Healey Develop your own Photographing Washington D, .C. · 2013-07-19 · Photographing Washington,...

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PHOTOGRAPHY/Techniques/Digital $19.99 US/$23.99 CAN

The nation’s capital creates a unique mood, blending history, excitement, and awe. You can capture it with the insider tips discussed in this book. Learn where the great vantage points are, the best times of day to get terrific shots, which camera settings to use, and even how to handle the weather. Take this book along as you enjoy 28 of the best sites to photograph in Washington, D.C.

• Learn where you can and can’t use tripods, and how to pack your gear for security checks

• Discover some of the lesser-known vantage points that offer unique views

• Experiment with camera settings, lighting, angles, and other creative options

Develop your own creative view of Washington, D.C.

Healey

Photographing Washington, D.C.

John Healey

PhotographingWashington, D.C.

Capture Postcard-Quality Photos

Get the iPhone app!Cool apps help you choose sites to photograph, tell you how to get spectacular shots, and even help you get there. There’s one for this book — go to http://lp.wileypub.com/DestinationDFGiPhoneApp and follow the iTunes Store link!

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John Healey lives a few blocks from the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. He has worked as a photographer and a photography technical/lighting specialist for over ten years. Today he primarily photographs for companies and publications. Visit him at www.photographingdc.com.

Visit our Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks

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Digital Field Guide

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Digital Field Guide

John Healey

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Photographing Washington, D.C. Digital Field Guide

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.10475 Crosspoint Boulevard

Indianapolis, IN 46256www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

ISBN: 978-0-470-58687-7

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appro-priate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, 201-748-6011, fax 201-748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUD-ING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WAR-RANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUA-TION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PRO-FESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEB SITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OF WEB SITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEB SITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRIT-TEN AND WHEN IT IS READ.

For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at (877) 762-2974, outside the U.S. at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002.

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Trademarks: Wiley and the Wiley Publishing logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affi liates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

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About the AuthorJohn Healey is a professional photographer who lives in Washington, D.C. He has worked in many genres of the profession, from small-town newspapers practicing the lost art of deadline-developing and printing, to shooting for international wire services, creating portraits for magazines, to working for companies big and small — there’s little he hasn’t been involved with in the profession.

In addition, John has worked around the world as a technical assistant for photog-raphers on assignment in such diverse genres as sports, automotive, underwater, interior, and portrait photography.

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CreditsSenior Acquisitions EditorStephanie McComb

Project EditorChris Wolfgang

Technical EditorMike Hagen

Copy EditorBeth Taylor

Editorial DirectorRobyn Siesky

Editorial ManagerCricket Krengel

Business ManagerAmy Knies

Senior Marketing ManagerSandy Smith

Vice President and Executive Group PublisherRichard Swadley

Vice President and Executive PublisherBarry Pruett

Project CoordinatorPatrick Redmond

Graphics and Production SpecialistsLissa Auciello-BroganAna CarrilloAndrea HornbergerJennifer MayberryJill A. Proll

Quality Control TechnicianJohn Greenough

ProofreadingPenny Stuart

IndexingBroccoli Information Management

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In remembrance of those Americanswho have given their lives so that

others may be free.

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AcknowledgmentsThe best work always comes from a collaboration of talented people. Thanks to Stephanie McComb, Chris Wolfgang, and the other editors at Wiley for their hard work of hammering, straightening, and polishing this book into what you see today. The National Park Service and other personnel at the sites mentioned in this book also deserve much credit: Over the years that I have explored these areas, I have come away impressed by their upbeat attitudes, knowledgeable guidance, and tireless patience. Thanks to the team at Any Chance Productions for their assistance and friendship, Abigail T. for being a great photography assistant, and to Fizzle for your patience and sage advice.

