Washington DC

Paddleboats and Memorials

Black And White Photography, Photography
Paddleboaters on Tidal Basin in front of Jefferson MemorialTidal Basin, Jefferson Memorial, Washington, D.C.

Enjoying a refreshingly cooler summer day in DC, my husband and I decided to do something we had never done in our 36 years in the area: we donned orange lifejackets and paddled around the Tidal Basin. From the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial to the FDR Memorial and finally to the Jefferson, it took us an hour. Despite thinking an hour wasn’t going to be long enough, it was just right to make the rounds of the Basin (and get in a good workout!).

Capturing a decent shot of other paddle boaters was much more difficult – trying to maneuver our boat while others were maneuvering theirs while attempting to get a clear shot of the monument with minimal camera blur took some patience and quite a bit of luck. This was the best shot and a fun remembrance of the day.

For more of my work, visit VisualVenturing.com.

Crossing

Black And White Photography, Photography
Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Canal, Georgetown, Washington, DC, looking north toward pedestrian bridges between business buildingsChesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal, Georgetown, Washington, DC

Georgetown is filled with wonderful photographic spots, and on this day, I set my sights on the peaceful C&O Canal. An occasional jogger ran down the path, a few pedestrians meandered on a lunch-time walk, while others crossed the bridges over the canals, many with bicycles. But the shot I wanted — someone crossing the foreground bridge — took a bit some patience.

If anyone was to cross, I was expecting it to be on the lower level of the bridge. I was so surprised to see this woman crossing on the upper level that I missed the shot entirely. From then on, I had my camera focused and my shutter finger ready for what I hoped would be her return crossing. She did not disappoint!

A color version of this photo is posted on VisualVenturing.com. Which one do you prefer?

(The184.5-mile Chesapeake and Ohio Canal operated from 1831 until 1924 along the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Maryland. The canal’s principal cargo was coal from the Allegheny Mountains.

Rising and falling over an elevation change of 605 feet, it required the construction of 74 canal locks, 11 aqueducts to cross major streams, more than 240 culverts to cross smaller streams, and a 3,118-foot tunnel.

The canal is now maintained as the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, with a trail that follows the old towpath. Credit: Wikipedia.)

Forever Remembered

Black And White Photography, Photography
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Washington DC
Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, DC

Honoring the men and women who served in the Vietnam War, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial chronologically lists across 140 black granite panels the names of more than 58,000 men and women who gave their lives while serving with the U.S. armed forces in the Vietnam War.

— shot with the Fuji X100T —
For more of my photos, visit VisualVenturing.com.

Mr. Jefferson

Black And White Photography, Photography
Jefferson Memorial, close-up front view. Jefferson Memorial, Washington, D.C.

My parting shot after capturing golden-hour cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin.

For more photos from DC and plenty of other places, visit VisualVenturing.com.

Statuary

Black And White Photography, Photography

Statue of Freedom, United States Capitol Visitor Center, Washington, DCEmancipation Hall, U.S. Capitol Visitor Center

The 19.5-foot-tall bronze Statue of Freedom by Thomas Crawford crowns the dome of the United States Capitol. The original plaster model for the statue is on display in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, where it is the focal point of Emancipation Hall.

(Fun fact – capitol with an “o” stands for the building; capital with an “a” stands for the city. How to remember? I learned to think of a bell tolling in a building. Clever, right?)

Things to do in the Center:

  • Visit Exhibition Hall, the only exhibit in the country dedicated to telling the story of Congress and the construction of the U.S. Capitol.
  • See the Capitol Dome Model — an 11-foot-tall touchable model correct in every architectural detail, 1/20 the size of the original.
  • Watch the proceedings on the floors of Congress at the House and Senate theaters when Congress is in session.
  • Tour the Capitol.
  • And, of course, open your wallet to grab a snack or meal in the 530-seat cafeteria or to purchase that must-have souvenir from either of the two gift shops.

For more photos from Washington, D.C.,
visit Visual Venturing.

Capitol Reader

Black And White Photography, Photography
Woman sitting on the edge of the pool, reading, with US Capitol in the background.

Walking by the U.S. Capitol, I spied this woman enjoying the beautiful weather in Washington, DC. Absorbed in her reading, the woman never noticed me while I carefully framed and pressed my shutter. If only all street shots were this easy.

Visit VisualVenturing.com for more of my work.