Field Trip: “Smorgasbord”
August 29 @ 6:00 am – 10:00 am
NVPS August 2026 Field Trip
“Smorgasbord”
Let’s try something different this month! Our normal field trip often explores a single location or venue in depth, with time to ponder, photograph, and explore in detail. Very good for single locations with multiple things to photograph. This month you are invited to sample several smaller venues or locations where there may be only one or a few great views – a “Smorgasbord” where you choose locations from the list below that interest you. Or think of it as a “sampler”. Start anytime 6:00 AM or later at a location of your choosing; End at Panera Bread on Elden Street in Herndon about 10:00 AM. At Panera we will grab a snack or drink and share with each other how the morning went along with a few of our “finds” from our cameras and phones.
For those of us that are adventurous and are willing to get started early we have identified sites that could provide excellent “Pre-Sunrise” (6:00 AM–6:34 AM). For the rest we have “Sunrise/Golden Hour” (6:34 AM–7:35 AM) and “Later Morning” (after 7:35 AM) for your reference.
When:
Saturday, 29-Aug-2026 6:00 AM (or later) to 10:00 AM.
Post-Shoot Meeting Location:
Panera Bread;10:00 AM; 460 Elden St, Herndon, VA 20170
Where:
Arlington to Herndon Corridor – You choose your own locations and route. You can find full details for each location in the “Location Details” later in the document.
• Bon Air Rose Garden, Arlington
• Cherry Hill Farmhouse, Falls Church
• Colvin Run Mill, Great Falls
• Hendry House and Gardens, Arlington
• Herndon Depot Museum, Historic Herndon, Herndon
• Lake Anne Plaza, Reston
• Marine Corps War Memorial & Netherlands Carillon, Arlington
• Reston Station, Reston
To help identify places to start here is a table of locations that may provide “excellent” light by time of the morning:
| Pre-Sunrise | Sunrise/Golden Hour | Later Morning |
| Herndon Depot Museum(Exterior), Historic Herndon, Herndon | Bon Air Rose Garden, Arlington | Lake Anne Plaza, Reston |
| Lake Anne Plaza, Reston | Cherry Hill Farmhouse, Falls Church | Reston Station, Reston |
| Marine Corps War Memorial & Netherlands Carillon, Arlington | Hendry House and Gardens, Arlington | |
| Reston Station / Wiehle-Reston Metro Area, Reston | Marine Corps War Memorial & Netherlands Carillon, Arlington |
Equipment and Notes:
● There are a variety of locations and styles from Macro to architecture, flowers to memorials. There are multiple photographic and equipment strategies from bringing a single camera and lens to putting your “kit” in the back of the car and choosing different equipment at different locations. Smartphone photographers will find lots of different opportunities to use anything from “basic and simple” JPEG images to trying out those new “pro” or “advanced” modes and RAW capabilities.
