Violet reflection

Drain in sunlight

The sunlight reflected by the water caused some violet color to be reflected.  

Ever vigilant

Semper aspiciunt

The lighting in the museum gallery created an interesting interplay of shadows around the ever watchful security camera up in  the corner.
 

Light pole

Light pole at sunset

The lights in the parking lot come on at sunset.  The light bulbs in this light pole are not matched for color temperature, unlike the ones here.  On this pole, the upper light is reddish and the lower light is greenish. 

Late afternoon too

Late afternoon sunlight, No. 2

The near sunset sunlight of an early winter afternoon shines through the south facing window, filling the bedroom in golden yellow.  This 3d relaxed view photograph shows the mirror, the wall, and the bed.

Late afternoon

Late afternoon sunlight

The near sunset sunlight of an early winter afternoon shines through the south facing bedroom window, creating a pattern of golden yellow.  This 3d relaxed view photograph shows the texture of the bedspread.

Three balloons

Three balloons, floating away

The paint dripping down from the spots looks like three floating balloons and their strings.  

Greens

A field of greens

The bright green leaves of the growing greens stand out against the green grass growing in between the rows.  
 

Striping guideline

Paint crack in the rain

The stripe painters used the crack in the paving as a guideline.

Yellow hydrant

Blue, red, and yellow identifiers

The water shutoff, snow pole, and hydrant each have their own color.
 

Looking at flowers

Black eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

The flowers are looking at you.
 

Galvanized gate

Chemical reactions

The chemical reactions caused by years of exposure to automobile exhausts, pollution, and rainfall create patterns on this galvanized security gate.

Classic cover

Manhole cover

A classic "8 - 24 - 16" pattern manhole cover is seen in the sidewalk beneath our feet.

Drippy end

Crosswalk paint

A stripe of the newly painted crosswalk ends in a drip.

Concrete circle

Circle in cement

Cobblestones, concrete, and a circle - all beneath our feet as we walk the street.

Maple copters

Maple seed pods

Maple (Acer spp.) seeds, also know as "helicopters", litter the sidewalk beneath our feet.

Pattern convergence

Sewer drain cover from India

Various patterns converge at the street corner beneath our feet.

Manhole cover

Manhole cover

The linearity of the sidewalks stress reliefs is broken up by the circularity of the manhole cover.

A defective casting may be the cause the broken knobs.

 

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updated December 9, 2024 

 

The photo was submitted to the "They See Your Photo"  https://theyseeyourphotos.com/  online app - it uses the Google Vision API to reveal the story behind a photo.  Here is what it had to say:

 

The image shows a detailed close-up of a manhole cover situated on a sidewalk. The foreground is dominated by the manhole cover itself, which is dark gray or black metal with a distinctive hexagonal pattern. The background reveals the sidewalk's textured surface, composed of various gray concrete slabs, some appearing smoother than others. There's also a section of textured pavement in the upper left corner, suggesting a possible ramp or transition between different pavement types. The subtle variations in color and texture of the concrete slabs indicate differences in age or material composition.

The photograph appears to have been taken during the daytime, judging by the even lighting across the scene. There are no people visible in the picture; it's a purely inanimate subject. The absence of any human element suggests that the image is possibly focused on architectural or urban detail. Considering the manhole cover's placement on a sidewalk, one can imagine a busy street scene nearby; yet, the picture focuses solely on the manhole cover, making the setting unknown, other than likely being an urban space. The picture appears to be a candid shot, possibly taken by a pedestrian or someone observing architectural detail; there is no evidence of professional equipment or staging.

Upon closer examination, several interesting details emerge. The hexagonal pattern on the manhole cover isn't perfectly uniform; there are minor imperfections and variations in the size and shape of individual hexagons. There are also some small particles of debris lodged within and around the hexagons. The concrete surrounding the manhole cover shows signs of wear and weathering, such as fine cracks and variations in coloration that suggest the impact of rain and time. These subtle features add a layer of realism and detail to the photograph.
 

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Fried dough

Fried dough on the Fourth of July

The fried dough stand lights illuminate the line of its soon to be satiated patrons.

Bricks and ivy

Ivy on garage wall

The straight lines and dark colors of the brick wall are broken up by the bright green ivy and a sliver of sunlight.

Black walnut

Black walnut in the sun

The backlit black walnut creates a wonderful interplay of color, light, and shadow.

