It’s high time I finally post this list… these are all locations around the DC area that I’d like to photograph this summer. And I mean do it right; film camera and a few hours to walk around and shoot a roll or two of film. Some may require more than one trip since I’d like to get some pictures dawn, dusk, mid-morning or late afternoon for their differing lighting conditions. It’s a tall order for someone who has so little free time as is and happens to now be planning a wedding, combined with an abnormal amount of out-of-town travel this summer, so we’ll see how this goes.

And so, in no particular order, the locations are as follows:

• National Museum of the American Indian: the most recent addition to the National Mall, the NMAI stands out like a sore thumb, at least for the time being. Architecturally, it’s a bold form of billowing, monochromatic curves intended to evoke a wind-swept rock formation of, say, the American Southwest.

• Third Church of Christ, Scientist: just from reading my blog, you should be somewhat familiar with this church by now. It’s a Brutalist-style concrete hexagon that is now almost sure to come down at the hands of a wrecking ball. Though some more minor roadblocks still stand, the greater weight of historic preservation has been lifted. At this point, it’s only a matter of time, so this one is on the top of my list.
• National World War II Memorial: a rather heated debate surrounded the design and eventual approvals of this monument, but the fact remains, there are some spectacular pictures to be had from this particular swatch of stone and water on the National Mall.
• Lincoln Memorial: a classic, of course, but my drive for this particular location stems from a desire to have pictures of Lincoln himself, bathed in the oranges and reds of sunrise over the Mall.
• National Gallery of Art, East Wing: again, the I.M. Pei-designed museum and research center is an American icon, but it’s acute angles and sharp points outside, combined with the light flowing through the interior atrium makes for lots of potential.
• Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception: from the campus of my old stomping ground, this magnificent Roman Catholic basilica stands adjacent to the Catholic University of America in a part of Washington, DC that houses numerous religious institutions. The church itself, though, Neo-Byzantine in it’s architecture, has got some great exterior angles and some amazing spaces inside.
• Theodore Roosevelt Island: situated in the Potomac River in between Rosslyn, VA and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, this is a national park that’s got a memorial plaza dedicated to Teddy, and walking trails throughout the island, which is preserved in it’s natural condition.
• Gravelly Point: I’ve been here before for pictures, but I’d like to get back. The park, located a few hundred feet from the end of one of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport’s main runways, it offers some of the best views of incoming and outgoing commercial jets in the United States. My first time there, planes happened to be landing, but I’d like to go back for planes taking off.
• United States National Arboretum: again, I’ve been here before, but never up to the old Capitol columns. That’s the primary purpose for my next visit…
• Meridian Hill Park: well to be honest, I don’t quite know much about this park, but I know I want to go there with a roll of film. I’ve heard people speak of the steps, the fountain, the people, etc. So, I figured, why not?

As you can see, I’ve got my work cut out for me in what is already a busy summer, so please keep your fingers crossed!