Cold Reminder: March 2017

March 15, 2017

by Posted in Disposable Camera
chicago
ROC & RIT: February 2017
Hot Takes: March - May 2017

Back in Chicago for business (with a couple extra days of pleasure up front). March 11th – 15th, 2017, on a disposable camera.

The wing of an airplane cuts across the frame on the right, its bright white surface standing out against the muted winter landscape of Chicago. The city skyline rises in the distance, with the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) clearly visible, and Lake Michigan stretches along the horizon under a pale blue sky. A wider aerial shot from the airplane window shows Chicago's suburbs sprawling below, leading to the city skyline in the distance. The Willis Tower stands tall among other buildings, with Lake Michigan visible to the right. A dusk view of Chicago from a high hotel room, with a dark foreground of silhouetted office buildings. The tall glass-and-steel skyscrapers reflect the last light of the day, while windows glow faintly in the twilight. In the center of the frame, a narrow city street lined with taillights and streetlights draws the viewer's gaze into the heart of the nighttime urban grid. A street-level view beneath the Chicago 'L' train tracks in Wicker Park. The rust-colored metal beams and rivets dominate the frame, casting intricate shadows across the alleyway below. On the right, weathered brick storefronts house local businesses, their signage bright but aged. Above, the metal tracks lead the eye into the distance. The Wicker Park Six Corners intersection, bustling with activity. In the foreground, the iconic Stan's Donuts shop stands out with its inviting signs. Across the street, brick buildings with arched windows and decorative cornices add architectural interest. Traffic flows through the intersection, with pedestrians crossing the busy streets. An elevated view of West Town, with the red sign of the famous star restaurant on the left and the Violet Hour bar to the right. Brick buildings, bare winter trees, and distant residential towers give a mix of neighborhood charm and Chicago life. A CTA train stop captured with the tracks leading the eye into the distance. The wooden platform planks are visible in the foreground, with blue-painted safety zones lining the edges. Overhead, the metal beams of the canopy create geometric patterns. In the background, a tall Art Deco-style building rises, adding a historic touch to the modern transit setting. The white sky and faint winter light lend a stark, clean atmosphere to the image. A view of downtown Chicago taken from a street in the Loop. The Harold Washington Library Center stands out with its distinctive green roof adorned with gargoyle-like figures. In the background, the red CNA Center tower rises prominently against the cloudy winter sky. The street is lined with traffic and pedestrians, with classic Chicago urban architecture framing the scene.

A self-portrait taken in a circular hotel mirror illuminated by a ring of light. The disposable camera’s flash is on, obscuring my head in a starburst of bright light but still showing my reflection, wearing a white V-neck undershirt. My tattoo is partially visible on my arm, and the background of the room is slightly blurred, showing hints of a standard hotel setup.

myself

A shot through a hotel window overlooking downtown Chicago, featuring the iconic Marina City “corncob” towers in the distance. The camera’s flash reflects brightly on the glass, creating a lens flare effect that contrasts with the darker tones of the city buildings.

this disposable camera broke and would only take photos with the flash on starting at this point

Another view from a hotel window, showing a different angle of Chicago’s skyline. The Westin Hotel’s red sign is visible among taller modern skyscrapers. Below, a charming, smaller building with classic architecture is dusted with snow, adding a touch of winter atmosphere to the scene.

My hotel bed setup, with crisp white sheets and pillows, including a brown tootsie-roll-like pillow, arranged neatly against a light beige headboard. The wall behind the bed is adorned with a large, faintly detailed map of Chicago, adding a unique decorative touch. Nearby, nightstands hold minimalistic lamps and small items, completing the tidy aesthetic.

hotel

A shot of my hotel accommodations, focusing on a dresser cluttered with personal items, including my duffel bag, laptop, and travel essentials. A flat-screen TV is sitting nearby, and the circular mirror with light around it from before is present on the wall. The door is visible in the distance, against dark carpet.

hotel

A street view of California Avenue in Logan Square, Chicago, with snowy sidewalks and clear blue skies. The street is lined with a mix of classic brick buildings and modern storefronts, including a large Midway Moving & Storage sign on the right. Cars and pedestrians move about, with the scene leading towards the city’s skyline in the distance.

My employer, Publicis Sapient Razorfish Rosetta (or whatever it was called at the time), flew me back to Chicago for a couple important client meetings. I scheduled the flights a little earlier and later in the week, and paid a couple more days on the hotel bill out of pocket, so I’d have more time to enjoy the city that I had left just a year earlier.

Of course, it’s harder to enjoy in the winter. But I got a new tattoo in Logan Square, I stayed in a plush hotel, I revisited old haunts in the South Loop and West Town/Wicker Park, and made the most of the snow break. I still always get a tad emotional seeing those skyscrapers for the first time again on each trip back. That skyline always feels like home.

You’ll also note that the infrastructure of the columns and supports under trains and bridges always interests me. I’m fascinated by this. Always have been, always will be, still gawk at it today in passing. I wonder if something about the L tracks inspired it originally? Ugh, the US needs so much more public transit, car culture is a virus.

Why the disposable camera broke and only took flash photos for the last six shots is a mystery to me. I was not abusing the camera, I swear. I know in the old days you could do that trick about hitting a disposable camera hard in the exact right place to force a flash double exposure or something like that, and it would sometimes result in strange experimental shots. But I haven’t done that since high school! I’m kind to my disposable cameras. At least it happened near the end of the roll, and it didn’t affect that last one taken outdoors.

I did think it was ironic to be coming back from California and taking a shot of California Street in Chicago. I wonder if Los Angeles has an Illinois Street…

ROC & RIT: February 2017
Hot Takes: March - May 2017

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