PhotoAbuse

Last Saturday we participated in Scott Kelby’s Worldwide PhotoWalk. It was my 2nd one and Kierans 1st.  We were but 2 of the estimated 36,200 folks who participated this year. That’s a lot of picture making!

Our destination this year was the Chicago Loop. A few weeks ago we were talking about what kind of pictures we wanted to make. We wander around the city a lot and wanted to do something a little different this time. Then the lightbulb turned on! Lets rent a fisheye lens for the weekend! I quickly reserved a Nikon 10.5mm lens at Camera Lens Rentals and we were all set.

Friday night was the annual Family Camp out at the White Water Canyon water park in Tinley Park. Kieran had just completed his Jr. Lifeguard class Friday morning and pretty much stayed around there all day. I got there around 6 to set up the tent and he was in the pool. And here I thought it was too cold to swim! The temps were dropping and the bonfire was looking very inviting. I was trying to remember the last time I wore a hoody in July. It was chilly for sure but we had a fun night. Tinley Park has a fantastic park district and knows how to organize a fun event.

My cell phone alarm went off promptly at 5:33am Saturday morning. Time to pack up and get to the train station for the 6:24 run to Chicago. Kieran was a little groggy but excited. After a quick stop for some coffee, we were on our way!

For a change, we were downtown with time to spare. We were to meet our group at 8:00 near the Picasso in Daley Plaza. We had a little time to kill so we went in search of a Starbucks. The coffee I had on the train had no effect. None. So much for a Starbucks on every corner. Didn’t see one so we joined the group in Daley Plaza.

There were a few familiar faces from the Chicago Digital Photography Meetup Group. Always nice to see some familiar faces in the crowd. At a little after 8 everyone gathered around the Picasso for the group shot. Rick, the group organizer, couldn’t make it due to an emergency so another group member stepped in to give last minute instructions and guidelines. For the life of me, I can’t remember the guys name but he did a good job! As he was getting ready for the group shot, it dawned on me to get one with the 10.5mm! I set up the tripod, slapped the camera on it, lined everything up, set the timer, made sure everyone could see the camera, pressed the shutter button, and ran like the wind to get in the photo. I had the timer set to 2 seconds. That’s me rounding the corner on the right. Not as fast as I used to be….

And then we were off! Kieran and me were talking to Monica, another meetup group member, and noticed how everyone was sort of staying in one big group. Great for conversation, also great for shooting a lot of the same photos. The three of us split from the herd and headed west in search of a Starbucks. Well, that was my thinking!

We were wandering and chatting, trying to find something interesting when all of a sudden, 2 8 oared rowing shells came around the corner of the Chicago River! Things were looking up! Kieran and Monica shot out on the bridge for a better shot while I was gathering my coffee and tripod. Not much time before they passed by so I ran to the other side of the bridge wondering if the 10.5mm would be too wide for the shot. It wasn’t.

I always have a few photo ideas floating around in my head and one of them was to make a picture of a real cool looking new building near the lakefront. I tossed the idea out there and surprisingly, Kieran and Monica thought it would be a good idea too! It was however, pretty far away. Off we went on our journey.

I had only seen photos of the Aqua building before and it looks even cooler in real life. Kieran took over the 10.5mm and everyone split up to get their own perspective. I came away with a few good frames and Kieran seemed pretty happy, as did Monica. I made a mental note to come back here at sunset. The sun was pretty high when we got there. Paying attention to your surroundings is talked about a lot and Kieran sure did.

We then headed back west along the Chicago River. The Trump Tower was looking pretty good with the sky reflecting off of it. Actually it was hard to miss. The sky was great. Nice blue and big clouds. After we left the riverwalk area it was time to start heading to Bar Louie, our designated meeting place for the after walk lunch. As usual, I had to keep stopping to make a picture here and there, much to the chagrin of the rest of my group! We finally made it there to join the rest of the group and have a very nice lunch with the good conversation that always seems to happen with these group outings.

After everyone finished lunch and started off in different directions, Kieran and I thought we might check out the Willis Tower Skydeck. Not happening. Beautiful day, clear sky, a line of tourists stretching around the corner! We hung out in the park across the street for awhile until it was time to head home. All in all, it was a great day for making pictures and conversation. My feet may have been thinking something else but that’s the way it goes sometimes…..

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