Why I Went To Washington DC

by | Jan 27, 2023 | Updates & Opportunities | 1 comment

I could hardly believe it. After days of discussion, combing our calendar and shifting back and forth between pros and cons, Julianna and I finally decided . . . we were heading to Washington D.C! Within a matter of hours, we coordinated a place to stay with friends and made a plan to drive from their home to the capitol city the next morning. I finished up work, packed up some clothes while Julianna packed food, washed the dishes, tidied up the house and jumped in the car. We were headed to the March for Life!

I had never been to a March before, so I didn’t know exactly what to expect. But one thing I did know, my camera was coming along with me. For an event like this, traveling light is a huge asset. That meant choosing what equipment to bring and what to leave behind. I slung the 7Dii with a 17-55mm f/2.8 on the Joby strap over my shoulder, and slid an Ape-Case-enclosed 70-200mm f/4 into a small backpack with some extra batteries, a cleaning cloth, and an extra SD card.

There were tons of people there!

My favorite part of photographing the March was walking perpendicular to the constant flow of people in order to reach the middle of the street. Smile From there, I’d stand still, snapping away while the people streamed past. It was really interesting the kind of photos that would “just happen”.

 

230120_James Staddon_2653 Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 23 mm, 1-640 sec at f - 4.0, ISO 1600230120_James Staddon_2648 Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 55 mm, 1-640 sec at f - 4.0, ISO 400230120_James Staddon_2673 Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 42 mm, 1-400 sec at f - 4.0, ISO 100230120_James Staddon_2681 Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 17 mm, 1-400 sec at f - 4.0, ISO 100230120_James Staddon_2683 Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 23 mm, 1-400 sec at f - 4.0, ISO 100

Turning around to look downstream gave opportunity for less personal, but more story-rich, captures.

230120_James Staddon_2633 Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 55 mm, 1-640 sec at f - 4.0, ISO 100230120_James Staddon_2677 Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 48 mm, 1-400 sec at f - 4.0, ISO 100

It was quite thrilling to look behind us as we walked up the hill beside the Capitol building. From there, you could see an incredible mass of people. I thought we were near the end of the line, but the stream of people kept coming around the corner at the bottom of the hill. We marched on and I never saw the end of the line behind us.

230120_James Staddon_2716 Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 200 mm, 1-400 sec at f - 4.0, ISO 100

230120_James Staddon_2709 Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 70 mm, 1-400 sec at f - 4.0, ISO 100

Earlier, before the March started, we listened to speeches and presentations at the National Mall. This was when I first pulled out my camera. Before then, it felt awkward to take pictures of complete strangers. Now that they were all focused on the speaker, I felt more comfortable walking around taking photos. It still took some time to build my confidence, but after a while, it actually started to be fun.

230120_James Staddon_2615 Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 28 mm, 1-400 sec at f - 5.6, ISO 100230120_James Staddon_2600 Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 55 mm, 1-400 sec at f - 5.6, ISO 100230120_James Staddon_2629 Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 50 mm, 1-400 sec at f - 5.6, ISO 100230120_James Staddon_2612 Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 55 mm, 1-160 sec at f - 5.6, ISO 100

230120_James Staddon_2551 Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 70 mm, 1-320 sec at f - 5.6, ISO 200

230120_James Staddon_2585 Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 121 mm, 1-200 sec at f - 5.6, ISO 200

It was encouraging to hear the House majority leader, Rep. Steve Scalise, speak of his enthusiasm for the pro-life movement and his ability now to move forward some pro-life legislation. A good reminder that voting is important. Who we elect makes a difference!

After the March, we spent a couple more hours walking around Washington D.C. Of course, I took more pictures. We had a long, cold walk back to our car after the sun went down. Still, I took the time to grab a couple shots of the Washington Monument up against the clouded, night sky.

As I edited my photos afterwards, I realized something afresh. I’m a photographer, yes. But I’m also a Christian and a citizen of the United States.  There are many duties I am obligated to fulfil. I’ve often heard folks say that “times are so bad, the only thing we can do is pray.” But I wholeheartedly disagree! True, prayer is first. But we can still call our representatives! We can still vote. We can serve our local leaders. We can march for a cause in DC. There are so many ways to make our voices heard if we care to stand in the gap in our generation. Let’s be the post-Roe generation!

230120_James Staddon_2722 Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 55 mm, 1-500 sec at f - 4.0, ISO 100230120_James Staddon_2737 Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 17 mm, 1-20 sec at f - 2.8, ISO 400

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1 Comment

  1. Brieanna

    Amen! What a godly and blessed cause. Thank you so much for sharing.

    Reply

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