The Photographer's Guide to Capturing Chicago - Montrose Harbor

200mm - f5.6 - 1/250 sec -  ISO 160 — 200mm - f5.6 - 1/250 sec - ISO 160

Chicago is home to many harbors and beaches each with their own unique characteristics. Due to the shape of the lake most of the beaches and harbors have unique views of Chicago. Montrose Beach is a little bit further north than some of the more popular Chicago beaches. It is also further east which makes for a great view of the city.

How to Get the Shot

This shot isn’t a picture of sunset unfortunately, it’s of the sunrise. This photo was taken on one of the longest days of the year which was poor planing on my part. On this particular morning the sun rose around 5:30 but the tranquility of the beach and the experience of sunrise made the early morning worth it. Shooting sunrise in the summer makes for an early morning but sometimes when you want the shot you have to be willing to sacrifice sleep.

28mm - f7.1 - 1/100 sec -  ISO 160 — 28mm - f7.1 - 1/100 sec - ISO 160

This photo was taken on Montrose beach which is approximately 6 miles North of downtown Chicago. The beach not only has great views of Lake Michigan but also has really good views of downtown Chicago. I personally think it’s one of the better beach views of Chicago. There is also a popular harbor near the beach where you can capture the docked boats with the Chicago skyline in the background.

Editing the Shot

For this shot I exposed for the sun and sky so that it wasn’t blown out and to silhouette the beach and brush. I used the 51 point focus selection and I manually set the focus point. I also used the Matrix metering option. This is the option with the box with a circle in it (see below for the various camera vendors). This setting does a great job of setting the correct exposure even if you are breaking the rules and shooting into the sun (like I did with this image).

After I got the shot into Aperture I used the black slider to silhouette the foreground and boat. I then increased the vibrance to pump up the sky and the sun. Finally, I bumped up the saturation a few levels to bring out more of the color of they sky.

Matrix metering for each brand of camera.

Other Tips

Get there early. Montrose Beach is a big place and if you haven’t scouted where you will be shooting you will need some time to figure it out. Plan on getting there 20-30 minutes before you need to shoot. I’ve provided a map with the highlighted areas of where I like to shoot but you should explore the beach for yourself.

How to Get There

The best way to get to Montrose Beach is to drive. Especially if you are shooting early in the morning. I’m sure there is a bus route that you can take to get there but early in the morning it will take you much longer to take public transportation than if you drive to the beach. Driving from the Magnificent Mile area should take you no longer than 10 minutes with no traffic. There is a Redline station that isn’t far but I wouldn’t walk that neighborhood at that time of the day. Not that it’s a bad neighborhood, but I wouldn’t take a chance on the Redline before 6 A.M.

Once you are off Lake Shore Drive there are many places to park. I suggest driving around the harbor to the southern most part of the beach (see map above). From there you will be able to see the Chicago skyline and you will have an unobstructed view East to the lake. This will give you a good vantage point without running around the beach to try to find a location to shoot. When you are leaving I would highly suggest stopping at the other green highlighted location. From here you will get a view of the docked boats in the harbor along with a view of the skyline.

How to Support My Site

I love my photography and giving back to the community. If you like this site and want to support it I would greatly appreciate using the links to purchase any of the products in my posts. I also sell as well as a book "The Photographer's Guide to Capturing Chicago".If you want an easier way to replicate the shots in this post please consider purchasing my Lightroom presets using the link below. Thanks for stopping by and supporting my work!

Lightroom Presets

The Photographer's Guide to Capturing Chicago

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The Photographer's Guide to Capturing Chicago - Make No Little Plans

14mm - f9.0 - 1/60 sec -  ISO 400 — 14mm - f9.0 - 1/60 sec - ISO 400

The John Hancock Observatory is a great place to grab a view of Chicago or to grab a drink at the bar of the Signature Room. Although the Signature Room has a great view, it’s a hard place to get a good photo of Chicago. The alternative is to pay the admission fee and go to the observatory floor. It’s a few more dollars than a drink at the bar, but the views are spectacular and you can walk the entire floor with no restrictions. If you are lucky they will even let you set up a tripod (they let you bring them in on Mondays :) ).

