Sketches
Sketches
Input/feedback, please!
I’d like your help/participation with this one! (more…)
Back to the Beach: Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Yikes! This is NOT a photo of some remote planet! It’s the Lake Michigan shoreline at the Gillson Park Beach in Wilmette…just across the street from the Baha’i Temple. This is just how it looked yesterday. Rugged and remote.
I was driving along Sheridan Road and noticed that the sun was shining through the thick clouds in spots, forming a bit of a spotlight in places along the ground. So, I pulled off the street and into Gillson Park to see how that dramatic lighting was “working” in there. When I got to the parking spots along the beach, I thought it might be interesting to get out and see how things looked along the water. So, I grabbed my camera and the 50mm lens and went for a peak.
Sandy
Sandy Dishman
Sculptor
Sandy, the Artist
Meet Sandy Dishman. What an amazing talented sculptor. And an equally amazing nice guy!
One of the fun things about photography is that it opens my eyes to people and things around me. It also opens doors and opportunities for me to interact with them. Here is a good example…Sandy Dishman is married to a looong time friend (since Kindgergarten!), Steph. As a result, Sandy asked if I would photograph him and some of his work so he could have some images for his upcoming website.
So interesting to be with him during the process and see the affection and passion he has for his work. And I got a chance to see the craftsmanship and creativity. I dunno about you, but I can’t even imagine how a sculptor does what he or she does! But, I did see his modest work area at the Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt-Amrany http://www.rotblattamrany.com/ along with some of the work he has at home. So interesting to see these works in person and to see the other sculptors who work at the well known studio.
Sandy, my Friend
Take a look at some of his work that I have posted here. And write to him at sandy.dishman@gmail.com for information or updates about his soon to be launched website. (Note in the image above, part of his “9/11” piece…stunning! See below for more.)
Thanks for this opportunity, Sandy. And Stephanie! I had fun taking these photos.
9/11
And…here’s Stephanie Colton and me in Kindergarten (below)–Steph is in the back, center/left and I’m in the front, center/right:
Kindergarten, Lincoln Hall
-Stephen M. Levin
“My Mind’s Eye”
www.stephenmlevinphotos.com
Celebrating in the City
Celebrating in the City
Chicago, that is…
A Bar at Nico Osteria
Judy and I stayed downtown overnight in the city on the 23rd to celebrate our anniversary. We like having “an excuse” to go downtown and do things in the city…and we try different restaurants and hotels. This time we stayed at the Thompson Hotel on Rush and Bellevue, across from Gibson’s and Hugo’s Frog Bar. It used to be the Sutton Place, but it’s been totally redone. Very nice! http://www.thompsonhotels.com/hotels/thompson-chicago
So, when we were checking the place out when we got there, Judy “found” this scene and called me over…it looked so photogenic! Pretty cool…and it got MUCH more crowded later on.
Andre, our Server
This (above) is our server during breakfast at a fantastic restaurant in the hotel – Nico Osteria (we also ate dinner there…check it out if you get a chance! http://www.nicoosteria.com/ ). Andre is a very nice guy and we had outstanding service. I thought he was photogenic, too, so I asked if I could take a picture. I asked him to pose in a way that would show his tatoos. I enjoy taking photos of people….strangers I encounter out and about.
Magic Trick, sort of…
Couldn’t leave the restaurant without capturing this magic, balancing act (above). I know I wouldn’t try that! He seemed to have fun with me taking his picture. At first he moved away, but Judy and I encouraged him to keep doing what he was doing.
Outside the MCA, Chicago
We left after breakfast and walked over to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA, Chicago) to see the “David Bowie Is” exhibit. http://www2.mcachicago.org/exhibition/david-bowie-is/ The forecast called for 3-7 inches of snow, but it just rained. That frequently makes for good photos! I liked the graphic effect of the stairs, shapes, wall, sign texture, color splash, etc. and the reflections. I imagined it as a high contrast, graphic image and tried to get that across while processing the image. Hopefully, it makes one’s eye take a visual journey around the scene.
