Rochester Skies Continued [Sky Watch Friday]

 Rochester, like many other cities, seems to be known for its gray skies. The plus side of that is that we really appreciate it when we see blue sky and white clouds, not to mention a brilliant sunset. In fact, we have it all -- and that forces a photographer to sharpen his//her skills by making the best of what the elements have offered up. Today's postings feature our bright gray sky, which offered a good backdrop for the wintry weather.
The top image features several of Rochester’s iconic architectural structures, of which I have posted separately on several occasions. For example, from left to right are a portion of the Freddie-Sue Bridge, the figure of Mercury, the First federal Building [with its now defunct revolving restaurant, and the Winged Victory atop the Times building.

One does not see fire escapes that often in Rochester. I thought it would be cool to shoot this one against the sky and try to catch its reflection in the windows. Fortunately, the sky did not get blown out. 

Like fire escapes, balconies also fascinate me. This [low rent] apartment building was constructed right in the heart of downtown and on one of the major arteries through town. It hasn’t done a lot to revitalize the city, but it is what it is [an interesting building to photograph].