Photo of the Week, er, Last Year Edition

I've been looking through some photos this week from last winter, and for some reason I never published this batch.  These were taken in February of 2014 near Hollywood and Foster Ave beaches.  I admit it's possible that by posting these I'm jinxing Chicago and the relatively mild winter we've been having, but I'm willing to take that chance.  Truth be told, I like a good snow storm!


"Pierscape" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w 16-85mm lens, 1/1600sec at f8, ISO200


"The Far Side of the Moon" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w 16-85mm lens, 1/1250sec at f8, ISO200

A note about the second photo: for that one I had to clamber around to the far side of the pier.  You can see the shadow of its beacon in the lower right.  This was probably the stupidest thing I did the entire winter-- had I slipped and fallen, there's no guaranteeing the ice around me was stable.  Of course, I didn't, but just a warning to be careful out there if you photograph the lakefront in the winter.


"Beach Living" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w 16-85mm lens, 1/1600sec at f9, ISO200

Frosty Chicago via the Art Institute

On a recent visit to the Chicago Art Institute I found these awesome frosted doors as I exited the Modern Wing.  There was some sort of condensation problem happening in the entryway.  The Art Institute had a fan set up to try and push air out of the room, but it clearly wasn't working.  No complaints from me.


"Frosty Chicago (1 of 3)" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Sony RX100, 1/30sec at f2.8, ISO320


"Frosty Chicago (2 of 3)" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Sony RX100, 1/30sec at f2.8, ISO320


"Frosty Chicago (3 of 3)" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Sony RX100, 1/30sec at f2.8, ISO640

My photo taking captured the attention of several others, who stopped to take their own shots.  One guy said this to me:

Guy standing near me as I take a picture: "That's a great Instagram photo." Me: "It's just a great photo." We agree.

— Andy Marfia (@AndyMarfia) January 9, 2015

Of course, I did eventually put them on Instagram, so I guess we were both right!

Update: the third photo in this set was featured in the Gapers Block's Rearview on 1/16/14.

Photo of the Week: Skyline Bridge

"Skyline Bridge" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w 16-85mm lens, 1/640sec at f8, ISO200

This week's photo shows Chicago's Webster Ave Bridge crossing the north branch of the Chicago River.  This bridge was build in 1916 and is the "oldest style of pony bascule bridge in Chicago", according to Historic Bridges dot org.

A couple of things to note about the photo: 1) Though it was quite cold on this day, what looks like ice in the water is actually foam floating on the river.  I assume this is caused by nearby industry.  2) I processed this one to be much warmer than it was in real life.  I like how this accentuated the reddish brown of the bridge, and I just liked the overall feel of the coloring.

In addition to flickr, this photo also appeared on Instagram.

Photo of the Week: Oh Bokeh Tree

"Oh Bokeh Tree" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w 55-200mm lens, 1/100sec at f4.5, ISO3200

Happy Holidays from Chicago!  I took this week's photo at the Daley Plaza Christkindlmarket.  The Christkindlmarket is a great place to visit for last minute Christmas presents, gluhwein (a very tasty German mulled wine) and, of course, out of focus Christmas tree photos.  I'm pretty sure I've never met an out of focus Christmas tree that I didn't like.

Photo(s) of the week: The Fall Stretch

"Stretch" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Sony RX100, 1/800sec at f2.5, ISO125.

I've been quite the slacker about updating this blog the last couple of months.  A lack of time has unfortunately equaled a lack of consistent motivation for photography.  It's a vicious cycle.  Anyway, I took this week's photos at my favorite all-season lakefront spot in Chicago, Hollywood Beach.  In the top photo I was reaching above my head for a slightly better composition.  In the bottom two, I found a light streak hitting the beach between two buildings.

As much as I love the summer, nothing quite beats the light in October and November.  So... CRISP.  It's also a great time for capturing shadows.


"In the thick of it" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Sony RX100, 1/800sec at f2.5, ISO125.


"Sunstreak" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Sony RX100, 1/800sec at f2.5, ISO125.

All photos in this set were taken with a Sony RX100.

Photo(s) of the Week: Cast Off

"Cast Off" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Sony RX100, 1/800sec at f2.5, ISO125.


"On the Edge" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Sony RX100, 1/1000sec at f2.5, ISO125.