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ContentsAcknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxiii

Who the Book Is For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxiii

How the Book Is Organized . . . . . . . . . . . xxiv

1 Arlington Memorial Bridge . . . . 3Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . . 4The west end, north side of the bridge. . . . . . . . . .5

The west bank of the Potomac River, north

of the bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

The east end, south side of the bridge . . . . . . . . . .6

How Can I Get the Best Shot?. . . . . . . . . . . . 7Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

2 Arlington National Cemetery. . 11Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 12The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Memorial Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

The gravesite of Pierre L’Enfant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

How Can I Get the Best Shot?. . . . . . . . . . . 15Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

3 Ford’s Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 21Interior of Ford’s Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Exterior of Ford’s Theatre on 10th St. NW . . . . . . .22

Interior of Petersen House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Arlington Memorial Bridge

Arlington National Cemetery

Ford’s Theatre

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4 Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 31Room 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Waterfalls in Room 3 and Room 4. . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Neil Estern’s FDR statue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

5 Georgetown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 41C&O Canal at Thomas Jefferson St. NW. . . . . . . .41

C&O Canal at Wisconsin Avenue. . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

Old Stone House. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

6 Korean War Veterans Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47


Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 49Next to the Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

The Mural Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

7 Lincoln Memorial. . . . . . . . . . 55Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 56East end of Lincoln Refl ecting Pool. . . . . . . . . . . .57

East side of the memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Inside the memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

Korean War Veterans Memorial

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

Georgetown

Lincoln Memorial

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8 Mount Vernon Estate . . . . . . . 67Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 69East mansion lawn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

West side of the mansion across the

Bowling Green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Outbuildings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

George Washington: Pioneer Farmer . . . . . . . . . .71


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

9 National Air and Space Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77


Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 78The museum’s interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

10 National Archives . . . . . . . . . 89Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . . 91Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom . . . . . . . . . .91

The building’s north entrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95

National Archives

National Air and Space Museum

Mount Vernon Estate

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11 The National Mall . . . . . . . . . 99Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 100

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 100South of the U.S. Marine Corps War

Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

The west side of the Capitol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Southeast corner of the Lincoln Memorial. . . . . 102

Between 3rd St. NW and 14th St. NW within

the Mall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

The Old Post Offi ce tower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

The Washington Monument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Next to the Lincoln Refl ecting Pool . . . . . . . . . . . 104

How Can I Get the Best Shot?. . . . . . . . . . 104Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

12 National World War II Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 112

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 11317th St. SW entrance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Between Delaware and New Jersey pillars . . . . 113

Next to Atlantic and Pacifi c Pavilions . . . . . . . . . 114

Across the Rainbow Pool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

13 The National Zoo . . . . . . . . . 121Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 122

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 122African Savanna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123

Amazonia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124

Asia Trail. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126

Asian Elephants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127

Bird House. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129

The Great Ape House and the O Line . . . . . . . . .130

Great Cats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132

Invertebrates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133

Small Mammal House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134

How Can I Get the Best Shot?. . . . . . . . . . 135Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135

Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .138

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

The National Zoo

National World War II Memorial

The National Mall

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14 Old Post Offi ce . . . . . . . . . . 142Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 144

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 1441300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue NW,

north side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

1200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue NW,

north side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

In front of the Old Post Offi ce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149

15 The Pentagon Memorial . . . . 153Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 154

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 154Within the memorial. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154

Along the Age Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .156


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .157

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158

16 Smithsonian Institution Castle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161


Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 162The south side garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .163

The north side of the Castle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .164


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166

17 The Supreme Court of the United States. . . . . . . . . . . . 169


Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 170West exterior facing east . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .171

Main steps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .172

Marble columns at west entrance. . . . . . . . . . . .173


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .175

Smithsonian Institution Castle

Old Post Office

The Pentagon Memorial

The Supreme Court of the United States

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18 Thomas Jefferson Memorial. . . 177Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 178

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 179Northeast side of the Tidal Basin. . . . . . . . . . . . .179

Southwest side of the Tidal Basin . . . . . . . . . . . .179

Thomas Jefferson Memorial steps . . . . . . . . . . .179

West side outer walkway of the memorial . . . . .181

Interior of the memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .181


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .183

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .184

19 Ulysses S. Grant Memorial . . .189Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 190

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 190Grant and his wartime horse Cincinnati . . . . . . 191

The Cavalry Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

The Artillery Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

20 United States Air Force Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197


Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 198Facing east from the memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

At the base of the memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199

S. Columbia Pike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

21 United States Botanic Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205


Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 207Conservatory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207

National Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .207


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .212

Ulysses S. Grant Memorial

Thomas Jefferson Memorial

United States Air Force Memorial

United States Botanic Garden

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22 United States Capitol . . . . . . 215Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 216

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 216The interior of the Rotunda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .217

