A few weeks ago a good friend invited me to DC for a photo walk around Monument Park. (Worst. Train. Ever… but that’s a post for a different blog.) Those that know me well enough probably get a chuckle at the thought of me walking around through throngs of people in DC. It’s not my element. I’d rather be in some seldom traveled nook of the world shooting some bit of nature that goes unnoticed. Well, on this trip that was right out so I started doing recon days ahead, checking Google Earth and Panoramio to get an idea of what I’d be seeing. After a bunch of browsing and pondering I had come up with a few ideas of the shots I wanted to take. Sweet.
It wasn’t until I was actually standing on the Mall that I realized I hadn’t considered the random tourists that would be everywhere, in every direction, doing everything they could to make it impossible to get the shots I had in mind. I was frustrated, but decided I would try to make the best of things. After all, it was my fault for not realizing what was going to happen from the start. Plus, I had rented a 14mm 2.8 for the trip and didn’t want to waste it. So I try a few of the shots I wanted (mostly HDR) and had mixed results. The random people were causing me problems so eventually I started shooting in the only direction that had no people. Up.
The architecture up there is impressive. I started playing around with the wide angle by aiming at the ceiling to see just how wide the field of view was. As a byproduct I quickly grabbed some shots that I found interesting. Newly inspired, I spent the remainder of the trip with my camera mostly pointed upward, removing the crowds and capturing my idealistic, quiet, calm, even (dare I say) enjoyable trip to DC. (Not the train, though. The train is dead to me.)
I really appreciate all of the tips in this blog. I’ll be sure to check back here whenever I need the help. Thanks.