● For Sunrise shooting you may want a tripod
● To capture morning “sun stars” any lens used with a small aperture (at least f11, preferably f16 to f32) is useful
Location Details
Time Key:
• Pre-Sunrise = 6:00–6:34 AM
• Sunrise/Golden Hour = 6:34 AM–7:35 AM
• Later Morning = after 7:35 AM
• Ratings: Excellent, Good, Poor
Bon Air Rose Garden
Features: Memorial Rose Garden; Flowers; Macro; Ornamental and Teaching Gardens
Time: Pre-Sunrise: Poor | Sunrise/Golden Hour: Excellent | Later Morning: Poor
Address: 850 N Lexington St, Arlington, VA 22205
Parking: Parking lot at the above address
Apple: https://maps.apple.com/?q=850%20N%20Lexington%20St%2C%20Arlington%2C%20VA%2022205
Google: https://maps.google.com/?q=850%20N%20Lexington%20St%2C%20Arlington%2C%20VA%2022205
Cherry Hill Farmhouse
Features: Historic Farmhouse; Greek Revival Architecture; Mid-19th-Century Barn; Park Landscape
Time: Pre-Sunrise: Good | Sunrise/Golden Hour: Excellent | Later Morning: Good
Address: 312 Park Ave, Falls Church, VA 22046
Parking: On-street parking in front of Cherry Hill Farmhouse, or Falls Church Government Center lots on Little Falls Street
Colvin Run Mill
Features: Historic Working Mill; Miller’s House; General Store; Millrace and Water Features; Wooded Grounds
Time: Pre-Sunrise: Good | Sunrise/Golden Hour: Good | Later Morning: Good
Address: 10017 Colvin Run Rd, Great Falls, VA 22066
Parking: Parking lot at the above address
Hendry House and Gardens
Features: Historic House; Victorian Architecture; Gardens; Civil War Earthworks; Meadow and Mature Trees
Time: Pre-Sunrise: Good | Sunrise/Golden Hour: Excellent | Later Morning: Good
Address: An exact address that navigation systems can use was difficult to identify, so instead the Latitude/Longitude is provided, along with text directions from Eastbound I66
Parking: Parking lot at 38.901334, -77.088162
Directions from Eastbound I66:
• Follow I66 Eastbound
• Take exit 72 for US-29/Langston Blvd toward Spout Run Pkwy
• Turn right onto US-29 N/Langston Blvd
• Turn left onto N Spout Run Pkwy
• Continue on Lorcom Ln to your destination
• Turn left onto Lorcom Ln
• Turn right onto N Edgewood St
• Turn right onto 24th St N
• Pass the Service Entrance to Hendry House
• Turn left into the parking lot
Herndon Depot Museum, Historic Herndon
Features: Historic Railroad Depot; Railroad History; Caboose; Historic Streetscape; W&OD Trail Corridor
Time: Pre-Sunrise: Excellent | Sunrise/Golden Hour: Good | Later Morning: Good
Address: Parking for both locations at 731 Station St, Herndon, VA 20170
Parking: Parking lot at the above address
Lake Anne Plaza
Features: Mid-Century Modern Architecture; Waterfront Plaza; Public Art; Fountain; Reflections; Streetscape
Time: Pre-Sunrise: Excellent | Sunrise/Golden Hour: Good | Later Morning: Excellent
Address: 1609 Washington Plaza N, Reston, VA 20190
Parking: Parking lot at the above address
Access: Go through retail area to find Lake Anne
Marine Corps War Memorial & Netherlands Carillon
Features: Memorial; Netherlands Carillon; Formal Grounds; Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and U.S. Capitol Views; Sunrise Skyline
Time: Pre-Sunrise: Excellent | Sunrise/Golden Hour: Excellent | Later Morning: Good
Address: An exact address that navigation systems can use was difficult to identify, so instead the Latitude/Longitude is provided along with text directions from Eastbound Route 50.
Parking: Parking lot at 38.890368, -77.071210
Directions from Eastbound US 50:
• Follow US Rt 50 Eastbound
• Take the N Rolfe St exit
• Follow Arlington Blvd Service Road past several streets. It will curve to the right
• Turn right onto N Meade St
• Turn left onto Marshall Dr
• Turn left onto Iwo Jima Access Road (unmarked)
Reston Station / Wiehle-Reston Metro Area
Features: Contemporary Architecture; Transit-Oriented Design; Urban Plazas; Glass, Steel, Patterns, and Reflections
Time: Pre-Sunrise: Excellent | Sunrise/Golden Hour: Good | Later Morning: Excellent
Note: You should be able to photograph from public streets as early as 6:00 AM, for access within Reston Station itself you will need to wait until 7:00 AM
Address: 11300 Sunset Hills Rd, Reston, VA 20190
Parking: Commuter parking lot at the above address
Access: Cross Sunset Hills Rd at Wiehle Ave, then proceed on Wiehle Ave and turn left into retail and hotel area.
Seton Droppers, Field Trip Coordination, 2026-27