I went to Washington DC to visit a friend and experience July 4th in the nation’s capital. On the night of July 4th, we celebrated at a rather fancy do on a rooftop in Georgetown, with a catered buffet, cocktails galore and a great view of the fireworks. I was informed that no native DC resident would ever consider making their way down to the Mall on Independence Day – the rooftops are where all self-respecting DC inhabitants watch the fireworks.
The grand finale
Festivities over and a good night’s sleep behind me, I took off to explore DC. As darkness fell, it became apparent that DC is a city that has got to be viewed at night time. If you only see it during the day, you’re missing out. Here are a few of the lovely sights I saw under cover of the night.
Jefferson Memorial at night
I love this one. I had my camera set on long exposure to photograph the Lincoln Memorial, and a mother and daughter crossed into the frame, giving a rather ghostly effect.
Crossing the road to catch the last bus, I saw a spooky moon above the illuminated Capitol Building. I had to grab a quick shot.
Do you have a place you love viewing at night? I’m looking forward to seeing your take on this week’s travel theme.
xxx Ailsa
Where's my backpack? 
Hi Ailsa, I think the photo with the walkers is intriguing. I looked at it for a few moments before reading the commentary. I had decided they were shadows, but now I understand they do have substance. And I love the moon shot. I noticed myself that the moon has been big and beautiful for the past few nights. I submitted a post on ‘Night’ back in February, so I’ll point you to it: http://soundslikewish.wordpress.com/2012/02/26/february-photo-challenge-26th-feb-night/
Lovely, Trish, I love the shot of the fellucas you link to too!
Thanks Ailsa.
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Dear Ailsa,
This time you made it really easy for me.
Looks as if you read my mind.
Two days ago I already posted the picture for this challenge, can you believe that?
http://dagendauw.blogspot.be/2012/07/droomtijd.html
A hug from
– Dauw –
A really beautiful image, Dauw, definitely evokes the night! xxx
Oh, and I forgot to mention how I liked your last picture with the moon in the corner and the previous one with the ghostwalkers … They’re really beautiful
I especially like to look at a starry sky at night. It puts all human-worries in the right perspective I think. That’s also what my entry is about. =)
Glad you liked my photos, and yes, I love a starry night too – don’t get to see too many stars in New York because of the light pollution. 😦
I can imagine. Even here we have a problem with it and I don’t live in a big city…
The most beautifull sky I can recall was the one in the dessert near Douz in Tunesia.
Very impressive! I’ll never forget the calm silence there … And the big pale moon like a cradle =)
I love your second picture! It looks like a magic temple or something like this 🙂 I love cities at night, unfortunately I often don’t manage to get good pictures at night, they are all blurry… 😦 will try to find something nice 😉 I wish I could see NY by night, it must be beautiful… hopefully one day 🙂 thanks for the theme, have a nice weekend!
I know, night photography can be tricky, but once in a while you can capture something fun. Capturing shots at night in NY is pretty easy, actually, because it never really gets dark with all that neon! 🙂
These night photos are really fabulous, ailsa, especially the one of the Jefferson Memorial. It sounds as though you had a great 4th July celebration. Lucky you to view that firework display from such a good vantage point. I don’t think I have any real night pics, only early evening ones. 😉
Early evening works just fine, adinparadise 🙂 Yes, the fireworks were fantastic, although, like all fireworks displays, they ended far too soon 🙂
Great shots! My old stomping grounds….DC really is beautiful at night and you captured it most splendidly;o)
It’s such a great city, Sahbinah, I can’t get over the museums here, incredible resource, you could spend weeks here and not even see the half of it.
Nice shots Ailsa! I especially like the Jefferson Memorial. Great theme..I’m off to find some night photos. 🙂
Hurrah, looking forward to what you find! xxx
Stunning shots Ailsa! Love the first two. The Jefferson memorial seems surreal! I am afraid this one is going to be a really tough one for me. You know how hopeless I am at night shots 🙂
But hopefully you’ll have fun trying, Madhu, you might surprise yourself 😉 The Jefferson was beautiful, it looked like it was floating on water! xxx Ailsa
Your photos are lovely. I love capturing ghost-walkers in long-exposure shots. I wrote about night, the moon, and people in or near such shots (a yoga dancer, beach walkers, boat captain) on my last day on the beach last January. Here is the link: http://wp.me/p1tzBV-LR
Ooh, how wonderful, Anne, the dogwalkers’ moon is my favourite, but I love your story of the yoga dancer. Really beautiful. xxx
You comments are closed but just wanted to say what a lovely post.
