Field Trips: Tidal Basin

The nearest metro stop, Smithsonian (blue line), is a 1 mile hike.

The Tidal Basin is more than a Mecca for spring time photographers.  Join us as we explore the Thomas Jefferson Memorial and cherry trees of the Tidal Basin as they strut their golden yellow, orange, and red fall foliage.  Stay a little longer and take a walk through the nearby Franklin D. Roosevelt and Martin Luther King memorials for more compositions.  The FDR memorial features sculptures depicting various scenes from the Great Depression and the MLK memorial features a massive granite figure of the man himself full of details.  Paths between these memorials are lined with more cherry trees so the canopy of colors should be vibrant.

Sunrise is at 7:31am EDT
Sunset is 6:12pm EDT


Equipment:

* Bring any lens that helps your creativity.  There will be lots of compositions for lenses in the range 24-70mm and 70-200mm.  You may even find a use for a macro lens depending on your ambitions.
* Remember to bring a polarizer and consider packing a graduated ND filter if you want to get a sunrise shot of the Thomas Jefferson memorial.  An ND filter would be a must if you want to eliminate other tourists from your images.  You probably won’t need a flash.
* Tripods are are prohibited inside the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, but you can use them with care outside.
* Weather should be temperate, but it might be chilly in the early morning.  We’ll hope for fog, clear horizons, high pressure clouds, and anything else that will make our trip memorable.
* The Thomas Jefferson memorial has a public bathroom nearby.  The FDR memorial also has public bathrooms at either end.  Park benches dot the path along the Tidal Basin.


When:

Saturday, October 28, 2023 from 7:00am to 10:00am
Sunday, October 29, 2023 from 7:00am to 10:00am (Rain Date)


Where:

Our group will meet outside the front of the Thomas Jefferson memorial at the base of the stairs.  We’ll have our customary socializing and determine if weather permits a sunrise shot.  We’ll make any additional planning during this meeting.


Directions:

Ohio Drive SW – approach is recommended from the Arlington Memorial Bridge.  Keep right as you enter the district and take the second right.  Cross the intersection with Independence Ave SW, drive until you come upon the baseball diamonds on your left, and begin your hunt for a parking spot.

Parking Lot A – if you do not find any spots on Ohio Dr SW or you simply want to park closer to the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, parking lot A is located off Ohio Dr. just past the 395 overpass.  If the lot is full try lot B or C. If those lots are full too, try the parking lot across the Basin near the paddle boats off Maine Ave SW.

Bring a credit card or use a parking app to pay ($2.30 per hour) for parking.  All parking spots are maintained by the National Park Service and have a three hour limit.

Free parking is further down Ohio Dr. near East Potomac Park / Haines Point.  

We hope you can join us!

Rena Schild and Steven Glintz

Field Trip Coordinators 2022-2023

* Photographs courtesy Judy McGuire