The Misadventures and Successes of a Photographer in the Nation's Capital |
Day 1: Mall Walking |
My recent December trip to Washington was a rarity for me because I traveled alone and concentrated almost entirely on photography. During the 2 1/2 days I spent there, I saw four museums, several photo exhibits, met a 3-star Vietnamese general, and shot about ten rolls of film. Oh, I also locked my car keys in the trunk and turned my feet into bloody stumps. |
All my planning revolved around photography. I reserved a hotel room at the Holiday Inn - Capitol, located near the Air and Space Museum. This would put me about a 5-minute walk from the Mall (where most of the main sights are) on one side and a 5-minute walk from a subway station on the other side. I knew the hotel was in a fairly dead area, but it was hard to beat for proximity to the main photographic subjects. I think the area around George Washington University would have worked too, since this would have put me very close to the Lincoln and Vietnam memorials. I spent a lot of time at those two places. I also created a tentative schedule that had me at particular spots for the warm, flattering light of early morning and late afternoon. My museum visits would be mostly in the middle of the day and at night. |
I pulled into my hotel by 11:30 in the morning, after driving up from North Carolina. Since the hotel was near the Potomac River, I didn't have to go far into Washington at all, which saved time and hassle. It wasn't long before I was ready to head out for a photo shoot. I carried two cameras with me the whole time in D.C., one loaded with slide film and one with print film. For slide film, I chose Fuji Sensia II 100 speed and Fuji Velvia 50 speed. You can't beat Velvia for sharpness if you can use a tripod to counter its low speed. For print, I used almost entirely Superia Reala 100, which is not overly contrasty, prints with a nice silky quality, and is very sharp. I also took some Fuji NPH 400 for lower light conditions. Both of these print films are wonderful for skin tones too. For lenses, I carried along two zooms of the 28-105 and 70-210 ranges, together with an 85/1.8 and a 50/1.8 for low light. I ended up using the zooms the entire time, but if I had a non-zoom wide angle, I am sure I would have used that some. I carried one camera over my shoulder in a holster-type camera bag and had the other one in a regular backpack with all my other equipment. I planned to walk up to the Capitol and then end up at the Lincoln Memorial in the late afternoon. Since tripods are not allowed near the Capitol Building for security reasons, I left this item in the car. I had managed to get a parking space in the underground parking lot very close to the street, so I could easily pop in and out to switch equipment. Since it was noon, the first thing to do was pick up some chow, so I bought a hotdog and an Italian sausage from the stand just behind the Air and Space Museum. As I sat down on a park bench to eat my lunch, I thought about how strange it seemed to be sitting in Washington, D.C. by myself when I was at home just a few hours ago. All of my pleasure trips in the past had been taken with my wife. |
My first stop was the Capitol building. Although it was mid-day, thanks to the relatively low angle of the sun at that time of year, the lighting wasn't all that bad. A polarizing filter made the clouds stand out against a light blue sky. A lot of tourists were gathered around the large pool that lies between the Capitol and the Mall. On one side, a Japanese man was setting up a portrait shot of a companion dressed in a suit. Across the pool, a huge group of school kids was lining up for a group portrait. The photographer had loads of equipment and even a bullhorn to get their attention. Some of the kids made funny poses when they saw me aiming my camera in their direction. No, not that interesting, so I headed up toward the Capitol building itself. I got the impression that many of the people I saw carrying cameras up here were actually in Washington as interns or on other official business but wanted to capture some memories to take home. There were many surfaces on which to prop the camera (trees, railings, walls, etc.), so my tripod wasn't missed too badly. On the lawn, a few people were gathered around the Capitol Christmas tree. I managed to get a few telephoto shots of the tree and dome together. There was some scaffolding on one side of the dome, but I managed to hide it behind the tree. It did constrict my framing options though. The balcony on this side of the capitol provides excellent, though distant, views of the Mall. I imagine the lighting would be best in the morning, as the sun comes up from the opposite side of the building. I saw lots of great photo-ops that I failed to take. I really wanted to photograph a group of young people I saw dressed in suits, perhaps with the Capitol or Supreme Court Building in the background, but I am not always at ease about asking people to let me photograph them. I passed it up and regretted it for a few minutes. After a stop outside the Supreme Court, I walked back to the hotel to get the tripod. |
