TimothyHyde
Subscriber Member
Lloyd-
Yes, I used a tripod. I have been shooting on and around the Mall for many years; the rules are fairly fixed but their enforcement is completely arbitrary. I have been thrown out of and away from all of the monuments many times in the past fifteen years because one of the National Park Police or Rangers take it into his or her head to accuse me of "erecting a temporary structure," or some other rule. One of the reasons I migrated from a 5x7 view camera to Hasselblad was that I was continually asked for my "commercial license." I actually tried to get a commercial license once to avoid this harassment, and was laughed out of the police media office (which issues such licenses) with the explanation that they are for big film crews with trucks and cranes. This explanation helped me nada the next time I was harassed. I have found that with the Hassey and tripod, I can pretty much complete my shoot and get out before they kick me out.
That being said, here are the real rules, roughly. You can have a tripod anywhere on the Mall itself, as long as you are not on the 1) the steps of the Lincoln or Jefferson, 2) on the paving stones or walkways of the Franklin or Washington, or anywhere on the Capitol grounds at all, anywhere on that block bound by the streets surrounding the Capitol. If you understand and stick to these rules, you are less likely to be hassled.
Mal: as for the cropping, this is a pretty tight crop for me (done with my feet). I am better known for putting the human structures into their proper perspective, which is small buildings and big sky and foreground. I will post a more tradition (for me) shot of the Capitol later this morning.
Yes, I used a tripod. I have been shooting on and around the Mall for many years; the rules are fairly fixed but their enforcement is completely arbitrary. I have been thrown out of and away from all of the monuments many times in the past fifteen years because one of the National Park Police or Rangers take it into his or her head to accuse me of "erecting a temporary structure," or some other rule. One of the reasons I migrated from a 5x7 view camera to Hasselblad was that I was continually asked for my "commercial license." I actually tried to get a commercial license once to avoid this harassment, and was laughed out of the police media office (which issues such licenses) with the explanation that they are for big film crews with trucks and cranes. This explanation helped me nada the next time I was harassed. I have found that with the Hassey and tripod, I can pretty much complete my shoot and get out before they kick me out.
That being said, here are the real rules, roughly. You can have a tripod anywhere on the Mall itself, as long as you are not on the 1) the steps of the Lincoln or Jefferson, 2) on the paving stones or walkways of the Franklin or Washington, or anywhere on the Capitol grounds at all, anywhere on that block bound by the streets surrounding the Capitol. If you understand and stick to these rules, you are less likely to be hassled.
Mal: as for the cropping, this is a pretty tight crop for me (done with my feet). I am better known for putting the human structures into their proper perspective, which is small buildings and big sky and foreground. I will post a more tradition (for me) shot of the Capitol later this morning.