Washington, D.C.

I'll be around at that time barring unforseen circumstances. As Furcafe said, drop a reminder closer to the time and we can work something out. I'd be happy to play photo tourguide some day to take you to places off the beaten tourist track.
 
TheFlyingCamera said:
I'll be around at that time barring unforseen circumstances. As Furcafe said, drop a reminder closer to the time and we can work something out. I'd be happy to play photo tourguide some day to take you to places off the beaten tourist track.
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Very kind of you! :)
I'll send you a PM closer to my trip...
 
I would like to ask for the local's assistance on the question of the hotel:

My conference is at the Mariott, and the whole area seem to be very expensive.

I think a good option would be to find something a bit farther away from there and obviously cheaper. Now farther away may mean something in the 1/2-1 mile radius, but that won't cut it on prices, so I am considering public transportations:
How good/ convenient/ safe are they?
In which city area would you advise me to check for hotels?

Thanks in advance!
 
Which Marriott? There are a bunch, w/various names (address is probably the best way to pinpoint which one), just in DC proper, not to mention the 'burbs.

Generally, our Metro system (subway & bus) is safe & convenient, though it's not nearly as extensive as NYC or really big/older cities (but better than Sunbelt cities like Atlanta or Miami).

sanmich said:
I would like to ask for the local's assistance on the question of the hotel:

My conference is at the Mariott, and the whole area seem to be very expensive.

I think a good option would be to find something a bit farther away from there and obviously cheaper. Now farther away may mean something in the 1/2-1 mile radius, but that won't cut it on prices, so I am considering public transportations:
How good/ convenient/ safe are they?
In which city area would you advise me to check for hotels?

Thanks in advance!
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Ah, I know that one well (near my office). Yes, an expensive part of town (basically equivalent to midtown Manhattan), but also very centrally-located & easy to access via Metro.

Have you tried AirBnB? That's my primary source for travel lodging, but I've never been much of a hotel guy. If it is your speed, a friend has nice place that he rents out & I can send you a link.

sanmich said:
That would be the one:
JW Marriott Washington, DC
1331 Pennsylvania Avenue
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furcafe said:
Ah, I know that one well (near my office). Yes, an expensive part of town (basically equivalent to midtown Manhattan), but also very centrally-located & easy to access via Metro.

Have you tried AirBnB? That's my primary source for travel lodging, but I've never been much of a hotel guy. If it is your speed, a friend has nice place that he rents out & I can send you a link.
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very kind!

Sending you a PM...
 
You MIGHT be able to find something a bit cheaper out in Dupont Circle, which would put you still a short distance from the JW. Do you have a particular budget in mind? Another option would be Crystal City or Rosslyn in Virginia. They're a short (15-20 minute) Metro trip from the JW Marriott, and there are a LOT of hotels there so there is some price competition.
 
Vics said:
I just like to minimize the X-Ray passes, so I try to buy at the destination when I can.
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I put my film in a large zip lock bag and carry it with me and ask for a hand check. I have never been refused. They will open the zip lock, inspect the boxes, wipe them (I think it is to detect explosives) and hand them back to you.
 
Oh, I haven't heard mention of it lately, but I used to hear on forums that the Park Police considered those who used tripods to be professionals and needed to have a permit. - oftheherd
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Over ten years ago I was shooting the Capitol before dawn with a tripod and was stopped by the Park Police, asking for my permit. I asked where I could get one and was escorted into the basement of the Capitol. Got the permit, but was told it was only good for the House side; the Senate had their own rules. (Sounding like government?) The permit was needed for an area of about two blocks, tripod had to be off sidewalks, and for non-commercial use. Although I missed some good light getting the permit I did get many good shots.
 
The Chinese restaurant with the Duck and the boiling soup in the window is the "Full Kee"
if I remember the "Kee" means it's HK style. The food is good and being a round eye we are a minority in this restaurant, which is always a good sign. Note: not fancy at all, but clean bathrooms... :) :)
wbill
 
FYI, the Nat'l Park rules are changing:

http://exposeddc.com/2013/09/10/national-park-service-photography-permit-rules-changing/

KevinS said:
Over ten years ago I was shooting the Capitol before dawn with a tripod and was stopped by the Park Police, asking for my permit. I asked where I could get one and was escorted into the basement of the Capitol. Got the permit, but was told it was only good for the House side; the Senate had their own rules. (Sounding like government?) The permit was needed for an area of about two blocks, tripod had to be off sidewalks, and for non-commercial use. Although I missed some good light getting the permit I did get many good shots.
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Thanks for the current info. It should be a help to the OP planning a visit.

I got a look at the old NPS rules at a Nat'l Monument in Nebraska once, after a ranger questioned my use of a tripod, and they weren't much different than the ones discussed in the article you linked to. The ranger in Nebraska learned as did I, that tripods were ok, and then offered to give me access to an old schoolhouse they owned. The most bothersome thing to me about all this is the definition of commercial (anything to generate income). It used to be Commercial vs. Editorial. I've licensed editorial uses of my photos for years, and always considered that distinct from commercial. Not so these days, I guess.
 
If you want a tripod permit for shooting at the US Capitol, they apparently issue them in the new visitor center. I don't know what the bureaucracy is like to get one, not having done it recently myself. The US Capitol is its own entity with its own rules. The US Park Service rules have wide degrees of enforcement latitude and you'll find they vary all over the Mall. Because of the volume of foot traffic on and around the Lincoln Memorial, don't even think of setting up a tripod there. On the other hand, I did a portrait shoot at the WW II memorial for an Air Force officer as part of his promotion to full Colonel. I had tripod, a 4x5, reflectors and light stands, and the Park Service folks were very accommodating (could have been the guy with me in the blue suit and eagles on his shoulders helped). The WW I (yes, WW ONE) memorial is almost completely overlooked and ignored, in part because it's for Washington DC, not a National memorial (there is no national memorial to WW I) makes for nice shots and a cool respite in the summer from the maddening crowds. It's about halfway between the WW II and the Lincoln, on the south side of the Reflecting Pool, and set back in the trees very inconspicuously. Zero tripod issues there. A word of warning about photographing the carousel on the Mall - the Park Service cops are very protective of it and are super-vigilant about folks photographing it, especially at night. They are concerned that you're photographing it for commercial purposes, as they claimed it was "copyrighted".
 
agfa100 said:
The Chinese restaurant with the Duck and the boiling soup in the window is the "Full Kee"
if I remember the "Kee" means it's HK style. The food is good and being a round eye we are a minority in this restaurant, which is always a good sign. Note: not fancy at all, but clean bathrooms... :) :)
wbill
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Hadn't been in here for a while. The Full Kee is across from the duck restaurant. If they have ducks in the window, I hadn't noticed them. It looks kind of dingy from the outside, but that just makes me more interested in it.

In Korea, my wife and I found that many times the little hole-in-the-walls had the best food. Many places in Vietnam had dirt floors and dogs running around. The tables were always clean, the kitchens clean, and the food excellent.

Truely you can't judge a book by its cover, nor a restaurant by its outside appearances.

EDIT: I just looked at a prior post where I agreed with furcafe that the duck restaurant is called Chinatown Express. And the Full Kee is across the street, and I think one block down.

Also, for anyone coming to DC in the future, the scaffolding is being removed from the Washington Monument. I don't know when that will be completed.
 
Two Leica bodies: check.
Three lenses: check.
About 20 rolls of Arista: check

Hitting DC in two days. Yay!

If someone wants to meet/ shoot together, I'll be thrilled :)
 
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