Chicago 48hrs

On August 24, 2025 by admin With 0 Comments - Photography, Travel

Chicago

Chicago seems like a city that is doing a lot of things right. The more time I spend here, the more I like it. There are endless low rise/high density neighbourhoods with sprawling canopies of old trees giving shade from the summer sun. A healthy independent retail scene fills countless blocks with small stores catering to every niche in fashion, decor, music, etc. Restaurants seem to be thriving as well. In 48hrs, we had great meals at places from classic sandwich shop Mr Beef up to Michelin star restaurant Sepia. Special mention to Jersey Mike’s for one of the best fast-food submarine sandwiches I have ever eaten. The CTA L-trains, stations and entrances are clean and efficient with colourful tiles and architecture that fits in perfectly with their surroundings. The lake is bordered by easily accessible parks, public spaces and beaches, theatres, sculpture and botanical gardens. There is so much more. It is the first place that comes to mind when I think of great American cities.

About the photographs

This was a short and busy road trip so I didn’t take as many photos as I would have on a slower adventure. But the tradeoff was that I got to see and do many fun things in short time with great company. As a die-hard solo traveler, I am starting to warm up to the idea of traveling with others (depends on the people though!). This time around, following the lead of my friend’s two sons as they scoped out cool spots in the city was an absolute pleasure. Hope we can do it again someday.

Just before this trip, I installed a mild diffusion filter on my camera lens (Tiffen Glimmerglass 1). It has tiny specks of reflective material sandwiched between two glass plates that serve to scatter and diffuse light. Mounted on the front of my Fujifilm X100 lens, in daytime photos it tends to smooth out transitions between between bright and dark areas. Points of light (especially at night) show some halation (they glow softly like halos). It is a mild effect but I think I like it…

Travelling companions: Matias, Milosz and Luke. I like the weird greenish LED light halos under the bridge.

A couple of Chicago landmarks

Chicago Theatre, a landmark in the city since 1921. You can see the halation from the lens filter around the lamp post lights.

Wrigley Field, another famous landmark and home to the Chicago Cubs. Opened in 1914 and named after the Wrigley Company, makers of the famous chewing gum some years after they acquired the stadium in 1921. I just noticed that this says “Hornitos: A shot worth taking”. Haha…that is a good line.

Millenium Park

The “Bean” (actual name is Cloud Gate) in Millennium Park. It is a 66 foot long and 33 foot high polished stainless steel sculpture. Artist Anish Kapoor took inspiration from liquid mercury. It is always crawling with tourists but absolutely worth visiting to see the surrounding architecture get bent out of shape (also to take fun-house selfies). I tried to catch some interesting reflections and angles.

Probably one of the best places in the world for mirror selfies. I am in here too..

I like seeing the actual buildings next to their distorted reflections.

Art Institute of Chicago’s Modern Wing nestled behind the dreamy wildflower meadow in Lurie Garden.

Frank Gehry’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion, an outdoor concert venue in Millennium Park. There are a few hundred people sitting in the grass watching the film Sense and Sensibility.

Free public tennis courts in Millennium park. You can really see the halation in the lights here.

Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)

This time around, we only used the L-train although I have used buses in the past. The CTA seems like a clean and functional system. The L-train stations have beautiful tile-work but I didn’t have enough time for pictures. Next time I come back, I will focus a little more on the L-train and stations including sound recordings.

The compact L-trains mostly travel on elevated (L) tracks around the downtown area. Underneath the narrow rail corridors are cafes, restaurants and shops. These trains are bright and clean, weaving seamlessly throughout the fabric of the urban centre. I like being able to travel with sunlight in the windows and views of the Chicago architecture. It is well worth the price of admission.

Chicago Architecture

I think I could spend a week just looking at buildings in this city. Below are a few of the better known ones. But, at least for me, all the beautifully built and maintained low rise apartment buildings are just as impressive. The number and variety of perfectly preserved low-rises in residential neighbourhoods is astonishing. This city is a real knock-out.

The Marina Towers (aka the corncob buildings) taken from under the Wabash Avenue bridge. I never get tired of seeing these beauties. The corncobs were designed by Bertrand Goldberg, a student of Mies van der Rohe. And, I could be wrong, but I think the black building leaning into the photo on the right is the IBM building designed by Mies van der Rohe himself.

Another shot of the same spot. I like the glow of the street lamps and the lit-up couple underneath.

Sometimes large scale textures show better in black-and-white images. I was tempted to shoot this whole Chicago trip in black-and-white. I think this city would look especially handsome. Just think of how New York City looked in Woody Allen’s “Manhattan”.

This is one of my favourite shots from this trip. It is a serviceman climbing a steel ladder above the loading area behind Sepia Restaurant. This is a great example of how the glitter glass filter softens the transition between the hard daylight from above and the dark alleyway below.

The way home

I was amazed at how beautiful US gas stations and rest stops are. Not enough time this trip to really document them but I did get in a couple of shots on a midnight break on the way home, just back over the Canadian border. Next trip I will focus on these colourful oases in the pitch black countryside.

Gas stations and trucks stops are so photogenic at night, especially in the deep dark of rural areas.

Luke shooting film…green because I messed up my white balance setting…I like it though.

This was a short but fun mini-vacation. Hope we can do it again soon with more pictures and sounds. As always, if you have any comments or questions or if you don’t like the plural of oasis, please leave your thoughts below.

chicago, photography

TigerSalad

Ideas-Photographs-Sounds: Home and Away