I took this shot while clinging onto the boulder in the foreground for dear life. Really though, it wasn’t that dramatic… It was just a bit mossy and wet, and I stood a pretty good chance of slipping if I wasn’t careful. It always seems more dramatic though, when you are doing all that and trying to position a tripod and expensive camera on that aforementioned slippery boulder.
As you make your way through the Quileute Indian Reservation, on your way to First Beach, you wind down a hill and are greeted on your left by the Pacific Ocean. It’s quite an impressive sight. The vast ocean rushes up to meet the shore, sometimes carrying with it massive pieces of driftwood (The beach even has signs warning you to stay away from approaching driftwood for fear of injury and death!). And then, of course, you have the massive islands standing sentinel a few hundred yards from shore, constantly being shaped by erosion.
We were running a bit late getting back to our cabin one evening, and were still driving through the national lakeshore scenic roads at sunset. As we were passing by a barn I photographed earlier in the day, I had the idea to stop and take a similar picture with the sunset directly behind it. It’s amazing how a scene can look completely different at different times of the day isn’t it? Anyhow, I love the way this one turned out with the cool tones of the barn set against the blaze of a late sunset.
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Among the many cool things to see and photograph in Chicago are the L trains. However, shortly after taking this shot, I was essentially accosted by a CTA transit authority demanding to see my photography permit. I told him I didn’t have one, and then he wanted to kick me off the platform. I didn’t argue, but told him I would pack up my gear, and simply ride the train to my next stop, and only after he realized that I wasn’t going anywhere, did he allow this to happen. At the next stop I asked the lady working that booth what the deal was, and she said technically it isn’t allowed, but if I wasn’t obvious about it, it wouldn’t be a problem 90% of the time. I guess I just got the overachiever…
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We went through Millenium Park a couple times when we were in Chicago. Neither time we were able to see a show or concert in the Pavilion, however, you could still roam about on the grounds and explore. The artistically-styled façade of the stage is illuminated by a series of artificial lights, which change color and reflect in the stainless steel tiles.
I took a series of shots inside the Chicago Cultural Center. Literally everywhere you looked was some interesting architectural feature, or artistic expression. This shot was taken from the Grand Staircase looking opposite of Preston Bradley Hall. I have another picture of a beautiful Tiffany glass dome inside this hall, and this shot is actually from that same spot looking in the opposite direction.
While we were walking around the city streets and buildings to get a good shot of the Aqua Skyscraper, we stumbled upon this little park. There was a nice little grassy area for the kids to play, some trees, paths for walking your dog, and these neat little water-features. I extended the shutter drag for this shot hoping to get a nice smooth appearance to the surface of the water.
There are so many buildings and projects that have went up recently in Chicago, that it is hard to keep track. This one, the Aqua Skyscraper, was constructed in 2008, and currently holds the record of tallest building in the world designed by a female lead architect (Jeanne Gang); which is pretty cool. The building itself is pretty awesome as well. The nautical inspired wave balconies extend up to 12 feet in order to give tenants wide views of the surrounding city.
Glancing down an alley in Chicago, the fire escape staircases stick out like a sore thumb. I can’t really imagine having to climb down one of these when a building is on fire though… I always just thought they were for chance encounters on sitcoms or something. Turns out, they also make for a nice composition as well.
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