Mornin' folks.

Haven't posted in a while; been pretty busy. Thought I'd take some snap shots on the way in this morning. Feels good to be back! This morning I took some snap shots of the ghetto parts of my commute (65% of the ride in).

Have a good one all. I'm going to be pretty busy at work today, so I dunno if I'll get to reply too much.

Cheerio,
RB

Baltimore at 7am this morning:

Fun pictures, also I liked the pictures you took of your gf's orange bike.

The houses in your last row of photos are covered by "Formstone." I think that this is the first time that you have had a picture of this indigenous Baltimore material. Most houses built before 1890-1910 in Baltimore, expecially the cheaper ones, were made of porous brick. The brick had to be painted or sealed to keep out moisture. In the 1950s and early 1960s, building contractors started putting "Formstone" on older brick row houses to deal with the moisture problem (and to make them look more "modern"). The process involved putting a layer of chicken wire on the building, then a layer of cement on top of the wire, then the sculpted Formstone layer. Originally the colors of the Formstone were quite bright and garish (a lot of pink and turquoise -- remember this was the '50s and '60s). A generation ago, there were miles and miles of Formstone clad houses in Baltimore. Today, many of the Formstone clad rows have been torn down and those that remain have become dull with the passage of time. In the parts of town that have become gentrified (Federal Hill, Fells Point), you can tell the houses in which the "new people" as my Aunt calls them and the original residents live -- the gentry typically has the Formstone removed from their houses.

Here are two things you can look for on your commutes: (1) A house or row of houses painted to look like brick (i.e., painted red with a stencil of white lines to imitate mortar); (2) Baltimore's most prominent house clad in Formstone. I don't know where you will find a house in category 1 -- there are very few of these pre-Formstone era fronts left. I'll give you some clues for the house in category 2: If it were not so foggy out, I could see it from my office window; the Formstone is one color and tastefully done; and one of the people who lives in the house has a bird name title.

sweet shot of your bike against the meter. i never get sick of longer exposure shots. as always, great photos.....but next time nix the crotch. :D

the_dude

as always, great photos.....but next time nix the crotch. :D

the_dude

I was going to mention that. But, at least, he wasn't wearing lycra.

I was going to mention that. But, at least, he wasn't wearing lycra.
No more "trick photography"! That was my fancy, through the legs shot!