ANGELA B. PAN

Now today I feel like it is the first official day of the new year. LOL, right?

I’m not sure if I mentioned this earlier, but I had to get my camera repaired when I got back from Florida last month. My camera got too wet in Taiwan and started malfunctioning a bit but I didn’t want to be without it in Destin, FL. So when I got back, I sent it out for a little TLC to make sure everything would run smoothly.

I was away from my camera for a few weeks and by the end of December, I was really missing it. When I finally got it back in the mail, I couldn’t wait to start shooting again so I woke up for the sunrise the very next day. I think I was just so eager to get back out there, that I ended up getting the very first parking spot on Parkway Drive. It’s a great spot to park if you’re ever headed to the Lincoln Memorial or Reflecting Pool.

So as I was paying for my parking, I noticed the reflections of the memorial in my car. I think it turned out pretty cool but an unexpected surprise is a glow on the rumble strips on the street. I really like how that turned out.

My camera settings for this image are F5.6 at 2 seconds and ISO 400 with my Sony A7II and 35mm.

Finally! That time of year again 🙂 It’s finally starting to feel like autumn in the DC area with the crispy air. Morning walks with Frankie are requiring a light jacket and I couldn’t be more excited. It’s got me thinking about Shenandoah National Park and surrounding areas to go on the hunt for some color and I’ve already started a to-do list. But in the meantime, I’ve been checking things out locally. Right now, it’s still looking kinda green with a little color but I’m keeping a close eye on it.

This image isn’t technically fall color because these were just yellow plants in front of Netherlands Carillon and I photographed them in 80-degree weather but it reminds me of the type of images the season will bring 🙂 To be completely honest, this reminds of the yellow brick road leading to the Emerald City. LOL.

Either way, autumn color here I come! I’m hyped!

My camera settings for this image is F8 at 1/1000th sec and ISO 500 with my Sony A7II and 70-200mm

So my favorite view from the Washington Monument was definitely facing west with views of the World War II Memorial, Reflecting Pool and the Lincoln Memorial. It may have been because we were there around sunset and obviously you want to be facing west, but it was the Reflecting Pool that kept on catching my eye. I couldn’t believe how still and peaceful the water looked. It literally looked like glass from above.

But out of the corner of my eye, I noticed an airplane flying by in the sky and you could see it in the reflecting pool. It was the coolest thing ever. Luckily, at that time of the night, there’s pretty much an airplane that flys by ever ten minutes. So I just waited a bit for another one to come and tried my best to capture it in the reflection.

I also love seeing all the traffic around the memorial and into Arlington, Virginia. GAH I love these elevated views. Can’t wait to go up in the Washington Monument again to capture some more!

If you have any questions about getting tickets or what it’s like up there, please feel free to let me know. I’m currently writing a guide that will explain the process.

My camera settings for this image are F4.5 at 1/30th sec and ISO 1000 with my Sony A7II and 70-200mm zoom lens.

It’s been a while since I’ve photographed the World War II Memorial in Washington DC. Sometimes the fountains aren’t on in the mornings and in the evening, it can get really packed with visitors. And especially on hot days, people like to soak their feet in the water. So for a while, I just pretty much skipped the entire memorial and went straight for the Washington Monument or Lincoln Memorial.

But I’m glad I went back!

I was out with my friend, Birch just walking around and talking when she asked if we could stop by the memorial. There had been a shot that she’s been wanting to get but never was able to. Of course, I said yes, so while she was trying to get her shot, I sat down on the steps to capture this one. I loved how the fountains looked like they were right by the Lincoln Memorial but I loved the silhouettes the Lincoln Memorial was helping to create. So I just sat there waiting for the precise moment to capture somebody walking by without too many other people in the foreground. I like the way it came out because there are just so many different layers to look at. And especially if you’re familiar with this memorial, you know there’s at least a good 2,000 ft between the World War II Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial.

My camera settings for this image is F4 at 1/30th sec and ISO 4000 with my Sony A7II and 70-200mm zoom.

Confused by what sights to see on your short visit to Washington DC?

There are so many monuments, memorials, and museums. Where do you even start?

If want to know the absolute best of the best things to see in Washington DC, keep on scrolling. This guide is for you!

I’ve lived in the Washington DC area my entire life and in that time I’ve gotten to know the city very well. It has changed so much in the past few years that it may be hard to keep up with all the new and fun things to see. Sometimes I even think it’s hard to keep up with all that is going on. There have been new museums, memorials and points of interest that would be fun for a solo traveler as well as families all at the same time.

So in this guide, I will share some highlights of my favorite sights as a Washington DC native and photographer.

My 7 Favorite Must-See Sights in Washington DC:

Click here to read more

We had a couple of thunderstorm warnings last week but for some reason, none of them really came to be. I’m still on the hunt to capture a lightning strike this summer so I tried my best to get out there to try to capture the weather. But when the actual rain didn’t happen, I was fortunate enough to still be able to at least capture this beautiful sunset.

I love how the colors in the sky are in line with the trees and it just looks like a band of color stretched across the entire image. I will be honest and say that I got rid of some of the people on the left-hand side. Just one small group of people because they were wearing really bright clothes and it was distracting to see them in the dark trees. I wanted to make sure that the focus was entirely on the Lincoln Memorial and the amazing sunset.

Hopefully, the storm warnings we have this week will actually come to be.

PS If you’re not subscribed to the newsletter, you need to be. I send them out on the first of the month and you will almost always see unpublished photos to the blog first and special goodies just for newsletter subscribers. It’s always a good time. Click here to sign up

My camera settings for this image is F16 at 1/4th sec and ISO 400 with my Sony A7II and 16-35mm wide-angle lens.