Hot day in Chicago

7.16.12 Lansing - Chicago - Green Bay

This is my 4th week in the past 5 working in Green Bay. I'm hoping (and it looks like) this will be my last.

Yesterday I started my day by working out at the South-side YMCA in the morning and then hit the road about 9:15am. As I was driving West on 94 some clouds started to form, I was glad to see them. The last few times I drove through Chicago there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and that makes for pretty boring photos with no depth of field, you just have your subject and a blank blue sky. As I got closer and crossed the Sky-way bridge I could see the Chicago cityscape and there was a line of clouds that seemed to go right down the shoreline. 

I decided I would head to the Aquarium where I have shot many times. It's probably the best place to shoot the entire Chicago skyline and you have water in the foreground.  As I arrived I knew parking would be tough, there are meters there, but they stay full most of the day, there is a parking lot, but the last time I was there, they charged $17. I got lucky, on my second pass I got a meter, and even better the lady pulling out, walked up to my window and handed me her parking receipt that still had plenty of time on it, so I guess that was her way of "Paying it forward"

I got out and walked to a spot I'm very familiar with, and set up my camera and tri-pod. I used to not shoot with a tri-pod during the day, but I found that when I enlarge the photos any movement I create really shows up. The clouds were perfect and it was a really blue sky. 

After I shot a few dozen shots here, I wanted to head over to the Buckingham Fountain. The problem I ran into is they are dong construction all around it, so there wasn't any parking. I was lazy so I didn't want to park a few blocks away and walk in the heat. I figured I would grab something to eat, so I went to La Bamba (One of my favorite burrito places in Chicago) or really anywhere. 2557 North Halsted, their slogan is "Burritos as big as your head" and they are. 

On the way I captured a couple shots in my side mirror while I drove (Shhh I didn't say that). 

While I was on the north side I went to Wrigley. I knew I could park at the McDonald's across the street, when I got there I discovered they just put a new Cubs souvenir store where the big parking lot used to be, so I circled the block and found another meter. 

 While getting the above shot, there was a family trying to take a family photo with each of the parents missing, so I offered to take their photo, they each handed me their camera phones, I captured their family photo, and did my good deed for the day. as I walked back to the car, I looked at the Cubby Bear Bar/Restaurant across the street and notice the reflection in the window of Wrigley.  

I could have shot in Chicago all day, but it was time to hit the road, I started my 3.5 hour journey to Green Bay. There was one more photo I knew I wanted to get that day, this one was for my series "Side of the road" in that series, when I come across weird things or art on the side of the road I try to capture it. This item is a little different than the rest of the series.

 

You can see more of my work at

John McGraw Photography

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