Pictures of Chicago buildings. I’ve got ’em.
Every single time I go downtown for something—an event, a meet-up, business, a simple errand, whatever—I take photos. Sometimes I bring my camera but usually I’m snapping with my phone. I love the architecture. I love the building materials. I love the juxtaposition of certain buildings against others. I love the bright blue sky against the neutral stone and brick. I love when I can get seasonal pictures. I love when I can get the sun hitting the buildings in a certain way. I love it all.
I have my favorite subjects, including (but not limited to) Marina City, the Wrigley Building, and Sears (No-I-Won’t-Call-It-Willis) Tower. These buildings, as you might guess, don’t ever move. Ever!
Still, I have hundreds of pictures of each one.
It reminds me of when I spent two weeks at OSRUI Camp in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin in the summer after fifth grade. Back then, there were no digital cameras. We had to shoot with film and never had the advantage of seeing what pictures we took and how good they were; it was a total guessing game.
After camp was over my mom took all of my film in for developing and when we looked at the pictures together, she was slightly annoyed that she spent a gazillion dollars (my exaggeration of her sentiment) because there were SO MANY PICTURES OF THE BUILDINGS. You know, the buildings that don’t move. Ever.
I took pictures of those buildings from the front, the side, and the back. I took pictures from all different angles. I took pictures while standing, kneeling, and sitting on the ground. I had those buildings COVERED.
Not much has changed. I have more Chicago building pictures than anyone needs. The difference is that I know when I’m shooting that I probably already have that angle, that side. I’m taking hundreds of pictures over time on purpose. What I’m looking for is a different perspective, a picture so brilliant that will make me “ooh” and “aah” at my own work because “How did I never get THAT shot before?”
Last night, I got one. It’s not the best or most striking picture of the Wrigley Building, but it’s interesting to me. I know I’ve never taken a picture standing in that spot at that time of evening.
What am I going to do with these hundreds of pictures? Probably just insert a few of them in blog posts here and there, and eventually frame some of the more special ones. They capture my favorite parts of my favorite city, though, and that in itself includes them in my most treasured possessions.
4 Comments
Vikki
That’s the beauty of digital photography–we can take as many pictures as we want without guilt and keep them all!
Alexandra @ My Urban Family
I love this! I too have about a million photos from downtown. I really enjoy the negative space in your image and the way the buildings kind of “fit” together!
Arnebya
I both miss and dread the guessing game of film. At our wedding, we gave guests Kodak disposable cameras. Out of 20, only 4 had usable pictures AFTER WE DEVELOPED THEM ALL. We never told them that indoors the flash was required. Womp.
Sylvia Joy
Great picture! Looks like the Wrigley building has a Hale to me. I love it Love Grandma W