Interesting Photo of the Day: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall at Sunrise

Interesting Photos  •  Sunrise Photography

Showered in a powerful array of fiery orange sky and dramatic purple clouds, Washington, D.C.’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall comes off as brazenly proud in this photo–a stark contrast to its often dark and somber tone. The wall was designed by American architect Maya Lin in the 1980s and, from above, looks like a giant sobering scar carved into the grass. From ground-level, it is much quieter, and poignantly reflective:

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial leading and the Washington Monument at sunrise. (Via Imgur. Click for larger size.)

The photo is a dazzling example of composition–the memorial feels endlessly reaching toward the ultimate goal, the Washington Monument, perfectly centered in the bottom third of the frame. The colors reflect sharply against the wall’s dark stone. The use of HDR is obvious but effective, and it’s typical of photographer Angela B. Pan‘s stark and often patriotic American style.