Changing of the Gurad

Last year when I was in DC I missed seeing the Changing of the Guard. Though the Wreath Laying Ceremony I got to see was very cool, I still wanted to see the traditional Changing of the Guard. On this trip to DC with my photography club we got to see the full ritual. It was fun to watch the military precision and respect for military tradition. These men train hard to become a member of the Honor Guard, and they have my respect. To read more about the Changing of the Guard check out the Arlington National Cementary website.

Memorial Amphitheater

Last year when I was in DC I saw this building but I didn't know what it was or what was inside. I was surprised to find an amphitheater. It's a beautiful building with a lot of fun lines and details to photography. I wish I'd read the history of it before I went this year though . . . I would have looked around a lot more than I did. You can read the history and purpose of the amphitheater on the Arlington Cemetery website.

 Inscribed in the ceiling in the photograph below it says "When we assumed the soldier we did not lay aside the citizen." ~ General George Washington

Arlington Cementary

Arlington Cemetery will never cease to amaze me. The rows and rows of headstones that go on and on, marking the graves of those who've given everything to defend our country, is truly a sight to see. There are graves dating back to the 1800's. And there are still solders being buried there today.

                                               A view of Arlington House

 If you look at the top right of this photo the graves keep going out of sight

 For some reason this bench makes me think of the Civil War, I wonder how old it is.

 The grave of Pierre Charles L'Enfant a Revolutionary War solider and the designer of the city of Washington DC

 I heard the marching band and ran over to the area to get some pictures. I snapped of these to photos then I saw the flag covered casket. I stopped taking photo's and watched silently as the funeral procession passed by.

 Later that day we came across another funeral in progress and also saw the grounds keepers setting up for 2 more funerals. And in that moment I was reminded that though this is a tourist sight, it is also a very solemn, sad and proud place.

National Columns

When you think of Washington DC you think of monuments, memorials, museums, the Capitol building and the White House. This trip to DC with my photography club introduced me to my new favorite place to visit. Since it's not one of the main tourist destinations there were few people there. It was a wonderful open area with flowers, trees, paths, beautiful scenery and the National Columns.

 

The National Columns were part of the Capitol building from 1826 - 1958. They were placed in storage for many years. In the late 1980's they were restored and in 1990 they were placed in the National Arboretum.

 

DC at Night

Last month I had the opportunity to fly to DC and hang out with my photography club. Our first night in town we took the metro to Arlington so we could shoot the city from across the Potomac River. It was a beautiful night. However . . . the metro station closed before we made it back. So we walked across the bridge and hung out at the Lincoln Memorial. We then took the long hike up the mall to catch the, still open, metro station. This metro station closed at midnight . . . we made it with 4 minutes to spare.

                    Of course we had to do some light painting . . .

 I love the Lincoln Memorial. The detail in the marble is amazing!!

I had a very frustrating time capturing this shot of the Washington Monument from inside the Lincoln Memorial. There were so many people there, even at 11:30, it was hard to get a clean shot.