Thanks.
Comments are closed on the post itself, so I’ll add mine here – this is a lovely post, and the photos are exquisite – thanks for sharing your night on the beach with us!
Thanks! I appreciate you making the effort to leave a comment since it had been closed on my posts. (It’s open now.)
I love the night but the special place is my home…. I live in Milano, the biggest city in the north of Italy and my home is into a long building called “Ca Longa” (Long House). The building in the past was a farm!! Built in the ‘800 outside the city near the fortess walls, actually is really near the center. Now there aren’t animal and field around but only concrete buildings, horrible traffic and pollution.
During the night time and especially during the black out I love to go outside on the common balcony to try to understand how the people lived in this house, without electricity and hot water…..
Here the “Ca Longa” photo by night
http://pdf34.wordpress.com/2012/03/19/black-out/
Great shot, badflea, almost like a flash back to simpler times. There’s a surprising amount of detail, despite the low light, really intriguing to look at.
The memorials in the Mall look all a glow in your photos. Lincoln’s Tomb is my favorite one of them all.
The whole city seems to glow, c & c, like a great big Christmas tree 🙂 Couldn’t stop taking photos, but have been out and about so much that I haven’t had a chance to go through them yet.
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I love your post and idea for this theme. The photos of city of Washington D.C. at night are wonderful. Here is my entry for Travel Theme: Night http://wp.me/p23TG1-XE
BE ENCOURAGED! BE BLESSED!
Excellent shots of Pittsburgh by night, Francine. I’ve never been, but it sounds like a great city to live in. xxx
I love the Lincoln Memorial. Now I do even more. 🙂
I got some really lovely ones earlier in the day, when the sprinklers were on and the memorial was perfectly reflected – goodness, I’ve taken so many photos while I’ve been here, and seen so many memorials, and oh, those museums, incredible!
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These are lovely, I have to agree with firstandfabulous the Lincoln Memorial is fantastic.
Thanks, gingerbread, there’s so many wonderful structures here it’s a photographer’s dream 🙂
gardens look quite different by night. Here’s one in Thailand and one in France.
http://wp.me/p18B5-xJ
Two very different gardens! I love parks and gardens at night, they take on quite a different appearance – white and scented gardens are especially lovely.
Love these shots, especially since I’m in the DC metro area. You’ve captured them very nicely.
Thanks, Eagle-Eyed, you live in a fantastic city – the buildings, the museums, such a wealth of things to see and do.
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Hi Alisa, sorry for not participating last week, the word ART brought so much to mind that I couldn’t decide, so I took a pass.
here is my entry for this week, a bit different that what you might expect, hope you like it, Emma
http://emma1988paris.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/travel-theme-night/
This is awesome, Emma, it’s almost like the night time sky, but deep underground, how beautiful.
That Jefferson Memorial shot is amazing!
Thanks, Zully 🙂
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Great shots as always! I’m kinda copying! http://ayearinmyshoes.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/travel-theme-night/
Fun 🙂 Don’t you just love trying to figure out new cameras? 🙂
Hi Ailsa, I have some ghostly photos like yours but taken in the slightly less grand city of mine – Exeter!
Great theme again this week,thanks. Here is my entry http://lucidgypsy.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/travel-theme-night/
You tricked me, Gilly – I was expecting a shot of Exeter by night, and instead I get the excitement of Morocco. Fabulous shot!
Just for you, perhaps not as exciting but I love Exeter! http://lucidgypsy.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/travel-theme-night-exeter-this-time/
Love love love that you did a special extra post for me! Superb shot of Mols at night, and I thoroughly enjoyed your cathedral post too! xxx
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Great shots, I find night ones difficult, but here’s my go!
http://annarashbrook.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/travel-themenight/
I love it, Anna, very spooky indeed. Great night shot! 🙂
Hi Alisa posted my photos on Hong Kong 1st July fireworks http://travtrails.wordpress.com
Really great shots of the Victoria Harbour fireworks – I didn’t realise it was the 15th anniversary of the handover.
