Infrastructure.

I find a certain amount of beauty in our infrastructure. This is one of the things that compelled me to finally become a civil engineer; building and improving our infrastructure not only keeps society functioning by providing a solid foundation, there’s also a certain amount of beauty in the basis of life as we know it today, or our infrastructure.

I’ve always been a bit reserved when it comes to talk about my interest in our infrastructure. I enjoy the symmetry of power lines and high tension wires. I appreciate the simplicity of a wind turbine effortlessly collecting a natural resource and turning it into electricity. I am entranced by the simplicity of our nation’s roadways and rail lines. When I was in high school I started to talk about these things but I was instantly shot down by classmates who found me weird or not relatable. So I decided it was best to keep quiet about these things.

The truth of the matter is, I really enjoy taking photos of the world’s infrastructure. I find a certain amount of beauty in these man made creations. I don’t fear cancer or being pelted by a deceased bird when I’m taking photos of wind turbines. As a scholar of traffic engineering, I recognize the effort that goes into making a road sign guiding motorists to their destination a contributor to public safety.

On our recent ride across the prairies of Northern Illinois I took photos with both my aging iPhone X and my decade old Canon EOS DSLR camera. The iPhone X, with all its technological ties to algorithms and other associated software, takes better photos. This is one of the reasons I’m still married to Apple when it comes to my technology needs. For the most part, it still just works.

I see beauty in what others find mundane. I appreciate the power lines that have withstood Mother Nature for decades, even when she’s causing tornado sirens to blare a warning to take cover. I love the flatness of the Illinois Prairie and all the crops it provides to the sustenance of our nation.

I look forward to capturing more of this in the way of photography. Whenever and wherever possible.