My son and I just returned from a trip to our nation’s capital and surrounding colonial towns, including Williamsburg. Every city presents unique challenges for photographers and the capital is no different. Here are a few tips to prepare for your photo journey.
First, Washington is a classic example of a city that seems safe, clean, almost parochial on the surface…but venture outside the confines of the more secure tourist areas and you can find yourself in harm’s way in a, well…”New York minute.” So the first rule is to limit your night shooting to places where you aren’t going to be alone.
Second, shoot at dawn and at sunset. The city’s monuments and reflection ponds absolutely come alive when the light is warm and slanting. And pack a miniature tripod even for day walks; you will find it a critical tool as most sites are crowded and you can sneak in a tripod pretty easily where they are otherwise not allowed. In the evening, the memorials that shoot well are Iwo Jima, Jefferson, and the Capitol building. The Lincoln Memorial, Arlington Cemetary, Vietnam, and World War II face the rising sun and are better then.
Third, the downtown area offers wonderful urban landscapes and a long list of historical sites. The reflections early and late in the day from glass buildings onto historical facades, especially in Chinatown, is a color shooter’s dream. Ford’s theatre (where Lincoln was shot) and the Spy Museum are de riguer. At Ford’s you can fire a fill flash but photography is not allowed at the Spy Museum, so pack a tiny camera here if you need something special (like shots of Cold War spy cameras, famous spies, etc). The Natural History Museum is worth a whole day, with fabulous dinosaur, gem (great close-ups), and mammal exhibits. In fact, right now a must-see there is the gallery show of Nature Photography award winners. This show is utterly fabulous, both for the number of astounding images of nature but also to see what modern printing processes are now capable of in creating huge prints. The technical information for each shot is provided so you can judge for yourself how digital capture and film really compare. What amazed me was the grainless super-saturated resolution that was achieved in 3′x5′ (yes, that’s ‘foot’!) prints from both digital 35mm and film. You will see gigantic prints captured with a Leica on Velvia next to those captured at 800ASA using a Nikon D2 — and the results are fabulous in nearly all cases. The two mediums offer slight differences in look and patina to be sure, but in terms of sharpness and color the two are clearly on a par, at least in the 35mm format. There was only one image shot in medium format, and it was indeed sharper with more resolution, but for this subject, the 35 format obvously works wonders even with the final print being 4 feet by 6 feet. (I will be looking for detailed info on how exactly the printers achieved this and posting soon.) In short, see this show!
Many historical sites try to limit shooting by “professional” photographers using a tripod and high-res gear. The trick is to limit what you carry and basically, look like a bonehead from mid-America shuffling through Bush country. And this means both traveling light and knowing ahead of time what you’re looking for in your images. I shot film since I wanted to create a certain effect with high-grain black-and-white prints accentuating the militaristic in the capital’s monuments and architecture. So I carried only a Contax G2 and an old Nikon F3 with an 80-400mm. That was plenty to be inconspicuous but also come home with what I wanted. A fill flash is also important, with an extension cable. If you have a friend with you, consider a flash transmitter so you can achieve angles with your fill, while moving quickly and shooting with the herd. Lastly, a polarizer is essential with the white buildings in the sun.
In Williamsburg and other colonial sites, the early and late light brings the tree-lined lanes and brick facades alive. Use a tripod and get out at the crack of dawn, which in the summer is about 5:30am. The Williamsburg Inn offers very fine views inside and throughout its grounds (this is where the Queen stayed recently). The opportunity to shoot colonial reeanactments presents itself at every turn. Be ready with a fast system, fill flash, and a zoom lens. You never know when a local will appear around a corner wearing 17th century garb or a parade of revolutionary army volunteers will march down main street. I would suggest a 35mm SLR with a 28-70mm and a 70-200mm, with a fill flash since many shops and their authentic workers toil in dimly-lit areas. In short, photographing here is like shooting on a Hollywood movie set…you have to be ready when the light and the actors all converge to create something great.
