WE ALL FLOAT DOWN HERE

ISO 100, f/2.8, 1/2000 second, 50mm

  Been in a photographic rut lately. Uninspired and unmotivated and just in a lull.
  Rob Hanson, a photog friend suggested looking around my neighborhood and try catching some macro details that I normally overlook. What a great idea.
  The minute I walked out the door I remembered these drains along the streets in our sub-division and then immediately thought of the Steven King book/movie "IT". The opening scene in the movie and book are of a boy named Georgie Dembrough playing in the rain with a newspaper boat his brother Bill had made for him. His boat was floating quickly along the road side and fell into a drain just like this one.
  While looking for the boat in the drain, the evil Pennywise the Dancing Clown appears in the drain with a balloon and tries to persuade Georgie to come down into the sewer with him by offering him a balloon. Georgie asks Pennywise if the balloons float down there. Pennywise answers with probably the most quoted phrase from the movie/book. "We all float down here". Won't let you know what happens after that in case you haven't seen or read it.
  I don't much see one of these drains without thinking of that scene.
  I had to turn the center column of my tripod upside down to get this low angle (also suggested by Rob) and used a wide open aperture to blur the background.
  Really want to thank Rob for the suggestions. Made for a decent afternoon of shooting.