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The Big City

I'm really not a "big city" kind of guy. I feel much more comfortable and at home in the wilderness. But, I can and do tolerate occasional visits to the big city.

Chicago is one of my favorite big cities (if not my overall favorite.) It's not as overwhelming as New York City and has endless photographic opportunities. I recently made a short business trip to Chicago and was able to get out and have some fun and make some photographs as well.

Chicago - Juxtaposition

This is one of the first photographs I made on this trip. Immediately after checking into my downtown hotel I grabbed my kit and headed out to see what I could find.

I loved the contrast and juxtaposition of this composition. The older architecture of the Wrigley Building set in front of what looks like a modern office tower and the fairer weather on the right compared to the threatening weather that is moving in from the left.

Chicago - Wabash Bridge_2

Chicago is a great place for creating interesting black and white photographs.

Here the Wabash Avenue Bridge crosses the Chicago River. The Trump Tower dominates the left of this image and a very photogenic skyline anchors the rear.

Chicago - Underbelly

I'm always on the lookout for interesting details like this when I wander the urban landscape. I love the graphic industrial nature of this image.

Chicago - Andy's Jazz Club, The Trumpet Summit_7

It's not Nashville or Austin, but the live music scene in Chicago is pretty fun. Colleagues' and I visited a blues club on our first night (Blue Chicago) and a jazz club on our second (and last night in town.)

Until recently I rarely included people in my photographs. Now, I often intentionally make photographs where people are the main subject! There are countless small clubs scattered throughout the city that offer up some awesome opportunities to work on your "people photography."

The above is just a sample of a more intimate photograph of one of the musicians in a jazz band (The Trumpet Summit) we saw at Andy's Jazz Club on E Hubbard St in downtown Chicago.

Chicago - Window Reflections

The architecture in Chicago is amazing! There are endless photographic opportunities (day and night) to be found anywhere in the city. One thing that really catches my attention are the incredible reflections seen in the windows of all the glass skyscrapers. I really like the colorful abstract looks and patterns found in all the windows!

These are just a few samples of the photographs I made while in Chicago. To see a 5 minute slide show of all of my favorite shots from my short visit to Chicago visit my YouTube Channel.

To see more of my work, visit:

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