September 2015

September was a relatively full month for me. I have been out and about quite a bit!  As a result, I have a number of photos to share in this post. Why was I late to getting this up? Well, to be honest I’ve been not feeling well and I’ve had some other issues I had to deal with my home. And with the last weekend of the month I shot over 2000 images. You’ll see why towards the end of the page! 🙂

Here are my photos from the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, IL.

The monarch butterflies were out and about at the Botanic Garden

A rainbow of colors come from these interesting flowers. I felt like I needed some skittles after that.

Some lavender colored flowers.

Another butterfly in the garden. This was shot in their butterfly enclosure. They have many kinds of butterflies in there. This is one of the few that sat still long enough for a shot.

This was shot in their sub-tropical greenhouse.

This photo was an experiment in post processing.

Dahlias always attract the light in interesting ways!

A bright water lilly

I just love blue water lilies because they contrast with their yellow insides so well!

 

This gallery is part of my Chicago77 project. This is from the Avondale neighborhood. To me, the neighborhood is a pretty tough neighborhood. That isn’t to say that it’s a bad neighborhood, but that it’s character was tough. It does have one gleaming bright spot, the St. Hyacinth Basilica. I would encourage everyone to go and see it.

 

September 19, I went to see the bridges come up to allow the sail boats off the lake. Chicago has more bascule type bridges than anywhere in the world. The new river-walk gives new perspectives on this event, too.

 

On September 20th, it was the last weekend day before the Equinox. I knew I had to take a chance at getting what I could out of Chicagohenge where the sun sets on the east-west streets. Since it was a few days early, I knew the sun would cross the street a few degrees in the air before actually setting. This made for a great chance to get closer to the elevated line than I did last year.

Washington St in Chicago during sunset while the train crossed the sun.

Chicagohenge happens every equinox in Chicago because all our east west streets are perfectly east/west. On the equinox, the sun sets on the street.

 

September 26 was the 500PX world wide global photowalk. On this day I took the train into the city, walked to Millennium Park, Navy Pier, to a hotel close to the Palmer House and back to Navy Pier and then to the train station. For the first weekend of fall, it was a great day to get out and shoot and meet some fantastic photographers!

Before the 500PX World Wide Photowalk a photographer examines the scene in Chicago

Following the flag from the 500PX WWPW in Chicago on Michigan Avenue

Gina Costa taking a shot over the Chicago River during the 500PX WWPW.

A couple on Michigan Avenue in Chicago

At Navy Pier in Chicago the 500PX WWPW takes a break

A ride at Chicago’s Navy Pier Mall on a mostly clear day.

The Ferris Wheel is about to be taken down in Chicago’s Navy Pier in favor of a much larger one for 2016.

John Hancock Center and smaller buildings in Chicago’s near north side.

The bike path along Lake Shore Drive in Chicago invites many to enjoy it.

A spontanious celebration on the near north side in Chicago.

Chicago’s near north side as seen from Olive Park as the sun was setting.

Sunset from Chicago’s Ferris Wheel from the last weekend in opperation. Soon to be torn down and rebuilt into a much larger ride at Navy Pier.

As the light fades the lights come on the rides at Navy Pier in Chicago

 

On September 27, 2015 there was this event called the Full Moon Fire Jam and it took place during a supermoon that was going through a lunar eclipse. I took many many images during this event!