… it won’t always hit you in the eye the first time.
Back in the days when phones were corded, were firmly attached to a domestic wall, weren’t held in the hand 24/7 and most certainly didn’t have a camera, the very first day of my three-year photographic diploma course saw the senior lecturer in charge despatch us all out on a field mission.
A surprise, in more ways than one, especially with it being the first day of the course; he sent us out, not with our cameras, but with a pencil and drawing pad. The instruction was to “look up” somewhere in the centre of the city and “draw what you see”. He added, “It must be at least 50 metres above eye level.”
And this is something that has stayed with me for decades. Even in the most deprived city or town centre, “look up” and you will be extremely surprised. It is otherwise easy to rush through a town or city centre on the way to that famous tourist attraction, but so similarly easy to not gain an insight and appreciation for what is actually around you.
Looking up above the various shop fronts will present you with a totally different and unusual vista for any location you might choose to visit. You will discover incredible architectural wonders hidden in, what is in reality, plain sight.
And there is nothing especially strange in regularly looking up. For example, if you are in Trafalgar Square in London, you will automatically look up towards Admiral Nelson sitting atop his column. If you are passing by the German Bundestag in Berlin you will look up to view the dome and flags. And if you are walking the streets of New York, you will automatically be looking up most of the time, no doubt with sheer and dizzying amazement.
So why not “look up” when in the smaller cities or towns of the world? And, presumably accompanied by your camera, you can also zoom in to record some of the magnificent detail nearly always included by the architect.
Over the years I have taken many photographs of architectural gems that I have discovered simply by “looking up”. It is to be highly recommended and will provide an altogether more unique memory of your visit.
