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.

Storm Candids

The snow continues in Chicago!  Some candid photos taken on January 2nd, along Clark Street in Andersonville:


"Push Through" © Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/200sec at f5.6, ISO200.


"Determined" © Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/200sec at f5.6, ISO200.


"Special Delivery" © Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/400sec at f5.6, ISO200.


"Storm Tweeting" © Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/200sec at f5.6, ISO200.


"Carry On" © Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/125sec at f5.6, ISO200.

These were all taken with a Nikon D7100 and 16-85mm lens.  My advice for shooting in the winter: put the best lens you have on your camera and stick with it.  If you absolutely must change lenses-- step inside so you're away from the wind and precipitation.  While the D7100 is fairly weather resistant, that doesn't apply if you open up the lens mount, and any water that gets inside could be the end of your camera.

Happy New Year from Hollywood Beach

Welcome to 2014!  Our New Years gift in Chicago is snow, lots and lots of snow.  Below are some photos of the Chicago lakefront on New Years Day.  These were all taken on or near Kathy Osterman Beach, colloquially known as Hollywood Beach due to it's proximity to Hollywood Ave.


"Enter, Winter Wonderland" © Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/640sec at f8, ISO200.


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


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


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


"Hollywood Beach, New Years Day" © Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved. Nikon D7100 w/ 55-200mm lens, 1/1250sec at f8, ISO200.

I have an internal debate that happens every winter regarding how to process winter photos.  With the photos in this set, if I had processed them strictly for realism, they would probably all be a little darker, as that's what it looks like on an overcast, stormy day.  But my brain wants snow to be white even if it's not actually white.  Also, I like photos that have full tones!  So in the end what you see is a compromise-- the snow and the sky are both a tad lighter than reality, but still a nice grayish tone that I think captures the mood.

Photo of the Week: the Crossing

Sony RX100, 1/160sec at f4, ISO125. © Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved.

This week's photo was taken while crossing Sheridan Road in Evanston, IL.  I walk this way at least 4 days a week, and I like how this snow storm takes this familiar scene and makes it seem new again.  Also, this is another photo of someone using an umbrella in the winter.  Why?

Photo(s) of the Week: Winter Canopies

Sony RX100, 1/320sec at f3.2, ISO125. © Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved.


Sony RX100, 1/125sec at f4.9, ISO125. © Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved.

I've never understood why people use umbrellas in the winter?  An umbrella, to me, is a rain device, and doesn't work very well in a blizzard.  At best it keeps your hair dry, but you're probably wearing a hat anyway, and at worst, it gets blown open or weighed down with snow.  Using an umbrella in the winter is a sure fire way to say to the world "I'm from Houston", and why would you want to do that?

I'll admit they do add some color to a scene, so Chicagoans: if you're going to use umbrellas, please opt for bright pink ones!  Your local photographer will thank you.  (Actually, we'll stealthily take your photo and post it on the internet, but you get the point).

These shots were both taken on Northwestern University's Evanston campus, just north of Chicago.

Photo of the Week: Hoop Dreams

Nikon D7000 w/ 16-85mm lens, 1/1600sec at f4.5, ISO200. © Andy Marfia 2013 All Rights Reserved.

I really enjoy photographing Chicago in the winter. The city just has a different feel when everything is covered in snow. A scene that you've seen a million times looks suddenly new and fresh, and color, whenever you can find color, it really stands out.

This week's photo was taken near Loyola Beach in the Rogers Park neighborhood. I took a similar photo a few years ago of a different basketball court. I like the shallow depth of field in that one, but I think this week's shot works better as a winter scene.

Photo of the Week: It Begins... sort of

Sony RX100, 1/30sec at f1.8, ISO200. © Andy Marfia 2012 All Rights Reserved.

Weather forecasting, I suspect, is sort of like an arms race.  The more dire the predictions, the better the ratings, and as you get closer to a weather event everyone tries to out predict each other.  That's what happened this week in Chicago, where I saw predictions of freezing rain turning into snow (it was really just rain) and anywhere from 3-6 inches of accumulation (we got none) depending on who you trusted (which at this point is no one!).

On the upside, we at least had enough snow for me to take this photo during my commute home on Thursday.  It didn't last, but was sure pretty to look at for a few minutes.  This is the intersection of Ridge, Broadway and Bryn Mawr.