The DC Traveler

When visiting Washington, DC, it’s typical to have your photo taken in front of some of DC’s most iconic locations, such as the Jefferson Memorial, and on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. But here’s a few locations that offer a slightly different, yet memorable perspective of Washington, DC, (in no particular order).

1. Get in the front of the depression-era Bread Line at the FDR Memorial for a great photo op.

2. Pose for a Springtime photo overlooking the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument from the tulip beds next to the Iwo Jima Memorial. The location is actually in front of the Netherlands Carillon tower, just a short walk from the Iwo Memorial. Tulips bloom in April and May and the location offers a great view of the National Mall.

3. Pick a sunny day with blue skies for a photo at the U.S. Air Force Memorial, overlooking the Pentagon and planes landing at Reagan National Airport.

4. Enjoy the beauty of nature during the annual blooming of the lotus flowers at Kenilworth Gardens. Lotus and lilies bloom all summer, starting in late June and make a great location for a portrait or family photo.

5. Visit one of the prettiest waterfalls on the East Coast, at Great Falls National Park. Climb the rocks and smile for a picture post card photo as the water rushes over the falls in the background.

6. Hold the Washington Monument in your hand. No, not by purchasing a desktop souvenir. From the base of the Lincoln Memorial, stand with your back to the Reflecting Poll and the Washington Monument, hold out your hand, palm up and have the person taking the photo position your hand at the base of the memorial. It makes for a fun and memorable photo.

7. Pose next to one of the World’s Largest Chairs, all 19½ feet of it. Built in 1958, chair was created by the Bassett Furniture Co. for a local Anacostia furniture retailer. After the original wooden chair decayed beyond repair, it was replaced in 2006, with an replica made from aluminum. It’s located at 2101 Martin Luther King Ave. SE, in Washington, DC.

8. Most people who visit the White House, take photos from the picturesque South Lawn. But along the fence at the front of the White House, on Pennsylvania Ave, between East and West Executive Avenues, there are usually a couple vendors with life sized cut-outs of the President and other political figures (Bill Clinton, Hillary, etc.). For just a few bucks, you can pose with the President or one of the other cut-outs at the fence overlooking the White House.

Opt to use your camera and take your own photo, as the Polaroid’s the vendors offer aren’t the best quality, plus using your camera is usually cheaper.

9. Have your photo taken in front of the Capitol Building columns. The picturesque original Capitol Building columns that were relocated to a hill at the National Arboretum in 1984.

10. Exercise your First Amendment right to assemble peaceably and join in on one of the many protest marches or rallies that occur somewhere around the National Mall just about every weekend. Just ask one of the protesters to borrow a sign and smile while someone takes your photo. The cause doesn’t really matter - it’s all about the photo op and saying “I was there!!”

Where’s your favorite place for an alternative photo in DC? Just leave a comment to share your favorite place.

Images - Flickr - Chair & Santa, all others from personal collection, © 2008 - Jon Rochetti

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