Sacramento wedding photographers - award winning Northern California wedding photography » Engagement photography

Placerville engagement photos – Amelia and Aaron

John — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:47:48 +0000

Amelia and Aaron near a rustic restaurant wall during their Placerville engagement photo session

Amelia and Aaron chose the Sierra Foothills town of Placerville to start their engagement photo session. We wandered around town a took a few photos before heading out to the Apple Hill area just east of Placerville and wound up at High Hill Farms for some fun photos among the old tractors and fruit trees. We finished up the engagement photos at the historic Boeger Winery, which is also in the Apple Hill region. A fun engagement session with a great couple.

Amelia and Aaron were married this summer at the beautiful Hans Fahden Vineyards outside of Calistoga on the Napa/Sonoma county border. Congratulations Amelia and Aaron!

Amelia and Aaron enjoy a glass of wine while playing on a tractor at High Hill Farm during their engagement photo shoot in Apple Hill.

Amelia and Aaron among the fruit trees during their engagement photo session at High Hill Farm in Apple Hill.

An engagement photo of Amelia and Aaron by one of the old trucks at Boeger Winery in Placerville.

Amelia and Aaron on the porch of the 1850's Fossati-Lombardo family house during their engagement photo session at Boeger Winery in Placerville.

Legion of Honor engagement photos – San Francisco – Kelsey & Aaron

John — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:42:56 +0000

A few fun engagement photos of Kelsey and Aaron at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.

There was some beautiful February light for Kelsey and Aaron's engagement photo session at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.

I had such fun with this engagement photo session with Kelsey and Aaron at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. It was a beautiful February day and the afternoon light was just wonderful.

The Legion of Honor is such a wonderful place for photos and Kelsey and Aaron were such a fun couple to work with on this engagement shoot.

Kelsey and Aaron were married at the Vine Hill House in Sebastapol this fall. The photos from their wonderful wedding will be posted here shortly, so be sure to stop back and have a look.

Congratulations Kelsey and Aaron!

Lots of great opportunities for wonderful engagement photos at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.

Kelsey and Aaron were lucky enough to have the entire quad of the Legion of Honor to themselves for these engagement photos.

Some old style treatment for this engagement portrait of Kelsey and Aaron at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.

A short walk from the Legion of Honor and there is a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay which make for wonderful engagement photos.

Land Park engagement photos – Ida and Rajiv – Sacramento, CA

John — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:58:19 +0000

Ida and Rajiv lie on some of the colorful fall leaves in Land Park during their engagement photography session.

We did Ida and Rajiv’s engagement photos in Land Park in Sacramento on a pretty December day. There was still a little color in some of the trees and a bunch of colorful leaves on the ground to add some pop to the engagement photos.

Land Park is a really fun place for an engagement photo shoot as there are a variety of different areas to go to within a short walk of the duck pond. Of course a fun beautiful couple makes it easy to capture some wonderful images.

Ida and Rajiv were married during a wedding ceremony on the steps of the Capitol in Sacramento and had their wedding reception at the ballroom of the Sacramento Convention Center. It was a blast – stay tuned for some wonderful photos from their amazing wedding.

Congratulations Ida and Rajiv!

A series of engagement photos of Ida and Rajiv near the duck pond at Land Park in Sacramento.

These beautiful stone walls make for a nice backdrop for some engagement photos in Sacramento's Land Park.

Ida and Rajiv have some fun in the trees during the engagement photo shoot in Sacramento's Land Park.

A few engagement photos of Ida and Rajiv near one of the ponds in Land Park.

UC Davis Arboretum engagement photos – Ashley and Joe

John — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:05:56 +0000

Ashley and Joe chose the UC Davis Arboretum as the location for the engagement photo shoot - here they are in the Redwood Grove.

Ashley and Joe chose the UC Davis Arboretum for the engagement photo session and it was a stunning location for some really nice engagement photos.

Ashley works at UC Davis and had access to a golf cart for the three of us to get around the arboretum. That was really nice considering that the arboretum is over 100 acres in size.

The weather was great and the skies were clear which made for the perfect recipe for an evening photo shoot in the golden light of the early evening.

