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A Sunny Day at the CapitolIn the nearly three years since I last turned my camera's eye on the United States Capitol for a photography set in The Schumin Web Salutes America, a lot has changed. Security regulations now prohibit people from going up the Capitol's steps without a ticket. Additionally, the area outside the East Front of the Capitol is now all torn up as part of construction of a new visitors' center. However, on the ground in front of the Capitol's West Front, which faces the National Mall and the Washington Monument and such, the area is very much like a public square. Pigeons and squirrels go about in their hunt for food. Tourists, sensing a "Kodak Moment", get their travel companions and also passers-by to take photographs of them in front of the Capitol. And it's also the place to make a political statement and get seen by a lot of people, both in leadership positions in government, and also the average American.
The West Front shines brightly in the sunlight as a proud symbol of our nation.
Our nation's flag flies proudly in front of the Dome.
Beneath the Dome, our nation's legislative business is attended to. (Note: See the small blue flag near the center of the photo? That has no symbolism whatsoever - it has a practical purpose: directing tourists to where they need to go.)
Crowning the Dome is the Statue of Freedom.
As well as housing our legislative bodies, the Capitol has great symbolic value to our nation, making it a popular place for tourists to have their pictures taken.
The view from the Capitol is indeed majestic, with statues and the reflecting pool nearby, the Washington Monument a ways away, the dome of the Smithsonian Natural History Museum at right, and the Lincoln Memorial and the skyscrapers of Rosslyn off in the distance.
Meanwhile, just beyond a retaining wall, a small but determined group of people hold a silent vigil in protest of the occupation of Iraq on the year anniversary of the US invasion.
Later on that day, in the evening, the Capitol shines almost a golden color in the setting sun, as another day is put to rest. These two photos were taken from Freedom Plaza, in Northwest DC. As you can see based on this photo looking up Pennsylvania Avenue, the Capitol is the centerpiece of the city. |
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