this same group of friends and things got, well, German.

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Sea Wolf at High Dive. Fremont, WA. June 14, 2008.
Nikon D300. Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens @ 11mm.
Aperture Priority. 1/3 sec @ f/2.8. ISO 3200.

On Saturday night Julie invited several of us to High Dive in Fremont to check out her friend’s band, Joy Wants Eternity. Unfortunately, I did not make it to High Dive early enough to hear them, but I did catch the last two bands on the bill: The Jealous Girlfriends and Sea Wolf.

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