Ashley and Joe got married at Vizcaya Pavilion… stay tuned for the blog post from their wedding – it was a fun one! Congratulations Ashley and Joe!!

Ashley and Joe pose for some engagement shots in a field next to Lake Spafford in the UC Davis Arboretum.

An engagement photo for Ashley and Joe on a bridge over the Putah Creek in the UC Davis Arboretum.

Ashley and Joe have fun playing with their shadow during their engagement session in the UC Davis Arboretum.

These engagement photos of Ashley and Joe were take near some old ruins of a building in the UC Davis Arboretum.

One of my favorite times of the day for engagement photos is in the early evening. The light is always so beautiful as the sun is setting and provides ample opportunity for stuffing photos.

One last engagement shot to close it off of Ashley and Joe watching the sun set from the golf cart that they used to drive around the arboretum.

San Francisco Legion of Honor engagement photo shoot – Stella & Jakub

John — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 16:35:48 +0000

Jakub gives Stella a piggyback ride in front of the Legion of Honor during their engagement photo session in San Francisco.

Stella and Jakub chose the Legion of Honor in San Francisco for their engagement photo session. What a fun place to take photos – I had never been there before, so it was really fun to shoot a some place totally new to me. It was cool and cloudy on the July day we were there – which is pretty typical of summer weather in San Francisco. Cloudy weather often makes for great engagement photos as the light is nice and even and there are no harsh shadows to deal with.

Stella and Jakub are getting married in April of 2011 at Viansa Winery in Sonoma. I love photographing weddings at Viansa – such lovely grounds and great places for photos. Stop back later to see the photos from their wedding. If you’d like to see some other Viansa Winery wedding photos then check out these photos.

Jakub re-enacts his engagement proposal with Stella, his fiance, on the grounds of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.

Stella and Jakub during their engagement photo session at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.

Stella and Jakub in front of the pillars at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco during their engagement photo session.

A couple of the engagement photos of Stella and Jakub along the pillars in front of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.

Stella and Jakub along the pillars in front of the Legion of Honor during their San Francisco engagement photo shoot.

Stella and Jakub among the cypress tress at the Legion of Honor during their engagement photo session.

One last shot of Stella and Jakub during their engagement photo shoot at the legion of Honor in San Francisco.

San Francisco City Hall wedding photography – Teresa & Wyatt

John — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:11:02 +0000

Teresa and Wyatt among the pillars before their wedding ceremony at city hall in San Francisco.

I photographed Teresa and Wyatt’s wedding at City Hall in San Francisco in July of 2010 – it was just the two of us and one of their friends who signed documents as a witness. After the wedding ceremony and a quick change of clothes we went to the Palace of Fine Arts for some post wedding engagement photos.

Teresa and Wyatt had a more formal wedding ceremony at Sova Gardens in Sebastapol in October of 2010, but had a civil ceremony before then, so we turned the civil ceremony into an engagement session with a wedding ceremony attached – that was something new for me – an a lot of fun.

Stop back soon for the photos from the wedding at Sova Gardens – that was a fun one too!!!

Teresa and Wyatt head up the stairs to the rotunda in San Francisco for the wedding ceremony.

Teresa and Wyatt hold each other while exchanging vows during their wedding ceremony in San Francisco City Hall.

Teresa and Wyatt on the balcony of city hall in San Francisco before their wedding ceremony.

Teresa and Wyatt head to the clerks office to sign in for their wedding ceremony at city hall in San Francisco

Teresa and Wyatt fill out paperwork with the judge who performed their wedding ceremony at city hall in San Francisco

Teresa and Wyatt celebrate their pronouncement as man and wife during their wedding ceremony at City Hall in San Francisco.

Teresa and Wyatt hold their newly signed Marriage Certificate after their wedding ceremony at city Hall in San Francisco.

Teresa and Wyatt leave city hall in San Francisco following their wedding ceremony.

An engagement photo of Teresa and Wyatt at the Palace of Fine Arts following their civil ceremony at San Francisco City Hall.

Teresa and Wyatt at the Palace of Fine Arts following their wedding ceremony at San Francisco City Hall.

