This past weekend I spent an afternoon with Nancy and her three beautiful gentlemen: Troika, Syrinx and Figaro. Each with a musical name and a lot of personality! Troika is the oldest at age 19 followed by Syrinx, 17 and Figaro, 10.
Here are some of my favorites from the photo session with Nancy.
This morning, I noticed a dragonfly hanging out on an interesting architectural detail (looks a little bit like a nose) of a building in my neighborhood. I had my camera handy, but needed to make a quick lens swap before attempting to grab this little dragonfly’s portrait. I figured he would fly away before I made the switch, but I was lucky – he stayed in place long enough for me to investigate.
And for a little more detail:
It was a warm, beautiful afternoon in Chicago and after finishing some work, I really had to get outside with my camera. One of my favorite ways to spend the afternoon is to talk with Chicago visitors. I hope you enjoy some of today’s favorites and a few other photos, too!
First stop, one of the largest fountains in the world, Buckingham Fountain. The fountain itself represents Lake Michigan (with each sea horse symbolizing the states of Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana) that border the lake.
Cute family!
These beautiful ladies weren’t phased by the wind and I’m glad they did a “silly” photo!
Across from the fountain, plenty of people were sitting along the lake enjoying the cool breeze off the water. I stopped to talk with this fisherman about his Lake Michigan catches.
Visiting along the lake at one of the best views of the skyline near Shedd Aquarium and Adler Planetarium. These ladies were so friendly! I hope they enjoyed their visit to Chicago.
I had fun meeting people today – now for a few of the other photos from my walk:
I recently purchased a glass soap dispenser from Target. (If you want the same one, you can find it here.)
The very little remaining soap in the plastic dispenser (slowly) dripped into its new home. Then I opened up the new refill bottle and poured it on top. After the first use, a fascinating sculpture erupted on the bottom of the glass.
Photo Tip: Use a macro or fisheye lens to get really close and be sure to use a direct light source to illuminate!
One of my favorite Chicago events is the Printers Row Lit Fest which happens right outside my apartment building. I enjoy everything from the setup on the weekdays before to the music and events that happen all through the weekend. It is considered the largest free outdoor literary event in the Midwest.
One highlight for me was listening to Chicago Tribune photographer, Scott Strazzante, share his stories about Chicago events and street photography. Be sure to read his blog “Shooting from the Hip.”
Justin Roberts & The Not Ready for Naptime Players in Lil’ Lit Park was the musical highlight – entertaining both parents and children Saturday and Sunday.
Mike Flynn’s Crash Landing performed at The Montrose Room May 18, 2012 – what a performance! For me, it was an absolute delight from music to photography. It’s really easy to take wonderful photos of great performers!
Enjoy and catch this group when you can!
– LP
Knots, ties and tangles are everywhere. These are just the few I found on quick walk around my neighborhood. I think they are interesting and beautiful!
The Peregrine Falcon is a large bird of prey – they hunt small mammals, small reptiles, or insects. Falcons mate for life (unless their partner is killed) and they nest on cliff edges or tall buildings.
How many young do Peregrines have?
A female peregrine usually lays 3 or 4 eggs, occasionally 5. The eggs are slightly smaller than a chicken egg, and are mottled with a dark, reddish-brown pigment. The female falcon will do most of the incubating, which averages about 33 days. The male will incubate the eggs while the female flies off to eat food he brings her.
I always find whatever the birds are doing is very interesting. Spring is a fun time to see them developing nests, hunting for food and raising their little ones. Here are a few of the birds I’ve seen so far this spring.
Last night, the UPS man delivered my new camera – a Nikon D800. After unpacking and taking the obligatory “photo of the new camera using the old camera,” I immediately began exploring the menus and taking test shots. With the exception of the auto-focus illumination lights being on, most things were set as if they had me in mind.
First shots were with a 50mm f/1.8 Nikkor lens, which felt more like a 70mm on my prior DSLR body with a DX sensor. I am so happy that I chose to spend the extra money (and time waiting) for the D800 instead of settling for the D7000. Though the D7000 is a very nice camera, it isn’t full-frame. I have missed full frame advantages since I started shooting with a DSLR in 2006.
Some additional shots of the D800 with my phone camera:
I am extremely impressed with this camera. I am sure that others can and will find defects, but it is such a giant leap in quality for me that I am less likely to notice any problems quickly. On the walk to work this morning, I took a few shots to get an idea of the resolution possibilities.
Here’s a shot to see resolution detail.
The full photo:
The actual pixels:
To me…this is amazing. I am excited to start shooting in even greater detail and even begin experimenting with HD video. I was scared at first to make such a large investment in a camera that I couldn’t even handle physically in a store, but so far this appears to be not just a great investment, but a source of so much fun for me.
Tonight I visited Chicago’s Jazz Showcase in historic Dearborn Station to hear guitarist Larry Coryell with Larry Gray on bass and Paul Wertico on drums.
The show was uplifting and cheerful and that energy was evident on their faces throughout the evening.
Jazz Showcase is a wonderful venue where audience members are fully engaged with the performers. It is an atmosphere where the music is appreciated, but wandering around for photos during the show would be a distraction. From the back of the room at the bar, I had a full view of the stage and sat higher than the main floor tables. I used a fast lens (80-200 f/2.8) for the entire show after shooting a few with my new fisheye (10.5mm f/2.8). It was the perfect way to blend into the background and still get wonderful shots.
Jazz Showcase is a wonderful place to enjoy jazz in Chicago and I’m looking forward to returning soon!
For the past few weekends, I have been visiting Chicago Executive Airport to capture shots of arriving and departing airplanes. While my great friend is in the air preparing to become a private pilot, I’m on the ground practicing my steady hand shots. For these trips, I have my Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 and Nikkor 50mm f/1.8.
It’s much easier to capture moving objects clearly with a fast shutter. Here’s a shot showing an airplane (Beech Baron) landing while I’m using a fast shutter speed and maximum aperture:
The fun method of shooting airplanes though is to capture them in a way that shows their movement. This second shot shows an airplane (Beechcraft turbo-prop) arriving while I’m using a slow shutter speed and smallest aperture:
I enjoy motion-tracking photography to capture airplanes in focus as they fly, while the background is blurred in the direction of travel. It requires that I have a steady hand and follow the motion of the subject smoothly. In addition to the skill of physically tracking the planes, setting the aperture and shutter speed manually is another great challenge that makes the great shots more fun to obtain.
– LP
Chicago offers some pretty incredible scenes – elevated trains, historic and modern architecture, large parks and museums – so many choices to describe any mood. When a friend mentioned she was looking for a birthday gift involving Chicago or dinosaurs, our conversation led to a fun series of photos around the city.
Title: Field of Screams
At The Field Museum
The Field Museum was a great first location. It led me right to my next spot along the Lakefront Trail. Chicago has 17-miles of trail along the shore which is always full of bikers, joggers, and visitors.
Title: Prehistoric Greetings from Chicago!
The Chicago Skyline from Museum Campus
Some of the other scenes were along the Chicago River with the Wrigley Building and Tribune Building in the background, outside the Art Institute of Chicago, and in front of Cloud Gate – more affectionately known as “The Bean.”
Title: Roarin’ on the River
Along the Chicago River
Title: Lion and The King
At The Art Institute of Chicago
Title: Tyrannosaurus Tourist Trap
Cloud Gate at Millennium Park
Many of the photos from this series are listed on my Etsy store and are adorning walls of dinosaur (and Chicago) lovers across the country. A fantastic way to spend an afternoon in Chicago, joined by my Touristosaurus friends. Stay tuned for the next city!