Lincoln Memorial Columns Framing Washington Monument Black and White Photography
Long Shadows Lead Between Columns Towards the Reflecting Pool
Long strips of sunlight cross the floor before my eye reaches the monuments beyond. I photographed this view from within the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, looking outward between its immense columns. The Washington Monument appears much smaller through the opening on the left, with the Reflecting Pool extending towards it. In black and white, that distance becomes especially clear: the nearby architecture has weight and texture, while the distant obelisk is a narrow pale shape against the sky.
I wanted the columns to remain the strongest presence, so I kept their height and the floor beneath them together in the frame. Their fluted surfaces carry alternating bands of light and shade, and the shadows stretch diagonally towards the foreground. Two visitors stand between the columns, giving the structure a human measure. Other people appear farther away near the pool, becoming smaller still. Those changes in scale let the photograph move from the memorial’s interior into the open space outside.
What interests me is how the scene combines a formal architectural arrangement with an ordinary moment of visiting and looking. The people give the view a different rhythm from the repeated columns. Above them, textured clouds fill the narrow openings and soften the strict lines of the building. The floor’s pattern of light gives the eye a path into the picture. For me, the photograph holds several ways of experiencing the same place: close attention to the stone, the scale of the columns, and the longer view across the capital.
© Dan Kosmayer, 2016
Premium Archival Fine Art Prints
Each photograph is produced using archival pigment inks on premium fine art paper, chosen for excellent tonal depth, fine-detail reproduction, and long-term image stability.
The refined surface provides beautiful detail while reducing distracting glare under normal indoor lighting, making it particularly well suited to both color and black-and-white photography.
Each photograph is sold as an unframed fine art print, allowing it to be framed according to your space and personal style.
Every print is made to order specifically for you.
Free Shipping
Shipping is included with every fine art print at no additional charge.
Your photograph is carefully packaged for protection during transit and shipped directly to your delivery address.
Tracking information is provided when your order ships.
About My Fine Art Photography
Every photograph in my collection comes from my own travels, explorations, and years behind the camera.
I create my work as photographic art rather than mass-produced decoration. From street portraits and abandoned places to landscapes, architecture, and the unusual subjects I discover along the way, each image begins with something that made me stop and look.
My photographs are available in multiple sizes so the same image can work in anything from an intimate wall space to a large statement installation.
