Several years ago, more than one million people came to McCormick Place to visit the world’s largest indoor parking lot, often referred to as the Chicago Auto Show. For the auto aficionado, this was a once-a-year opportunity to touch the cars you only dream about: Ford, Chevy, Honda, Kia, and even Hyundai. And those lucky few willing to wait in long lines had the heart-stirring experience of sitting in the front seat and looking out the same windshield that people who actually own these cars will look through. This is heady stuff. But the show appealed to the mind and not just the passions of the attendees–vital information could be gleaned from the knowledgeable staff at the show: Does the F-150 come in diesel? How many cup holders in a Mini-Cooper? Are floor mats here to stay? With hundreds of cars buffed to a blinding patina, and the entire convention floor reeking of that “new car smell”, this was the ultimate in Auto Erotica. For me, the highlight was seeing a 1969 black GTO, that sexy muscle car that Gregg and I took across country in the ultimate road trip which became the basis of my book “On the Road”.
Category Archives: Chicago Photo Assignments
Chicago Neighborhood Murals
Chicago is known as a city of neighborhoods, each with it’s own ethnic identity. It’s no surprise that public art appears on walls throughout the city representing the local culture. Here is just a sampling of murals (or you may call it graffiti) in some of Chicago’s vibrant neighborhoods.
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras has been offering music education for more than 60 years. The CYSO consists of five orchestras and a chamber music program, plus it offers classes and international touring. Since I’m not between 7 and 18, I can’t enroll, but I did have an opportunity to photograph the orchestra during a rehearsal before a performance at Symphony Hall. It was inspirational to see so much talent and dedication in people so young, though it did cause me to wonder: Don’t kids spend their teen years perfecting their Frisbee skills anymore?
Photo of the Day: Fulton Market
Just west of the downtown Loop area is Fulton Market. For decades, this area was home to countless meat processors and warehouses, and several still operate today. Come in the pre-dawn and early morning hours and the streets are clogged with trucks picking up provisions for local restaurants. In recent years, Fulton Market has seen upscale shops, galleries and several cutting edge restaurants open. Just a few blocks away on west Randolph is the more established Restaurant Row–with the addition of Fulton Market eateries, Chicagoans have countless gourmet options just minutes from the Loop.
Photo of the Day: GAR Rotunda
The Chicago Cultural Center (previously the main branch of the Chicago Public Library) houses two eye-popping domes. This one is the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) Rotunda, and the other was designed by Louis Tiffany. This room is a memorial to the Union soldiers who gave their lives in the Civil War; it’s one of the most beautiful and peaceful rooms in Chicago.
Photo of the Day: Art Institute Modern Wing
The Modern Wing of the venerable Art Institute of Chicago opened three years ago and has been an unqualified hit among art lovers and tourists alike–not that these two groups are mutually exclusive, but… This museum is home to 20th and 21th-century art plus the world-renowned collections of modern European painting and sculpture, contemporary art, architecture and design, and photography. In this photo we see the museum’s popular “Yoga and Picasso” class held on Tuesday mornings. Most people are not aware that Pablo was a yoga enthusiast, often cited as the inspiration for his Blue Period. Next month the museum will feature “Cooking with Matisse”–sure to be a big hit.
Photo of the Day: Special Effects
This is a test photo for a client, they needed something different and creative. The end product would be a print in a hotel. So many possibilities with Photoshop–maybe I got a little carried away, but it was fun.
Photo of the Day: Crown Fountain
Crown Fountain is a fun place to hang out. Where else can you be drenched by a powerful stream of water bursting from a giant pair of video lips while admiring the stunning architecture along south Michigan Avenue? These teens weren’t admiring the historic architecture, they were just chillin (literally) on a hot summer day. Now we know where all the students were during the recent public school strike.
Photo of the Day: Painting a Mural
When does graffiti become a mural or a work of art? I came upon this artist one morning in Rogers Park, on the far north side. I’m really not sure if his work was sanctioned or condoned by the local authorities, or perhaps they just didn’t see him because of the camouflage jacket he was wearing. And I guess I will never know.
Photo of the Day: Wicker Park
Wicker Park on the northwest side is one Chicago’s most colorful neighborhoods. Teeming with artists, students, hipsters, hippies, and members of the 47% that Romney says are sponging off the government, the area surrounding Six Corners (Damen/Milwaukee/North) has more tattoos per capita than anyplace in the known world. Funky shops, funky restaurants, funky bars, and funky bookstores–this area can only be described as funky.
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