Washington D.C area July 28-August 12

[tedg]

Howdy! I was so busy blabbing about France in another thread that I completely

forgot I am heading stateside in the AM for work in the Washington D.C. area.

I pretty much have my list of "must-shoot" locations; however, if anyone local

has knowledge of any specific events of interest (i.e. parades, festivals,

airshows, or motorsports) in the area over the next two weeks I would

appreciate it. Also...are the local/federal fuzz being mellow so far this

summer or can I look forward to a whole bunch of irritating harassment every

time the camera is out of the bag? I have no intentions of going anywhere near

the White House and only plan to shoot a few exteriors at the Capital. Thanks

in advance!

[james_c._turner]

Ted, check out this site;

http://godc.about.com/

Also, I would be VERY careful right now, as since late May there has been a wave of violent crime that this city has not seen since the eighties. It has been reported about on CNN, and other news outlets. Both locals and tourists have been targeted. Take care, have fun.<div></div>

[stemked]

Ted,

 

One word of caution, don't even THINK about using a tripod on 'The Mall'. Even before 9-11 I was threatened by a security officer because I wanted to take some night shots. And this is in the days when I had a cheap-o filmsy dime-store tripod!

 

Remember DC this tme of year is very hot and humid; not a time to be dragging a lot of equipment around. You might want to prepare appropiately.

[jim_gifford]

You need a permit for a tripod, a rule which is sometimes enforced by the Capitol Police. That could be an issue when you get your exterior shots of teh Capitol Building.

 

The touristy areas of D.C. are not the areas where you worry a lot about serious crime.

 

Security for airline and other public transportation systems and the major tourist attraction museums is pretty rigorous, but even in Washington, the presumed target of any Terrorist Bad Guy activity in the States, the on-the-street atmosphere is not ruled by fear or apprehension. You won't encounter police in black leather overcoats demanding to see "Your papersss, pleazzzzzz."

 

I don't have any specific events to add to your list, sorry. But have a wonderful time. It has been pretty hot (90-96 if you think in Fahrenheit, or 32-35 for centigrade) so no need to pack vests or coats!

 

Be well,

[jonathan_walker]

What Jim said. I've never been asked for a permit for my tripod except near the Capitol and in front of the WH.

 

DC is pretty much a free-photography zone.

 

If the police harrassed photographers in DC more than occasionally they would have no time for anything else.

[tedg]

Thanks for the quick responses. I only carry a monopod--hopefully they won't freak about that. I am concentrating mainly on the outdoor memorials and Arlington (as work time permits) and do not plan on taking my camera gear inside anywhere (with the possible exception of the Air & Space Museum). Thanks for the heads up on the crime part but as an ex-pat New Yorker I am pretty good at being incognito and staying out of trouble areas.

[aeaster]

I have never been asked for a tripod permit. Period. Even in Lafayette Square next to the White House. One very friendly Capitol Police officer even stopped traffic for a moment so I could stand in the street. Obviously she had never seen a TLR being used before but recognized it as a camera ''like her grandpa had''

 

Moral: the individual police officer is exactly as friendly to you as you are to them.

 

You may not use a tripod inside most public buildings however. Nor may you use them in the sculpture gardens at the Hirschorn and National Gallery. The official reason is that they block pedestrian access. Of course that doesn't stop thoughtless parents from pushing their able-bodied 6 and 7 year olds around in those huge-ass baby strollers.

 

Ah, the crime situation. Unfortunately you are not allowed to shoot back at miscreants in DC. I think it has something to do with some city councilman/woman/person not wanting you to hurt their teenage daughter's baby daddy. But if you stick to the Mall and Downtown in the daytime you should be OK. Mornings are best of all as most thugs sleep until the crack of noon.

 

Oh, just so you know; street vagrants are considered a protected species in DC. They have far more rights than you do and seem to be getting more aggressive in their panhandling every day.

 

As lastly, as an unsolicited shameless plug; Penn Camera on E Street is the ONLY place worth dealing with in Downtown DC that is open on weekends.

[tedg]

Wow...even more guidance. Thanks for that! Just FYI I plan on specifically hitting Arlington, Iwo Jima/USMC memorial, National WWII memorial, Jefferson memorial, Korean War memorial, Lincoln memorial, and the Vietnam memorials with anything else being a bonus...after all-this is actually a work trip! The White House and Capitol building can both take a flying leap and quite frankly I have taken to carrying a copy of my DD-214 and a copy of my 2003-2004 OEF overseas recall-to-active-duty orders should an over-zealous rent-a-cop (not real police) decide to impose so-called "authoritayy". But I digress...and if anyone has any specific suggestions on the best way to approach the above (especially Arlington) I would appreciate it.

