More Inner Harbor Pictures – Minolta 800si, Phoenix 28-105mm

I finally had the last roll of film from the Baltimore Inner harbor shoot developed this week…. these were with the Minolta Dynax 800si and the Phoenix 28-105mm lens. This is one of my most used Minolta AF lenses, since it spans such a useful range of focal lengths – from wideangle to medium telephoto.

Although it is most useful as a portrait lens, the 105mm is just right for closing in on interesting architectural detail, and the 28, 35 and 50mm focal lengths are always available. I believe that this is the one lens to pack if one is traveling light. I usually carry a Tiffen 812 warming filter in case of overcast or open sky photography and a Tiffen circular polarizer when its bright and sunny out.

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Inner Harbor, Baltimore	Inner Harbor, Baltimore
Inner Harbor, Baltimore	Inner Harbor, Baltimore
Inner Harbor, Baltimore	Inner Harbor, Baltimore

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Inner Harbor, Baltimore

Inner Harbor, Baltimore

Inner Harbor, Baltimore

Inner Harbor, Baltimore

Inner Harbor, Baltimore

Inner Harbor, Baltimore

Photographed with a Minolta Dynax 800si AF camera and Phoenix 28-105mm f/2.8-3.6 lens on Fujis Superia 200 film. I used a Tiffen circular polarizer

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

 

Inner Harbor and Harbor East, Baltimore

On the last day of my conference at Baltimore, I lugged along my autofocus Minolta Dynax 800si with the Phoenix 28-105mm lens. This road is leads to Harbor East, which is the former warehouse district. Most of the grungy old buildings have been torn down, and it’s being developed into a vibrant business and commercial area.

Two blocks further down, you can still see some of the remaining warehouses, they are really decrepit, and the neighborhood is generally rundown and boarded up. No trees, just concrete sidewalks, uncared for streets and no place you’d care to stop. I walked through that area one afternoon looking for a decent place to eat, and ended up walking 3 blocks back to the edge of Little Italy. I can recommend Petalos Restaurant for their fine salad.

To anyone who believes all development of older city areas is bad, I’d recommend that they walk along Pratt Street in Baltimore, and go past the ritzy hotels to the older, undeveloped areas, and tell me if they still feel the same. What I am against though is the tearing down of older housing to make for multiple residential complexes, and shopping places filled with the same old coffeeshops.

I wish cities would encourage more diversity in the commercial areas, and make it possible for the smaller artisan shops to afford a location in the newly developed areas. Would be like adding a bit of spice to otherwise bland fare.

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Harbor East	Harbor East
Harbor East	Harbor East

Additional pictures of the Inner Harbor area

Inner Harbor

Inner Harbor

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Inner Harbor

Inner Harbor

Inner Harbor

Inner Harbor

Inner Harbor

Photographed with an autofocus Minolta Dynax 800si, Phoenix 28-105mm f/2.8-3.6 zoom lens, Fuji Superia 200. I used a Tiffen 812 filter in the shade and a Tiffen Polarizer in the sun.

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

 

Roadside Flowers #2 – Bachman’s Valley Road, Carroll County MD

Mid summer is THE time for flowers – by this time, the colors of early Spring are long forgotten, gone are the flowering spring bulbs, the cherry and the peach blossoms. By late June and early July, the second wave of color manifests itself, with the annuals and summer perennials coming into bloom.

This is also the best time for wildflowers, and beautiful roadside displays in the countryside. Strictly speaking, these aren’t “native” wildflowers – but out in the country, there is always a kind soul that scatters seed along the grassy verges where they tend to naturalize over time.

I came upon this country home, with an extensive garden reaching out to the roadside.. flowers everywhere. So were the bees, drunk with the nectar. I pulled over and dragged out my trusty Minolta 800si. I had some 400 Speed film in there since I had been testing my Toyo 500, but the flowers were too beautiful to pass up the opportunity.

I used a Sigma 50mm Macro lens for the flowers and my trusty Phoenix 28-105mm general purpose zoom for the old barn next door. I would have preferred a slower film with the 50mm lens, perhaps a 200 ASA or even a 100 ASA, but since I was working with the 400 speed, I set the camera to aperture priority and stopped down to f/13 and used a polarizer to get the light down to a useable level and help with color saturation.

It was early afternoon, the time of day when the light is high and flat, and hardly any modeling. With a manual camera I’d have underexposed a little to be sure of retaining the subtle colors, but the Minolta Dynax 800si’s matrix metering is so accurate that I did not have to worry. Besides, Fuji Superia 400 is very forgiving and has a great deal of latitude, behaving splendidly in bright sunlight as well as shade.

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Sigma 50mm f/2.8

Sigma 50mm f/2.8

Sigma 50mm f/2.8

Sigma 50mm f/2.8

Sigma 50mm f/2.8

Sigma 50mm f/2.8

Sigma 50mm f/2.8

Sigma 50mm f/2.8

Sigma 50mm f/2.8

Sigma 50mm f/2.8

Sigma 50mm f/2.8

Sigma 50mm f/2.8

Sigma 50mm f/2.8

Sigma 50mm f/2.8

Phoenix 28-105mm

Phoenix 28-105mm

Photographed with a Minolta Dynax 800si, Sigma 50mm f/2.8 1:1 macro and Phoenix 28-105mm f/2.8-f/3.6 lenses, Fuji Superia 400 film. I used a Polarizing filter.

