I visited Washington, D.C. on business frequently before I retired, and on a few occasions, I had time to walk around with my camera. I had a few more opportunities to photograph the D.C. area on post-retirement trips. It’s a photo-rich environment, with the variety of historic federal buildings, monuments, and memorials.
But one site in Washington has been in the news daily recently — the Reflecting Pool … Continue reading
Click on a photo to see a larger version
The U.S, Capitol is bathed by the afternoon sun in Washington, D.C.
Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool, Washington, D.C.
Arched walkway at Union Station, Washington, D.C.
Visitors are reflected in the Vietnam Memorial wall, Washington, D.C.
A quiet moment at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.
Reading room in the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
A reflection of the Washington Monument is seen behind names on the Vietnam Memorial wall, Washington, D.C.
Plants in the Enid A. Haupt Garden at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., brighten the walk to the Smithsonian castle.
A sign reminds visitors to Arlington Cemetery about proper behavior, Arlington, Va.
Looking up at the ceiling and chandelier in the United States Capitol's Statuary Hall, Washington, D.C.
U.S. Army sentinel protects the Tomb of the Unknowns, Arlington Cemetery, Arlington, Va.
Visitors search for a name on the Vietnam Memorial wall, Washington, D.C.
Orange flowers mark the way to the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
Washington Monument surrounded by clouds, Washington, D.C.
A statue of Thomas Jefferson stands in the center of the chamber of the Jefferson Memorial, Washington, D.C.
The view of the towering arches of the main hall of Union Station, the historic train station in Washington, D.C.
Visitors walk past the fountains in the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC.
Looking up toward skylight from under a spiral staircase, Hotel Monaco, Washington, D.C.
Visitors stand at Abe Lincoln's feet at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.
The Washington Monument is silhouetted against a deep blue sky at sunset, Washington, D.C.
A portrait of Ben Franklin has a prominent position in an alcove of the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Capitol Building is framed by flowers and trees, Washington, D.C.
Doorways lead from the main hall of Union Station to the trains, Washington, D.C.
A chapel is surrounded by graves in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.
Visitors walk through Union Station in Washington, D.C.
The Smithsonian Institution Building, commonly known as the castle, stands on the south side of the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The view from the stage of the Memorial Amphitheater, Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.
Looking down a spiral staircase, Hotel Monaco, Washington, D.C.
A small plot of green space occupies the middle of a courtyard between reflecting glass buildings at 400 and 444 N. Capitol St. NE in Washington, DC.
Flowers in the shape of a red number 1, the shape of the First Division patch, grow in front of the First Division Monument in Washington, DC.
Bright walls and marble arches and columns make the Great Hall in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., a spectacular sight.
The Washington Monument stands above two security poles on a sidewalk to the east of the monument on a bright November afternoon in Washington, D.C.
on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. I have it in a number of photos, including the one showing the Washington Monument and its reflection that is part of this gallery.
Through the years, the Reflecting Pool typically looked great in photographs, especially photographs taken from some distance. Up close, it could be a different matter. I remember walking past it on hot summer days and being hit with the pungent, sulfur-like smell of decaying algae. That happens in stagnant, shallow pools of water, like the Reflecting Pool, especially in hot, sunny weather. The pool also leaked about 16 million gallons of water a year, requiring constant refilling. I’m surprised that the wasted water resources didn’t have environmental groups up in arms.
The Reflecting Pool was completed in 1923. It was built on unstable, swampy soil, which caused it to sink over the decades and created numerous issues. In 1981, a major reconstruction project failed to stop the massive leaks. A complete overhaul by the National Park Service between 2010 and 2012, at a cost of about $34 million, didn’t solve the problem with leaks and algae.
The most recent effort, which has turned into a firestorm for the Trump administration, was a $16 million project that, when completed, was immediately filled with algae (I haven’t read if it corrected the leaks). I understand the current, extremely partisan environment in the nation’s capital today, but the recent, apparently unsuccessful, attempt to correct a century-old problem with the Reflecting Pool doesn’t seem that different to me than the unsuccessful 1981 attempt by the Reagan Administration and the unsuccessful 2010-2012 attempt by the Obama administration.
Maybe it’s time to rip it up and rebuild it from scratch, using modern technology.
Just my thoughts. Now, back to photography.
When I’m visiting Washington, I typically get shots of the Capitol, primarily because I’m often in a nearby hotel and it’s easy to hit Capitol Hill when I have a few minutes. And I often shoot the Vietnam Memorial. It’s a very emotional site because that was my generation’s war and I knew some of the names on the wall. The reflective stone makes it an interesting photo location.
And it’s hard not to shoot the Washington Monument. It’s the tallest structure in D.C.
But there are many more photogenic locations in D.C. Union Station, the train station a few blocks from the Capitol, provides a plethora of potential architectural photos, as does the Library of Congress that stands behind the Capitol. The Lincoln Memorial can also provide interesting opportunities, especially early in the morning before the crowds arrive. And I’ve always enjoyed visiting — and photographing — the various Smithsonian museums and Arlington Cemetery.