Posts Tagged ‘photowalk’
Western Maryland Yard, in West Virginia
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The Patomac River flows through Maryland’s Cumberland, providing a border between it and neighboring Ridgeley in West Virginia. Driving along a local street between the two municipalities, the Google Maps navigation app on my phone was continually announcing ‘Welcome to Maryland’ followed by ‘Welcome to West Virginia’ and then ‘Welcome to Maryland’ again.
One of the things I wanted to get a shot or three of on this day trip was the rail yard used by the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad, which is found on the West Virginia side of the river.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There were a couple of people working, and I got these shots by focusing through a hole in the fencelines. I’m planning on buying a ticket to ride alomg with them on one of the regularly scheduled ‘heritage rides’ they offer, when their summer schedule starts up again. The historic trains roll between Cumberland and Frostburg in Maryland, and the tracks travel through the rolling hills of the Laurel Highlands. Should be a cool experience, I think, and maybe a few pretty pictures.
Adventure, excitement… a Jedi craves not these things. I, of course, am no Jedi. If anything, I lean a bit towards Sith, or at least I wear a lot of black clothes. Emperor Palpatine seems like a nice happy guy, as he’s always laughing. That’s the sort of bloke whom I’d like to hang out with, happy people who laugh a lot, and can coincidentally shoot lightning out of their fingertips. Besides, the Jedi are kind of preachy.
I know… nerd.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I soon packed up my camera gear and got ‘road lunch’ at McDonald’s.
One then stopped off at a gas station and topped off the car’s gas tank, not because I was empty but instead because I was curious to see what sort of actual gas consumption the Mobile Oppression Platform had incurred over the course of roughly 130 miles of driving (mostly highway). Three and a bit gallons, as it turned out, and according to the car’s diagnostics – I was rolling about at 40.8 mpg. Gotta hand it the engineers of the Toyota Hybrid engine department, that’s better than advertised.
Back next week with something different at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
CSX Cumberland apertif
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Finally, I found a point of view location for the CSX Terminal in Maryland’s city of Cumberland. Take that, jabronies.
One realizes that this quest of mine sounds fairly obsessive, and I haven’t been able to get close at all to what I really want shots of (the roundhouse), but… darn it… this is the closest I’ve managed to get to the facility and I was glad of it.
This whole ‘train thing’ has been a real learning experience, I tell you, but I’m not done yet. Learning, learning, learning.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This is my second or third day trip to this area, which is about a two hour drive, and what I’d consider to be the southeastern corner of the Pittsburgh metroplex. A significant section of the journey takes place on the modern incarnation of the ‘National Road’ – Route 40, which dates back to 1812, and travels through the Laurel Highlands. If you’re interested in seeing an absolutely gorgeous section of the eastern United States – put the Laurel Highland on your list.
Cumberland is high on my ‘to explore’ list, and I’ll definitely be trying to pay the place a good amount of attention while waving the camera around.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
An oddly painted track maintenance unit was spotted at the Cumberland Terminal, all decked out in the sort of urban camouflage pattern which the military favors. Can’t imagine why you’d paint equipment like this in such a manner, but there you go. Normally these sorts of things are brightly painted so you can’t ‘not notice’ them.
Back tomorrow.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Country, early morning
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s the Salisbury Viaduct pictured above, which used to be a rail trestle but is now a part of the Great Appalachian Passage trail. Shortly after capturing this shot I bumped into a guy who was hiking from Washington D.C. to Pittsburgh via the GAP route. Nice fellow, European accented.
He had a clever accommodation regarding the carrying of his hiking and camping gear, which included a tent and other outdoor necessities, which was the modified baby buggy that was his companion. The seat of the thing was removed, and the three wheeler carriage seemed to be doing the ‘carrying job’ for him quite well.
Neat.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The viaduct itself offers a nearly bird’s eye POV on a fairly rural area complete with farms. To this kid from Brooklyn, these sorts of places are like visiting a foreign country and offer a lifestyle which is utterly unknown.
At any rate, it was time to head back to the car and get back to the road trip for me. I was heading towards a train yard which has been on my radar, and I had worked out a spot which was semi public where I’d be able to wave the camera around, without the threat of meeting either the local gendarmes or surly locomotive security personnel.
