Mike Becvar's Photo Gallery

I currently own two digital cameras: a Kodak DX3900 and a Canon Digital Rebel. I have been taking digital pictures since January 2002. When I first started taking digital pictures, I acted as if I was taking pictures on film an only took one or two pictures of each scene. It took me a long time to realize that I can take as many pictures as I want. On several occasions, I have taken more than 200 digital pictures in a single day.

I have grouped my pictures into galleries. Each gallery contains a series of photographs that are related in some way. Some galleries contain a single subject with pictures taken over a period of several months or years. Others contain images from a single day or location.

SVDC 4th of July Parade 2008

On, Friday, July 4th, 2008 I led a group of SVDC members who marched in the National Independence Day Parade in Washington, DC. Enter the 4th of July Parade 2008 Photo Gallery

St Baldrick's in South Riding 2008

On May 16th, 2008, I attended a second St. Baldrick's Event. This one was held in South Riding.


Enter the St Baldrick's 2008 Photo Gallery

2008 smart fortwo

On April 15th, 2008, I purchased a 2008 smart fortwo.


Enter Mike's 2008 smart fortwo Photos Gallery

St Baldrick's 2008

On March 16th, 2008, I participated in my fifth St. Baldrick's Event. This year, we had a small group of shavees at Ned Devine's in Centreville.


Enter the St Baldrick's 2008 Photo Gallery

Polar Bear Plunge 2008

On January 26, 2008, I joined Maryland's Governor Martin O'Malley and more than 10,000 plungers in entering the Chesapeake Bay from Sandy Point as part of the Maryland State Police's 12th Annual Polar Bear Plunge for Special Olympics. I was willing to grin and "bear" it for the athletes of Special Olympics Maryland.


Enter Polar Bear Plunge 2008 Photo Gallery

ZooLights at the National Zoo

In November 2007, I responded to a post on Craigslist looking for volunteers to help with the first ZooLights. I told them that I was interested in being a costumed characters for a giant snow globe.


Enter ZooLights at the National Zoo 2007 Photo Gallery

Halloween 2007

I love Halloween. This year, I dressed as a skeleton pirate for the South Riding Halloween Spooktacular and for the trick-or-treaters on Halloween night.


Enter Mike's Halloween 2007 Photo Gallery

Trapped Zombie Movie 2007

In September and October I spent three nights on the set of the independent film Trapped by Gary Ugarek. I played a zombie in the movie about a group of people trapped in a movie theater.


Enter the Mike Became a Zombie for the Movie Trapped 2007 Photo Gallery

Solar Decathalon 2007

In October 2007, a group of UMR students constructed their solar house on National Mall as part of the Solar Decathlon. Members of the MSM-UMR alumni in the DC area came to support the team. We were given a private tour of the home before going out to dinner.


Enter Mike's Solar Decathalon 2007 Photo Gallery

Williamsburg 2007

This year, I made two trips to Colonial Williamsburg with my first foreign exchange students. I have some of the pictures from my second trip in the fall.


Enter Mike's Williamsburg 2007 Photo Gallery

Test Drive the smart fortwo 2007

In April 2007, I reserved a 2008 smart fortwo PASSION from smart USA. At the beginning of August, 2007, they sent me an email saying that the "street smart" 2007 smart USA Road Show was coming to town. I made reservations to see the smart fortwo at Mercedes-Benz of Tysons Corner on Friday, August 17th after work.


Enter Mike Test Drives the smart fortwo 2007 Photo Gallery

NYFA August 2007

In August 2007, I attended the New York Film Academy's (NYFA) One-Week Acting For Film Workshop at Universal Studios in California. I arrived a day early and spent the afternoon and evening at Disney's California Adventure Park and Disneyland. I spent my week with 10 other actors in series of acting related workshops. On Thursday, we filmed a series of short, silent movies with the students in the One-Week Film Making Workshop.


Enter the Mike's Trip to California and the NYFA 2007 Photo Gallery

SVDC 4th of July 2007

On July 4th, 2007 I joined a group of SVDC volunteers and helped with the Washington DC Independence Day Parade for the third consecutive year. This year, we helped with the Curious George helium balloon.


Enter the SVDC 4th of July 2007 Photo Gallery

Dulles Emergency Exercise 2007

On Saturday May 5th, I volunteered to be a plane crash survivor for the Washington Dulles International Airport Emergency Exercise 2007. I was given two large facial wounds and as part of the exercise I was taken to Reston Hospital Center by ambulance.


Enter the Dulles Emergency Exercise 2007 Photo Gallery

John Adams Miniseries 2007

In March, I spent two days on the set of the John Adams miniseries being filmed for HBO. I played a uniformed militia member in both scenes.


Enter the John Adams Miniseries 2007 Photo Gallery

St. Baldrick's Day 2007

Once again, I participated in the annual St. Baldrick's Day event and shaved my head to raise funds for childhood cancer research.


