Kids often lie on the grass, gazing up at the sky, imagining shapes in the clouds. As adults, we rarely have the luxury of this simple pastime. Instead, our days are spent navigating urban environments, moving from point A to point B—driving, taking the subway, walking briskly, eyes fixed ahead, avoiding others, or more often than not looking down, glued to our phones, papers, or the pavement.

Straight Up is a collection that pays homage to the child lying in the grass, but here, we look skyward from within cityscapes. Every city has a unique skyline, shaped by its architecture and landscape. By photographing these cities with the camera leveled and pointed straight up, we reveal new perspectives. The resulting images capture the open spaces between buildings, streetlights, signs, and trees, transforming them into striking, abstract forms.

These shapes repeat, subtly shift, and create a rhythmic visual language, a bit familiar yet distinct for each city. Grouping these images forms a kind of spatial fingerprint, reflecting the history, culture, economics, and needs of the city through its built environment. With each city photographed in the same way, cities are easily compared, revealing the microcosms of skylines accessible to anyone who stops, looks up, and takes notice.

The concept for Straight Up, born in New York City, now spans thirty-five cities across fifteen countries. New images are posted regularly in the stories section and Instagram, further expanding on this concept. The portfolio link above showcases select images from certain cities, offering a glimpse into this growing body of work.