A familiar landscape, now strange and emptied by the virus, as seen from above.

Photography By Ricky Carioti | Apr. 22, 2020

Before the virus, our landscape was crowded with people, cars, bicycles, noise — all the things that make up a portrait of life in the Washington region. But when the virus came, and with it the evacuation of that landscape, I thought this was a chance to take a unique look at the empty space: with a camera and drone, from above. Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post

What would Frederick, Baltimore, Richmond and Ocean City look like from that vantage point? The playgrounds, parking lots, ballfields, skylines and neighborhoods? (Washington was off limits, because of various flight restrictions.) Here are some snapshots of the emptied canvas created by the virus. Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post

Ocean City, Md. | April 8 Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post

Baltimore | April 6 Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post

Myersville, Md. | April 1 Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post

Frederick, Md. | April 1 Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post

Richmond | April 14 Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post