Which DC-area venues photograph well?
These are some well-known places around Washington, DC that are fun to photograph in. It’s a starting point, not a ranking.
What makes a venue photograph well?
Light, space and something interesting to put behind people. A room with windows or a tall ceiling gives me options, and a venue with character means the photos look like your event and not a hotel ballroom.
Which venues should you look at?
- Gaylord National Resort, National Harbor, Maryland. A glass atrium rising 19 stories over the Potomac, with a lot of space for large events.
- National Building Museum, Washington, DC. A big Great Hall and several historic spaces, near the Judiciary Square Metro stop.
- Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC. A large downtown convention center, in the Mount Vernon Square area.
- Union Station, Washington, DC. A landmark rail station that has been a gateway to the city for nearly a hundred years.
- Renaissance Washington DC Downtown Hotel. A downtown hotel with ballrooms.
- Marriott Marquis Washington DC. A large downtown hotel close to the Convention Center.
What should you ask a venue before you book?
Where the light comes from, whether the room can be photographed before guests arrive, and where the stage and the head table will be. Those three answers tell me most of what I need.
Where else can you look?
Corporate event venues in Loudoun County and winery off-sites in Loudoun and Fauquier cover the area west of the city.
What should I send you?
Your venue, the date and the program, and I’ll tell you how I’d plan the coverage. Here’s what a full day looks like.