Darn! No photos allowed inside the display. I shoulda known….
-Stephen M. Levin
“My Mind’s Eye”
www.stephenmlevinphotos.com
Let’s go to the Beach!
Let’s go to the Beach!
But wait…it’s December
Glencoe Beach
So, what do you find when you go to the beach on a chilly Sunday in December? Not much! Hard to believe it’s the same “Lake Michigan” that is crowded in the warmer months. But, it’s still gorgeous and inviting…though in a different way. Aha…that makes for some interesting photo opportunities!
And when I added my new “toy” to my photography arsenal (a 15 stop neutral density filter which allows for looong time exposures) and tried it out for the first time there, I was almost giddy with the possibilities!
That white mark on the sky is actually a block of clouds that streaked across the image during a 64 second exposure. I thought it was kinda cool.
Glencoe Beach
Later on, as I was taking even longer exposures, I looked out and saw a kayaker on the tranquil lake. But he was going by while I was in the middle of a multi-minute exposure which made my camera unavailable. Drat! But, lucky me….I “switched modes” and caught him with a normal exposure as he returned, going the other direction. I remember thinking that I was a little crazy to be out there shooting time exposures….but what was HE doin’ out there??
Glencoe Beach
Here’s another time exposure. This one was 281 seconds! Notice how that totally smoothed out the water and the moving clouds seem. And, it’s amazing to see the colors that appear late in the day! I thought there was a nice contrast between the warm tones of the stones and the cool tones of the water and sky.
Glencoe Beach
Look at the colors and softness in this 327 second exposure! Difficult to distinguish between the water and the sky! I love those shades and tones.
Now that I’ve had a chance to experiment with this new filter, I’m gonna keep goin’ back to this area as the weather changes to see what I can find. Fun!!
And I’ve got some other ideas of where and how I can use this new tool. More fun.
-Stephen M. Levin
“My Mind’s Eye”
www.stephenmlevinphotos.com
Ugh! My Uggs!
Ugh! My UGGs!
The cost of a photo…
Lonely Tree
Took a ride to the Fort Sheridan area along Lake Michigan in the northern burbs of Chicago. In particular, I went to the beach (brrrr…) and Post Cemetery (an old military cemetery near the Fort area). I’ve had my eye on this site for a long time. But, yesterday, the sky seemed right and I had the time.I think this shot of the tree (above) captured my feeling of the area. Kind of chilly and wispy. But, still with color rather than the dried out wintery look.
Visitation at Fort Sheridan Cemetery
I keep a list in my car of places to go for photos…things I see when I’m driving around. My plan is to those places when I think the lighting or mood is appropriate for my “vision” of the scene. So, I pulled in to the parking lot and got out with my 24mm lens attached to my camera…NOT the lens I thought I’d be using (I figured a telephoto lens would compress the perspective better). But, I saw this van at the end of one of the rows of headstones and I liked it and I didn’t have time to change lenses….luckily. I’ve found (sometimes!) that distractions like these actually can add to a scene’s interest. It turns out, I also felt the sky added to the interest!
Joe Branch and His Comrades
I “had” to take a shot of the headstones. And I had in my mind that I wanted it to be “timeless” and poignant. Here’s a try at that…
Soooo…what do my UGGs have to do with this? Part of the “cost” of taking photos (besides gear and other resources) is that one has to put up with the elements. So, while I was happily exploring the terrain and scenes for about an hour, I became too enthralled to pay attention to what I was walking through. And, when I got to my car, I saw that the bottom of my UGGs were FULL of mud and stone and sand. So much that I had to take them off and drive home barefoot (don’t tell on me!). Then it took about 45 minutes for me to clean the gunk off once I got home.
Was it worth it?? I hope so!
-Stephen M. Levin
“My Mind’s Eye”
www.stephenmlevinphotos.com
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