Since moving to Philadelphia in 2011, we’ve been to Baltimore a couple of times: once for a wedding and once for a conference. Although both trips were nice for different reasons, in October, we had a chance to go to Baltimore with no specific plans. My brother had to go one weekend for a class and invited Holly and I to tag along.
We left on a Friday and returned on a Monday, making for a pleasant and somewhat spontaneous long weekend. My brother drove and the trip is only about two hours.
Since my brother had class on Saturday and Sunday during the day, we had breakfast and dinner with him each day, and then Holly and I entertained ourselves while he was busy.
I brought two cameras with me. I figured we’d be doing a lot of sight-seeing in different conditions so brought my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV figuring the digital camera was more versatile. Speaking of versatile, I brought my EF 24-105mm f/4 in order to have a range of focal lengths and my EF 50mm f/1.8 because it’s small and awesome.
Although I wanted the flexibility the digital camera provides, I couldn’t resist bringing a film camera as well. Not wanting to weight myself down, I opted for my Diana F+.
Fortunately, our hotel was near the Inner Harbor which, although touristy, is a rather pleasant place to spend a long weekend.
The highlight of the trip was our tour of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. I had been there once years ago to watch the Phillies play the Orioles, but it was the first time for Holly. It was a shame that there wasn’t also a game, but our visit was after the regular season had ended.
The tour was interesting and entertaining, and I took way too many pictures with the Canon and the 24-105mm lens.
Of course, I took pictures walking to and from the park as well.
Last time we were in Baltimore, we stayed close to the Federal Hill area and enjoyed the time we spent there. Although it’s close to the Inner Harbor, it feels much more like a lived-in neighborhood and much less touristy. After our trip to the ballpark, we headed that way for lunch. We walked around after we ate and eventually made our way to the top of Federal Hill itself. Because it was mid-October, autumn colors were starting to appear.
I used my EF 24-105mm f/4 for our walk around Federal Hill and continued with it as we walked down to check out the American Visionary Art Museum. I had put it on my list of possible things to do for our last trip but never got there. When we realized we could see it from Federal Hill, we decided to investigate since we were so close and were glad we did. It is a fascinating museum both inside and out. I used the EF 24-105mm f/4 outside but then switched to my EF 50mm f/1.8 when we went in because it’s a much smaller lens so less obnoxious in a museum and because it’s better in low-light situations. I also used the 50mm for some final shots outside once we left.
After a full day of carrying around my Canon digital camera along with a spare lens, I decided to travel lighter the next day and bring only my Diana F+. I took two rolls of film around the Inner Harbor, first with Fuji Color Pro 400H:
And then with a roll of Kodak Portra 400 which also included some of our walk to Little Italy and back to our hotel:
Finally, on Monday morning, before we drove home, we went with my brother to the National Aquarium. Once again, I was very glad to have my 50mm lens which helped in the generally dark environment of the aquarium.
Although we were in Baltimore for only two full days, we packed a lot in and enjoyed it all. We were thankful for the opportunity to go there without other time commitments. We’re also thankful that we had great weather for the trip.
Despite all the pictures I posted here, these represent only some of the photos from our visit to Baltimore, all of which I included in an album on Flickr.
Leave a Reply