Capitol Refl ecting Pool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218

The northeast corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218

Freedom Plaza. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .218


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .221

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222

23 The United States Library of Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225


Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 2261st St. SE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226

Inside the Great Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231

24 The United States Marine Corps War Memorial . . . . . . 235


Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 236West of the memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .237


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .239

25 United States National Arboretum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243


Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 245Capitol Columns from the southeast

intersection of Ellipse Rd. NE and

Beechwood Rd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245

Capitol Columns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .245

The administration building . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .248

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249

United States Capitol

The United States Marine Corps War Memorial

The United States Library of Congress

United States National Arboretum

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26 Vietnam Veterans National Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253


Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 255Along the memorial’s walkway . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .257

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .258

27 The Washington Monument . . .261Why It’s Worth a Photograph . . . . . . . . . . 262

Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 263The west end of the Lincoln Refl ecting Pool . . .263

The inner circle of the Washington Monument. . .264

The park area west of the Washington

Monument . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .264

The Lincoln Memorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .265


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .267

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .268

28 The White House and President’s Park . . . . . . . . . 273


Where Can I Get the Best Shot? . . . . . . . . 275The sidewalk at 1600 Pennsylvania

Avenue NW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .275

E Street NW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276

General Jackson Statue in Lafayette Park. . . . . . 276


Camera settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .278

Exposure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .278

The Washington Monument

Vietnam Veterans National Memorial

The White House and President’s Park

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IntroductionPhotography is a great way to see and experience the world in a more in-depth manner, and there’s probably no where in the United States that offers as many historic photo opportunities in such concentration as Washington, D.C. If you want to put your photography skills to the test and learn new ones, Washington, D.C., is a great place to do so.

Who the Book Is ForThis photography guide is meant to serve as both inspiration to get out there and take some incredible photos, as well as to get you started on where some of the classic and lesser-known vantage points are. Photography is all about individuality and being creative, so begin at these locations and then see what you fi nd. With all there is to photograph in and around Washington, D.C., there’s much to discover.

Along the way, this book provides tips that will help you use your camera to its best and help you make the most of situations that might arise. There is useful information about where you specifi cally can bring tripods (and more importantly, where you cannot), how to pack for certain locations where security checks are necessary, what lenses you may want to use, and some suggested settings for your camera.

Photographers are usually an inquisitive breed, so there is also information about a location’s signifi cance. As any professional photographer knows, it’s important to know a lot about your subject, and while this guide certainly won’t replace a good guide book, its aim is to provide some interesting insights along the way.

A note about copyright: A relatively unknown fact about some landmarks in the Washington, D.C., area is that they are copyrighted by the artists and/or the foun-dations that made them possible. Many do so to protect the memorial or monu-ment against unregulated commercial use. Reproducing copyrighted works is against the law and could result in a lawsuit. This does not generally apply to per-sonal use — making a print of a copyrighted work for, say, your living room wall would not attract any attention. But posting the photos online for sale is an entirely different matter.

Examples of memorials that are covered by copyright include the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the sculptures at the Vietnam Veterans National Memorial and the artwork within the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.

The ease of sharing and publishing photos due to digital photography and the Internet have meant that being educated about copyright is more important than ever. For more information, see the United States Copyright Offi ce at copyright.gov.

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How the Book Is OrganizedWhether you are traveling to or live at one of the destinations covered by the Digital Field Guides, time is usually a limiting factor. So these guides have been organized by the editors in a way that will allow you to quickly understand the loca-tions, get an overview of where you should go, and determine what gear you should bring, and how well your gear will work at a location.

Each chapter begins with an overview of the subject and quickly moves on to where the best locations are and provides images illustrating what’s possible

Tripods in Washington, D.C.A small, table-top tripod is a great idea when traveling, but if you wish to use a full-size tripod note the following:

According to the District of Columbia Offi ce of Motion Picture and Television Development as well as the National Park Service, use of tri-pods by photo enthusiasts for personal use does not require a permit so long as you are not in areas where there are specifi c regulations against using them. For more information, see DC Film and TV, www.fi lm.dc.gov and The National Park Service, www.nps.gov/nama.

Note that rules may change at anytime, and often do, to provide additional security for special events. Specifi c institutions may have their own proce-dures and rules as well.

