The Varied Commute

A few months ago, I made a pretty significant change in my life, moving from my environs in Columbia MD out to Frederick, further to the west.  There are any number of reasons for this, but in doing so, I certainly weighed out the pros and cons.  One of the biggest cons was an increase in my commuting time to work in Washington DC.  However, I fancy myself one who likes exploring, and have always tried to "make lemonade from lemons."  In the process of settling in, I would try a number of different commuting options that involved various combinations of driving, bus riding, commuter trains and the DC Metro.  And each of these new views also brought with it a chance for some new photographic fun that I did not have on my previous commute.  Have a look at some shots taken on the Exakta, of my new and often varied commute.

Believe it or not, this image on Fomapan 200 was actually taken from the MTA commuter bus #515, and depicts a retention pond in the middle of the exit from Interstate 270 to Urbana.  

Some mornings, I would actually make it out early enough to get a few photos before getting a bus or train to work.  It is a bit before 5:00am and Caroll Street in Downtown Frederick shows few signs of life.

MARC Train service provided the most interesting ride of all, though it was also the most expensive.  We are calling at the Dickerson Station with my taking of this photo. 

Washington Union Station was one of the more interesting sites when commuting by train.  The peak hour hustle and bustle around me is not even evident in this scene which makes the station look forlorn and quiet. 

Speaking of forlorn and quiet, this old drag strip has had years since it has seen busy days.  Located in Green Valley, and between home and the #90 bus, it is certainly one of the more interesting things to see on this route home.   This  shot and those that follow were shot on Rollei Retro 80S.

Around the corner from where the #90 bus picks up in Damascus, this old theater certainly does not hide its roots, even if it has since been converted to a pharmacy. 

The rolling nature of the hills becomes more evident as one ventures further west when heading home from Damascus.  This street shows three peaks in short succession, as well as some mountains in the distance.

A different route home from Damascus passed a barn next to which a few old cars might be spotted.  I stopped one day to get a photo, and the results, while contrasty, were really pretty nice.

Just south of Frederick is a great photographic destination in the Monocacy Battlefield.  Here, the 14th New Jersey Monument can be seen near route 355. 

Route 355's crossing of the Monocacy River is already done on a historic bridge.  However, it seems the abutments it is built atop once served a much older bridge, as can be seen here in the stonework readily evident. 

Occasionally, I would make a photo stop and see something that was not a landscape, such as this spider tending to its web, a great image that invites a plethora of bokeh bubbles behind.

I also ran a roll of Agfa CR200 through an Exakta, with a few decent results in the mix.  This barn sits among some of the property of Monocacy Battlefield.  The film renders a rather dated and nostalgic hue in afternoon light.

Another late afternoon shot near Monocacy shows a very characteristic tree dotting the slope of a hill and casting some long shadows in its wake.

A well loved stone barn acts as the centerpiece for a community gardening plot.  I only wish there was a way I could have composed this barn, the distant hillside, and the fence in a way that did not include the mulch piles.  Alas there was none.

Since the arrival of Daylight Savings Time, the ability to get such a variety of shots has been cut short.  As such, any little diversions I make or photos I take are often under far less light.  At least I know I have a number of other exploratory paths I can take when Spring arrives in a few months.