another angle

It should be said that I am just an average photographer. When I took classes my proclivity veered toward darkroom effects rather than technical mastery, so I've never really understood the process as I should.

That out of the way, I'm fascinated at the moment by filth; the sort of filth revealed by early spring here in MN. Glacial layers of ice and snow gradually recede, exposing months of accumulated dirt, grit and litter. Decomposition of roadside trash has been slowed over the winter, and as I stand at various bus stops, I find my eyes drawn to the textures and artifacts.
Viewed across the landscape it's just a dirty mess, and we're always grateful for those spring rains that wash the crud into the storm drains (and thence to the river). Up close, you can crop the snowbanks and curbs down to an abstracted section for examination.

If I were a better photographer, I could extract every nuance, all the million shades of grey and brown, the little details of grit embedded in ice. Not that everyone would be equally excited by that. Still, I hope to get a few more good shots before it all washes away. What we would rather not see is always worth looking into; and beauty is composed of small details, not broad strokes.