Random People - The Cop in the Shade
I saw hundreds, maybe thousands of people during my three-hour walk in Washington DC Sunday, but one person that stands out in my memory is the cop I saw in front of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
If you watch TV shows about police, you might think that their job involves constant action. They are chasing the bad guys, investigating murders and are always busy. That scenario probably represents a very small percentage of their day-to-day activities. Much of their day is spent waiting for something to happen.
During my photo and people-watching day I realized I take many of the same pictures over and over. I decided to seek different subject matter and at the same moment I saw the sculpture garden … and the policeman. The day was fairly hot and he was taking advantage of the shade provided by the many trees outside of the museum.
Our conversation was brief and all about the weather.
“Bet you’re glad it isn’t still July.”
“Oh yeah, that was awful.”
“Yep, I was down here with a friend on one of those hundred degree days.”
“Yes sir, today is much better.”
There are several police departments with a presence in Washington DC, including the DC Police, the Secret Service and the National Park Police. I didn’t notice which he was, but he was not the one with a summer uniform with light-colored shorts. His uniform included black pants, black shoes, black belt, black gun and a short-sleeve white shirt. Sweat rolled down his dark skin and he told me he was grateful for the shade; he would have been sweating a lot more without it.
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A note about the sculpture garden… there are a few on the National Mall, but this is the first time in years I saw this one. The picture above shows one of the sculptures. Visit my Photo Bernie site to see a few more.
If you watch TV shows about police, you might think that their job involves constant action. They are chasing the bad guys, investigating murders and are always busy. That scenario probably represents a very small percentage of their day-to-day activities. Much of their day is spent waiting for something to happen.During my photo and people-watching day I realized I take many of the same pictures over and over. I decided to seek different subject matter and at the same moment I saw the sculpture garden … and the policeman. The day was fairly hot and he was taking advantage of the shade provided by the many trees outside of the museum.
Our conversation was brief and all about the weather.
“Bet you’re glad it isn’t still July.”
“Oh yeah, that was awful.”
“Yep, I was down here with a friend on one of those hundred degree days.”
“Yes sir, today is much better.”
There are several police departments with a presence in Washington DC, including the DC Police, the Secret Service and the National Park Police. I didn’t notice which he was, but he was not the one with a summer uniform with light-colored shorts. His uniform included black pants, black shoes, black belt, black gun and a short-sleeve white shirt. Sweat rolled down his dark skin and he told me he was grateful for the shade; he would have been sweating a lot more without it.
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A note about the sculpture garden… there are a few on the National Mall, but this is the first time in years I saw this one. The picture above shows one of the sculptures. Visit my Photo Bernie site to see a few more.
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