Teresa and Wyatt under some trees at the Palace of Fine Arts following their wedding ceremony at San Francisco City Hall.

Historic Old Town Roseville engagement photos – Melissa & Brian

John — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 17:18:29 +0000

Melissa and Brian in the Historic Old Town section of Roseville for their engagement photo session.

We photographed Melissa and Brian’s engagement photo session in two Roseville locations in September of 2009. We started out at Diamond Oaks Park so that we could get some photos with Melissa and Brian’s dog Bruce. We did kind of a mini engagement session with Bruce and then brought him back to their house.

After a quick wardrobe change we were on our way to the historic Old Town section of Roseville for some more engagement photos of Melissa and Brian.

Melissa and Brian had their wedding ceremony at St. Clare Catholic Church in Roseville and had their wedding reception at Timber Creek Ballroom at the Timber Creek Golf Course in Roseville.

Melissa and Brian in an abandoned lot we found in the Historic Old Town section of Roseville for their engagement photo session.

I love these shadows in this engagement photo of Melissa and Brian on the street of the historic Old Town section of Roseville.

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Melissa and Brian wanted to include their dog Bruce in their engagement photos, so we did a mini engagement session in Diamond Oaks Park in Roseville.

Melissa, Brian and their dog Bruce in an engagement photo in Diamond Oaks Park in Roseville.

Melissa, Brian and their dog Bruce in another engagement photo in Diamond Oaks Park in Roseville.

Playing with focus and light during Melissa and Brian's engagement shoot.

Roseville's Old Town has some great locations for engagement photos.

We found this old truck in a parking lot and Melissa and Brian wanted to do a few engagement photos with it in the picture.

Having some engagement photo fun with some murals in Old Town Roseville.

Having some engagement photo fun with some murals in Old Town Roseville - Stop that train!!!.

One last engagement photo after the sun was down and the light was fading.

Old Town Sacramento engagement photography – Veronica & Dave

John — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:40:33 +0000

Veronica and Dave on some steps during their engagement photo shoot in Old Town Sacramento.

Veronica and Dave decided on Old Town Sacramento as the backdrop for their engagement photo session. It was a beautiful September day in 2009 when we shot these photos. Veronica and Dave were visiting Sacramento from Washington D.C., where they live, to do some wedding planning and to see Veronica’s family.

We had a great time exploring Old Town and looking for some fun spots for photos. Old Town has so many places to shoot, which makes it a wonderful location for a photo shoot. Each time I visit I try to find some new situations – and it seems that is pretty easy to do.

Veronica and Dave were married at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in May of 2010. They reserved the penthouse of the Citizen Hotel for the bridal party to get ready and had a wonderful reception at Sacramento’s Sutter Club. Stop back soon to see the wedding photos.

This is one of the reasons I love photographing engagement photos in Old Town Sacramento - almost every time I shoot there I find something new - like this scene.

Veronica and Dave on a old stage coach during their engagement photo session in Old Town Sacramento.

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Veronica and Dave on some of the old trains during their engagement photo session in Old Town Sacramento.

Veronica and Dave have some fun in a candy store during their engagement photo session in Old Town Sacramento.

Gotta love those Old Town Sacramento doors - such a great spot for engagement photos.

Playing with light and shadows during Veronica and Dave's engagement session in Old Town Sacramento.

Veronica and Dave during their engagement photo shoot in Old Town Sacramento.

Some of the wonderful old buildings in Old Town Sacramento.

A quiet little moment with some nice afternoon light.

Veronica and Dave play on the swings during their engagement photo session in Old Town Sacramento.

These too are pretty coordinated being able to swing and kiss during their engagement photo session in Old Town Sacramento.

Land Park and Old Town Sacramento engagement photography – Rosemary & John

John — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 17:08:13 +0000

Rosemary and John in Land Park for their engagement photo session.

We did Rosemary and John’s engagement session in Land Park and Old Town Sacramento in early March of 2010. We started in Land Park about two hours before sunset and wandered around the park looking for nice locations for engagement photos. After we felt like we had enough Rosemary and John did a quick wardrobe change and we were off to Old Town Sacramento for some more photos.