Time for some serious shooting now. The Washington Monument was still covered in scaffolding at that time, nearing the end of a major renovation project. I really hate scaffolding, but this was no ordinary scaffolding. In fact, I came to the conclusion that the scaffolding actually improved the monument as a photographic subject, especially after dark. The varied color of the lighting was quite attractive, and the scaffolding really added to the mass of the monument, making it look less like a pencil stuck in the ground. Let me tell you, getting this thing straight in the viewfinder proved to be a "monumental" task. No matter how even I thought it looked, it leaned in almost every photo I took. I have wondered since, whether it does indeed lean a little. No doubt I could have used a viewfinder with gridlines for this purpose. |
So far, I was right on schedule, arriving at the Lincoln Memorial right about 1 1/2 hours before sunset. If you get to Washington, you must visit the Lincoln Memorial for sunrise or sunset. The marble takes on a wonderful glow in the early and late light of day. There were lots of people at the front of the monument, and I had to dodge several kids to frame my shots. They seem oblivious to anyone trying to take a photo. This was not a good time to take shots of Old Abe. Extreme close-ups were ok, but there was very annoying scaffolding on either side. I am sure future generations will benefit from the work, however. A woman approached me and asked me to take a picture of her. This happens a lot when you carry around a lot of camera equipment. People assume you know what you are doing. She walked back to pose before Abe. I had the hardest time getting her to come closer to me so that she wouldn't end up being a tiny, unrecognizable dot next to a huge chunk of marble. We Americans do like our space. Hopefully, she was pleased with the result. I thought about asking her to pose for me too, so I could include more people in my photos. She was fairly attractive and had on a nice gray wool overcoat. A flash photo with her sitting on the steps with nice golden backlighting outlining her hair could have worked. Again, a great opportunity blown. This one just walked up to me too. I was determined that the next day I would include more human beings in my pictures. |
My favorites shots of the Lincoln Memorial were found by walking around to the rear. Very few people circled the memorial, so I had plenty of time to set up my tripod and carefully compose several exposures of the columns. My favorite view was on the right side (facing the Mall), where I was able to frame the Washington Monument. I really wanted to photograph the Lincoln Memorial after the lights came on from the end of the Reflecting Pool. Darn. As I headed up the walkway, the police blocked off the area around the pool. The next thing I knew, a huge U.S. Army or Marine helicopter was landing. Apparently some dignitary was coming over. It didn't look good for getting my photos. As luck had it, the helicopter only stayed for a few minutes and was gone by the time I could make my way up that far. It appeared to go in the direction of the Pentagon. I had no idea whether it was the President, the VP, an important general, a sightseeing stop for a foreign leader, a drill, or kids of some important person getting dropped off for a night out. |
I really wanted to see the Annie Liebowitz exhibit at the Corcoran Art Gallery, so it was time to get back to the hotel and drop off my gear. On the way, I noticed how nice the last vestiges of the sunset looked over the Jefferson Memorial, so I waited to cross the streets to get to the Tidal Pool. And waited, and waited, and waited, and waited. It was approaching 5:30 on a Friday evening, and the traffic was thicker than Jesse Helms' drawl. I either had to be very patient or risk being flattened on my first night in D.C. I chose to be patient as I watched the color in the sky subsiding with every car that passed. Finally, an opening. I ran to the water and set up the tripod as quickly as possible and managed to squeeze off a few frames. |
Although I would have liked to have seen who the person was, at least the quick departure left time for me to get some decent shots of the Memorial. It truly was impressive, with the blue twilight sky and incoming clouds reflecting in the pool along with the lit memorial. This is the best time to photograph lighted buildings. Sure, you can make them look good in the pitch black of night too, but a little color in the sky really helps. To take the shots, I spot metered on the Memorial. It was the most important subject, and I was afraid an exposure that included the whole scene, which was mostly dark, would cause the building to overexpose. This still happened a little, but I was pleased with the results. |
Someone on a travel forum had told me about the Annie Liebowitz exhibit "Women" at the Corcoran Gallery, and it sounded like something good to see. Timed tickets were available through Ticket Master, but the handling fee was so huge that I decided to take my chances at the door. I had no trouble at all getting tickets at the museum. The exhibit filled most of three rooms and was quite impressive. The Corcoran has a number of works by renowned European artists such as Monet. However, it is best known for its American art. I particularly enjoyed the 19th century landscape collection. |