How to Get the Shot

The shot above was taken with a Tokina 11-16mm lens but I would bring a range of lenses on your trip. While the wide-angle lens is interesting, my Nikon 80-200 f2.8 also got great use during this trip. It is really interesting to shoot with a wide angle lens and get the entire city but it’s equally interesting to zoom in on different buildings with your telephoto. The image above was shot facing south towards the downtown area, but the east and north views are equally interesting.

22mm - f8.0 - 1/250 sec -  ISO 160 — 22mm - f8.0 - 1/250 sec - ISO 160

The Allerton shot was taken using my Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 telephoto lens. The telephoto is great to get unique shots that you would otherwise not be able to capture. The John Hancock Observatory lends itself to many of these shots looking down and around the city. You will rarely have the opportunity to photograph Chicago from a higher vantage point.

The smoke trails image was shot from the observation deck during the Chicago Air and Water show. The show takes over Chicago every August and if you get a chance to witness it don’t miss the opportunity.

When shooting through windows you may want to consider a rubber lens hood. They are less than $10 and they reduce the glare from the surrounding room. I found mine useful with mid range lenses but there can be some issues with telephotos or wide angle lenses. With wide angle lenses you can expect to get a port hole effect and with a telephoto lens you can’t angle the lens enough to frame your shot. The best bet is to bring a small black towel to tape to the window, but in a place like the John Hancock Observatory the security most likely won’t allow this.

200mm - f4.0 - 1/800 sec -  ISO 800 — 200mm - f4.0 - 1/800 sec - ISO 800

Editing the Shot

All of the shots from The John Hancock Observatory are relatively simple edits. I absolutely love the Nik suite of software and Silver Efex Pro 2 is my go-to software for everything black and white. Both black and white shots in this section were edited with the Nik’s software. The first photo in this section “Make No Little Plans” was edited using Silver Efex Pro 2 and the default High Structure (Harsh) settings.

The second photo of the Allerton Hotel in Chicago was processed with the High Contrast (Harsh) settings as well but I tweaked the photo to add selective blurring. After I processed the photo in Silver Efex I brought the photo back to Lightroom and used the gradient tool to blur the right side of the photo and give it that antique look. I used 3 progressive gradient filters to strengthen the effect. When using the graduated filter if you hold down the shift key while dragging Lightroom or Photoshop will make sure that your filter is straight. Once the first filter was in place I reduced the sharpness to -100 this put a slight blur in the photo. I clicked the new button and repeated this process three times. This stacking of the filters enabled me to strengthen the effect and produce the final image.

Other Tips

It takes a little time to buy tickets and to get past security to get to the observatory. If you are trying to capture a sunset or a storm make sure you give yourself plenty of time. If you have a small GorillaPod Tripod or a Really Right Stuff Pocket Pod bring it and see if the employees let you use it. In my experience, if you bring a full sized tripod they will warn you before you go in the elevator that you will not be able to use the tripod when you get upstairs. I’ve also been asked to check the tripod with security. The moral of the story is, the less obvious you are about your gear, the better the chances you have of being able to use your tripod.

How to Get There

The closest train station is the Chicago Red Line station. From there the John Hancock building is only a 7-10 minute walk. Depending on where you are staying you may be able to take various buses down Michigan Ave or even walk. If your hotel is in the Magnificent Mile area you are probably better off walking or taking a cab.

How to Support My Site

I love my photography and giving back to the community. If you like this site and want to support it I would greatly appreciate using the links to purchase any of the products in my posts. I also sell prints through my store as well as a book "The Photographer's Guide to Capturing Chicago".If you want an easier way to replicate the shots in this post please consider purchasing my Lightroom presets using the link below. Thanks for stopping by and supporting my work!

