Sneak Attack

CLondon52w22: Unfocused

From the C.London website: Open For Interpretation

The animals on our balcony are a rambunctious group.  I think Piggy has something in store for Hoo Hoo.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro @ f2 1/120 6mm (52mm equiv) ISO 125

Photographed 5/30/21

Escape - Plate 2

Chicago, IL

I was struck by the patterns and shadows of the old-time Chicago fire escape.

Sony A7C @ f6.7 1/125 35mm ISO 100

Samyang AF 35mm F1.8

Photographed 5/13/21

Unnatural Habitat

52Frames - Week 22 - Wide Angle

Extra Credit: Ultra Wide - 16mm and wider

Early morning trip to the largest grocery store I've ever been to.  Got my steps in and only purchased 3 items.

I wanted to use my widest lens, which turns out to be an APS-C lens on my full frame camera. All processing in LRC.

Sony A7C @ f5.6 1/125 10mm (15mm equiv) ISO 1000

Sony E 10-18mm F4 OSS

Photographed 5/25/21

Red...Head

Chicago, IL

I was very surprised how empty the street was at 1:45pm in front of Sears (Willis) Tower.  At one point, thought I might use this image for the "Red" challenge because of how well she stood out.

Sony A7C @ f6.7 1/125 35mm ISO 800

Samyang AF 35mm F1.8

Photographed 5/13/21

Repetition

CLondon52w21: Pattern

From the C.London website: "Again, based on the trick I often share with my students struggling with composition.  When looking at a scene, if you’re unsure of how to compose for that image, unfocus your eyes - instead of seeing a yard with a fence, notice the patterns of the scene.  That isn’t a hedge, it’s a repeating pattern of small circles. That isn’t a fence, but repeating lines.

For this week, try this technique out, and find some pattern in a scene.  Then compose the image to highlight that pattern."

As noted in a couple of previous posts, I intended to use my walk around downtown Chicago to make photos for some of the upcoming weekly challenges.  This week is the last of those challenges.

There were a lot of opportunities to show patterns on buildings, however this hip shot became my selection because I almost always prefer people to add interest and the building patterns were a nice backdrop.  Straightened and processed in LR.

Sony A7C @ f2.8 1/1500 35mm ISO 100

Samyang AF 35mm F1.8

Photographed 5/13/21

No Words

52Frames - Week 21 - Portrait

There was no doubt my grandson was going to be my portrait subject this week. What I did not know was that his picture would render me speechless.

Apple iPhone 12 Pro @ f2 1/460 6mm (52mm equiv) ISO 25

Photographed 5/19/21

Disorientation

Chicago, IL

This "art wall" was mesmerizing to photograph.

Sony A7C @ f6.7 1/750 35mm ISO 100

Samyang AF 35mm F1.8

Photographed 5/13/21

Hallucination

CLondon52w20:  Shape

From the C.London website: "Continuing with the little trick I often share with my students struggling with composition.  When looking at a scene, if you’re unsure of how to compose for that image, unfocus your eyes - instead of seeing a cityscape, notice the shapes of the scene.  That isn’t a tall building, it’s a large skinny rectangle.  That isn’t a street, but a curved line cutting through the scene.

For this week, try this technique out, and find shapes in a scene.  Then compose the image to highlight those shapes."

Although a day before the official start of this challenge, I was walking around downtown Chicago with the intent of making photos for a couple of current and upcoming challenges.  Not often I get downtown so I wanted to take full advantage of the change of scenery.

The shapes (and colors) of this "Art Wall" struck me as a possibility for this challenge.  When able to capture a cyclist moving through the scene, it made using this image a certainty.

Sony A7C @ f6.7 1/500 35mm ISO 100

Samyang AF 35mm F1.8

Photographed 5/13/21

Robert

I met Robert in front of Union Station.  He was looking for $5 so he could get home.  I told him about $2 Portraits and he agreed by starting to pose for his picture.  But I started talking with him instead. Robert is 65 years old and has spent his whole life on the south side of Chicago.  Home now is the El…he rides the train back and forth without a permanent place to stay.  We started comparing street names when I told him I was originally from the south side and my wife graduated high school there.  Robert used to work shipping/receiving in the aeronautical industry.

After I made a few photos and our conversation wound down, Robert asked if I could give him three more dollars so he could get back to the south side.  Knowing that I didn’t have any more small bills, I gave him a $20 and he began a “happy dance" thanking me profusely.  Then he began chanting “hotel room tonight” and I snapped this photo.

