“Stop What You're Doing and Enjoy the Beauty”

Like a lot of you, I live in the suburbs.

I never planned to live in the suburbs, nor, if I’m honest, did I want to. But when we moved cities a couple years ago, we couldn’t find any houses we could afford in the urban core. So, here we are.

I love it.

It’s an older suburb, built up in the 1960’s. The houses each have their own thing going on. Lots of young couples and families are moving in.

As I take daily walks with my dog one thing I’ve begun to notice is just how beautiful this neighborhood of mine is. I know that sounds weird, someone claiming the suburbs are beautiful, but I truly feel that way. So much so I’ve begun a documentary project covering the place I and my neighbors call home (look for it later this year).

Here’s what makes it: Most homeowners in our few square miles don’t hire landscapers. When you look at a home, you can be fairly certain the person inside has put in hours of thought and sweat to make it look good. Things are always tidy and clean. More often than not they are symmetrical. Sometimes, what you find is just plain absurd.

And there are more times than I can count where the light is shining just right, and you come around the corner and you just have to stop and marvel at how lovely the world is. That’s what I was thinking the day I shot this photo. I just couldn’t get over how beautiful the world is if you take the time to look.