Mr. Overton Goes to Washington
In January 2020, I took a job opportunity which would result in more opportunities for travel. After two trips, a virus shut down those dreams of travel for me. But in December 2021, the opportunity to travel became available again. I quickly jumped on board to take advantage of one of the perks of my day job. The destination — Washington DC.
I grabbed my Peak Design tripod, Sling bag, Freewell filters and a DJI OM 5 gimbal (I know I’m extra). This camera gear load out allowed me to be mobile while not sacrificing my ability to capture great content. Surprisingly, everything fit in my sling bag although my back was quite sore after miles of walking.
While I was officially in DC on business, I used the evenings and some additional days at the end of the trip to explore. After my work obligations ended, I picked up a stay at the ARC hotel in the Foggy Bottom district, a few miles away from the capitol buildings. In addition to being less than a mile from the major monuments, it also had a modern feel and cozy interior. The food in the area offered anywhere from modern American, to luxury steakhouses, food trucks and even tacos!
I have been to DC one other time, prior to falling in love with photography, so I’ve never truly experienced the city from a purely photographic point of view. The architecture of capitol cities in the United States have always been extremely attractive to me. The Nation’s capitol is no exception.
These included the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial. Each of these locations offered great Greek architecture with symettrical builds and straight lines. The inscriptions inspired and enlightened about the ideals and values many of our historic forefathers aspired to, even if they were not always successful.
The Capitol building and surrounding areas were also magnificent sites which highlighted the great architectural structures. The Supreme Court was one of the final locations on my list of visits for the first day when I needed to find a restroom.
The search for a public restroom led me from the Supreme Court right down to Union Station. Union Station is a train station which transports travelers up and down the east coast via the Amtrak railways. The station itself was packed, likely due to rush hour and the holidays, and offered more magnificent structures. The archways were particularly noticeable as were the large Christmas reefs hung between the stations front arches.
The walkability of the town made traveling between all the large buildings do-able, although a bit taxing. Additional travel options exist — scooters being the most notable. I could barely walk a few steps without seeing someone riding a Lime electric scooter through the monument areas. The monuments all came to life as night fell, offering illuminated structures which led to even more photographic opportunities.
I spent multiple nights and hours at both the Lincoln and Washington monuments. Both were beautiful, especially when viewed against the Lincoln Reflecting Pool. Unfortunately, my visit came during a storm which caused some issues when combined with the lights of the city and flaring from the clouds.
Overall, the city has so much to offer for any photographer. DC offers great architecture, historic monuments and many great places to eat. I definitely plan to come back to explore more of the city in the near future.