Old Town Sacramento offers a wide variety of scenery for engagement photos. Although I photograph quite a few engagement sessions in Old Town, it seems that I am always finding something new – which is one of the reasons I really like shooting there.

Rosemary and John were married in August 2010 at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria in downtown Sacramento. Stop back soon for photos from the wedding.

After Land Park we had a quick change of clothes and then headed to Old Town Sacramento for some more engagement photos. These are along the boardwalk near the river.

Some of the old trains in Old Town Sacramento make for great backdrops for engagement photography.

Despite it being overcast and in early March (2010), there are some great opportunities for wonderful engagement photos in Land Park.

A few more engagement photos from Land Park.

A quick arm wrestle on one of the benches in Old Town Sacramento.

The doors in Old Town Sacramento make for great places for engagement photos.

I just love the light in this little area of Old Town Sacramento - one of my favorite spots for engagement and wedding photos!

Some of the big old windows in Old Town Sacramento are nice props for these engagement photos.

A quick ride on the swings...

The sun had set so we decided to try to take a couple of quick engagement photos with the Tower Bridge in the background - not bad for hand held flash and no assistant...

Land Park engagement photo shoot, Sacramento – Amanda & Troy

John — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 18:34:33 +0000

Amanda and Troy pose for an engagement photo on a wall in Sacramento's Land Park.

It was late winter/early spring and Amanda and Troy wanted a nice location for some engagement photos, so we decided to try out Sacramento’s Land Park. Although not too many trees are in bloom at the end of February, there were a few, and the park turned out to be a great location for some engagement photos.

Amanda and Troy got married in September of 2010 at Forest House Lodge in Foresthill, California – stop back later for some photos from the wedding – it was a lot of fun!

Amanda and Troy walking through the trees during an early spring engagement photo session.

Amanda and Troy on a fence in one of Land Park's gardens.

Late afternoon sun provides for some fun shadows on a tree in this engagement photo.

Amanda and Troy along a rock wall in Sacramento's Land Park.

Amanda and Troy on a swing in Sacramento's Land Park.

The benches in the old amphitheater provide a nice location for some engagement photos in Land Park.

Among the bamboo trees.

Amanda and Troy in one of Land Park's beautiful gardens.

A close up engagement photo of Amanda and Troy on a picnic table in Land Park.

This is the same photo as the previous one - just rotated 180 degrees - amazing how different it looks!

One last engagement photo after the sun has set by a flowing tree in Land Park.

Tower Bridge Engagement Photo Shoot, Sacramento, CA – Ashley & Jeffrey

John — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 19:57:47 +0000

Ashley & Jeffrey on and near the Tower Bridge for their engagement photo shoot.

Ashely and Jeffrey chose to have their engagement photos taken on the Tower Bridge in Sacramento back in November of 2009. We shot for a while on the bridge and along the Sacramento riverfront promenade… Just past the Embassy Suites hotel on the promenade are a selection of historic Sacramento lamp posts – they made for some nice images.

After we were finished on the promenade we headed to one of Ashley and Jeffrey’s favorites bars in Sacramento – the L Wine Lounge on L and 18th Streets – for a glass of wine and a few more photos. Ashley and Jeffrey are got married at the Cass House in Cayucos, California in April of 2010.

The tower bridge in Sacramento is a nice location for an engagement photo session.

Ashley and Jeffrey on the tower bridge and on Capitol avenue with the Capitol dome in the background.

Ashely and Jeffrey on one of the old lamp posts during their engagement photo shoot along the riverfront promenade in Sacramento.

Ashely and Jeffrey with the Tower Bridge in the background during their engagement photo shoot along the riverfront promenade in Sacramento.

Ashely and Jeffrey also wanted a few engagement photos in the wine cellar of their favorite downtown hangout - the L Wine Lounge in Sacramento.

Another one of the engagement photos at the L Wine Bar in Sacramento.

On the couch overlooking L street at the L Wine Bar in Sacramento..