The museum is only a block away from the White House, and I could hear the holiday music wafting over from the National Christmas Tree, which had just recently been lighted. On the way back to the hotel, I decided to check out the tree, even though I was completely exhausted and didn't think I could walk another step. It was surrounded by more than fifty other trees representing the states and territories of the U.S. Included in the display were a large menorah and the National Yule Log (a big burning log in a pit). Didn't have any marshmallows on me. Hundreds of visitors walked around the plyboard walkways to view all the trees. I was a little disappointed that the decorations did not seem in keeping with the states from which they came. They all looked alike. I think it is safe to say the decorations were a little on the tacky side, but the atmosphere was festive enough, and it was certainly worth the effort to take a look. I walked all the way back to the hotel, against my better judgement. Every time I looked at the subway map, it seemed I was so far from a stop that I could walk to where I was going just as quickly. I wish the stops were a little closer together. They could really use one near the Lincoln Memorial. My feet wish I had used more cabs, which are not too steep in D.C. By the time I reached the hotel, I had barely enough energy to walk down to the hotel restaurant/bar to get a highly overpriced Pizza Hut pizza for my overdue dinner. |
Two other men joined me at The Wall that morning. One was an elderly Asian gentleman in a dark trench coat, and the other, a middle-aged Asian man with a large video camera. The guy in the trench coat seemed very interested in my camera equipment and struck up a conversation with me. He thought I was a professional photographer. When he told me he was originally from Saigon, my interest was aroused. It turned out one of his kids taught school in a city not far from where I worked. |
At that time, I was about to finish up a photography class at a local community college, and we were assigned to create a photo-essay. I had concocted an idea the night before of photographing people I met in Washington and getting their impressions of the city (not ambitious I know, but I thought it would be fun). I told him about my project, and he readily agreed to be my first subject. He came to the U.S. in 1966 as the war heated up in Southeast Asia. He liked Washington, D.C. and what it represented. "People can talk freely, and foreigners can learn about freedom [here]." He didn't like all the political games in Washington, however. It turns out that he has a fairly strong incentive to dislike politics. Before we could talk much more, the camera-toting friend approached. "This man you are talking to is a real hero," he told me. It turns out he was a three-star general in command of the region bordering North Vietnam. I shook the General's hand again and said something along the lines of "I really am happy to meet you." The general, who until now had not discussed his old occupation, showed me a small medal he was wearing, as his friend told me this was awarded by France for his role in commanding airborne troops at the famous battle of Dien Bien Phu a defeat which signaled the end of French control. According to the General, he was removed from his position in 1966 because he wanted to fight, and those in power were not ready for that. I conducted a little of my own research on his career via the Internet upon my return but have not backed it up with library research as of yet. Indeed, he was fired from his position in 1966 by two generals who had taken over the government the previous year. There were fairly large protests as a result, causing the U.S. government a bit of concern. |
The cameraman friend worked for CBS and proudly showed me his White House press pass. This camera cost $50,000, he told me. It was heavy too, and the gentleman lamented the fact that as a professional he was not allowed to place his camera on a tripod at the Memorial as I was doing. The early years of his career consisted of covering the war with Walter Cronkite. I was told that if I ever wanted to become a professional to let him know, and he could introduce me to some people. He was anxious to point out some potentially good compositions to me and insisted that the part of the Wall containing the date 1975 was particularly important. Of course, that year marked the end of the war and the last time that many Vietnamese ever saw their homes and families. I asked the General if he had ever returned to his homeland, knowing his answer would be no. He would like to go, but I have a feeling that will never be possible. The two had shown up early that morning to meet a group of Vietnamese arriving by bus. They were coming from around the country to honor the fallen Americans who had fought for their freedom and to demonstrate for human rights for present-day Vietnam. The two men asked if I would like to stay and photograph the event, and I readily accepted. Well, I have a new subject for my photo-essay, I thought, and this one fell right in my lap. After an hour of conversation, interspersed with some photography of the Wall itself, I was told that the group had arrived. They wanted to make sure I got some good photos. |
