Also Rans

Lincoln wasn't the only contender for a calendar picture this year, but he was always the front-runner. Other possibilities included the view looking East from the Lincoln Memorial across the Reflecting Pool towards the Washington Monument. This picture didn't have enough interest in it to be a serious contender.

Another choice was the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier at Arlington. I could never get this picture formatted the way I wanted it. The top edge of the picture cuts off a panoramic view of DC that was lit by the setting sun, but I couldn't show it without cutting off the honor guard at the bottom. Plus I would have had to PhotoShop out that guys head...

This was a great shot, but there's not a whole lot going on anywhere except the exact center. This view of the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and The Capitol Dome was taken from near the Iwo Jima Memorial on the other side of the Potomac.

I really wanted to use this shot of the ring of flags at the base of the Washington Monument, but would you know that's what it was? I knew, having stood there and taken the picture, but without seeing the whole monument, you really can't tell what it is.

So that's four of the other pictures we considered. There were more, but these were the top candidates. Hope you enjoyed this little sneak peak behind the scenes.