CALIFORNIASanta Monica PIER
I used to stare up at Ferris wheels and wonder how high they could lift me. As an adult, I look at them and feel that same quiet spark rising again.
When I photographed this wheel in the middle of the day with an infrared camera, I noticed a woman in one of the top stalls, leaning forward and looking down at the world below. Something about her posture made the moment feel even more human. Maybe she was searching for someone, or maybe she was just taking in the view the way we all do when life slows for a second.
In that small gesture, the ride became more than a structure. It became a reminder that everyone up there carries their own story, and that wonder doesn’t disappear. It just changes shape as we grow.