Brownstone

The streets of Manhattan's Upper West Side are lined with brownstones, gracious homes whose steps and masonry stoop railings usually have slightly curved edges. More than once I've watched skilled workmen repair and restore them, carefully smoothing sharp corners into rounder, friendlier shapes. Using my camera's built-in Illustration setting, the subtle colors and strong shadows became a close-to-abstract interplay of horizontal and vertical lines. I tend to be more attracted to curves than to straight lines, but this image just makes me happy---a remembrance of a walk on a sunny afternoon.