June 24, 2015 was the longest (and most productive) day that I've ever had for photography. In the end I processed and kept more than 150 pictures from that day. More than 65 images have been accepted into stock agency portfolios so far from that one day of shooting. I started shooting at 7:45 am and made my last shutter click at 9:15 pm--and walked more than 12 miles with a pack on my back.

It started with an early breakfast at the Hampton Inn in Warwick, Rhode Island. I then drove into Providence in time to enter the Rhode Island State House as soon as it opened. I spent a couple of hours taking pictures of the interior of the State Capitol building before taking the guided tour of the building.

Capitol rotundaCapitol rotunda and the inner dome in the Rhode Island State House at 82 Smith Street in Providence, Rhode Island on July 24, 2015 Since the legislature was out of session, security allowed me to park my car in the lot that is normally reserved for state representatives. I decided to leave my car in that parking lot all day and walk to my other destinations within Providence.

My next stop was City Hall. Providence City Hall is an impressive building. I spent a couple of hours taking photographs of the interior--and climbed countless steps during that visit. During my photo shoot, I was approached by a long-time employee who works in the city's archival department. He was incredibly cooperative and opened the City Council chambers so that I could capture pictures inside that room as well.

City HallCity Hall at 25 Dorrance Street in Providence, Rhode Island on July 24, 2015 After City Hall, I worked my way over to the campus of Brown University. One of the first buildings I entered was the First Baptist Church in America. This church was founded in 1638 by Roger Williams and is the oldest Baptist Church congregation in the United States--hence the church's name. The current building was opened in 1774. I was welcomed into the church and provided with private access to the sanctuary under the condition that my pictures would not be made available for sale.

First Baptist Church in AmericaFirst Baptist Church in America at 75 N Main Street in Providence, Rhode Island on July 24, 2015 From there, I climbed the hill to the Providence Athenaeum. This historic building was opened in 1836. This was the only building during the entire road trip in which a tripod wasn't permitted.

The AthenaeumThe Athenaeum (1838) at 251 Benefit Street in Providence, Rhode Island on July 24, 2015 My next stop was another library on the campus of Brown University--the John Hay Library. The library was opened in 1910 and was named for the private secretary and assistant to Abraham Lincoln.

John Hay LibraryReading room at the John Hay Library at 20 Prospect Street on the campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island on July 24, 2015 The Van Winkle gates are across the street from the John Hay Library. The side gates remain open throughout the year, while the center gates remain closed except for two occasions each year. At the beginning of the academic year, the center gates open inward to admit students. At the end of the second semester, the gates open outward for the Commencement Day procession.

Van Wickle GatesLions at the Van Wickle gates (1901) on the campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island on July 24, 2015. The side gates remain open throughout the year, while the center gates remain closed except for two occasions each year. At the beginning of the academic year, the center gates open inward to admit students during Convocation. At the end of the second semester, the gates open outward for the Commencement Day procession. It was now 2:00 pm, so I stopped for lunch at the Chipotle restaurant on the campus of Brown University. From there, I walked over to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) library for a brief photo shoot.

RISD LibraryRhode Island School of Design (RISD) library at 15 Westminster Street in Providence, Rhode Island on July 24, 2015. I was fortunate to have a thunderstorm come through the area. The light after the storm was exceptional, so I started captured pictures of just about anything in front of the lens--including this vacant art deco tower.

Bank of America buildingOld Bank of America building at 11 Westminster buildings in Providence, Rhode Island on July 24, 2015. It was fun creating some architectural abstracts as well:

Waterplace CondosWaterplace condos and One Financial Plaze in Providence, Rhode Island on July 24, 2015.

The light was exceptional--here's one looking into the hills of Providence in the direction of Brown University:

Houses in the hillsHouses in the hills surrounding downtown Providence, Rhode Island on July 23, 2015 I stopped at Panera Bread near Waterplace Park for dinner. I needed the rest, but also wanted to stay downtown to capture some night shots--especially of Waterplace Park. I had scouted this location off the Martin Luther King, Jr. bridge the previous night. Unfortunately, I missed the WaterFire. That's when fires are lit on all of those structures in the river. I would have had to stay in Providence for another three weeks to see that--and photography would have been more challenging then as the event typically draws about 40,000 visitors.

Waterplace ParkWaterplace Park, the Woonasquatucket River and downtown Providence from the Martin Luther, Jr. Bridge at Francis Street in Providence, Rhode Island on July 24, 2015. Then, it was about 8:30 pm and I climbed back up the hill to the parking lot at the State Capitol. As I was placing my backpack into the car, I noticed that the dome was illuminated with red, white and blue lights. So, I grabbed my equipment and walked around the building to capture this view:

Red, White & BlueRhode Island State House at 82 Smith Street in Providence, Rhode Island on July 24, 2015. By the time I returned to the hotel, I was exhausted. It was nearly 10:00 pm. According to my Jawbone fitness band, I had walked 12 miles. My shoulders were aching from having the camera gear on my back for nearly the entire 13 hours. Only later did I realize that the post processing would take longer than the time it took to capture the images!