A group of about 30 Vietnamese-Americans arrived bearing flowers and the flags of their two countries. They gathered near the soldier's monument. A large man with a booming voice, a former hospital commander, played the Star Spangled banner and what I guessed was the old Vietnam anthem from a boombox as the others stood at attention. One guy dressed in beret and camouflage looked as if he was still in fighting form. After a few speeches, the group headed the few yards to the Wall, chanting for a "free Vietnam" as they went. At the Wall, they paid tribute to the fallen and took a few photos. |
I was particularly struck by the only child in the group, a girl of maybe 6 years. Annabelle was clothed in typical attire for a child of her age, but her red sweater and yellow scarf, hat, and shawl made her look a lot like the old Vietnamese flag. She seemed an embodiment of the new life in America that greeted those who fled Asia a quarter century ago. I took several photos of her and mailed a couple to her parents. The General and his friend had offered to give me a ride to the White House, where the group was headed next. Although I had timed tickets waiting for me at the National Holocaust Museum, I really wanted to take them up on it. I lost contact with them by the end of the rally, and it began to rain, so I paused at the Korean Memorial for a few quick shots and headed back to the hotel. I have addresses for both men if I should desire to contact them in the future. What an exhilarating start to the day. |
I did a lot of research on the Holocaust during graduate school, and this most tragic of events has always fascinated me for some reason. My advisor (himself a noted scholar of Nazi German history) once asked if I was not Jewish, then what motivated me to study the Holocaust. I didn't know how to answer. Perhaps for the same reason that people seem drawn to read about serial killers - because I wanted to understand how someone could do something beyond the imaginable. Perhaps because I am so abhorrent of bigotry myself, I was drawn to learn about this ultimate expression of it. I am still not sure. I had longed to visit this museum since it first opened a few years ago, and I had pre-ordered tickets from its Web site (they were waiting for me at the front desk). I was running out of time as I reached the hotel. I had just enough time to drop most of my camera equipment in the car and head out. Photography is not allowed in the exhibits for obvious reasons. I flagged down a cab, saying to the driver, "yeah, I know it is pretty close to here, but I am exhausted and don't have time to find my way there." After I stepped out at the museum, a temporarily terrifying realization hit me. I did not have my keys. OK, I looked in the cab seat when I got out, so they must be in the trunk of the car. Not good, but I did have a AAA membership at least. I decided to visit the museum and deal with the keys later. Washington is loaded with top-notch museums but none is better or worthier of a visit than the Holocaust Museum. This place was designed to move you from start to finish. It is housed in a massive structure whose architecture symbolizes the death camps and the efficiency of the Final Solution. You begin on the top floor, where there is an impressive collection of memorabilia and photographs relating to the beginnings of the Nazi regime and the campaign to exclude Jews from German society. Here and there, you will find video screens showing original footage from the period. There were a lot of school kids there that day. I heard the occasional stupid comment, but for the most part, there was hushed silence as I proceeded through the exhibits. The next floor down covers the war period, when exclusion turned to segregation, and then to genocide. The items from old synagogues and cemeteries around Europe serve as sad reminders of the richness of Jewish culture in Europe prior to the war. The video screens on this floor offer graphic presentations of Einsatzgruppen mowing down rows of Eastern European Jews and the infamous medical experiments conducted by the Nazi doctors. Chilling, to say the least. The third and final floor of the main exhibition brings you to the defeat of Nazi Germany and the much-publicized liberation of the camps. One section includes the names by country of people recognized as heroes for aiding the victims. Several parts of the exhibit struck me in particular: a seemingly unending wall of photographs taken before the war in a single Polish village - so many lives destroyed, a detailed sculpture of a gassing from beginning to end - more emotion-packed than any Rodin creation, the clothing of children who survived the Holocaust - my first child was born only 9 months ago, and the survivor testimonies. There is nothing like hearing about it from the mouths of those who actually lived on the edge from day to day in one of the Nazi camps. At the very end of the exhibit, there is a small theater showing survivor stories about how they came out alive. Nothing in the whole place got to me the way this did. I had heard many of the same things before, but spending hours revisiting the whole terrifying 12 years of Nazi rule in such harrowing detail has a way of fraying your nerves to the point that breakage is not far away. |
