Breezy May evening on the National Mall

* Warmer today, sunnier tomorrow: Full Forecast *

Flags at the base of the Washington Monument blow in the wind on May 7.

May started off quite warm, and I took advantage of one of the mild days and headed down to the National Mall for a dusk photo shoot. When I arrived, temperatures were settling through the lower 70s on their way to readings in the upper 60s just after sunset. Only two issues for photography presented themselves: lots of tourists wearing bright-colored shirts, and a fairly stiff breeze from the south sustained over 10 mph.

Keep reading for more photos on the National Mall...

I arrived on the Mall around 6:30 p.m. with the idea of shooting near the Lincoln Memorial at sunset. To kill some time, I wandered off toward the Capitol but a weekend event for law enforcement and the military obstructed most views. I did spend some time among tanks parked in front of the Capitol though!

Heading back toward the Lincoln Memorial from the Capitol area, I noticed a faint sun dog just to the left of the Washington Monument. Thin high clouds were on their way through the area.

A faint sun dog appears south of the Washington Monument on May 7.

The sun begins to set behind a fountain at the World War II Memorial.

A fairly tranquil evening on the National Mall (note groups of bright-colored shirts!).

On my way toward the Lincoln Memorial it became apparent I would have to take photos of large groups of people wearing red, orange and green shirts. Rather than go ahead with the original plan, I decided to make my way back toward the Washington Monument for some wider shots. While hurrying back to the east, I witnessed a nice display of pink clouds over the WWII Memorial before continuing on into the growing night...

WWII Memorial at Dusk.

WWII Memorial, Reflecting Pool and Lincoln Memorial after sunset on May 7.

Winds proved tricky for some shots, and I ultimately had to throw a few away because of some noticeable camera shake despite a secured tripod. In the end, the wind also provided some nice movement to the scenes, especially in the first photo above.