Tag Archives: downtown

Night Arrival Over Seattle

A trip away included a late arrival back into Seattle.  I hadn’t thought about which approach we might make to SeaTac so my seat selection was accidental, but I ended up on the side of the plane that was overlooking downtown Seattle as we made our final approach.  Having the M6 provided me with a bit more flexibility on shooting than would be the case with the phone and something far more maneuverable than if I was using one of the SLRs. It handled the low light levels surprisingly well.

I also think the smaller lens elements of the EF-M are better able to handle the distortion of windows.  The distorted bits could cover more of the field of view of course but you have more of a chance of getting between the worst bits.  With the big lenses, it is almost impossible to get a good clear patch for the whole lens when you zoom in to check the details.

View from the 24th Floor

I had a meeting in downtown Seattle that was on the 24th floor of an office block.  As a result of traffic being better than expected, I got there a little early so I had a little extra time which was spent waiting in the lobby for the meeting to start.  Their lobby had a large window view of the south end of the city looking towards the stadiums.  It would have been churlish to not get my phone out and to grab a quick picture and doubly churlish not to share it with you!

Camden Yards

I last saw Camden Yards over 20 years ago when I was living in Washington D.C.  At the time, the trend for developing baseball stadiums back in downtown areas was only just getting going.  Camden was a trendsetter.  Now, many cities have gone down the same route and baseball stadiums are in the cities whether it is the majors or the minors.  I was heading to get the train back to the airport at the end of my work visit and the route took me right through the middle of the complex.  A game was due later in the day and some visitors were already taking tours while the vendor staff were just getting ready to serve the crowds that would come later.  However, it was still nice and quiet as I passed through.  It was also going to be a warm day so I imagine that the vendors were going to have a busy day keeping everyone refreshed.

Placerville

C59F7338.jpgDuring the fall, we decided to take a trip up to Placer County.  The aim was to visit some of the apple farms up that way and to buy some fruit.  This we did quite successfully!  When we had finished, we dropped in to Placerville to have a look around.  I actually have some friends who live in Placerville but I hadn’t warned them that we might be in the neighborhood and they were out when I called to see if they were around so we missed out on catching up.  However, we did have a nice look around the downtown area.

C59F7328.jpgAs an old mining town, it has a selection of older buildings and the feel of the place is more eclectic than the experience you have in a newer town that hasn’t had a chance to evolve much.  The geography of the area means that the roads are not dead straight so everything has a more individual feel.

Over Downtown Dallas

AU0E8394.jpgMy layover in Dallas was followed by a flight to Oakland. The departure from Love Field takes you directly towards the heart of Downtown Dallas. It was a bit of a cloudy day so there was neither an unrestricted view nor the greatest of light but I did get a good look at the city as was passed overhead and then turned around to head west. Here are a few quick shots I grabbed as we went.

AU0E8399.jpg AU0E8390.jpg

Tacoma

wpid10993-AU0E6763.jpgWhen landing at SeaTac on the northerly approaches, you come across Seattle’s southern neighbor, Tacoma. The approach routing brings you just to the east of the city so, if you are doing this in the morning as I was at some point recently, you get the city nicely illuminated in the early sunlight. The usual issues with shooting through an airplane window still apply but you are lower so the shots can be more forgiving.

wpid10995-AU0E6786.jpgThe city is home to one of the west coast’s major container ports. The view from above clearly shows how the harbor dominates the area. The container terminals and the cranes that make them work are clearly visible along with the transportation connections that take everything out of the port an on to its final destination.

wpid10991-AU0E6749.jpgThe city also has a large dome which is home to many events. It is close to the main freeway from north to south, I-5, and when you drive past it seems to be pretty huge. From the air, it is still clearly seen but somehow it doesn’t have the same impact.