Thomas Jefferson Memorial at sunset

On a recent visit to the District of Columbia, Dorothy and I were on our way to the airport with something unusual for us … plenty of time. I purposely took the route through the center of DC because I really enjoy seeing the monuments. Though we spent plenty of time stuck in heavy traffic,  … it was worth it! We were able to pass by the Thomas Jefferson Memorial at sunset, something that I’ve wanted to do for the past half dozen trips to the area.

Jefferson Memorial at sunset
I setup my tripod along the sidewalk in the parking lot across the Tidal Basin with this great view facing southwest into the sunset. Larry Shapiro photo

It really was perfect. The view was looking to the southwest … just as the sun was setting below the horizon line with a phenomenal gold reflecting into a sky with some light clouds.

Jefferson Memorial at sunset
A cooler tone in this image was achieved by taking a white balance reading from the stone structure of the memorial. Larry Shapiro photo
Jefferson Memorial at sunset
This image is at the naturally warmer tone with the yellow reduced from the building and reflection. Larry Shapiro photo
Jefferson Memorial at sunset
For this image I reduced the yellow cast on the memorial and cooled the overall color temperature just a few degrees. Larry Shapiro photo
Jefferson Memorial at sunset
An incredibly dramatic scene of the Jefferson Memorial from across the tidal Basin shot at 24mm. Larry Shapiro photo

I did have the opportunity recently though to photograph this late at night thanks to some help from my good friend Vito.

And … off in the distance looking toward Arlington, VA is a silhouette of the Air Force Memorial near the Pentagon.

Air Force Memorial at sunset from across the Tidal Basin
The Air Force Memorial at sunset from across the Tidal Basin. Larry Shapiro photo