Thursday, February 03, 2005

An image from a stroll

The route I use to walk to work takes me through a neighborhood of beautiful century homes. They come in all shapes and sizes, and range from run-down all the way up to take-your-breath-away stunning. Whether or not there's a rusted pickup parked in the driveway, all are almost magnetic in their ability to captivate the passer-by's eye.

Strolling down the street affords me the luxury of appreciating why these buildings matter so much. Even the grumpiest soul has to be affected by everyday beauty like this.

Last week, the simple appeal of this composition just hit me as I trundled down the block. It was a depressingly dull morning, and I wasn't in the world's greatest mood as my head churned through the upcoming deliverables of the day. But I looked up, saw a sequence of triangles in perspective and knew I had to take this picture.

Why am I posting this particular picture? Simple: I hope you'll also look for the magic in the seemingly mundane. I hope you'll find an image that reaches out to you. I hope you'll post it to your own blog and let us all know here. Deal?

10 comments:

Diane said...

That is wonderful, Carmi, a great perspective. I love the lines and geometric shapes.

Thumper said...

Is it wrong that I see beautiful pictures like this and my first thought is "whoa...that would be an awesome puzzle..."

I've been spending too much time at jigzone.com...

Red said...

Fist thing I saw in the picture was the geometric lines.
then the tree...
then the snow...
then lastly that it was a dreary day!

So true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, we all see things different...
Good shot!

Jef said...

Okay, okay... I'm going to get the camera out and go look for some magic this weekend, but in my mind, there really isn't a lot of mundane stuff in my neighborhood.

Unknown said...

Hello Carmi,
Thank you for giving my blog a read and making the very nice comment.

When I look at this photo I see a nice linear composition; all lines leading to one another: the telephone lines to the distinct "A" of the rooftops all in a row which leads to the natural flowy lines of the trees.

I too, take in older homes no matter what their condition because they have such sturdy, character. Lovely post. Can't wait to have more time to read more entries.
Take care,
Sweetie

Sharon said...

I love old houses too. (I grew up in one) When I saw this picture I saw the dark triangles first, then the telephone lines intersecting; it is almost like a Piet Mondrian painting, very ordered.

Cori said...

Wow what a great picture. It reminds me of "All In The Family" and their home.

Mellie Helen said...

The angle of the picture combined with the electrical wires streaming from the houses gives the curious effect of the houses playing tug-of-war with the trees. I think the houses are gonna win!

Jill said...

I love-love-love this photo. The colors, the pitch of the roof-tops. Oh, and that craggy tree. Really wonderful, Carmi. Thank you!

Christine said...

I love old homes. They just have so much more character and presense than the "cookie cutter" houses they make today. I love to drive through the older part of town (known as "the big tree district") and admire those huge brick homes with the gorgeous porches that are another room in themselves. I imagine myself sitting there on an early summer morning reading the newpaper and enjoying a cup of tea while my kids play quietly at my feet.

I love that picture! It makes me want to take a walk in the snow.