Macro photograph of a flower in stained glass at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC

Macro photograph of a flower in stained glass at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC

Macro photograph of a flower in stained glass at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC

The stained glass window that contained these flowers is in a staircase off to the side of the balcony at the National Cathedral, and it’s fair to say that I would have missed this window had I not gotten lost trying to find my way back downstairs. Luckily, there was just enough room on the sill for me to set-up my tripod and get myself wedged into the window sill to take these photos.

A macro photograph of a large planter at the U.S. Botanic Gardens in Washington, D.C.

This is a color photograph of the planter previously posted in black and white.

A black and white abstract photograph of a large planter at the U.S. Botanic Gardens in Washington, D.C.

This planter is located in a side room of the U.S. Botanic Gardens; it sat near the entrance to the room away from the hands-on exhibits where people could touch and feel things and quiz themselves on their knowledge of plants. The challenge with photographing at the Botanic Gardens was the sheer number of people who turned out for that day’s special exhibit on orchids. (I had no idea orchids were so popular or that there were so many varieties.) As a result, I wasn’t able to use my tripod in the low light conditions and was constantly wary of knocking someone over or being knocked over myself. The appeal of the planter was its intricate texture and gothic feel, which almost made it seem out of place among the cleanly designed learning exhibits.

Close-up of the number 32 on a trolley car in Glen Echo Park, Maryland

Close-up of the number 32 on a trolley car in Glen Echo Park, Maryland

Close-up of the number 32 on a trolley car in Glen Echo Park, Maryland

Close-up of the number 32 on a trolley car in Glen Echo Park, Maryland

This set of photographs was motivated by the interesting shapes and contrasting colors of the number 32 on a trolley car in Glen Echo Park, Maryland. This, of course, is the same trolley car that was the subject of the rusty trolley, trolley wheel, and suspension posts. The first photograph in this set captures the number 32 in its most abstract form; each successive photograph becomes less abstract and reveals the identity of and some degree of context for the number.

Paint peels from the rusty chassis of a trolley car in Glen Echo Park, Maryland.

Paint peels from the rusty chassis of a trolley car in Glen Echo Park, Maryland.

Paint peels from the rusty chassis of a trolley car in Glen Echo Park, Maryland.

This trolley car’s rusty chassis and peeling paint reflect its age and exposure to the elements. Besides providing great texture for photographing, the rust and peeling paint reveal what is no longer visible as well: the innumerable stories of its riders. Who were they, and where were they going? To work; to visit a loved one; to school. Maybe some simply got on to enjoy the ride and the sound of its steel wheels on the rails.

Extreme close-up shot of a trolley wheel in Glen Echo Park, Maryland

Close-up shot of a trolley wheel in Glen Echo Park, Maryland

These two photos were taken after the I took the photos of the rusty suspension parts of the trolley car. I was drawn to the hub of trolley wheel, which was nicely textured by the rust and had bolts resembling eyes.

Rusty suspension parts on a street trolley car in Glen Echo Park, Maryland

Close-up of a rusty shock on a street trolley car in Glen Echo Park, Maryland

Just behind one of small art gallery in Glen Echo Park is an antique street trolley car that sits on a set of rails. No one is allowed to sit in the car, of course, but there’s nothing to stop you from getting as close as possible or even touch the car. The texture of the rusty suspension parts pulled me low to the ground and partially underneath the trolley car. After fifteen minutes of shooting, I had finished my last roll of film; and my knees were telling me that it was time to stand up.

A door lock is surrounded by layers of peeling paint.

A padlock keeps shut a door with peeling yellow paint.

A door lock hole offers a window to the other side of dilapidated door.

There’s a yellow and blue door on the front of the Crystal Pool building in Glen Echo Park, Maryland to keep people from getting to the other side of the wall. Like the building itself, the two doors are dilapidated with paint cracking and peeling from top to bottom. What’s left of the paint doesn’t do much to protect the doors from the elements, but their texture gave them a dimension and depth to match the history of the park.

Ivy grows on a crumbling white wall of a building in Glen Echo Park, Maryland.

Ivy grows against a wall with peeling red paint in Glen Echo Park, Maryland.

Close-up of ivy against a white wall

Ivy grows on a red wall of a building in Glen Echo Park, Maryland.

I don’t know the name of this ivy, but it seems to be growing everywhere across the Washington, DC area. This was especially true for the Crystal Pool building in Glen Echo Park, Maryland where the ivy covered much of the right side of the building. It’s probably not accurate to even call the Crystal Pool building a building since there’s nothing but green grass behind its facade, but it’s interesting how the organic manages to thrive as the man-made object slowly deteriorates against time and the elements.

A star-shaped bolt holds up a retaining wall in Washington, DC.

I often come across items that I want to photograph when I’m walking my dog; and when I see something interesting, I stop and look at it for a few minutes to visualize ways that it could be photographed. I don’t necessarily photograph the item right away or even at all, but I usually keep examining it each time I walk my dog. Sometimes I do this at different times of the day to see the item under different conditions and light. Weeks may pass, but eventually I may venture out with my camera, and without my dog, to photograph the item.

This star is part of a large bolt that holds up a retaining wall next to a row house in my neighborhood. Apparently, it didn’t do a very good job of holding up the wall and Earth because the wall was demolished and replaced a few months after I took this photograph. Unfortunately, the new wall doesn’t have anything interesting on it to look at, but I’ll keep walking by with my dog anyway.