King and retinue

The king and his most trusted advisor

The retinue awaits

The king and his retinue, relaxing in the shade early on a hot Friday afternoon.

Degerees of shade

Varieties of shade

Brilliant sunlight on the awnings, buildings, and trees casts different degrees of shade over the sidewalk beneath our feet.

Dappled lawn

Brown and green grass

Some grasses turn brown when it is dry; others do not.  Together, they create patterns on the lawn.

Utility covers

Gas test cover

The GAS TEST cover, re-viewed.

Gas cover

 
A gas cover seen in the sidewalk beneath our feet.  The sun-lit tire-burnished street glows in the background.

A conEdison manhole cover

A Consolidated Edison Company of New York manhole cover with the consolidated Con Ed logo.  Sunlight adds a glow to the scene of the street near our feet.

conEdison cover close up

A close up of the consolidated Con Ed logo manhole cover.
 

Flour Sack 2

From the wheat fields of Staten Island

Who knew that Staten Island was famous for its flour?  "Staten Island Best" - it must be good, as the local bakery uses it in its tasty products.

Hover bench

Snow melt on bench

The strong sunshine after the late spring snowstorm melted the snow on this bench in an unusual way.  In this relaxed view 3d stereogram, the shade hides the supports and the bench appears to be hovering.

Update:  The other day, I happened to be where this bench is located, and thought how great it would be to see it again.  Surprise on me - not only was the snow gone, but the bench was gone as well.  In fact, all of the benches (and tables) were gone.  

Another update:  The other day, I happened to be where this bench had been located.  New benches (and tables) have been installed.  These are so not photogenic that it was not worth using up the electrons to photograph them.

Drain cover

"Drain Cover" by Everett J. Prescott

The roundness of this drain cover sporting the EJP logo is offset by the deeply cracked sidewalk around it.  The cover was made by the Everett J. Prescott, Inc. company.

Sidewalk oasis

Life in the deep crack

This wide and deep sidewalk crack provides shelter for plants and grasses that would otherwise get worn away by passing footsteps.

Pink and white musk mallows

Pink musk mallows

White musk mallows

Two exemplars of musk mallow (Malva moschata) in the wild, one pink and the other white.

Hay field

Hay field, No. 1

Hay field, No. 2

Hay field, No. 3

As the clouds move by, sun and shadow create different moods in the hay field waiting to be cut.

Reflecting on cracks

Wet parking lot crack

Reflected in the chrome bumper, the cracks look like they are in the bumper and not where they really are.

Tavern sign

Neon tavern sign

A relaxed view 3d photo of an old neon tavern sign.

Empty store 2

Empty store

Another empty storefront, in relaxed 3d mode.  The 3d is very deep.

Empty store

This long closed store has been re-purposed as a dollar store.  These "3d relaxed mode" photos of the interior were taken after the store had been emptied.

Store interior, No.1

Store interior, No. 2

Removal of the store contents revealed the previously hidden color schemes.

Silver Flag

Silver flag

The graffiti on this metal roll-up gate was covered over with silver paint.  The result looks like a flag.

Leaf puddle

 

Downspout, puddle, and leaves

The leaves in the downspout catch basin are wet and do not get blown away by the wind.

AC Drain

Wet AC drain

This drain is located in the sidewalk beneath a window installed air conditioner.  The AC drip keeps the cover and the area around it wet.  

A year later, the air conditioner has been moved to another window, and a plant now grows out of this drain.

Two years later, the sidewalk was updated.  The drain now shows the results of sloppy cementing.

Mangled railing

 

Mangled railing

Trucks making deliveries have managed to mangle the railing in the store parking lot.  Just how much is seen in this relaxed view 3d image.

Reflected window

Reflection in puddle

In the lower right corner, the reflection of the window opening appears to be in the same plane as the floor.  In the upper left, it appears as being perpendicular to the floor.

Corner store windows

The bricked up window

Corner stores often had windows on the side street side of the store.  As these became inconvenient, they would be bricked up.  The bricks and masonry work never matches that of the original wall.  Here, swirls from the almost-removed graffiti add color and movement to the brick patterns.

 

The patient model

The next window, around the corner from the store entrance, has also been worked, as the brickwork shows.  Inside, the mannequin model awaits the next fashion trend.

Street markings

What looks like street graffiti is really markings that indicate the presence of underground infrastructure beneath the street.  Different colors are used to identify the different types of utilities that are beneath the ground.

Gas cover

Divergent lines