Description: Midtown skyline looking westward over Piedmont Park
Background: Atlanta’s skyline is constantly growing and shifting. Ten years ago, only half as many buildings were present in Midtown. I marvel at how Atlanta has grown. At one time, Midtown’s growth consisted mainly of office towers. Now, living spaces are taking over the skyline. Closer to the ground, clothing stores and other businesses are inserting themselves among the restaurants that had the area to themselves for years. These days, one can live, work, dine, and buy furniture and an outfit on Peachtree Street—Wow.
I’ve wanted to get a shot of the skyline over Piedmont Park for a while. It is an iconic shot for Atlanta. Look around the Internet, and you will find an image of Midtown buildings quietly looming over the lake in the park. To my disappointment, I could not find a decent vantage point to capture the image I had in mind. Initially frustrated after standing there trying to decide on an angle, I looked more closely at the buildings and realized more structures were present than I remembered. Then I spent the next few moments trying to recall the last time I actually looked at the skyline while driving by. I go by Piedmont Park often, and the road, not the skyline, has my attention. Walking is a different experience; one experiences the world at slower pace and in more detail–it had been a very long time since I walked by.
At some point, it dawned on me that the power lines and crane were the perfect metaphor for Midtown’s dynamic, ever-changing nature.
Technical: Minolta Maxxum XTsi, Minolta AF 35-105mm f3.5-4.5 (1985), Kentmere 100 (Df 96, Epson 600 scan)
Frame Works?: Yes. The power lines remind me of how, growing up, my sisters and I were always trying to determine how tall we were and how much we had grown. The power lines seem to be doing the same for the Midtown skyline. Each building is being shown how it measures up. The crane, one of the many ever-present in Midtown, tells me I need to pay closer attention. The skyline is always changing—the future always comes.
