Boy Scout Memorial
The Boy Scout Memorial sits in President’s Park near the White House. Unveiled in 1964, its main element is a sculpture symbolizing the Boy Scouts’ aspirational ideals.
African American Civil War Memorial
The African American Civil War Memorial, along with the African American Civil War Museum across the street, memorializes nearly 220,000 members of the United States Colored Troops involvement in the American Civil War.
African American Civil War Museum
The African American Civil War Museum is dedicated to preserving and telling the stories of the United States Colored Troops involvement in the American Civil War.
How-to Guide: Close-up Macro of Washington DC’s Cherry Blossoms
There are a million ways to take a beautiful photo of Washington DC’s cherry blossoms. Here’s how to create something similar to this close-up macro shot.
How-to Guide: Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument through Round Portals
This shot of the Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial takes advantage of the unusual framing provided by the stone railing of a small bridge at the Tidal Basin.
How-to Guide: Lincoln Memorial Statue Bathed in Golden Sunlight
The opportunity to take this shot of the statue of Abraham Lincoln bathed in golden sunlight only comes around at a couple of specific times of year, and then only with just the right weather conditions. Here’s how to do it.
How-to Guide | Saucer Magnolias at the Smithsonian Castle
I took this photo last spring during the very brief blooming of the tulip magnolias (or saucer magnolias) in Washington DC. They’re one of the spring’s first dramatic blooming varieties in the DC area, usually beating the more famous cherry blossoms by a couple of weeks.
Local Tips for Visiting the Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove in Washington DC
The LBJ Memorial is on the Virginia bank of the Potomac with views of Washington DC’s monuments across the river. It’s dedicated to the 36th president who occupied the White House during the tumultuous 1960s.
Army Twilight Tattoo
The US Army’s Twilight Tattoo is one of the more exuberant military performances in the DC area. It plays on Wednesday and Thursday evenings in the summer. Here’s the 2019 schedule.
How-to Guide | Cherry Blossoms with the Washington Monument
DC’s cherry blossom season brings a huge number of photographic opportunities. Here’s how to take one of its iconic scenes: cherry blossoms with the Washington Monument.
How-to Guide | The Jefferson Memorial Before Sunrise
A guide to the what, when, where, and how of taking this photo of richly colored skies behind the Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC before sunrise.
Tiny Planet Photos of Washington DC
A series of tiny planet photos of Washington DC’s monuments and landmarks. These start as 360-degree spherical panoramas and ramp up the fish-eye.
A Washington Winter Wonderland
When we get a solid snowfall, Washington DC’s monuments and landmarks become a winter wonderland.
Netherlands Carillon
The Netherlands Carillon stands next to the Iwo Jima Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery and offers one of the best views in the area.
NPS Floral Library
The NPS Floral Library is a small garden patch planted by the National Park Service that features several varieties of tulips in the spring.
Commodore John Paul Jones Memorial
Commemorating Revolution War naval hero Commodore Jones Paul Jones, the memorial sits on the Tidal Basin in Washington DC, not far from the Washington Monument and National World War Two Memorial.
Japanese Lantern at the Tidal Basin
Sitting on the banks of the Tidal Basin amongst the famous Japanese cherry blossoms, the Japanese Lantern dates back to the middle of the 17th century and has been here since 1954.
Japanese Pagoda
The 17th century Japanese Pagoda is nestled amongst the famous cherry blossoms on the banks of the Tidal Basin in Washington DC.
Washington DC’s Cherry Blossoms
The blooming of Washington DC’s beautiful cherry blossoms is a highlight of spring.
Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial
The Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial, featuring a large, evocative aluminum sculpture of a cresting wave and seagulls in flight, sits on Columbia Island on the Arlington side of the Potomac.
Iwo Jima Memorial
At the heart of the Iwo Jima Memorial (or the Marine Corps War Memorial) is a massive bronze statue based on an iconic World War II photo of the Marines planting the flag at Iwo Jima. The Memorial is next to Arlington National Cemetery on a hill overlooking the National Mall.
Simon Bolivar Statue
The Simon Bolivar Statue in Foggy Bottom in Washington DC is dedicated to the Latin American revolutionary.
Cuban Friendship Urn
The Cuban Friendship Urn is not the most impressive landmark you’ll find in Washington DC, but it does have an interesting story behind it.
