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.

The Chicago Lakefront is Not a Cold Dead Place

I've taken a lot of photos along the lakefront this winter.  There's a serenity to Lake Michigan in January and February that I think is unique from any other time of year.  In cold weather the lake becomes a different creature, equal parts frightening and beautiful, and this winter has seen plenty of both.

The one thing I've wanted to capture, but haven't until now, is the lakefront during either a sunrise or a sunset.  Sunrises don't work well with my schedule, but I did find a nice sunset this week:

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

"The earth is not a cold dead place" © Andy Marfia 2014 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/125sec at f8, ISO400.

Both of these photos were taken from the same location, on Chicago's Hollywood Beach.  The first was shot at 24mm and the second 128mm.  I boosted the orange saturation in post processing, but otherwise I tried not to over-process these.  I don't think they need it.

This scene also provided me with an excuse to name a photo after my favorite Explosions in the Sky album: The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place.  Here's some optional musical accompaniment:

Photo of the Week: They all fall down

Nikon D7000 w/16-85mm lens, 1/200sec at f11, ISO200. Copyright Andy Marfia 2012 All Rights Reserved.

The pier at Montrose Beach has seen better days.  While the concrete is still structurally sound, the steel beams and rope that are supposed to form a handrail down the middle of the pier... well, you can see how that looks.  I took this earlier in the summer, but I can't help but imagine a mound of snow and ice in this photo.  It was likely a winter storm that pushed this over.

Photo of the Week: everything in its right place

The view south of the Chicago River from Harrison Street, featuring the River City Condos on the left and the 301 Taylor power plant to the middle/right.  This is a continuation of two of my favorite photographic obsessions-- reducing the urban landscape to geometric shapes, and capturing all things Chicago in the late evening sun.  The title is from the Radiohead song of the same name. 

Click over to flickr for a larger version.  Photo details: Nikon D90 with 16-85mm lens, 1/200sec at f5.3, ISO200.

Clark Furniture - Everything Must Go

I live a few blocks away from this store, at Clark and Ridge, and have wanted to get a good photograph of its exterior for a while.  It's going out of business, so now seemed like the time.  Shooting this at sunset was an intentional choice.  The city really comes alive for me at this time of day, with the warm tones and sharp angles of light.  In this shot I particular like how the darkened street creates three distinct zones: the street, the storefront, and the sky.

Nikon D50 with 24mm lens, 1/200sec exposure at f8.

Orleans St. Bridge, sunset

Click here to see a slightly larger version.

Nikon D50 with 18-70mm lens (zoomed to 70mm). 1/400s at f4.5, ISO200.

light streak

333 Wacker.  One of my favorite buildings in Chicago to walk past around sunset.  You just never know what you're going to get from this building.

Nikon D50 with 18-70mm lens.

end of the day

A fisherman packs up to go home, Hollywood Pier, Chicago. This man was either unaware that I was taking his picture or didn't care.  After he left, I shot some photos from the other side of the pier, but I liked this one better.

This was a 4 second exposure at f20 with my camera mounted on a mini-tripod.

red line sunset

A CTA red line train, heading north, as seen from the Granville station platform near sunset.  The grid pattern is from the sun shining through the metal dividers that separate the two sides of the platform in various spots.

These were quick shots, as the train came to the station and pulled away, without much advance thought.  I used a nikkor 24mm 2.8 prime lens on a Nikon D50 for both.