You next enter a room of remembrance, where candles burn on altars surrounded by walls in which are engraved the names of the most notorious camps. Back on the main floor, there is a special exhibit for children, entitled "Daniel's Story." It is an exercise of the senses, as you wander through a replica of a little German boy's world, hearing his mother cooking in the kitchen and being invited to touch household items in a reconstruction of his home. Then you wander through his neighborhood as you learn that his world has changed. He is no longer able to go into the same stores or attend the same school. His father's shop is declared off limits to non-Jews. Finally, you follow Daniel as he is sent to a concentration camp, and a video tells you how he made it through. Take your children here, please. |
The museum's shop is superb as well. It stocks hundreds of books on the Holocaust and pretty close to every movie or documentary made about it. The museum has a great Web site, where you will find more details about the exhibits, and can purchase tickets and items from the shop. |
Day 3: Up Before the Sun and Boy Do My Feet Hurt! |
The next morning was supposed to be clear, so I caught a cab bright and early to beat the sunrise at the Lincoln Memorial. I set up on the steps to photograph the sunrise behind the Washington Monument. I got a few photos before an attendant approached me. I did not know that tripods are not allowed in the interior of the memorial. No problem, I just moved forward a little. A work crew showed up to work on a stage for the Millennium celebration and started placing a fence across the bottom of the Memorial steps. I thought "how am I going to get down from here?" I just went on shooting or a few minutes, but eventually the guard came back and told me I had to leave. I said no problem, but for some reason, he felt that he must escort me to the bottom. He never did seem comfortable with my being there. Next, I spent an hour at the Vietnam Memorial (including photographing the flowers left the day before) and the Korean Memorial. I had read a lot on the Internet about tripod use in Washington before arriving. A Park employee approached and started to ask me about my tripod. Before I could finish saying "I am not a professional," he said he only needed to verify that I had rubber tips on the ends of the legs. |
I had planned on getting some photos from the Netherlands Carillon, a bell tower located near the Marine Corps (or Iwo Jima) Memorial. You can get good photos of the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and Capitol together from that spot, and it should be especially good at sunset. By now, though, it was around mid-day, and the light was too harsh to make the painful walk there worthwhile. I took the subway over to the White House. Originally, I had thought I would try to tour the White House, but I really wanted to spend the morning at the cemetery taking photos. Monica's former haunt is only open for tours a few hours in the morning. You can either wait in the long line for entry, pick up timed tickets, or contact a state representative or senator for tickets. The White House Web site has details. The line was massive by the time I reached the White House, stretching from one side of the mansion all the way to the middle of the block in front of the ellipse, and this wasn't even summertime. There is always potential for interesting people photos around the White House, since people go there in droves to visit or protest. Man, that place had one big Christmas wreath too. Tripods are not allowed around the White House or Capitol, so I never bothered to take mine out of its bag. |
The rest of the day was for touring. I walked from the White House toward the National Archives, stopping at the Old Post Office on the way. The atmosphere was very nice inside the atrium, where a large youth group attired in Victorian costumes, performed holiday songs. I ate a very filling Indian combo platter at the food court and ascended the tower for a few photos. The light wasn't good enough to get great shots, but I had terrific views of the Smithsonian, Capitol, Washington Monument, and White House. The tower rises to 12 stories, and there is no glass. You just have to shoot through the wire. It was very windy up there, and even though I wore a coat, the cold December wind sliced through my skin like a razor. It is not easy to hold a camera steady in the wind and cold, but I was able to get very high shutter speeds to counter this problem. The Old Post Office sits on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 12th Street. I have not been in the Washington Monument in many years, but a lot of photographers prefer the view from the Old Post Office. |