Photographed 5/13/21

Mike

I met Mike standing on a corner underneath the El tracks in the south loop.  Mike asked me for a donation and I told him about $2 Portraits to which he replied “What do I have to lose? Sure.”  Mike is 62 years old and originally from Alabama.  He has no family and lives around the bridge at Adams…”just me and the elements and my arthritis.”  He described the aches & pains in his back, hips, knees and elbows from working masonry construction.  I surmised he’s a regular at this corner because during our conversation one guy walked up and said “Hi Mike” as he placed a bill in Mike’s cup and another drove up to the corner and did the same.  Mike told me I brought him good luck. Admittedly, I was a bit suspicious, but nothing changed hands.

Mike said he hoped people start coming back to work soon as it’s been tough with the city so empty. He thinks it’s going to change. I wished him luck and gave him $2. 

 Photographed 5/13/21

Great Lakes Coke

52Frames - Week 20 - Red

This was my first downtown street photo shoot in many months.  Looking for "red" subjects, I spotted this truck parked along the elevated rail line.

A bonus was the woman (with redish shoes) making photos of the elevated structure.  I talked with them for awhile - they were visiting Chicago for a day of street photography.

Sony A7C @ f6.7 1/125 35mm ISO 320

Samyang AF 35mm F1.

Photographed 5/13/21

Behind The Green Door

The green light and empty chair caught my eye.

Sony A7C @ f6.7 1/125 75mm ISO 160

Tamron E 28-75mm F2.8

Photographed 4/19/21

Ooze

CLondon52w19: Texture

From the C.London website: "The next three weeks are based on a little trick I often share with my students struggling with composition.  When looking at a scene, if you’re unsure of how to compose for that image, unfocus your eyes - instead of seeing a field with a tree, notice the textures of the scene. That isn’t grass, it’s soft individual elements coming together.  That isn’t a tree, but large pointy object made up of smaller pointy objects.

For this week, try this technique out, and find some texture in a scene.  Then compose the image to highlight that texture."

I did the squinty eye thing mentioned above and saw blobs of color in the flower bed fronting our condo.  To add some texture, I introduced intentional camera movement (ICM) and popped the colors.

Sony A7C @ f11 1/4 35mm ISO 100

Samyang AF 35mm F1.8

Photographed 5/10/21

Brave Boy

His first ride down this big slide in our neighborhood park.

Sony A7C @ f5 1/125 75mm ISO 125

Tamron E 28-75mm F2.8

Photographed 5/5/21

Curbside

52Frames - Week 19 - ISO 100

Extra Credit: Full Manual Mode

Gourmet dining at Portillo's curbside pick-up. The parking lot was abuzz.

Sony A7C @ f3.5 1/125 35mm ISO 100

Samyang AF 35mm F1.8

Photographed 5/8/21

Egg Harbor Cafe

CLondon52w18 (tongue-in-cheek alternate): Color Story

The real sign is all white lettering.  This version more represents the color story of this restaurant.

Sony A7C @ f2.0 1/2000 35mm ISO 100

Samyang AF 35mm F1.8

Photographed 5/2/21

Nemesis

The bane of lawn owners everywhere.

Sony A7C @ f8  1/125  35mm  ISO 125

Samyang AF 35mm F1.8

Photographed 5/2/21

Swoosh

Intentional Wind Movement (IWM); was holding the camera perfectly still and slowed the shutter speed.

Sony A7C @ f22 1/8 75mm ISO 100

Tamron E 28-75mm F2.8

Photographed 5/1/21

Spring Into Spring

CLondon52w18: Color Story

From the C.London website: Open For Interpretation

Walking along the Des Plaines River Trail, I observed the seemingly sudden changes ushering in spring. With a stand of repetitive vertical trees and the river for reflections, I took inspiration from the images of @fotoslasirena and tried some intentional camera movement. Although subtle, I like how the ICM carries reflections into the image foreground.

Sony A7C @ f22 1/8 35mm ISO 100

Samyang AF 35mm F1.8

Photographed 5/2/21

Log City

Rotated (thanks @Clondon).

Sony A7C @ f6.7  1/125  35mm  ISO 400

Samyang AF 35mm F1.8

Photographed 4/25/21

Wardrobe Change

52Frames - Week 18 - Fabric

Extra Credit: Fashion Shoot

For decades, I wore collared shirts every day with bi-weekly visits to the cleaners for laundering.  Since retirement (and the pandemic), I just made my first trip to the cleaners in 15 months...and that was for laundering of only 2 shirts.

Sony A7C @ f4 1/125 50mm ISO 5000

Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro

Photographed 5/1/21

Sign Of The Times #2

Libertyville, IL

Located as an island in a parking lot, this bar had no signage and appeared to be abandoned.  Hope I'm wrong; looks like it would be a fun place to hang out post-pandemic.

Sony A7C @ f6.7 1/125 28mm (42mm equiv) ISO 320

Tamron E 28-75mm F2.8

Photographed 4/19/21