Washington, D.C. code regulates the issuing of permits to those who occupy or otherwise use public rights of way, public space, and public structures. These laws can prevent tripod use in those areas no matter the purpose. Therefore, while it’s generally okay to use one in areas that allow them, if an offi cial tells you that you cannot use one, understand that there are more rules potentially limiting their use than allowing their use.

Tripods are rarely allowed to be used indoors.

If you are near any security-intensive buildings, expect more scrutiny.

Popular areas where tripods are not allowed without a permit include the U.S. Capitol Grounds, the White House, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans National Memorial. Please see the individual chapters covering these areas for more information.

xxiv Introduction

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there. The equipment section explains what will help you capture these images, while the settings section offers tips and guidance specifi c to each area. If you are new to photography you may want to mostly use the locations and let your camera do the rest. If you are an expert, the tips will help you get up to speed quickly and make your own unique images.

The best advice for any aspiring photographer is simple: Get out and shoot more. Thus this guide is designed to get you out the door as quickly as possible with the information you need to make the best photos you can.

TIP

All focal lengths in this book are given as standard 35mm (full-frame) equiva-lent focal lengths. Digital cameras have varying crop factors that change the

focal length of a lens. Be sure to know your camera’s specifi c crop factor if you want to determine precisely what lens you may need for a photograph.

1

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Arlington Memorial Bridge photographed from along the west bank of the Potomac River in Lady Bird Johnson Park. Taken at ISO 200, f/9, 1/40 second with a 75mm lens.

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Arlington Memorial Bridge1


4 Photographing Washington, D.C. Digital Field Guide

Why It’s Worth a PhotographOf the many bridges that span the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., Arlington Memorial Bridge is often considered the most beautiful. It’s a symbolic link that draws together the Union’s Lincoln Memorial and the Confederacy’s Robert E. Lee Memorial across the Potomac, the Civil War-era water boundary between the North and the South.

Where Can I Get the Best Shot?There are at least three ways to get great shots of Arlington Memorial Bridge: from next to the bridge’s east end, from the west end of the bridge, and from the west-ern banks of the Potomac River.

110

110

244

27

27

395

26

7

4

12

15

24

2

6A

BC

Potomac River

TidalBasin

Reflecting Pool

Boundary Channel

ThePentagonMemorial

Lady BirdJohnson

Park

WestPotomac

Park

A r l i n g t o nN a t i o n a l C e m e t e r y

ColumbiaIsland

Marshall Dr

Memorial Dr

Bradley Dr

Patton Dr Clayton Dr

Grant Dr

Eise

nhow

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Ohio Dr

Daniel C.

French Dr

Henr

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con

Dr

Arland

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Mem

orial

Brid

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Georg

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on M

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ial B

ridge

Rocha

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Mem

orial

Brid

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Ord & Weitzel Dr

Sherman Dr

Porter Dr

W Bas

in D

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Boundary Channel Dr

Linc

oln Memorial Cir

Southgate Rd

Was

hing

ton

Blvd

Jefferson Davis Hwy

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

VIRGINIA

Franklin DelanoRooseveltMemorial

Korean WarVeteransMemorial

Vietnam VeteransNationalMemorial

Lincoln Memorial

UnitedStates

MarineCorps WarMemorial

Navy andMarine

Memorial

Lyndon B. JohnsonMemorial Grove

Tomb of theUnknownSoldier

Arlington House,Robert E. Lee Memorial

NationalWorld War II

Memorial

Arlington

Memorial

BridgeArlington

Memorial

Bridge

The best locations from which to photograph Arlington Memorial Bridge: (A) the west end, north side of the bridge, (B) the west bank of the Potomac River, north of the bridge, and (C) the east end, south side of the bridge. Nearby photo ops: (2) Arlington National Cemetery, (4) Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, (6) Korean War Veterans Memorial, (7) Lincoln Memorial, (12) National World War II Memorial, (15) Pentagon Memorial, (24) United States Marine Corps War Memorial, and (26) the Vietnam Veterans National Memorial.


Healey Develop your own Photographing Washington D, .C. · 2013-07-19 · Photographing Washington,...

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Transcript of Healey Develop your own Photographing Washington D, .C. · 2013-07-19 · Photographing Washington,...