During my last photography road trip, I visited Jefferson's Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia. I planned to be at the Monticello later in the day to catch the warm afternoon light. My research indicated that the building would be lit best right before sunset that day.

I arrived at the visitor center at about 1:00 PM. Unfortunately, it was a very cold and overcast day. I hoped that the skies would clear by sunset. In the meantime, I upgraded my scheduled tour to the extended "Behind the Scenes" tour. I figured it was best to be indoors as much as possible. And, I'm also interested in Thomas Jefferson.

Before taking the shuttle from the visitor center to the Monticello, I enjoyed my time at the museum and the theater. The complex is much larger than it was when I first visited Monticello in the early 1990's.

At some point, I had about 30 minutes to kill before my shuttle ride to Monticello. I decided to walk through the forest behind the visitor center to capture a few photographs of the foggy woods. While I was shooting, I was surprised to see two security guards walking toward me.

They asked me what I was doing. I explained that I was killing some time before my tour started and thought the forest might be a good subject given the foggy conditions. I also pointed out that I had checked the photography policy on the Monticello website and had also confirmed that policy at the visitor center. The policy states that photography is not permitted inside the Monticello, but is permitted on the grounds. I also explained that the forest where I was standing was a shuttle ride away from Monticello--and that this forest shot could have been taken practically anywhere in the Appalachian Mountains--and doesn't really scream Monticello in any way!

Foggy forest trailFoggy forest trail on the grounds of Jefferson's Monticello (1772) in Albemarle County, near Charlottesville, Virginia on December 16, 2014 The security guards conceded my point regarding the above forest photograph. But, they advised me not to take photographs of the building--even of the exterior. Yes, photography is permitted they said--but not with a camera that looks as professional as mine!

After more discussion, they said I could take pictures of the exterior of the building as long as I didn't sell them. After I agreed to that (after all, commercial photography is prohibited by policy), they continued to advise me not to post them on my website--even if they aren't for sale! That, I didn't agree to.

This image of Monticello was captured just before sunset. Obviously, the fog never lifted. In fact, it just kept getting thicker. But, I think the foggy conditions provided me with a more unique picture of this iconic building. Although I captured just a few pictures during my afternoon at Monticello, I enjoyed the tour immensely and walked away with a couple of pictures that I liked as well.

MonticelloJefferson's Monticello (1772) reflected in the fish pond of the West Lawn in Albemarle County, near Charlottesville, Virginia on December 16, 2014