Chicago GTG photos - DPChallenge Forums

08/13/2006 04:37:23 PM · #1

Here are some shots from the Saturday GTG in Chicago. As you can see Heather does exsist and is not merely a figment of imagination or a ficticious being. To all that showed up, I enjoyed spending the day with you all and look forward to doing it again. Thanks for a good time.

violinist123

Canon EOS-6D

Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF

08/13/2006 05:01:37 PM · #2

Nice shots. I live in the area and hope to be able to come if there is another GTG. Worked downtown for over a decade so I know a few interesting spots off the beaten path.

faidoi

Pentax K10D

08/13/2006 05:06:33 PM · #3

"Wacker" lol.

HBunch

HP PhotoSmart 315

08/13/2006 05:31:12 PM · #4

Originally posted by NstiG8tr:

As you can see Heather does exsist and is not merely a figment of imagination or a ficticious being.

Thank goodness, I was beginning to wonder.
I had a great time too. Very glad we went and very glad to have met you 3. I didn't get very good pics, but here's a couple I liked.

That neat building we parked under

The Field Museum

Sears Tower and Friends

Shane

Pic of me taken by Shane

Group photo at the Sears tower. Shane, Me, Elizabeth and Dave. Taken by a Sears Tower employee and edited onto that background (by the sears tower employee). lol Cheesy, but I thought it was cute.

Message edited by author 2006-08-13 17:36:51.

08/13/2006 07:25:55 PM · #5

Very nice dave.

What happend to you guys after the pier...????

08/13/2006 07:51:56 PM · #6

Originally posted by MayaM:

Very nice dave.

What happend to you guys after the pier...????

sent you a PM

HBunch

HP PhotoSmart 315

08/13/2006 11:00:01 PM · #7

Elizabeth, you make it home ok?
You and Maya need to share some pics!

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

08/13/2006 11:10:00 PM · #8

Oops... yours pics are nice too Heather.

Unfortunately, I did not get many pics:-(

Since I cleaned the sensor that morning...I had the camera set on 3200 iso all the way until we got to the sears tower. Should have saved the pics for the stupid stupid challenge, but I did not think about it...another stupid stupid!

connie

Canon EOS-40D

08/13/2006 11:28:03 PM · #9

I hope to make the next GTG in Chicago. Looks like fun.... :)

HBunch

HP PhotoSmart 315

08/13/2006 11:35:40 PM · #10

Originally posted by connie:

I hope to make the next GTG in Chicago. Looks like fun.... :)

Shane and I talked and would like to go to Chicago about every 2 months, so we'll have to let ya'll know and meet up. Next mission: Shedd Aquarium.

08/14/2006 09:46:51 AM · #11

Heather - just let me know. I am always willing to hang out and do the touristy things. I never do them on my own. Been about 15 years since I have been to the Shedd Aquarium.

08/14/2006 09:57:58 AM · #12

Looks like everyone had a good time :) Sorry I missed ya but it looks like we photographed some of the same things :)

john

08/14/2006 09:59:34 AM · #13

Originally posted by HBunch:

Originally posted by connie:
I hope to make the next GTG in Chicago. Looks like fun.... :)

Shane and I talked and would like to go to Chicago about every 2 months, so we'll have to let ya'll know and meet up. Next mission: Shedd Aquarium.

The Shedd Aquarium was great from a tourist standpoint. Photography isn't easy there due to the low light and the billion people :) Get there EARLY if u decide to go, and do it on a weekday.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM

08/14/2006 03:32:18 PM · #14

Here are a couple of mine that I shot on Friday afternoon... I haven't had time to process much yet because this one took a long time. This is a series of 18 vertical photos stitched with Panorama Factory.

Chicago Skyline (Color)

Chicago Skyline (B/W)

I arrived in Chicago on Thursday morning around 10am after about 11 or 12 hours on the road (750+ miles). I went to the Shedd Aquarium first thing because there was no line out front and it didn't look like the weather was good.

It was foggy/smoggy most of the day on Thursday, so I just wanted to stay inside. I finished up at the Shedd Aquarium around 230 or so. I went from there to my hotel up in Northbrook. I was pretty worn out after driving all night to get there. I unloaded the car and checked in. It was around 5pm or so when I got settled in. The traffic on 90/94 was bad and it took me a long time to get up to Northbrook (20 miles or so north of town). I parked my fat ass on a bar stool in the hotel lounge and absorbed a couple glasses of some decent single malt scotch, and then decided to crash for the evening (around 7pm).

I got up at 5am on Friday morning. I had 9am tickets to the King Tut exhibit and I needed to catch the 6am Metra train from Glencoe down to Chicago. I walked from the Oglevie Transportation Center over to the Field Museum and got there around 815 or so. I went to the Tut exhibit, where no photography was allowed and then toured the rest of the Field Museum.

After I finished at the Field Museum, I shot the panorama series that I showed at the top of this post. From there, I took a harbor tour by boat that lasted 30 or 40 minutes. The only keeper photo I shot from the boat was of the Chicago Harbor Light (built in 1832):

After the boat tour, I walked up Michigan Avenue for a while and went to Geno's East for some of the best deep dish pizza I have had in a long time.

