Photo of the Week: have a seat, stay a while

I took this week's photo during Zoo Lights at the Lincoln Park Zoo.  I'm not really a huge zoo fan myself, but a zoo lit up with Christmas lights, that I can get excited about.  Update 1/3/10: Since first posting this, this photo has gone crazy-go-nuts on flickr, getting sucked into the flickr explore universe, and acquiring over 1000 views, 50+ comments and 150 faves.  All in less than 5 days.  Weird.  Didn't see that coming at all.

Photo Details: Nikon D7000 with 50mm f1.8 lens, at 1/20sec and f1.8, ISO800.  This was handheld with no support, and no VR, so I was lucky to get a sharp photo at 1/20sec.

Processing Note: I brightened and partially desaturated the bottom half of this photo, so the snow would read as white.  It was quite pink in the original due to the Christmas lights.  I intentionally left it just a touch pink, for authenticity-- you don't want to go too far with the processing.

Photo of the Week: Just Stop

This week's photo has been chosen by default, as I'm really busy and probably won't have time to post anything else for a few days.  That's not to say that I don't like it-- I do.  It reminds me that I need to shoot more with my prime lenses.  Sure, zooms are more versatile, but you loose that buttery smooth bokeh that only a large aperture prime can produce.  Yes, I just wrote "buttery smooth bokeh."  I'm a dork.

The building in the background is the Old Chicago Main Post Office, which has been vacant since about 1997, though thankfully has landmark status so at least it can't be torn down.

Nikon D90 with 50mm lens, 1/400sec at f2 and ISO400.

Coyote Building triptych

A triptych of photos featuring the Coyote Building at the intersection of Milwaukee, North, and Damen Avenues.  This area is soon to be named a landmark district.  I have to admit that I have no idea how or why this building came to be known as the "Coyote Building" but I've heard enough people call it that to assume it's the correct name. 

1st photo: Nikon D50 with 18-70mm lens, 1/400sec at f5.6.  I was looking north on Milwaukee Ave. in this shot.

2nd photo: Nikon D50 with 18-70mm lens, 1/200sec at f13.  Vertical lines corrected via Photoshop.  I was looking west on North Ave in this shot.

3rd photo: Nikon D50 with 50mm lens, 1/4000sec at f1.8.

oh christmas tree...

A very meta-Christmas photo.  Or a meta-taking a photo of Christmas photo.  Something like that.

Nikon D50 with 50mm lens, f1.8, 30sec exposure hand held.   The forward camera is a Canon A510, being held by the lovely (and very patient) Jenny.

This photo was featured on Chicago Public Radio 12/20/07 and Chicagoist 12/19/07.

winter bean abstracts

The north side of Cloud Gate... aka: the bean... on a cold December afternoon.

Nikon D50 with various lenses (top photo: 18-70mm, middle photo: 60mm f2.8, bottom photo: 50mm f1.8).

- >

A snowmobile sign in northern Wisconsin, where I spent my labor day weekend.  Shortly after taking this photo I tried tampering with the sign and was instantly vaporized by a forestry robot, who then removed $250 from my wallet.

Actually, these are extremely easy to steal.

Nikon D50 with 50mm lens, f1.8.

wrigley

As a White Sox fan, it brings me no satisfaction to post a photo taken at Wrigley Field.  However, the White Sox are terrible this year, so what the hell.  This was taken outside the park, looking in at Sheffield Ave.

Nikon D50 with 50mm lens, f1.8 in this shot.

Messages from Above

I don't have much to say about this one.  I just really like this photo.

Nikon D50 with 50mm f1.8 lens.

The New Pornagraphers at the Pitchfork Music Festival

I swear, the band is in there somewhere.  I took some non-blurry photos as well, but from the distance I was standing and the lens I was using, they didn't seem nearly as interesting as these shots.

Nikon D50 with 50mm f1.8 lens.