[inspiration point studio]

I was stopped from using a tripod on numerous occasions. Once on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, once at the Vietnam memorial, once outside the Capitol Hill. They will stop you no matter whether it's crowded or not. One time, I was standing outside the Whitehouse metal fence for too long (I was waiting for the right light during sunset), a bunch of secret service showed up and demanded me to take the picture from across the street. This was all before 9/11. The good thing is they won't arrest you, just act dumb and don't linger too long. By the way, there are two space museum now. There is a new one out near Dulles Airport. It's a huge hanger-like structure and you can find the Space Shuttle and the Concord there.

[charles_stobbs3]

I read today that the Mall is a high/violent crime area after dark.

[aeaster]

All of DC is now a violent/high crime area after dark. The predators have discovered that the pickings are better, and the victims far more pacific outside of their own neighborhoods. However; on the brighter side, the recent thuggery on the Mall and the Georgetown murders are just a statistical blip compared to the overall city murder rate. In a modern urban society where gangsters, thugs and pimps are considered men of high status, such is bound to be the outcome. I suspect that it is now much the same in Paris or London.

[keithdunlop]

Also, be aware that on August 12th there are anti-Israel war protest marches scheduled for D.C., L.A., N.Y., SFO and Chicago. Depending on your photographic interests you may or may not want to be in the area of the Capitol/Mall/White House on that day. See the "A.N.S.W.E.R." web site for details.

[scott_davis5]

As someone who ACTUALLY lives inside the borders of the District of Columbia, I resent the implications of a lot of people here that DC is some kind of urban war zone. Perhaps in some b-grade action/sci-fi films it is, but it is nothing like you are painting it to be. Yes, there was a recent outburst of robberies on the Mall. They were at night, and targeting individuals acting like victims. The only parts of DC that are "dangerous" are the parts you wouldn't ever go into as a tourist. I have spoken to the rangers at the WW II Memorial, specifically about the tripod question, and they had no problem with it at all. I have even been down there to do a portrait shoot with my 4x5, tripod, lightstand and reflector, and nobody said anything to me about it. Ditto at the Lincoln. While you are at the WW II, go take a short walk toward the Lincoln from the WW II, and on your left, back in the trees, is the WW I memorial. It is not a national memorial, but rather a District of Columbia memorial. There is no national WW I memorial. There are so many interesting things to see in DC that are away from the memorials. Congressional Cemetery, where many of the famous (and some infamous) are laid to rest (Henry Clay and J. Edgar Hoover, among others), Embassy Row on Massachussetts Avenue, the National Cathedral, the streets of old Georgetown up the hill from M and Wisconsin, toward the University campus, the list goes on. If you'd like to know more about any of these things, ask an actual native - drop me an email and I can point you to more specific information about any of these items or other things that might catch your fancy.

[james_kirkikis]

Hello,

 

Just to weigh in on the tripod issue...I have been stopped by the Capitol police for using a tripod on Capitol grounds. They were very curteous and said I can pick up a photo/tripod permit in the Vistors Center during business hours. Being it was 7 PM, it was too late. Another time, about 8 months later, a Capitol Police officer saw me with my tripod and told me of a better place to set up my tripod. Granted I later learned that Congress was not in session at the time, and that may have relaxed the laws, or I may have found a friendlier officer. I tried getting shots of the White House (never say shooting in DC, the Secret Service does not have a sense of humor about these things). Everytime, I was told I could not use it. I have been all over the Mall with no problem with my tripod. At the Lincoln Memorial, I got so close to Abe that I could practically pick his nose, adn security said nothing. At the Supreme Court with my tripod, the officers moved out of the way so that I could take a photo. Basically, tripod use is hit or miss, and it may depend on the officer and his/her mood that day.

 

That said, you should definitely check out Georgetown, an historic residential area. The canal may also yield some great shots. Check out Old Town Alexandria across the Potamic in Virginia. If you want photos of the panda, go to the National Zoo. It is open early (despite what the brochure says). The animals re most active in the morning hours.

 

As for safety, the previous poster could probably give you horror stories from the 70s and 80s. Today, DC is nothing like that. Sure it is a major urban center, and you should take caution. But it is no different than New York, LA, Chicago, etc. Most of the tourist areas are well patroled and protected by police.

 

I had not been to DC from 1986 to 2003. I could not believe the difference in how great the city looked. I have been back about 8 times since.