Meet the Makers: Brian Day

This photographer is taking an overhead look at Detroit
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Brian Day — a photographer who has lived in Detroit his entire life — says his most recent work was inspired by the desire to show a more elevated view of the city.

Images in Day’s Detroit From Above project, which was on display at M Contemporary Art gallery in Ferndale from February to March, were shot using a camera mounted to a remote-controlled drone. The black-and-white photography showcased overhead views of places like Hart Plaza, the MacArthur Bridge, The Renaissance Center, Michigan Central Station, and more.

“I’m 41 years old, and I’ve never seen those buildings from that perspective,” says Day, who also works as the chief technology officer at Henry Ford Health System. “I was always fascinated by the fact that black-and-white photography really makes you focus on the geometry and composition of the image.”

Pursuing documentary-style and fine arts photography since 2010, Day keeps track of themes he’d like to explore in notebooks and digital files, and the length of his projects can range from one day to a year. He plans to revisit a series he started on architecture next.

“I’m really interested in looking at mid-century modern architecture around the city,” he says. “That’s my next … big project.”

For more information, visit brianday.org