Yaquina Bay Bridge in Newport, Oregon

As inspiration for this month's architectural detail project, here are a few photos of the Yaquina Bay Bridge in Newport, Oregon.

I pulled over to the side of the road in a precarious spot only to learn upon leaving that there was a safer (and official) place to pull over about 50 feet away. Oops. The stepped sides of the pillars screamed Art Deco to me, probably because I had just spent two weeks in Paris studying archives related to the origins of Art Deco for part of a chapter in my book project.

The view from underneath the bridge makes me think of what historian David E. Nye calls the "technological sublime." The arches and the beam of light coming from the upper right of the photo mimic the view from inside a cathedral, except that in place of stained glass we can look out to admire the complex geometry of steel.

This final photo is a detail of the staircase leading to the main road and the top side of the bridge. I was tempted to use Photoshop to clean up the signs of graffiti tags at the bottom, but decided against it.

Be sure to check out what other people have been posting this month, and add your own if you can.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse, Oregon

I'm now on the Oregon coast--a far cry from Paris, but not without its own architectural beauty. Today we visited the Yaquina Head Lighthouse and I snapped a few pics and put them together in a grid (click on the photo to enlarge it):

The iron staircase (top middle) is as beautiful as it is hard on the knees, but I also noticed the appeal of the lighting mechanism. Even the floor in the top of the tower caught my eye for its signs of age. And the simplicity of the windows compliments the serenity of the coast.

It's not too late to participate in the Monthly Special. Think about a building in your area that you can better appreciate through photography and share it by linking back here.

Two more architectural photos from Paris

With three out of five of us in our family having names beginning with the letter "M," this balcony not far from the Centre Pompidou has always caught my eye. I also like the simple white curtains against the brown window frame. What's not to like?

Like my taste for the films of Guy Maddin (I know other fans must be out there, but I have yet to meet another person who likes, for example, the film "The Saddest Music in the World"), I don't expect my love of this photo to be shared by many. It's minimalist, modern, and it was taken outside the IRCAM building, which in the wonderful book, Paris to the Moon, Adam Gopnik describes as a "modern music institute, which sponsors contemporary composers who write music that so far no one has ever heard." It just makes it all the more appropriate, doesn't it?

This post will likely bump the July Monthly Special off the main page, but even if it's out of sight I hope it won't be out of mind. I'm still hoping to see a lot of you take up the architectural detail challenge.

More architectural detail from Paris

I was out taking some pictures this morning. Here are a few photos--all from a calm residential neighborhood. How would you like to have these ornaments carved into the side of your house? (click on any of the photos for a larger view)

Escargot anyone? Leave it to the French to immortalize a snail in stone.

Are you familiar with Jean de La Fontaine's fable of the Raven and the Fox? I bet the residents of this house know it by heart.

The Lion King, French style?
Just like certain fashions, these details look perfectly at home in Paris but would be a bit ostentatious back home.
So, even though you may not have snails, fables, and lions carved around your neighborhood, you can still celebrate the architectural detail that surrounds you by participating in the July Monthly Special.

Room with a view

I'm not sure if I love this photo I just took, but here are a couple of things I do like about it:

1. The signs of aging: the chipped paint, the faded edges of the street sign. Now if I could just appreciate signs of aging on my face as much as I do on a building.
2. The hint of red and white awning that gives some color and let's you know that a café sits below.
3. Last but not least, the reflection of the Eglise de la Trinité that tells you what kind of a view the person living in that apartment wakes up to every day.

The church, by the way, is a relatively new construction by French standards. It was built during the time when Napoleon III (Napoleon Bonaparte's nephew, who was elected president of the Second Republic and then, when his term was up in 1851, decided to proclaim himself emperor--Don't let this give you any ideas, George W.) had given free reign to Baron Haussmann to modernize Paris. And nothing says "modern" like a 19th-century church built in the Italian Renaissance style, right?

I'll try to do more frequent posts while I'm in Paris, but meanwhile, I hope to see more links of your own architectural photos on the July Monthly Special.

July "Monthly Special": Architectural Detail

This month I'm leaving behind software and portraiture (don't worry, they'll be back) for a project aimed at appreciating our surroundings. My own example will come from Paris, which may seem unfair given how easy it is to find beauty there, but my goal is to inspire you to look more closely at the structures around you and to discover the beauty in them.

Detail of a bridge in Paris.

The story behind the project

Twelve years ago, while living in Paris with my wife and our one-year-old son, I was in need of a creative photo project. I didn't want to take the same touristy photos that you see on all the postcards, probably because I didn't want to think of myself as a tourist. When you've gone through all the work of finding and furnishing an apartment, you want to think of yourself as something more than a visitor. You want to believe you love the city more deeply than someone running through the Louvre, stopping by the Eiffel Tower, and then hopping on a plane or train to their next destination. Paris is not fast food, you think. Slow down. Take in the subtleties. You knew you liked the Eiffel Tower before you left home, but what else do you like now that you've spent some time here?

I remembered taking a class on Renaissance poetry and learning about the blason--a kind of poem devoted to praising a woman by describing a single body part (e.g. the eyebrow, the lips, the nose, the tooth (I kid you not), the thigh, etc.). The result could range from comical to seductive to downright nasty, depending on the body part and on the skill of the poet.

With the blason in mind, I tried to identify what specifically I loved about Paris. At that time, it was without a doubt the ironwork. Had I moved to Paris from New York (which has some beautiful examples of ironwork) rather than from Seattle, I may have taken it for granted. But I had never before been surrounded by so much beautiful wrought iron. I loved looking at the variations in balconies, gates, bridges, and staircases. And so began my photographic ode to ironwork.

I wasn't shooting digital back then, but here are a couple recent shots:

Detail of a gate at Palais Royal.

I love the silhouetted curves of this gate.

The challenge and why you should participate

This month, I want to invite you to photograph architectural details around you. This could be your home, your work environment, your city, a place you like to visit, almost anything as long as it is an architectural detail.

I am giving a broad definition of architectural detail as human-made structures or things more-or-less permanently attached to them. For example, your fireplace mantel would qualify, but the knick knacks sitting on top of it would not. Your antique door knobs and locks would qualify, but your keys would not. Sound clear?

If you do this month's special I believe you will begin to appreciate your surroundings on a deeper level. Keep a camera with you when you go out and new things will come to your attention. This month is all about seeing rather than about software. I hope to see even more people participate. Pick your favorite (or favorites) and post them on your blog or photo site and link back here to share your results. I can't wait to hear the stories behind your photos. I will have more posts coming through the month, but you can always find the Monthly Special in the menu bar at the right.