Images of Christmas - Baltimore

Christmastime on 34th Street, Baltimore (December 2001)

‘Tis that time of year again.

I’m looking for one more post to close out 2019. Christmas lights and decorations were noted from former home towns, New York in 2017 and New Orleans last January. Since I have now lived in the Baltimore area longer than anywhere else, I should round out the series with a few local images.

Baltimore is the home of the original Washington Monument. This 178-foot tall column was completed in 1829, long before the more famous one was dedicated in Washington, D.C. in 1885. Since 1971, the monument has been lit ceremonially on the first Thursday in December.

Washington Monument, Baltimore (17 December 2011)

In the Hampden neighborhood of Baltimore City, ONE block of row houses is so magnificently festooned with lights, people come from miles around to see it. Some call it ‘The Miracle on 34th Street.’ The shot at the top and the one below show the complete dedication the neighbors have to make the block festive and bright.

34th Street, Baltimore (17 December 2011)

Finally, here’s a little trick you can do to play with the lights and make an abstract spray of color. With the camera on a tripod (because night-time shots need longer exposures) and a zoom lens, you can zoom out while the shutter is open to make every light streak. The effect can be interesting.

Mach Two Christmas, Baltimore (17 December 2011)

We wish you a joyous and safe holiday followed by a healthy and happy New Year. We sincerely appreciate your interest in our eclectic posts.

Images and More will continue in 2020 with another Cruise Chronicle, more ballpark visitations and, I suspect, an Election Year rant or two. I also want to chase down the last resting places of our nation’s Supreme Court Chief Justices and return to the State House Odyssey.

So many stories.

So little time.