Palace of Fine Arts engagement photos, San Francisco – Margaret & James

John — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:16:01 +0000

Margaret & James walk through the grounds at thePalace of Fine Arts in San Francisco for the engagment photos shoot.

Margaret and James decided that the grounds of the Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina District of San Francisco would make and ideal location for an engagement photo shoot and they were absolutely correct.

The Roman and Greek inspired architecture at the Palace of Fine Arts made for a wonderful backdrop for an engagement photo shoot.

We had beautiful weather at the end of June for the engagement shoot – the weather was warm and the late afternoon sun was shining brightly.

The Palace of Fine Arts was originally built in 1915 for the Panama-Pacific Exposition. It is now used for concerts and other arts events.

I love the shadows in this image - I'm always on the lookout for strong graphical elements in my photos as well as great moments and emotions.

Margaret and James decided they wanted their photos done in a black & white sepia tone as well as in color. I think the sepia give these images a classic look.

About a half an hour before I took this photo there was a film crew at this spot filiming a movie and had this whole are roped off.

Thankfully they left before the sun went down and we got some great engagement shots!

This is a really sweet moment.

Margaret and James hold hands showing off Margarets engagement ring during their Palace of Fine Arts engagement photo session.

Engagement photo shoot in Sacramento’s Land Park – Heather & Eric

John — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:32:46 +0000

Heather and Eric sit along a wall on 15th Avenue during their engagement session in Land Park in Sacramento.

Heather and Eric decided to have their engagement photos taken in Land Park in Sacramento because that was where Eric popped the big question and asked Heather to marry him.

It was late in the afternoon on warm summer day that we met in the park and just decided to stroll around to see what kinds of scenes were around that would make for good backdrops for their photo shoot. We found this nice wall along 15th avenue and nearby were some well maintained gardens as well as a pond with a spraying fountain. They all made for some nice photos.

Heather and Eric are planning a wedding at St. Joseph’s Church in Clarksburg, California with the reception to follow at Wilson Vineyards in Clarksburg. It should be a lot of fun – stay tuned.

This is a cute shot from Heather and Eric's engagement photo shoot - peering from behind some trees near Land Park Drive.

One of Heather and Eric's engagement photos along 15th Avenue in Land Park.

Nice glow!

This is one of my favorite engagment photos of Heather and Eric - I like taking photos with shallow depth of field so that just the subject is in focus - I find it really captures your attention and brings you into the photo.

These were taken in a garden that quite hidden from the average passerby. Quite a nice spot.

Another photo in the garden.

One last shot as the light goes away...

Old Town Sacramento engagement shoot – Vanessa & Michael

John — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:40:21 +0000

This is the engagement shoot I did for Vanessa and Michael in Old Town Sacramento.
Their wedding was a small intimate family affair on the penthouse balcony of the Citizen Hotel in downtown Sacramento.

Vanessa & Michael on L Street in Old Town Sacramento.

Having fun on one of the trains near the Rail Road Museum in Old Town.

On the Tower Bridge between Sacramento and West Sacramento.

Off of the Firehouse Alley near J street is the nice area with beautiful light.

A couple more photos along the Firehouse Alley in Old Town Sacramento.

Beautiful gentle light in the Firehouse Alley in Old Town Sacramento.

Vanessa & Michael by the Delta King along the Sacramento River in Old Town Sacramento.

Old Town Sacramento engagement photo shoot – Leyla and Steve

John — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:29:05 +0000

Leyla and Steve in an alley in Old Town Sacramento.

Leyla and Steve wanted to do their engagement photo session in two different locations so that they could have a wider variety of settings to choose from. The photos from the first part of the engagement photo session in Capitol Park are here.

For the second part of the engagement photo shoot we headed over to Old Town Sacramento on a Saturday evening… It was quite crowded and there was no parking to be found, but we managed to ditch the cars and make great use of the wonderful fleeting evening light. I love shooting photos at this time of day as the light can be quite magical.

One of the many building doorways that offer great backdrops for engagement photos.

The gentle and warm colors of a late spring evening make this light so nice.

This great old car was parked along L street and we appropraited it for a few photos. Love the street lamps in Old Town.

This beautiful photo was taken on a porch along 2nd Street.

