I stopped into Detroit for a day of photography that was frankly a bit too bright, but I ended up with a handful of shots I’m content with. To me Detroit was the standing shadow of a city. Once “forged in steel”, years of neglect incited by economic turmoil have left it literally rusting away in places.

Today, Detroit and its residents have felt bottom and are pushing back. Grassroots community projects and financial recovery instigated by a prospering American automotive sector are turning the city around. I did not walk down a single city street that did not have construction and renovation work underway, and as an outsider looking in it appears that the machine which once created the giant is now in motion rejuvenating it.

The streets of downtown Detroit are often desolate.

Alright so a not very subtle message…get over it.

A home that was likely once valued into the millions is in shambles on the immediate outskirts of the downtown area.

It seems this apartment building is slowly being taken back by natural forces.

My steed for the cross-country journey.