Tag Archives: Capitol

I Can Never Get Enough

US Capitol, Washington DC

Every time I visit Washington DC and walk around the Capitol, chills run through my body.  Being there gives me a perspective of our history and what our Nation represents.  Looking at the Capitol reflecting on the water, caused me to reflect in turn about how our Nation has grown and changed over the years.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Capitol with my Aunt.  It was her first trip.  Visiting Washington DC was one thing that she wanted to do before she passed.  Walking with her, I could see the sparkle in her eyes and the pride she had on her face.  Her parting remark was that every child should visit Washington DC to gain a perspective of what our Nation is really about.

I have been lucky over the years to have had the opportunity to live in the Washington DC area and visit the Capitol many times. Prior to 911, access to the Senate and House chambers was not restricted.  I recall sitting up in the galleries listening to various sessions.  What a great experience that was.

I still try to visit Washington DC on a relatively frequent basis.  I can never get enough!

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How Lucky We Are!

Civil War Monument and Capitol, WDC

How lucky we are to live in such a great Nation! The current time is extremely challenging and full of discord.  But it is not even close to the times our Nation bas persevered in the past.  On a recent visit to Washington DC, I walked by this Civil War Memorial sculpture with the Capitol in the background.  It stimulated me to think about what our Nation was going through over 150 years ago.  So no matter how bad we may think things are now, lets have the strength and confidence that we all will survive together as a united Nation.

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An Exercise in Balance

130610_Capitol dome_inside by Karl G. Graf.

This image was taken looking straight up inside the Capitol Dome.  It was a exercise in balance from two perspectives.  First, I worked hard to balance the image from side to side and top to bottom.  The image is not cropped.  The second perspective was to keep my physical balance as I stood looking straight up with my camera. To compensate for my dizziness I had to shoot at 1/250 second at ISO 3200.  The second perspective of balance was much harder for me.

I have been inside the Capitol several times over the past years.  Access inside the building has changed over time.  When we lived in the DC area in the mid-80’s, one could enter the building and explore without being on a scheduled tour.  I recall times when I could just walk into the Senate and House galleries and observe sessions in progress.  Not so any more, times change … many times not for the best.

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The Capitol in the Golden Hour

130609_Capitol by Karl G. Graf.

We first stopped by the Capitol at mid-day.  It radiated its brilliant white marble color.  We came back later in the early evening at about 8:00 pm as the setting sun was casting its brilliant golden sheen on the dome.  This image was taken as we were walking back to the tour bus.  I turned around for one last look and saw the dome nicely framed by trees along the sidewalk.  I have learned over time to continuously look up, down, back, and all around as I stroll along.  I can never tell where the next image is waiting to be captured.

For reference, below is a mid-day shot of the Capitol.

130609_Capitol_mid-day by Karl G. Graf.

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