After Geno's, I went back to Michigan Avenue and did a little shopping and then made my way back to the hotel via the trains. I had done a lot of walking and my feet were killing me. I probably covered 12 miles or so with the camera bag and then some shopping bags later in the day. The scotch at the hotel bar was good once again :)

Saturday morning, I slept late (7am) and then headed back into town. I started my day at Millenium Park. My first shoot in the park was at the Cloud Gate.

I shot a lot of different things here. This piece is quite attractive and the photo opportunities with it are quite endless.

After the Cloud Gate, I shot some photos at The Crown Fountain. This is one of the most interesting subjects for photography I have come across in quite a while.

The video screen behind the fountain is constantly changing, and the scenes are great :) I shot a lot of photos here too. I spent several hours at Millenium park between the Cloud Gate and the Crown Fountain.

I walked from Millenium Park up to the Navy Pier. I have been here before and it's a good place to hang out, especially if you are into people watching (or drinking beer and booze).

I did ride the huge ferris wheel this time. I shot some photos from onboard but didn't get much of anything I liked. The sun was low in the sky and casting ugly shadows across the pier by the time I decided to ride it.

I also spent a lot of time taking photos at the pier...

After the Pier, I caught a bus back down to Grant Park. I wanted to see the Buckingham Fountain, even though I knew I woudln't be able to get any good photos of it. I thought about carrying my tripod with me on Saturday, but decided not to for obvious reasons. I watched a few of the light shows at the fountain and then had some dinner here:

The lights intrigued me a little more than the food :)

After dinner, I walked back over to Grant Park so I could watch the fireworks on Navy Pier (10pm or so). Then I caught the bus back to my train station and then the train back to Northbrook. I got back to the hotel around 1130pm. I decided to bypass the hotel bar and head straight for bed.

I checked out of the hotel around 10am and drove back to North Carolina...

I had a good time. I hate that I missed the group, but I don't think any solid plans had been made before I left. I may have crossed paths with you guys on Saturday though...

Cheers :)

Message edited by author 2006-08-14 16:47:04.

connie

Canon EOS-40D

08/14/2006 03:45:57 PM · #15

Sounds like you had a good time. Thanks for the info on the light house.

08/14/2006 04:00:00 PM · #16

Now this and night skylines are what I want to shoot. Great photo John.

08/14/2006 04:11:57 PM · #17

Here's a pano from the Sears Tower looking north.

08/14/2006 04:24:43 PM · #18

Great shots John, sounds like you need to get a foot massage right about now. Glad you got to stop at Gino's. I LOVE their pizza!

Funny thing is that as the gtg group was walking around on Sat, we were wondering how many unknowing dpcer's we were passing as we saw other photogs with all of their gear. We need t-shirts or buttons we can attach to our camera bags so we know right away that we are family so to speak.

John and Dave - on those panoramas...how many images did you put together?

Maya

08/14/2006 04:26:24 PM · #19

Originally posted by MayaM:

John and Dave - on those panoramas...how many images did you put together?

Maya

Mine is 18 verticals.

08/14/2006 04:32:35 PM · #20

Originally posted by jmsetzler:

Originally posted by MayaM:

John and Dave - on those panoramas...how many images did you put together?

Maya

Mine is 18 verticals.

WOW! I dont have the patience to put those together. My eyes burn after I mess with one image!

08/14/2006 04:33:42 PM · #21

Originally posted by MayaM:

Mine is only 5. There were so many people up there it was hard to get many shots without someone bumping you in the middle of it.

Message edited by author 2006-08-14 16:34:27.

Sony SAL-50F14 Normal 50mm f/1.4 Autofocus Lens for the Sony

08/14/2006 04:33:56 PM · #22

Originally posted by MayaM:

WOW! I dont have the patience to put those together. My eyes burn after I mess with one image!

Panorama Factory does the meat of the work... I let it put them together and then I do my on post processing after it finishes. It took my system about 10 minutes to put that together.

ladyhawk22

Sony DSLR-A700

08/14/2006 05:50:22 PM · #23

It was so fun to get to meet everybody!!! I can't wait until the next GTG :-)

The group: Dave, Maya, Shane, Heather

I love riding the cute little trolley all around town. Next time, I'm gonna have to check out the double decker bus.

Despite growing up in the Chicago area, I'd never been to the Sears Tower before! It was amazing to be able to view that much of the city from up so high.

I decided to have a little fun with one of the skyline shots:

While riding the trolley to Navy Pier at the end of the day, we passed the Chicago theater, where I've been able to see several shows

Ended up the day at Navy Pier, which gave me a chance to spend some time by the water. Even got to take the water taxi back to the museum campus!

All in all, a fabulous day!! Again, can't wait till the next GTG and the chance to meet more DPCers!

ladyhawk22

Sony DSLR-A700

Sony SAL-50F14 Normal 50mm f/1.4 Autofocus Lens for the Sony

08/14/2006 05:52:37 PM · #24

Oh yes, and I agree! Next time, we should definitely do the Shedd Aquarium. But can we hold off until I get a 50mm?? Something that will agree with the low light anyways....and probably another memory card...and a monopod...and a nifty camera backpack....and maybe a better flash....

Wow, these get togethers sure give you lots of ways to spend your money! :-)