There are Woody Guthrie songs about the latter circumstance. Always a good idea to follow Woody’s advice.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I enjoy seeing the line of windmills up on that hill. Political back and forth notwithstanding, it’s silly to not harvest wind energy and convert it into profitable electrical supply. One of these days somebody will wake up and say ‘hey, the rivers and oceans offer a somewhat limitless supply of waveform energy…’ but…
What, you’re going to leave something that’s basically free on the table?
Back tomorrow.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Emperor’s new clothes
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Occasion recently found a humble narrator on a short road trip, and heading towards Western Maryland. Just a few miles after crossing the Mason Dixon line, I decided to take a break from the effort at the Salisbury Viaduct, and soon after walking onto the structure I heard the horn, and rumble, of an approaching locomotive.
It was Amtrak, and I was lucky enough to get a shot of one of their locomotives all done up in the new color way and trade dress that the passenger service has recently debuted.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I suspect that this unit was ultimately heading to Washington D.C., as it was passing through the panhandle of Western Maryland. I’m speculating here, but I’d also suggest that this train likely started its trip in Chicago in the dead of night.
Luckily, I had installed a ‘crop sensor’ lens on my camera which allowed for a 300mm zoom range. I was barely in position for this one, but managed to crack out these three shots as the train rolled past.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Pleasing, the new design is, one declares. Supposedly, the entire fleet will be receiving similar paint jobs in the next few years.
Back tomorrow.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Moist
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One has been informed by several members of those age cohorts which follow my own, that the word which forms the title of this post makes them vaguely uncomfortable. My response to this usually involves mentioning the packaging og supermarket cake mixes like Betty Crocker’s with their promises for the finished product, and then questioning them what about why this word is so disturbing to them. It’s vague, their discomfort is, I’m told.
Pittsburgh and its environs received a near record amount of rainfall in April, which caused the rivers to swell and burst their banks. It was quite a hullabaloo. Thereby, the entire Pittsburgh region was overly moist.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
That’s Point State Park, with its iconic fountain, positively buried beneath an admixture of the Monongahela and Allegheny River’s respective waters. As is my practice, I wanted to get no where close to such conditions, and a visit to the community of West End and its Overlook Park – which are several hundred feet higher in altitude than the water – was enacted.
My time here was somewhat limited, I’d mention, as Our Lady of the Pentacle would be requiring a ride home from some social ‘do’ she was attending. One got busy with the camera in the allotted interval.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A low laying bank of mist, and a precipitant one at that, blew in from the direction of the Ohio River. The precipitation caught and diffused the emanations of the burning thermonuclear eye of god itself, as it was dipping behind Mount Washington. There were a few other photographers at work up here, I’d mention – a couple of drone guys, and about three or four other stills shooters.
A kid standing next to me was obviously new to the ‘scene’ and had brought zero preparation with him for inclement atmospheric conditions. I had my umbrella with me, and a ubiquitously present and quite absorbent kitchen towel which I always carry, in case I have to wipe the camera down after a blast of rain comes through. You never know.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A rainbow set up behind Mount Washington and I made sure to get a shot of that. The flooding in Pittsburgh has since reversed, and the waterfront trails and the flooded park in the first and second shots have reopened for public inspection and use. Such is the nature of things, I guess.
For those of you who have accused a humble narrator of ‘drinking the kool aid’ on the subject of climate change, over the years, I’d ask – is the weather and your expectations of its seasonal variants different these days from when you were a kid? Does the winter seem warmer, the spring wetter?
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Looking westwards, over the Ohio River, towards the bands of rain which the storm was blowing in, is what’s depicted in this shot. The ridge lining the start of the Ohio River Valley had already plunged the area into shadow, but the shot was a bit underexposed – purposely – to allow the rain some visibility.
Just as this shot was being executed, my phone chimed with a message from Our Lady that she was ready for me to come and fetch her. Five minutes, I replied.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Looking back at Downtown Pittsburgh with its flooded shorelines, just as the various office buildings began to light up for the night. The gear was then packed up, salutations offered to the young fellow standing next to me who owned an overly moist camera, and soon I was behind the wheel of the Mobile Oppression Platform and heading towards Our Lady.
Back tomorrow with something different at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
The Newtown Pentacle 