Shot of the Day – 22 – Tripods and Our Nation’s Capitol

Our Nation’s Capitol (29 October 2007)

Since our capitol building was recently closed to the public, it seems like a good time for this story.
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There are so many ways you can photograph our magnificent capitol building. I never get tired of trying. Daytime, night time, with Spring flowers around it, with the lit Holiday tree in front of it.

Just don’t try to use a tripod. If it’s foggy or dark and you need a longer exposure to get it right, you might be out of luck because when you set your camera on a tripod and you’re on Capitol grounds, the police will come and run you off. It happened to me twice…once on the grounds with a full-size tripod and once when I used a tiny one on an outside ledge. Why? Tripods are not allowed on Capitol grounds. Why? The best answer I got when I last tried it 15 years ago was “Because we said so. You need a permit.”

Since I’m bringing this up now, I figure I should use The Google and see if anything more official is actually published for public knowledge. I am pleased to report that the Capitol Police have posted their ‘Guidelines for Conducting an Event on United States Capitol Grounds (10/16).’ It says tripods are permitted as long as they are on grassy areas where vehicular and pedestrian traffic is not impeded.

I’d like to think they got tired of wasting their time running off every amateur shutterbug who wanted to take a good shot. Can’t help but think that with my luck, I’ll get rousted again because I am not an event. We’ll see.

Happy shooting.