Hi Alisa, nice shots 🙂
I have several nightpics on my page, but I guess the one of the ruins of whitby abbey is one of my favourites… http://happyfulworld.wordpress.com/2012/07/04/in-darkness-iii-whitby/
Have nice day!
Wonderful shots, stefanini, I particularly like the reflection on the roof of your mini, it looks great and made me laugh too 🙂
Ailsa, what beautiful photos and excellent photography!
I have put my take on this challenge into a cycling article… http://riderainbow.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/travel-challenge-night/
I really enjoyed this post, Madoqua. You reminded me of a long walk back to my hostel with a couple of friends in the west of Ireland – same deal – no street lights, no road markings, it was the longest 2 miles I’ve ever walked. At one point I heard heavy breathing in my ear, nearly died of fright – it turned out to be a cow leaning over a stone wall.
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Hi Ailsa, first of all: great pics! I don’t have many night shots actually, this is the best I could find: http://ingriddendievel.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/travel-theme-night/
Oh but it’s lovely, Ingrid. Inky clouds, blue mountains, that gorgeous lake and a chink of moon, just wonderful. xxx
Somebody’s having a grumpy night! http://projectmagellan.net/2012/07/08/travel-theme-night/
Haha, fun shot, Miguel 🙂
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Ok here is my night/moon shot 🙂
http://canadiantravelbugs.wordpress.com/2012/07/08/travel-theme-photo-challenge-night/
You must have been in the middle of nowhere to get a shot of the moon like that with no other light source around. Where did you take it? xxx Ailsa
It is taken outside of St. Catharines/Welland, Ontario (between them). Yes pretty much middle of no where 😉 Nice to get away (or back here) since 10 months of the year I am in Shanghai. I grew up not far from here and to see the stars and moon is something I took for granted and pretty rare now in Shanghai. I haven’t seen stars in Shanghai ever… too much light.
It’s the same in New York, hoping to visit some dark sky places sometime soon 🙂
It is amazing when we get away from the city and look up. Enjoy your ‘night sky’ time.
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Here is my contribution to the theme, Ailsa. http://adinparadise.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/ailsas-travel-theme-night/
Thanks to your post, I am now dreaming of tiramisu at a canal-side cafe in Venice. 🙂
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I love your DC photos! A number of years ago, we took our younger two kids, and watched the fireworks from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial (being lowly tourists!) Although the day (and night) were blisteringly hot, the spirits of the crowd were very cordial and added to the festive feel of the evening. Thanks for the memories!
And here’s my contribution: http://theretiringsort.com/2012/07/07/travel-theme-night/
I’ll let you in on a secret, if you promise not to tell anyone else. Even though I had a fantastic time at the party on the rooftop in Georgetown, part of me (the part that always carries a camera) wanted to be overlooking the Mall trying to get a shot of the fireworks exploding over the Washington skyline. But shh, it’s a secret. 😉
😉
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Fabulous pictures! You are so lucky to have seen the fireworks at DC. I’ve heard they are great! Here is my entry:
http://thirdeyemom.com/2012/07/07/night-at-a-chinese-street-market/
They were really spectacular, Nicole – but like all fireworks displays, just not long enough – I’m always sad when they finish 🙂 Great shots of Beijing at night. How was your vacation? xxx Ailsa
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No fireworks. Better: http://mothergrogan.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/travel-theme-night/
Haha, love it, mothergrogan. May I ask where it was taken? It looks rather lovely! xxx Ailsa
I don’t travel much, so my photos usually come from one place: Mrągowo (Masuria Region, Poland). I spend my summer vacation there almost every year and never get bored.
I want to prepare a collection of my photos taken there, will let you know when it’s done.
Do let me know when you have them online, I don’t know much about this area of Poland and would love to see your photos. xxx
Here it is: http://mothergrogan.wordpress.com/photo/mragowo/
Ok, here is mine for the week.
http://missperfectlyimperfect.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/travel-theme-night/
Really fun shot, and looks like a really fun night too. Trying to figure out from the corner of the movie screen what movie you were watching… 🙂
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Great shots! I like the “Jefferson Memorial at night”. Here is my entry:
http://shareandconnect.wordpress.com/
Oh Amy, these are crazy beautiful. Thanks for sharing them! xxx
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My try at this week’s theme: http://canoecommunications.wordpress.com/2012/07/07/rocking-the-night-away/ Bye.
Do you think all five of them are really named Moe? 🙂
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