Lightroom Presets

The Photographer's Guide to Capturing Chicago

Yosemite 2017

A post shared by Yosemite National Park (@yosemitenps) on Sep 21, 2017 at 10:30am PDT

My past photo adventures have taken me all over the world. I actually began this photographic journey to capture the beauty in the world we live in. That is what drives me to travel and drives me to dedicate my time an energy to create these images.

A trip like Yosemite is amazing but requires a lot of planning and extra gear. I’ll be working with a photographer that has been shooting in Yosemite Valley for over 35 years so I expect to come home with some amazing images.

Historically I've planned a trip and then and showed the world my images months later. But this trip is a little bit different. I didn't realize the amount of gear I would need to undertake a trip of this size. Most of the time my travels take me to somewhat urban locations or locations not far from the modern amenities we have become accustom to. Although I'm not camping on this trip, it did require more resources and planning that I originally expected.

Due to the higher cost of the trip I wanted to find a way to involve my audience to help fund the project while providing value to everyone. At first I considered a Go Fund Me project but I quickly realized that this didn't provide the value I wanted to you (my audience). I quickly pivoted to the idea of selling discounted prints. This will allow you to help me fund this project while receiving a print at a heavily discounted price. You have been so great to me in the past with supporting my business and I want to find a way we can work together to fund more art from around the world. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your past support and I hope you will consider helping me fund this project!

Below are a few of the common questions that I anticipate you will have when considering participating.

But What if you don’t like any of the images from Yosemite?

I'm working with a guide that has been photographing Yosemite for over 35 years so I expect to come back with some amazing images. But If you don’t like anything I create from Yosemite I’d be more than happy to make a print of any of my portfolio images as a replacement.

I really like your work but I don’t need/want a print. How can I get involved?

I get it. I’m running out of space on my walls and will need to clear some room for this next wave of images too. Consider buying me a cup of coffee for the road and you’ll also be in the loop of seeing all the pre-released work.

If you are interested in helping me fund this trip click the link below and it will take you to the donation page. I'll have all the new images ready for the holiday season so if you are planning on giving one as a gift I can assure you it will be ready by early December. Thanks again for all your support!

Pricing
20x30 Paper Print - $125 (Normally $250)
12x18 Paper Print - $50 (Normally $150)
Cup of Coffee - $5

Morton Aboretum

Every year I find myself returning to Morton Aboretum inevitably in the fall. There aren't a lot of areas to hike around Chicago and in the fall I find it nice to spend a few hours in nature walking and talking with a good friend. It always helps if they are a photographer too. This time I had the pleasure of spending time with one of my budding photographer friends Alex.

Alex and I spent almost 3 hours walking, talking and trying to capture some morning light in the Aboretum. It was perfect timing because the trees were already shedding their leaves and many were covered with red and orange leaves.

We got there around 7 am so we had over an hour with nice soft light. It was a relaxing and fun time out with a great old friend. I look forward to my next adventure with him and my camera.

Surprise Engagement!

Surprise engagement shoots are a lot of fun because of the energy and excitement of the soon to be engaged couple. I had the pleasure of shooting the engagement of Vince and Aarti in the fall.

The setting was classic; Millennium Park. Their closest friends were invited and the weather couldn't have been better. Since it was a public venue, I was able to blend into the surroundings as if I was just another photographer in the park.

As the moment approached I could tell Vince was excited and a little nervous. He had a box on a bench waiting for her with a card and a fake ring box. She was sent on a scavenger hunt all day so she was looking for the next clue when she came upon the box.

Vince was hiding around the corner and after she had a chance to read everything he came out and got down on one knee. It was a magical moment and one I was glad to capture for them. Of course she said yes and is now soon to be a Mrs.

If you or your friends are getting engaged and would like to capture the moment, give me a call and let's talk through the details. I'd love to help make your day that much more magical.

Street Photography with an 85mm Lens

For a long time I shot with zoom lenses. The good ones are versatile, easy to shoot with, you can zoom without moving and numerous other reasons. But more recently I've switched to all prime lenses and I'm loving it.

