Wednesday 11 September 2013

LIFE: On Looking Up


If there's one thing I do when sightseeing local or otherwise is to look up. I'm always doing it. Constantly. It's a force of habit that I don't know when it started until someone actually pointed out how I commented on things "up there". 

I frequently missing things right in front of me but i'll always notice the fancy cornice edgings around a building, empty space were fire escapes precariously would have stood, carved faces, arched windows on the top floor and how the metal of a build intersects the sky. Looking up can reveal former names of old buildings, it's date to former uses. I often find older buildings to be just as, if not more so detailed and decorated around the tops of the structures as they are at the ground. 

The buildings you look up at don't even necessarily have to be tall, they can be houses with smoke markings upon the outer walls or chimney stacks, they can be smooth edged roof such as the entrance to the Renaissance Building shown in the bottom right photograph. 

Looking up allows the comparison and juxtaposition of space. Of man made entering the sky, reflections upon glass structure fronts, of bright blue skies against black steel. Or trees balancing space with structures. Trees themselves are more then worthy of being looked up at. This habit of mine it more and more often coming through in my photography - those shown above are all from Detroit, the presence of these buildings have made me turn my camera willing upwards dwarfing both myself and my camera with it and I hope to focus more on the details "up there" in the future. 

It's so easy to see the world with your camera away from the street eye level, there's a whole world above our heads and it's waiting to be spoken to.

Do you ever look up?

5 comments:

  1. I'm glad it's not just me - I'm always saying 'Oooh look at the ceiling!' or 'Oh, this used to be a police station!' to my boyfriend, he thinks I'm crazy haha.
    Gorgeous photos, I love the third-to-last one :)

    Jess xo

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  2. I honestly always forget to look up, which is such a shame because my town is full of so much pretty architecture and old buildings. I should really spend more time appreciating the place I live. x

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