What lies above

· by · in Cincinnati, Contrasts, Historical. ·

We often wonder what lies just out of site.  Questions of hidden conversations, different lives, and undiscovered treasures enter our heads when we can’t see beyond.  Walls, objects, and even the ground bring out our inner peeping Toms. But what many fail to do is wonder what is clearly in sight, just above their heads.  Todd informed me yesterday, after taking a walk in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, that he had enjoyed watching people watch me take pictures.  I apparently confuse folks when I stop and photograph things just above my head.  He said they stop and look up, trying to figure out what’s so important above.  Lions, flowers, smoking areas, detailed art, and historic architecture are all things one misses when ahead, or behind, is all they see.  Here is what I found yesterday, looking up.

Lion guard.

Lion guard.

Patterned.

Front porch.

Pride of someone’s past.

Hours of work.

Staying in the lines.

Lollypop.

Over the edge.

Detail oriented.

Lighting up the world.

Many have seen before.

Hand painted.

Standing guard.

It’s all about perspective.

95 responses to “What lies above”

  2. I’m hopefully going to visit some roman ruins soon, I might try this idea out (if that’s ok). I love all your photos, so inspiring!

  4. These remind me of the year I lived downtown on the corner of W. 9th Street & Race St….not quite OTR, but close…I lived above Shaefer-Busby FH…the oldest funeral home in Ohio, around the corner from Scotti’s…best Italian food in the city….

  9. Definitely a favorite of yours…. I try to remember to look up and see what goes on above me when I’m out. Oh, to have a bird’s eye view. What they must see!

  10. Terrific. It truly is amazing what you can miss, even somewhere you’ve lived for a long time…then one day you happen to look around and you’re like ‘WOW! Since when was all this here?!’

  12. You capture so much beauty that most people never lay eyes on or pass by without reflection. I particularly like these photos of the lovely handiwork chiseled into stone for the ages.

  16. When one recognises the intricacies of these designs, we can’t but agree that it really must take hours of work. Then just imagine the bigger picture-our universe!

  18. What a glorious series. We miss so much in our blinkered linear view. Have a friend who is always looking up at buildings – he falls off more pavements and stands in more dog poo than most but does point out the most wonderful things we’d miss otherwise.

  21. It’s amazing all the beauty that is missed within the daily lives of busy people. Too much going on nowadays for anyone to really take time to stop and look at the world around us. Nice post! Thanks for sharing! 😀

  22. A man and photographer after my own heart and style! 🙂 I have tons of shots like this in my private stash… not really good for printing or selling but FABULOUS for the spirit and memory of experience! Nice series… great photos!

  23. Oh so true. Half the time we don’t even see what’s right in front of us. Usually we trip over it and never even look down. Great pictures. Architecture usually goes unseen as we pass by never taking the time to check it out.

  24. An impressive collection of studies – fascinating architecture, I love all the flourishes and detail.

  26. Love all the different angles – Lighting up the world.is my favorite – I bet you were a bit dizzy taking those photos – looking up like that … how different the same building can look all depending on angles.

  28. Pingback: What lies above | Gabriel Lucatero·

  29. I love the angles you shoot from. You would have a “field day” in my area (Cape May, NJ) The architecture in this area is; quite literally; from another century. Very spectacular.

    Your pictures are ALWAYS interesting and time well spent.

  30. Most people think you’re some sort of building inspector/engineer looking and taking pictures of something ready to fall off. 🙂

    Another nice set.

  36. Love these photos not only for their technique, but also for how they remind us to be aware of what’s around us. Some of my favorite photos I’ve taken involve this perspective, it’s always surprising what you find when you become a bit more aware of what’s above your head! 🙂

  39. I really like the Up-The-Wall look! I did that once, but Fargo doesn’t have anything that is so special as you have captured in your photos. So I did the folks house, the light pole…I did get a series as I was looking up from a convertible once, that turned out to be rather interesting.

      • Don’t come during our 6+ months of winter. Fargo is Flatter than your dining room table. One comedian said that North Dakota is the only state where you can see your mother waving goodbye 300 miles away. I enjoy nice weather, but we don’t get much of that . Any snow is included in the not nice weather. We have two seasons, Winters Coming, and Winter is HERE 😦

      • Ha. I have a good friend who lives about 1 hours east of the ND line in Minn. She wants Todd and I to come visit in the summer sometime.

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