This week's photos were taken at the end of Hollywood Pier on a lovely Sunday afternoon in July.  This pier technically doesn't have a name (as far as I know), but I call it Hollywood Pier because the beach it sits on (Kathy Osterman Beach) is known colloquially as Hollywood Beach.  This is the internet and things must have names, damn it!

Photo of the Week: RUMP

"RUMP" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mmmm lens, 1/320sec at f8, ISO200.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower has gotten a lot of flack lately in Chicago, in particular for Donald Trump's decision to add his name in giant lettering to the side of the building.  Personally, I'm not a fan, so I decided to have some fun with Photoshop, turning TRUMP into RUMP in this photo.  I did this by simply copying part of the building directly to the left, and then adjusted it into position so everything lined up correctly.  I could also remove the P with this same method, creating the RUM building, and another idea is to change the U into an A, which would, in my mind, transform the entire building into an homage to 70s group SUPER TRAMP.  But that's a lot more work.

This was taken on the same day in June as the previous set of fog photos.

Photo(s) of the Week: Milky Blue Chicago

"Milky Blue Chicago" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mmmm lens, 1.3sec at f8, ISO100.


"Milky Blue Chicago, #2" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mmmm lens, 1.0sec at f8, ISO100.

This week's photos are pretty representative of the month of June this year in Chicago.  It's been fog, fog, and more fog.  Apparently the polar vortex is to blame.  Personally, I think the media just misses the phrase "polar vortex", but I guess it's as good a theory as any.

Both of these photos are pretty standard tourist shots of the Wrigley Building from just across the Michigan Ave Bridge.  The addition of fog and some nice blue hour lighting makes them fairly unique.  I shot both with a mini tripod, so my choice of shooting locations was limited to where I could safely set the tripod down-- in both cases it was sitting on a concrete ledge.  The nice thing about using a mini tripod vs a full size is that it fits inside my camera bag, and can be moved around very quickly.

Photo of the Week: All Stars

"All Stars" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 55-200mmmm lens, 1/1250sec at f9, ISO200.

The rationale behind shoe tossing (and yes, this has a name and it's own Wikipedia page) is one that I've never understood.  There are many theories: is it a form a bullying?  A practical joke?  A way to mark gang territory?  Or perhaps someone thought "Hey, I bet an urban photographer will walk past this spot and think this is an interesting juxtaposition with the Sears Tower?"  For lack of more evidence, I'm going with the latter.

Photo of the Week: Windy City

"Windy City" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mmmm lens, 1/250sec at f8, ISO100.

The West Loop is tough on street signs.  I found this sign on a recent photo walk, just a block away from a similar photo taken last year:


"LL Roll Ave" © Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mmmm lens, 1/320sec at f10, ISO100.

That sign, by the way, is still in the same condition today.  Chicago may be the "city that works", but evidently not when it comes to replacing street signs.

A commenter on my flickr stream suggested this could be the result of gang activity, but I think a simpler explanation is that these signs were hit by delivery or moving trucks.  Or, maybe it was the wind?  Or maybe that last Transformers movie was real?  Nah, it's probably trucks.

Photo of the Week: City by the Frozen Lake

"City by the Frozen Lake" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mmmm lens, 1/100sec at f8, ISO200.

I took this week's photos on a trip to the John Hancock Observatory in mid March.  It was in the upper 40s on this day, and I could sense Lake Michigan's iced over surface was nearing the end.  Seemed like a good time to head up there and capture some images.

This next shot zooms in on the building to the left.  Pool party in 3 months!  Who's in?


"Pool Party, 3 Months" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 70-300mmmm lens, 1/400sec at f8, ISO230.

Photo of the Week: Tower No More

"Tower No More" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mmmm lens, 1/60sec at f8, ISO200.

It was a sad week in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood as our iconic water tower (painted like the Swedish flag) was taken down from its building on Clark Street.  The water tower-- which dates from 1927 and is often featured on posters and t-shirts depicting the neighborhood-- was damaged in the winter when the heating system broke down, causing the water inside to freeze and expand.  This DNAinfo Chicago article offers more information.  It's currently sitting in a parking lot across the street and hopefully will be repaired or replaced.


"Lift Off" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mmmm lens, 1/80sec at f8, ISO200.

Photo of the Week: Seatcicle

"Seatcicle" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mmmm lens, 1/250sec at f6.3, ISO200.