A prime lens is a fixed length lens. It does not zoom at all unlike many other types of lenses (including your iPhone). The advantage of prime lenses is that they are lighter, faster (lower f-stop) and are sharper than zoom lenses. The other factor I love about only owning zoom lenses is that they force me to be more creative.

On this particular shoot I decided to leave the house with nothing but an 85mm Zeiss Batis 1.8 to shoot street photography. 85mm is traditionally a portrait lens so this was a challenge. What I found by bringing only one prime lens with me was that my brain shifted and I started thinking about the types of shots I could create.

The limitations of the lens actually helped me to think more creatively instead of zooming out and shooting a shot wide or using my zoom to get in close. It actually limited what I could do therefore made me think harder on the types of shots I could achieve and how to execute those shots.

Buy Now - $4.99

I find that since I've moved to all prime lenses I'm having more fun shooting and my abilities are growing by leaps and bounds. I also am in love with the Zeiss lenses I've bought. I never really believed that Zeiss had a look until I started shooting with them. I hate to say it but now I'm a believer.

Brookfield Zoo

I've lived in Chicago for a very long time and for some reason I've never been over to Brookfield Zoo. It may have been because Lincoln Park Zoo is free and it has always given me my zoo fix or it may have been that I didn't have kids and didn't need something to keep them engaged 24/7. Either way, over the summer I spent some time at Brookfield Zoo and was very impressed with the attractions and the animals they have.

The longest lens currently in my bag is a manual focus 135mm f2.0 lens. It's great for portraits but it was a little short for zoo animals. Luckily I have enough resolution on my camera to crop in without loosing too much detail. I would love to buy a 300mm lens to shoot animals and sports but I don't shoot those subjects too often right now. One day I will definitely take the plunge. In the meantime enjoy the shots from the zoo.

Art Wolfe: "Photographs from the Edge" | Talks at Google

Art Wolfe is a great teacher and a world class photographer. It's great to hear him talk about his adventures during his career and his perspective on the world. Most of us are afraid to crank the ISO up but Art shoots at ISO 5000 all the time. Makes me rethink how crazy I get with my settings.

Reader Question - Photography Gear

I recently received this email from a reader and I thought a few of you may have a similar question so I decided to post the response. I'm always happy to answer questions from readers so keep them coming!

Good Evening,

My name is Kristine and after watching Tales By Light you have inspired my to advance my skills in photography. If you don't mind me asking, a had noticed that you use a Canon EOS camera. What type to you usually use (not the underwater fish lens)? Wanted to know if you could give me some feed back in regards to what camera preference you would use? I usually take landscape, portrait and some action shots. Not too interested in the video mode, more for the camera. Your advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,

Kristine,

Thanks so much for reaching out. I'm glad you saw my recommendation and enjoyed the show. I'm actually a Sony shooter. For years I was a Nikon shooter but about 3 years ago I switched to Sony due to the size and image quality. My current camera bag is filled with prime lenses (lenses that don't zoom). I find that the image quality and size/weight combo is hard to beat. It can be a pain to always swap lenses but my opinion it is worth it. I currently own a 18mm f2.8 Zeiss, 35mm f2.0 Zeiss, 55mm 1.8 Sony/Zeiss, 85mm f1.8 Zeiss and a 135mm f2.0 lens. If you are looking for an all purpose lens most of the manufacturers make a 24-105 f4.0 which is a good all around lens. There are other options with more range but I feel that they are too slow (aperture) for what I like to shoot. I hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions.

North Avenue Drone Flight

I still get butterflies when I fire up my DJI Phantom. It may be because I like to fly in locations where the drone is at danger and may result in a expensive piece of machinery in a lake or ocean. Either way, what fun is it to fly if you aren't going to go to cool locations? This Saturday was no exception. A windy overcast sunrise and I've got this badboy way out over the water. I've been to the location a lot of times but I'm still trying to capture the image I have in my head. The footage is fun to watch so enjoy.