wmata project

WMATA (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) Project

In mid-June I received a call asking if I would be interested in working on a large project for WMATA (Washington Metro Area Transit Authority) to photograph Metro stations in the Washington, DC area.  The Metro system currently consists of 91 stations throughout Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC.  The first phase to be done would consist of six of the stations.

The project was intriguing and would be challenging.  Following some discussion about the specifics, I agreed to work with two other photographers to complete the project.

The first step was to meet with the WMATA representative for one day to tour the six stations which would be included in the first phase.  The stations for this phase included Metro Center, Archives Station, Judiciary Square, Gallery Place, L'Enfant Plaza, and Union Station.  Station maps were provided and reviewed to determine our course of action and workflow.

After submitting paperwork for background checks and receiving clearances, each of us returned to the WMATA office several days later to receive identification badges which would provide us with access to the stations.  As Metro Center, Gallery Place, and L'Enfant Plaza are larger stations, two of us were assigned to each of those sites.  Each of us was also assigned a smaller station to photograph.

As no trains or people were permitted in the shots, our work needed to be completed during the off-hours, or between 11 PM and 5 AM (7 AM on the weekends).  Both exterior and interior photography was required.  WMATA also assigned an escort to each of us who would provide access to the stations, open doors, turn off escalators, open elevators, and track our progress on the station map.

The purpose of this project is to create walkthrough tours of each station which will enable riders to not only view the stations but to also obtain additional information.  This is done by taking multiple panoramic photos, stitching them together, adding "hotspots," and then creating a tour for each station.  These tours will then be connected to an app which is currently being developed by WMATA.

As of the end of July, all six of these stations have been photographed and the tours are currently being processed.  The next step will be for the tours to be reviewed during the month of August, and a decision will be made regarding the additional 85 stations.

No matter what the size is of your project, Charm City Virtual Tours has the ability to meet your needs.  For more information please call 410-707-3306 or send an email to info@charmcityvirtualtours.com.  We look forward to hearing from you!

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