Robert A. Taft Memorial and Carillon
Mr Republican has his own Carillon. Senator Robert Taft had a long political career and had connections–he was a former Speaker and was President William Howard Taft’s oldest son–but the arch conservative is best remembered as an leading opponent of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal.
Theodore Roosevelt Memorial
It’s entirely appropriate that the memorial dedicated to Teddy Roosevelt is a little unkempt. America’s 26th president was famously a champion of the environment and an avid hunter and outdoorsman. But his memorial isn’t well known.
Sackler Gallery
The Sackler Gallery joins the Freer Gallery of Art to form the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art for the United States of America.
First Division Monument
The First Division Monument, standing in President’s Park next to the White House and in front of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, is dedicated to those who served and died in the First Division of the American Expeditionary Forces.
Moongate Garden
Hidden away behind the Smithsonian Castle, the Moongate Garden is a small oasis of calm inspired by Temple of Heaven Garden in Beijing.
Smithsonian Castle
The Smithsonian Castle looks like it should housing exotic treasures. But it doesn’t really–at least, not many and not any more. The Smithsonian now sprawls across 19 different facilities, but this is the original building.
Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden
The Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden in Arlington makes for a beautiful backdrop for wedding or engagement photos when the roses are in bloom.
General William T. Sherman Monument
The monument to Civil War General William T. Sherman is elaborate and prominently placed, in President’s Park (the Ellipse), right next to the White House.
Freer Gallery of Art
Originally opened in 1923 to display the collections of Charles Lang Freer, the Freer Gallery has since been merged with the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery to form the National Museum of Asian Art for the United States of America.
National Museum of African Art
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art, out the back of the Smithsonian Castle, showcases ancient and modern African art.
John Ericsson National Memorial
The John Ericsson Memorial is tucked away down on the bank of the Potomac, not far from the Lincoln Memorial. It commemorates the inventor of the USS Monitor, a technological breakthrough during the Civil War.
Smithsonian American Art Museum & National Portrait Gallery
The Reynolds Center, in the heart of downtown Washington DC, combines two museums in one: it houses both the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery. It has paintings, sculptures, photos, and drawings ranging from classical oil paintings to folk art to modern art.
Smithsonian National Museum of American History
The Smithsonian National Museum of American History, on the National Mall in Washington DC, is dedicated to all aspects of American history and culture.
Smithsonian National Zoological Park (National Zoo)
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo isn’t the biggest zoo in the country. But it is well worth a visit, especially during the warmer months when the outdoor exhibits are at their best.
Newseum
The Newseum is a celebration of Freedom of the Press, featuring exhibits focusing on print, radio, and television media. It also features exhibits of superb photography, a section of the Berlin Wall, and a large collection of historic newspapers.
National Aquarium in Washington DC
While it’s not especially well known even to locals, the original National Aquarium is still in the heart of downtown Washington DC. It’s nowhere near the biggest public aquarium in the United States, but it is the oldest. And it’s in a place you would never expect.
Martin Luther King Jr National Memorial
The Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial, in tribute to the celebrated Civil Rights leader, is now open on the banks of the Tidal Basin opposite the Jefferson Memorial.
Where to Find Fall Foliage In & Around Washington DC
Washington DC may not have the kind of fall foliage fireworks of places further north, but there are still good options for catching fall colors.
US Supreme Court
Sitting across the street from the US Capitol Building, the Supreme Court houses the judicial branch of the United States federal government. It’s in an appropriately grand building built in the mid-1930s and fronted by imposing classical marble columns.
Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
If there’s a combination that can draw the museum crowds almost as much as spaceships and airplanes, it’s dinosaurs and whopping huge diamonds. And having a life-size elephant just inside the main entrance doesn’t hurt either.
National Arboretum
The National Arboretum makes for a pleasant park, but its official mission is education and research. With 446 acres and 9.5 miles of meandering roads, it’s laid out as a very large park with paddocks, forested areas, ponds, and groves, lots of groves.
Union Station
It’s not just any old train station that can be the venue for a black-tie presidential inaugural ball. But the lavish Union Station, not far from the US Capitol Building, is one of the few that does. It’s an impressive blend of form and function.
US Capitol Building’s Exterior
The U.S. Capitol Building is one of Washington DC’s most distinctive buildings. In fact, you’d be surprised how many tourists find the building so recognizable and in such a conspicuous location that they assume it must be the White House.
