There's no way around the fact that the weather was just awful for this year's Independence Day Celebration. The rain, low clouds, fog, mist, and humidity made it a nightmare to try and salvage any pictures of the festivities. Sitting on the steps of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial made it a task to stay dry. Even the massive golf umbrella I was carrying with me was no match for the elements (it began to leak halfway through the last rain band). In light of all those hurdles, it's still a sight to behold. They don't hold a candle to the shots I've gotten on years with better weather. But there's a different moodiness to them that make them completely different than any other shots I've captured over the past 5 years.