Old Farmhouse on Sullivan Road

This old farmhouse and barn sits just outside of Westminster, a couple of miles north of the town. I usually drive that route when I want to take a more scenic way into the town, instead of taking MD Rte 97 south from work. This is a very accessible site, just off the road, with easy parking… there aren’t many vehicles around that road (except on Mondays, when a nearby auction house is holding their occasional outdoor and barn auction). I’ve photographed this barn many times over the past year. The pond, well and barn always stop me dead in my tracks., and I pull over for a couple of minutes just savoring the view.

OM-2, Vivitar 24mm 1/500 at f/16, Fuji 400

OM-2, Vivitar 24mm, 1/500 at f/16, Fuji 400

OM-2, Sigma 35-105mm f/1.8, 35mm 1/500 at f/16, Fuji 400

OM-2, Zuiko 50mm, 1/500 at f/16, Fuji 400

OM-1, 50mm f/1.8, Fuji 200

Ricoh 500G, 1/250 at f/16 Fuji 200

Ricoh 500G, 1/250 at f/16, Fuji 200

Photographed with an OM-2, (Vivitar 24mm, Sigma 35-105mm, Zuiko 50mm f/1.8) OM-1 (50mm f/1.8) and Ricoh 500G

---

text and images © 2007 ajoy muralidhar. all names, websites, brands and technical data referenced are the copyright or trademark of their respective owners.

 

Skyscape near Damascus, MD

I spotted this striking skyscape on my way home from work.. It must have been about 6.30 PM as I was driving south on Rte 27 near Damascus, MD. I looked for a good spot where I could get a clear view and pulled over to take the photographs. The lighting on the underside of the clouds was actually much softer and seemed to make the clouds glow with an inner radiance. The relative brightness of the scene (I was shooting into the sun) underexposed the lower part of the scene a little, and I lost some of the subtle details. I had my OM-2 and a Sigma 35-105mm zoom and was loaded with 400 ASA film, although a slower film would have been better for such a bright scene. I had to use a polarizer and protect my eyes while taking the shot – the Sigma is a beautiful lens, very sharp and ideal when one needs a “all-round” lens for a day trip, It’s surprisingly small and light, and very well constructed. I tend to have this lens in my camera bag a lot, and it has never failed to surprise me with its versatility.

Skyscape 1

Skyscape 2

Skyscape 3

Photographed with an OM-2, Sigma 35-105mm f/3.5-f/4.6 lens and Polarizer, Fuji Superia 400 film, 1/250 second at f/16

---

text and images © 2007 ajoy muralidhar. all names, websites, brands and technical data referenced are the copyright or trademark of their respective owners.

 

Sunset over MD Rte 27 – Ricoh 500G

I happened to be driving back home from work on Rte 27 when this magnificent sunset happened, and I just had to stop the car and watch as the glowing orb slowly sank beneath the wooded hillside.

I got out, snapped off a couple of quick pictures with the Ricoh 500G Rangefinder, and then hauled out the old OM-1 from the back seat, and took another couple of shots. This is a busy road, so I did not try to set up a tripod ( I carry a cheap Velbon in the trunk). My fellow commuters must have thought I was nuts.

Sunsets are tricky, so I played it safe and used the Sunny f/16 rule. I was using 200 ASA film on both cameras, so I had a safe handheld 1/250 second shutter speed at f/16. I used a polarizer on the Zuiko 50mm, so the exposure was a little trickier. I decided to open up only 1 stop instead of the customary 2 stops to compensate for the polarizer’s effect. As a result, the OM-1 pictures turned out slightly underexposed, which actually made the clouds stand out better.

Sunset #1 – Ricoh 500G (40mm f/2.8)

Sunset #2 – Ricoh 500G (40mm f/2.8)

Sunset #3 – OM-1, Zuiko 50mm f/1.4

Sunset #4 – OM-1, Zuiko 50mm f/1.4

Photographs #1, #2 made with Ricoh 500G rangefinder, 1/250 second at f/16. Photographs #3, #4 with Olympus OM-1, Zuiko 50mm f/1.4 with Polarizing filter. 1/250 second at f11 to compensate for filter, slightly underexposed . Film was Fujicolor Super HQ 200

---

text and images © 2007 ajoy muralidhar. all names, websites, brands and technical data referenced are the copyright or trademark of their respective owners.