Same porch, different angle... I experiment with lots of different things when I am shooting... sometimes they work and sometimes they don

This was in a little courtyard that we found while wandering off the beaten path... always a good idea to wander...

This is just sweet!

I really like the colors in this one... the light is almost gone, but my amazing Canon cameras were able to pull this image out of the darkness.

Leyla and Steve along the banks of the Sacramento River with the Tower Bridge in the background. So quiet and romantic, you wouldn

Capitol Park, Sacramento engagement photo shoot – Leyla and Steve

John — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:59:22 +0000

Leyla & Steve

Leyla and Steve chose the rose garden in Capitol Park as one of the locations for their engagement photo session

I am really looking forward to photographing Leyla and Steve’s wedding in early September. The couple is getting married at the Viansa Winery in Sonoma and it is going to be a fabulous affair.

For their engagement photo session we first met at the rose garden at Capitol Park in the shadows of the building’s rotunda. We had a great time getting to know each other and making some wonderful pictures. Leyla’s red dress adorned with roses was perfect for the occasion and made for some great engagement photos.

We also spent some time taking engagement photos as we wandered around Old Town Sacramento. You can see these awesome images here….

In the rose garden at Capitol Park in Sacramento.

I love this one!

Walking along the paths in Capitol park, left, and a shot under one of the many beautiful trees in the park.

This was taken across the street from the rose garden near the east end office complex.

You just have to have a ring shot - or two...

Shadow play: I am always on the lookout for fun shadows

Old Town Sacramento engagement photography session – Amanda & Josh

John — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:41:26 +0000

Amanda & Josh

Amanda and Josh having some fun during their engagement photo session in Old Town Sacramento.

I’ll be photographing the wedding of Amanda and Josh a little later this year at David Girard Vineyards in Placerville. They chose Sacramento’s historic Old Town district as a backdrop for their engagement photography session. All three of us had a wonderful time and the photos came out great!

We picked a time during the evening hours because the light is much better early and late in the day, and this day was no different. Amanda and Josh wanted to start out at the Tower Bridge and then we worked our way through old town looking for some fun settings for photos. The also brought along a change of clothes, so we got a variety of shots that don’t look like they were all taken on the same day – that was smart!

Amanda and Josh on the Tower Bridge above the Sacramento River.

I love this photo - Amanda and Josh later told me they were trying to form a heart with the outlines of the hands a legs.

On one of the old trains by the old Central Pacific Railroad Depot in Old Town.

Another couple of shots from the train near the depot.

Amanda and Josh on the back of a Union Pacific caboose.

These two are awful cute together - I can't wait for their wedding - it is going to be fun!

Old Town Sacramento has some beautiful light for engagement photography late in the afternoon.

Playing in the ivy on the wall of an Old Town building.

This was taken on the steps to a tattoo parlor

A couple more shots featuring thier tie-died shirts. Amanda told me she went through a phase when anything and everthing that was in her possesion that was white was tie-died.

Beautiful light - getting near the end of the day...

Waving goodbye to the sun and the end of a great Sacramento engagement session!

Amanda & Josh, I’ll see you in a couple of months!

Sacramento engagement photography – Capitol Park – Katy and Dan

John — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:22:44 +0000

Katy and Dan

Capitol Park in Sacramento offers a variety of outdoor settings for engagement photography

Katy and Dan are getting married on June 13, 2009. For their engagement photography session they picked Capitol Park in Sacramento because it was the location of their very first date. Capitol park offers a wide selection of locations for engagement or family photography. The gardens around the park contain trees from around the world. In one section there is a Civil War memorial grove planted in the late 1800s with saplings from famous Civil War battlegrounds.

A beautiful couple in a beautiful setting.

I love the way this tree appears to encapsulate Katy and Dan.

A group of bamboo trees makes for an interesting backdrop.

What a wonderful setting.

This wall is near the firefighters memorial

Walking along some of the many paths in Capitol Park.

A Capitol Park engagment photo session would be complete with out a few photos with the rotunda in the background - and look - the holiday tree too!

OK, one more with the Capitol.

One last shot - on the west steps of the Capitol.