The subject matter of the two photos that I posted on May 28th might not be all that easy to identify because I did not include much context within the frame.  The photos capture the steal beams of a section of a bridge against the backdrop of the sky.  I like these photos for many reasons and when I was thinking about them, I realized that in a way, these photos suggest a social change and maybe even a dilemma:  looking up.  I hate to make generalizations but, nobody does it anymore; nobody looks up!  Sure, you can go the route of "we're busy Americans, we live a fast-paced lifestyle, and we don't have enough time to appreciate our surroundings because we are too busy thinking about what to order at Starbucks," but I would also like to take another approach to this dilemma:  height.  I live in large city with a beautiful skyline of architectural wonder.  Yet, I just came back from a 5-month stay in Florence, where the tallest occupied building is probably only about 4 stories.  In Italy, before, during, and after the Renaissance, architecture has always been a highly respected form of art that represents the genius of the architect and the reflection of society.  I think this idea flows into the present as well, but the significant increase in height of present day structures completely inhibits the warm, intimate feeling one gets with the buildings that were constructed at eye-level or a little higher like in Florence.  I am not trying to say that the current appreciation of architecture has diminished, but the increased height of buildings and skyscrapers makes it much more challenging to get an idea of the structure as a whole.

I took the Chicago River Architecture tour the other day and with all of this jibber-jabber in mind, I got some cool shots of some of the buildings that are near or that line the river.  Enjoy.

(wherever you live in the world, take 30 seconds out of your day to look UP at the building you are walking by.  It might be worth it.)