bright lights, big city

have you ever felt so overwhelmed that you didn't know where to start but you knew you had to start something, or somewhere? ever had a passion but let it go by the wayside because, life? So much change has happened on my job over the past year, my FIRST year being with the company, that when 5 o'clock comes around, all i want to do is go home and get in my pjs. i am mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted, however grateful for my job. i just wish I had more left in the proverbial 'tank' at the end of the day to get out with my nikon and snap some photos. these days, i'm mostly using my iPhone which has a great camera. being more intentional with this passion of mine is on the S.M.A.R.T. goals for 2024. anyone else feel me?

Iive been thinking of creating a photography blog for a few years....a guest at the morris inn at the University of notre dame, where i was working at the time, encouraged me to put myself out there...that more people are drawn to learning more about the stories behind the photos. i'm not sure there's a story behind every photo i take, however i do know that i am always paying attention to my surroundings because inevitably there will be something catching my eye. even in the simple, seeming mundane of our day-to-day. 

the photo for today was taken this past wednesday night, thanksgiving eve, as i was driving back into uptown from noda, here in charlotte. i currently live in uptown, which is something i never thought would actually happen, but i always wondered what it would be like. its loud. except in the wee hours of 3am-5am. it gets super quiet and i can actually hear the crickets in the little garden downstairs from my apartment. the stillness is magnificent. that's one of the major things i miss about living in the midwest. small town life is more than what its cracked up to be. the smell of freshly mown alfalfa in the fields. the distant sound of semis rolling down the highway at night. corn and soybean fields as far as the eye can see. the cold, snowy winter nights that begin in early november and stick around until april. but i digress. 

i see this skyline every day, in the bight sunshine of daytime and at night, all lit up. no matter the time of day, it's still awe-inspiring. at times it seems larger than life and yet not so much. the dichotomy is interesting. i cannot help but take photos of it when it catches my eye, and that's pretty often. 

this is the bank of america building. it's the tallest building in uptown. the very top looks like a crown, and is generally lit in some color every night. it changes daily. one can actually request a color for their organization or a cause, a holiday or to 'cheer on' the panthers....which has gotten pretty difficult. but that's a story for another day! this building, as well as the other high rises in uptown look spectacular in color or black and white. b&w hits different. 

i'm not sure how many times a week i will share a new blog post, but please subscribe and follow along my journey, capturing the beautiful world around me. like my uncle bob told me years ago before i headed off to russia for my college semester abroad, 'there's a great big world out there, so you need to get out and see it.' 

get out there! 

until next time....cat