The dominant landscape of my hometown region is not natural but urban.  Northern Virginia is right on the border with the capital city of Washington D.C.  When I’m not packing a tent and overnighting in the Southern Appalachians or along the Carolina coasts, the easiest destination for me to reach is the urban landscape of Washington D.C.

As a city, Washington D.C. is incredible.  The amount of architecture, monuments, bridges etc. is incredible.  And much of it is near water, either the Potomac River or reflecting pools and/or tidal basins directly related to the Potomac.  Unfortunately, however, I don’t get a comparable personal experience from photographing in a city.  

Instead of relaxing into the physical place and letting my mind get more and more curious, I generally get stressed and tight when I travel to Washington D.C.  The roads, the traffic, the parking meters, the rules, the people…it all serves to make me more aware of myself and my surroundings and less creative and into the moment.  My mother, on the other hand, loves to photograph around the city.  Trying to balance my own feelings towards shooting photographs in a city and my mother’s general desire for me to take her there more often has been one of my personal challenges.

Camera:  Nikon D810
Lens:  Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 @ 100mm
Tripod:  Really Right Stuff TVC-33

Date taken:  February 21, 2016
Settings:  f14, 8.0 seconds, iso-250