A bussiness trip brought me to Washinton, DC during probably the best time of the year there is - spring. However, my weather mojo appeared to have run out, and it rained for almost three days straight. Despite the weather, I set out to take a walk between the downtown monuments on the last evening of my stay.
The city seemed very much under siege - by the police. At a time of war, it was understandable but still striking nevertheless. My walk took me from the White House to the Lincoln Memorial, and then back to the White House and Washington Monument. In spite of the winterlike weather, I enjoyed it except for a few annoyances - it is not possible to shoot within or even on the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial with a tripod without a permit. I do not buy the reason that people with tripods get in the way. It is a federal memorial and all people should be allowed to enjoy it in their own way if they do not get in the way of others. I was not allowed to shoot from a prime spot in front of the White House. This one I can remotely understand. They probably do not like people with tripods and big heavy glass for security reasons. After about a half an hour of shooting around the Washington Monument, a policewoman informed me that I needed a permit for commercial photography there. Apparently no amateurs use tripods. Aside from the cops, there was not a soul there for the hour I spent there, so she allowed me to take a couple of last shots, after which I ran out of film, and walked away.
If you think most of the photos are tilting left, you are correct. Courtesy of my photo lab which mounted them that way.
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