Enter the St. Baldrick's Day 2007 Photo Gallery

President's Day 2007

On President's Day, Supakorn and I went to Mount Vernon. In honor of President's Day and because President George W. Bush was coming, admission was free.


Enter the President's Day 2007 at Mount Vernon Photo Gallery

Christmas 2006 in Chicago

I spent a week in Chicago between Christmas and New Year's Day in 2006. While there, I was able to get together with friends and family and take in some of the Chicago tourist attractions.


Enter the Christmas 2006 in Chicago Photo Gallery

Halloween 2006

Once again, I turned Halloween into a major production. I attended to Halloween costume parties, helped with the South Riding Halloween Spooktacular, decorated the front of my townhouse.


Enter the Halloween 2006 Photo Gallery

Marching in the 4th of July Parade in DC with SVDC

On the 4th of July, I volunteered with SVDC to march in the Washington, DC 4th of July Parade. We helped with the Raggedy Ann and Andy helium balloons.


Enter the 4th of July 2006 Parade in DC Photo Gallery

Joint Service Open House in May 2006

On Sunday, May 21st I attended the Joint Service Open House at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.


Enter the Joint Service Open House, May 2006 Photo Gallery

Making a Movie at Mount Vernon in May 2006

On Saturday May 6th and Sunday May 7th, I had the chance to be a re-enactor in a movie being filmed for Mount Vernon. I played a British soldier in the French and Inidan War.


Enter the Movie at Mount Vernon in May 2006 Photo Gallery

Cherry Blossoms and Monuments around Tidal Basin in DC - March/April, 2006

This year, I made two trips into DC to see the Cherry Blossoms around the Tidal Basin. Since I had a lot of pictures, I broke it into two pages.


Enter the Cherry Blossoms 2006 Photo Gallery
Enter the Cherry Blossoms 2006: Monuments and Memorials Photos Photo Gallery

Townhouse Fire in South Riding - March 28th, 2006

On Tuesday, March 28, a fire started in a townhouse in the 43100 block of Katama Square in South Riding, VA. The fire resulted in extensive damage to four townhouses. I watched the fire from the front of the South Riding Town Hall before running home to get my camera.


Enter the Townhouse Fire in South Riding Photo Gallery

Mike's St. Baldrick's 2006

For the 3rd year in a row, I am participating in the St. Baldrick's events and raising funds for childhood cancer research. Please consider making a tax-deductable donation to this worthy cause. The easiest way to donate is to visit my page at http://www.stbaldricks.org/ShaveePhoto.asp?SolNumber=15326883 .


Enter Mike's St. Baldrick's 2006 Photo Gallery

National Zoo March 2006

On Sunday, March 5th I visited the National Zoo. I had tickets to view the new panda cub, Tai Shan. It was a great spring day and I took more than 200 pictures at the zoo.


Enter Mike's Trip to the National Zoo in March 2006 Photo Gallery

Mike's Christmas in DC 2005

I visited DC the weekends before Christmas to see the Christmas decorations.


Enter Mike's Christmas in DC 2005 Photo Gallery

Mike's Halloween 2005

Once again, I had a great time on Halloween.


Enter Mike's Halloween 2005 Photo Gallery

Mike goes to Chicago - September, 2005

In September 2005, I spent several days visiting friends and family in Chicago.


Enter Mike's Chicago 2005 Photo Gallery

Mike goes to Space Camp - September, 2005

In September 2005, I attended the Week Long Adult Advanced Space Academy at the Space Camp in Huntsville Alabama.


Enter Mike's Space Camp 2005 Photo Gallery

SVDC Marches in the DC 4th of July Parade - July 4, 2005

Enter Mike's SVDC 4th of July, 2005 Photo Gallery

Bad Art Picnic at Great Falls - June 27th 2005

Enter Mike's Bad Art Picnic at Great Falls 2005 Photo Gallery

Joint Service Open House 2005

On Saturday, May 21st 2005, I went to the Joint Service Open House at Andrews Air Force Base. The Open House is a three day event that is open to the public. I had never been to Andrews Air Force Base or to a military air show, so I didn't know what to expect. They had a wide variety of aircraft on display, both past and present. They also had an air show which included the Blue Angels and the 82nd Airborn Mass Jump.


Enter Mike's Joint Service Open House 2005 Photo Gallery

Washington, DC - 2005

This year, I have made several trips into Washington, DC to see the sights. I have been to the Air and Space Museum, the National Zoo, to the top of the Washington Monument, and more. Here are a few photos I have taken on my trips.


Enter Mike's Washington, DC 2005 Photo Gallery

Cherry Blossoms in DC - April 2005

On Saturday, April 9th, 2005, I joined thousands of other people and made the journey into DC for the 2005 National Cherry Blossom Festival. It was a great spring day to be outside, and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. For more information on the Cherry Blossom Festival, visit their website at http://www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org/.