The next stop was the National Archives, where you will find some of the world's most no-nonsense security people. Along with the amazing collection of famous documents, including a letter written from Elvis to Richard Nixon suggesting that he be made a federal agent to help solve the drug problem, there was a great exhibit on the last hundred years of American photography. My last two stops were the National Portrait Gallery and the Capitol. I was really in luck at the Gallery that day. It had a good exhibit of photos by Henri Cartier-Bresson, the master of street photography and one of my very favorites. In addition, there was the "Picturing Hemingway" exhibit, which included a large number of famous photographs and paintings of my favorite author. Luck indeed. The National Portrait Gallery closed in January 2000 for renovation and will not open again until 2003. If you are interested in Hemingway, you can view the exhibit online (see the link below). After a short visit to the Capitol just to look around a little, I headed back to the hotel. I had already checked out and just needed to grab the car and leave town. I made one last stop at the Jefferson Memorial. I had not made it there on my previous visit and was determined not to bypass it this time. The sun had just set, and there was just enough orange color in the sky to frame with the lighted columns. Nice finale. |
One more stop before I could go check on those keys. I spent a few hours at the Natural History Museum, and I think it will take me many more visits to take it all in. The prehistoric and gems sections in particular were fascinating. The museum has a great Native American collection, as well, but I was a little rushed by then to give it much time. I guess that will be on the schedule for a future trip. Finally, back to the hotel parking garage, crossing my fingers as I approached. How lucky can you get? Somehow I had forgotten to lock my doors, something that is very very unusual for me to do. Normally, I would be upset over leaving my car unlocked in a big city, but not this time. I pushed the button, and voila, my keys were right in the trunk where I had thought I left them. Boy, was that a relief. I went up to the room and did something else that is unusual for me on a trip of this nature. I rested - and for almost two whole hours. |
Day 2: Remembering the Past |
My plan for the next day was to hit the Lincoln Memorial before sunrise, but due to clouds, I decided to catch a little more sleep. My feet loved the clouds. I caught the subway at L'Enfant Plaza, just a few minutes from the hotel, headed for the Farragut West stop around George Washington University. This area was already bustling with activity when I arrived about 7:30. It turned out I still had to walk a long way to get to the Memorial. At least a lot farther than I had hoped. I started out at the Vietnam Memorial, which is just in front of and to one side of the Lincoln Memorial. If you want to photograph it without people, you need to go very early in the morning. There is probably no more moving monument in this country than this black wall on which are carved the names of the 50,000+ names of the American dead. Little did I know, but my first daytime visit to The Wall was about to offer up one of my most interesting travel experiences to date. |
Then I headed over to Union Station for the evening. Union Station was busy, as it was a Friday night and nearly Christmas too. Union Station is part train station, part mall. A lot of the shops are common to most large malls, but there are some exceptions, and there are a lot of good souvenir shops. I bought a flag-draped teddy bear for my daughter at the U.S. Capitol booth. If you buy from them, you don't pay taxes on it. There was an orchestra playing in the atrium, and it was a very festive spot to visit. For dinner, I decided against the huge food court and put my name on the long list at B. Smith's, a stylish restaurant that serves southern favorites with an international flare. You can find these restaurants in a few other cities. The original is in New York. It always seems strange going to a nice restaurant alone, and it doesn't help with getting seats. It was a busy night, and they didn't seem overly anxious to find a table for one. If I had been with someone, maybe I would have been seated in the large, ornate main dining room, but I was disappointed. I ended up in a smaller and much plainer outer room. I was not at all disappointed in the food, however. I ordered the most exotic-named item on the menu - The Swamp Thing. Hey, it sounded good, but I did feel strange saying, "I'll have The Swamp Thing." This concoction consisted of seafood smothered in a spicy sauce and poured over a bed of spinach. Tasty indeed, but pretty rich. I would highly recommend the restaurant for its food and atmosphere. The prices aren't too bad either. My dish was not the cheapest on the menu, but it only cost about $18. |
It was a long and painful walk to Arlington National Cemetery. My feet were quickly becoming bloody stumps after almost two days of walking. I arrived just in time to setup for the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. First, I had to rapidly shoot up the rest of my 25-speed film and get some NPH 400 in the camera. I managed to get a few decent photos of the proceedings. It is a good idea to get a spot on the front row just behind the chain, so you can be at eye level with the guards without having to shoot through a crowd of kids. Be respectful too. It is super quiet at the tombs, and I was glad to have one of the quietest SLR cameras on the market. |
The One-eyed Traveler |