This week's photo was taken while waiting for a Purple Line train in Evanston.  This is the Foster Avenue platform-- in my opinion, one of the worst maintained in the entire CTA system.  Despite having a relatively new concrete floor, the ceiling has been leaking for at least 10 years, producing small waterfalls during heavy rain, and sometimes leading to ice sculptures in the winter like the one pictured here.

Photo of the Week: Thru Traffic Prohibited

"Thru Traffic Prohibited" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Sony RX100, 1/30sec at f1.8, ISO500.

I'm a big proponent of always having a camera with you.  Whether that's a DSLR, a compact, or just a decent cell phone camera, you never know when you might come across something interesting.  I was on my way to see a show at the Old Town School of Folk last weekend when I took this photo with a Sony RX100.  I've never noticed this house before, which sits in the middle of an alley near Lincoln Ave and has no street entrance.  I liked the way it looked with the newly fallen snow on the ground.

Sunset Over Edgewater, Chicago

As the calendar pushes into March we had another cold, miserable week in Chicago.  The one positive-- it was sunny on several days and this led to some really nice sunsets.  I took these photos on my commute home one evening:


"Hot and Cold" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 70-300mm lens, 1/400sec at f5.6, ISO320.


"All For Show" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 70-300mm lens, 1/250sec at f8, ISO200.


"Only a Matter of Time" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 70-300mm lens, 1/200sec at f8, ISO6400.

I'd like to pause after this photo just to note how spoiled we've become by digital photography.  I shot that one handheld at ISO6400 with a Nikon D7100.  It's a little noisy, but nothing that is really visible at web sizes.  I'm guessing I could print an 8x12 and even a 13x19 and it would still look pretty good.  I couldn't have taken that photo 5 years ago, at least not without a tripod.


"Complementary" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 70-300mm lens, 1/200sec at f8, ISO450.

Photo of the Week: Splatter Painting

"Splatter Painting" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/200sec at f5.6, ISO400.

This week's photo is an example of what can happen when CTA employees are given snow blowers.  That's the best guess I can make for what caused this snow pattern on a north bound red line train. 

Art is everywhere if you choose to see it.

This was also featured in the Gapers Block Rearview.

Photo of the Week: Vice Grip

"Vice Grip" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/500sec at f3.5, ISO200.

If you've been following me on flickr or this blog for some time, you've probably noticed that I gravitate towards slightly unusual compositions.  Sure, I take the tourist shots too, but 9 times out of 10 those don't excite me simply because I've seen them before.  What I really like is finding new ways to capture familiar subjects.  Here, Chicago's iconic Wrigley Building is seen through the railing of the Wabash Ave Bridge.

Photo of the Week: Marina Towers Abstract

"Marina Towers Abstract" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/100sec at f8, ISO200.

This week's photo is an abstract take on Chicago's iconic Marina City.  With this shot, I tried to focus on the building's distinctive curved lines.  The stark contrast and heavy blacks were achieved in post processing. 

Here's what the Photoshop levels adjustment looks like:



That's more extreme than most post processing that I do, but I think it works well here.  Shadow details: who needs 'em! 

Photo(s) of the Week: The Brownlands

"The Brownlands" © Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/3200cec at f5, ISO200.


"The Brownlands, 2" © Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/1000sec at f8, ISO200.

I'm having one of those weeks where everything I post feels like it should be my so called photo of the week (a good problem to have!), but I'm going to go with these two, both taken last weekend at the Montrose Point bird sanctuary.  This was pretty much the last really nice day of the fall, and I decided to spend some of it along the lakefront appreciating the fading autumn colors.  I found these brown fields of dead flowers and grass overlooking the Chicago skyline to be quite beautiful.

Photo(s) of the Week: Chicago, Fall

"Chicago, Fall" © Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved. Left Photo: Nikon D7100 w/ Nikon 70-300mm lens at 222mm, 1/500sec at f11, ISO200. Right Photo: Nikon D7100 w/ Nikon 70-300mm lens at 180mm, 1/1250sec at f8, ISO200.

This week's photo features a slightly out of focus Sears Tower hiding playfully behind some fall foliage.  Yes, I still call it the Sears Tower.  Yes, the Sears Tower can be playful.  I tried a few variations of this at different focal lengths and with more or less depth of field, trying to get the best composition.  Normally I try to pick a single, best shot, but in this case I like how these compliment each other as a pair-- the left side really focuses on the leaves, where as the right reveals a bit more of the tower.  This has the added benefit of allowing me to use one of my favorite art-nerd words: diptych!  Diptychs are cool.  You read it here first.