I never tire of this view of the Chicago River. It’s amazing how the view changes with the light.

A while back I made another picture when it was a little darker out and liked that one too. The only problem with that one was the crane from the building going up at Wolf Point. Not the most attractive thing to have in a picture but hey, it is what it is. This time around, no crane. Well, the crane was still there but it was higher than me this time and out of the frame. I didn’t notice it at the time (I blame the Heineken) but I also caught a Pink Line train crossing the river. Bonus round!

One of the cool things about making pictures in Chicago, or any place for that matter, is that if you pick and choose your spots you can shoot at any hour of the day but this was a picture I planned on making. A lot of times I will just hop on the train and come up here with no real plan or dream something up on the way in but this was the picture I had in mind before I even left home. Sometimes it works and sometimes not. This time I checked the weather, what time sunset was, and what train I had to be on to be there on time, and packed what gear I thought I would need.. Not a lot of planning but it was enough to get me in the ballpark.

Another thing to remember is always look around. Sometimes when your planned picture doesn’t work out as expected just turn around, there might be something just as interesting behind you! Below on the left is an example of just that. Ok, it’s not the greatest picture but it’s what I like to call an idea picture. I really liked how the setting sun was highlighting the rails. Not the best viewpoint but you can bet I’m going to figure out how to get a better view. If you know of a good viewpoint, drop me a line. Please. The middle picture is what I like to think of as an opportunity picture. I was looking for a different viewpoint to make a picture of the Kinzie Street bridge in the background and along came a tour boat filled with sightseers! Once again, not the best picture in the world but it was obvious I wasn’t the only one out enjoying the day.

One last thing while I’m at it. Don’t put your camera away! In the picture below on the right is a picture I made as a CTA Brown Line train was pulling in. You never know what you’re going to see sometimes and an interesting scene can instantly become a memory if your camera is packed away! Until next time…