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

 

2007 JSOH Airshow at Andrews Air Force Base

I finally got to go to the Joint Services Air Show at Andrews Air Force base this year. I’ve heard about it for years, and the fine photographic opportunities. Besides, where else could you get a chance to see a F-35 Joint Strike Fighter up close? The Thunderbirds were scheduled to perform as well, and I heard that there would be a bunch of old warbirds on display as well.

I was debating on what camera equipment to take, since it was my first time at a real air show, finally played it safe and took the Minolta Dynax camera with the Phoenix 28-105mm for the wide shots and since I really wanted to get close to the action, I also took along the Tamron 70-300mm and lots of Fuji 400 speed film.

The Airshow was back in mid-May, but I haven’t had a chance to post all the pictures I took – the Thunderbirds will have to wait for another day. The remarkable thing about this airshow is the level of access – how close one can get to operational warplanes from all the services. The organization is another thing altogether – I think they take it to another level. The transport arrangements were fantastic, everything was like clockwork. Truly amazing.

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JSOH 2007

JSOH 2007

JSOH 2007

JSOH 2007

JSOH 2007

JSOH 2007

JSOH 2007

JSOH 2007

JSOH 2007

JSOH 2007

JSOH 2007

JSOH 2007

JSOH 2007

JSOH 2007

JSOH 2007

JSOH 2007

JSOH 2007

JSOH 2007

JSOH 2007

JSOH 2007

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Here are the pictures of the Vintage war birds. Seeing them side by side with todays sleek aircraft makes it even more amazing.

Vintage Warbirds

Vintage Warbirds

Vintage Warbirds

Vintage Warbirds

Vintage Warbirds

Vintage Warbirds – that’s my Sunny admiring the Dinosaur Airplane

Vintage Warbirds

Vintage Warbirds

Vintage Warbirds

Photographed with a Minolta Dynax 800si and Phoenix 28-105mm f/2.8-3.6 and Tamron 70-300mm f/3.5-5.6. I used a a Polarizer and Fuji Superia 400 film. It was very sunny, so the exposures were all approximately 1/200-1/250 second at f/13

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

 

Spring in Maryland

More pictures that I clicked over the past couple of months in Carroll and Montgomery Counties in Maryland. I was out almost every weekend, and when possible, early in the mornings and sometimes in the evenings. The progression of plants coming into leaf or flower, breaking the dormancy of a long cold winter is truly a miracle. There’s no real theme here, just my own enjoyment of Spring reflected in these few pictures. The cameras and lenses I used are listed in the photo captions.

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OM-1, Zuiko 50mm f/1.8, Polarizer	OM-2N, Zuiko 50mm f/1.4, Polarizer
Minolta 800si, Phoenix 28-105mm	Minolta 800si, Phoenix 28-105mm

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OM-1, Zuiko 50mm f/1.8, Polarizer

OM-1, Zuiko 50mm f/1.8, Polarizer

OM-1, Zuiko 50mm f/1.8, Polarizer

OM-1, Zuiko 50mm f/1.8, Polarizer

OM-2N, Panagor 90mm f/2.8

OM-2N, Panagor 90mm f/2.8

OM-2N, 50mm with Vivitar2x Macro Teleconverter

Minolta 800si, Phoenix 28-105mm

Minolta 800si, Phoenix 28-105mm

Minolta 800si, Phoenix 28-105mm

Minolta 800si, Phoenix 28-105mm

Minolta 800si, Phoenix 28-105mm

Minolta 800si, Phoenix 28-105mm

OM-1, Zuiko 200mm f/4

OM-1, Zuiko 200mm f/4

OM-1, Zuiko 200mm f/4

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

 

Spring Hill Farm, Westminster MD

This old Farmhouse lies off of Rte 27, just south of Westminster. There’s a little single lane farm road that runs under a rarely used railroad track and a picturesque little stream. The area is very peaceful and not many people ever use the road. I’ve driven past a few times this past fall and winter, but I waited until Spring to take these pictures. The Farm itself holds its original title deed from back in the 1730’s. It’s a working farm, not a “historical preserve” – there are many such treasures all over Carroll County, just need the time to go exploring with a camera. On this occasion, I had my Minolta 800si with my trusty Phoenix wide angle zoom. I used a polarizer on the lens. I’ve had the Phoenix for 8 years now, it’s one of the first lenses I purchased, and I’ve never regretted it.

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Spring Hill Farm

Spring Hill Farm

Spring Hill Farm

Spring Hill Farm

Spring Hill Farm

Spring Hill Farm

Photographed with a Minolta Dynax 800si, Phoenix 28-105mm lens, Fuji Super HQ 200, 1/200 second at f/13

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