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC houses one of the finest collections of paintings and sculptures in the world. On permanent display are works by Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Raphael, Botticelli, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Goya, Manet, Monet, Rodin, Degas, and many, many more.
Washington Monument
For what is really just a big, stone tower you’d expect the Washington Monument to be a boring thing to take photos of. But this isn’t just any old tower and happens to be near some of the world’s great landmarks, making for a bunch of ways and vantage points to get some interesting shots.
Maine Avenue Fish Market
The Maine Avenue Fish Market on Washington DC’s Southwest Waterfront is the oldest continually operating outdoor fish market in the United States.
The White House
As both the home and office of the President of the United States, the White House is probably the most widely recognized building in Washington DC.
Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool
The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool does what it does best very well indeed, providing some great photographic opportunities for capturing reflections of the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument.
Arlington Memorial Bridge
Arlington Memorial Bridge runs across the Potomac from the Lincoln Memorial to Arlington National Cemetery, one of six bridges connecting Virginia with the District of Columbia.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial
The FDR Memorial, on the western bank of the Tidal Basin, is dedicated to the 32nd president but also features the twin challenges that defined the era: the Great Depression and the Second World War.
Pentagon
With the notable exception of the Pentagon Memorial on its southwest corner, the entire Pentagon reservation is strictly a no-photography zone.
Albert Einstein Memorial
The Einstein Memorial, featuring a 21-foot, stylized bronze statue of physicist Albert Einstein, sits in a grove of holly and elm trees on the Constitution Avenue side of the grounds of the National Academy of Sciences.
George Mason Memorial
Tucked away between the Jefferson Memorial and the 14th Street Bridge, the George Mason Memorial commemorates one of the lesser known founding fathers and Virginia plantation owner, George Mason.
District of Columbia World War I Memorial
The World War I Memorial near the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool isn’t well known or much visited. It has been neglected and forgotten for decades but in the past few years has gotten some long-overdue attention.
Korean War Veterans Memorial
The Korean War Veterans Memorial, unveiled in 1992, consists of several elements designed by different people and groups. It has a triangular footprint with the main elements being “The Column” consisting of 19 stainless steel solders, each over 7 feet tall.
A Photographers’ Guide to Washington DC
Information on taking photos in Washington DC, including tips for monuments, landmarks, neighborhoods, and events.
Photography & Filming Permits & Permissions in Washington DC
If you plan a commercial photo shoot or video filming in the Washington DC area, you might require a permit. Here are some contact details for applying for them.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall near the Lincoln Memorial memorializes Americans who served and died in the Vietnam War. The reflective wall, in particular, offers some interesting photo opportunities.
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum National Mall Building
There are only a handful of museums in the world that get more visitors than the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum on the National Mall. It’s a wonderful showcase of all things to do with space exploration and flight.
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center is an impressive and large addition to the museum’s exhibit space.
Pentagon Memorial
The Pentagon Memorial commemorates the 184 victims of the September 11, 2001, attack on the Pentagon.
United States Air Force Memorial
The United States Air Force Memorial, in a small, raised space between Arlington National Cemetery and the Pentagon, was opened in October 2006.
National World War II Memorial
The National World War II Memorial sits at the opposite end of the Reflecting Pool from the Lincoln Memorial and not far from the Washington Monument.
Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally
Every Memorial Day weekend, thousands of motorbike-riding military veterans descend on Washington DC for the annual Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally.
Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is probably the most famous cemetery in the United States. Directly across the Potomac from the Lincoln Memorial, and connected by Memorial Bridge, it occupies a 624-acre site next to the Pentagon.
Best Places to Find Out What’s Happening in Washington DC
Here are some useful resources for finding out what’s going down in the DC area.
The Jefferson Memorial
Sitting on an island on the southern axis of the National Mall, the Jefferson Memorial is dedicated to one of the most famous and influential of the Founding Fathers.
Lincoln Memorial
The Lincoln Memorial is one of the grandest and most distinctive of Washington’s monuments. Anchoring the western end of the National Mall and framed by the Reflecting Pool, it’s an outsized tribute to an American president who played an outsized role in America’s history: Abraham Lincoln.
Supermoon Rising Over Washington DC
Photos of the Supermoon of 2011 (March 19) rising over Washington DC’s skyline. It was the biggest full moon since 1993 and we had clear skies.