Enter Mike's Cherry Blossoms Festival 2005 Photo Gallery

Manassas National Battlefield 2005

On two nice weekends in the winter of 2005, I visited the Manassas National Battlefield Park in Manassas Virginia. http://www.nps.gov/mana/.


Enter Mike's Manassas National Battlefield 2005 Photo Gallery

St Baldrick's 2005

On March 12th, 2005, I participated in the St. Baldrick's Day celebration for the second year in a row at the Old Brogue Irish Pub in Great Falls, VA. For more information on St. Baldricks, visit http://www.stbaldricks.org/.


Enter Mike's St Baldrick's Day 2005 Photo Gallery


Photos from last year's event are in the St Baldrick's Day 2004 Photo Gallery

Presidential Inauguration 2005

On Thursday, January 20th, 2005, I attended the Presidential Inauguration and Inaugural Parade in Washington DC. I was fortunate enough to get tickets from my Congressman, Frank Wolf ( http://www.house.gov/wolf/). It was a cold day, but it was definitely worth it.




Mike's Trip to the Presidential Inauguration 2005 Photo Gallery

Halloween 2004

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I have been decorating the house and dressing up for Halloween each year since 1998. Each year, I go for something bigger and more elaborate. This year was no exception. This year, I used a space suit that I purchased for my trip to Space Camp to become an alien astronaut. On Saturday, October 30th, 2004 South Riding held a parade and Halloween Spooktacular for the residents. On Sunday, October 31st, 2004, Mike dressed up again for Halloween.


Enter Mike's Halloween 2004 Photo Gallery

Space Camp 2004

On Friday, October 22nd, 2004, I traveled to Huntsville Alabama to attend the Space Academy For Adults Weekend Program. The program gives adults an exciting weekend filled with astronaut training activities. We experienced various aspects of life in space on five different simulators, flew fighter jets used in the Aviation Challenge program, attended various briefings, completed two space shuttle missions, watched two IMAX movies and toured the museum. I can't wait to go back again for their six-day/five-night Advanced Space Academy for Adults program. For more information on Space Camp, visit http://www.spacecamp.com/.


Enter Mike's Space Camp 2004 Photo Gallery

Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center 2004

In September 2004, I took an afternoon off from work to visit the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Washington Dulles International Airport. It is the newest facility of Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. The center is open to the public, but it is also still being set up. They have a large collection of aircraft from passenger planes, military jets, and space age travel.

For more information on Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, visit http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/.


Mike's Trip to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center 2004 Photo Gallery

Buddy's Photo Gallery

How can I have a photo gallery without a few candid photos of my dog Buddy. Buddy is a collie-shephard mix that I rescued from the Fairfax County Animal Shelter in September 1998. I don't know exactly when he was born, but I believe it was around January 1997. He is a great dog.


Enter Buddy's Photo Gallery

Mike Goes Bald for Charity Photo Gallery

On March 12th, 2004, I participated in the St. Baldrick's Day celebration at the Old Brogue Irish Pub in Great Falls, VA. I raised a little over $1000 for the CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation. For more information on St. Baldricks, visit http://www.stbaldricks.org/.


Enter Mike's St Baldrick's Day 2004 Photo Gallery

Group photo by Jim Board.

Mike Got Braces Photo Gallery

In June of 2002, I got braces for the first time. I was 29 years old, and I was concerned that my front lower teeth were starting to overlap. I had seen other adults at work who had allowed their teeth to get worse than mine. I decided that it would be better to deal with the problem while it was minor instead of waiting to see if it got worse. I had intended to take regular photos to show the progress, but I only took pictures once every month or two (mainly just before or after a visit to the orthodontist. The braces came off in April of 2004

In a way, the gallery is less a measure of the progress with my teeth than a look at the many different hair styles I had while in braces. I started with short hair, and let my hair grow until a month before my braces came off.


Enter the Mike Got Braces Photo Gallery

Halloween and Face Painting

I have been getting dressed up for Halloween and painting my face for several years. Here are a few of my creations.


Enter Mike's Halloween and Face Painting Gallery

Hot Air Balloon Festival 2002

I was taking a photography class in the fall of 2002. I decided to drive west looking for a nice hilly spot to take some photos when I drove past Historic Long Branch. It seems that I had picked the weekend they were holding their annual Hot Air Balloon Festival. I decided to stay and took a role of slides and a few dozen digital photos. Here are a few select images of the hot air balloons and other activities.


Enter the Hot Air Balloon Festival 2002 Gallery

Washington, DC June 2002

I have been living outside Washington, DC since the fall of 1996. But I don't make it into the city very often. One of my first real tours of DC came in June 2002 when I took a day off from work to take the Metro into DC and see the sights. I took a walking tour of the major monuments in DC, unfortunately, I missed seeing the FDR memorial.


Enter the Washington DC 2002 Gallery