Chicago's Hidden Treasures

Hidden between Chicago's Millennium Park and Lake Shore Drive lies a Cancer Survivors Garden with wonderful flowers, benches and an ornate metal open-air structure.

One late summer day I stumbled upon this quiet place of respite and wondered how it had escaped my notice for so long.

For a moment of quiet amid beauty in the midst of big city hustle and bustle, walk due north from Buckingham Fountain through Grant Park or head across the BP Bridge from the Bean sculpture.

Who are the Flowers For?

While waiting for the traffic signal to change on Michigan Avenue, I noticed this young man with the bouquet of flowers staring resolutely ahead and wanted to capture the moment.

I wondered who the flowers were for, what was the occasion and why was he looking so serious? Was he going to pop the question to his girlfriend? Make up after a fight?

Hope it turned out well for him...

Sears Tower through a Fisheye

Finding a new angle or perspective for a frequently photographed landmark building can be challenging. The Sears Tower in Chicago is one such edifice.

One day while out shooting on the west side of the Loop, I pulled my fisheye lens out of the proverbial bag and saw the Sears Tower and surrounding buildings in a new light. Now it appeared that the surrounding skyscrapers were bowing to the mighty giant and the hubbub of Wacker and Jackson Streets could be included.

Photo editors aren't often fond of fisheye lens photos because of the distortion, but the unique perspective can help in recharging the creative batteries - one of my resolutions for 2008.

Magic comes to Chicago each winter in the form of the animated displays in the State Street retail store windows. Children and adults pass from window to window to view an unfolding story whose theme changes from year to year.

For 2007 the theme of "The Nutcracker" is displayed in nine windows of Macy's State Street store in celebration of the Joffrey Ballet's 20th anniversary production. Fortunately Macy's is keeping alive this Marshall Fields tradition ensuring fond memories for another generation of children.

Be sure to bundle up!

Getting Away from it All

Chicago's lakefront sets it apart from so many other large cities in the world and gives it an openness and sense of spaciousness. Time spent gazing at the quasi ocean expanse of Lake Michigan proves relaxing, and a perch on the concrete wall north of the city provides a great view of the downtown melange of skyscrapers and Oak Street Beach.

Head south from the North Avenue Beach along the lakefront path to find your get-away spot.

West Randolph Street

On Chicago's near west side, just west of the Kennedy Expressway, red brick buildings along Randolph Street that were formerly home only to wholesale food vendors now contain trendy restaurants with sidewalk dining mixed in with the butcher shops and wholesale produce sellers.

On warm summer and fall evenings, red coated valets hustle to find parking spots for diners at Red Light, Dragonfly, Vivo and Marche. Only blocks away from Harpo Studios, home of the "Oprah Winfrey Show", West Randolph Street offers an array of dining options with views of the Sears Tower along with a neighborhood feel.

Where's Waldo?

Chicago's Wacker Drive exhibits a split personality. One section paralleling the Chicago River runs east/west past the Marina Towers, Seventeenth Church of Christ Scientist, Trump's construction project, the Merchandise Mart, along with several hotels and restaurants. The street then curves into a second section which runs north/south past the Sears Tower, the Lyric Opera, the Merc and numerous skyscrapers housing corporations and businesses.

The east/west section pictured above provides a great location for afternoon photography as the open space and lack of skyscrapers to the west permits the sun to shine brilliantly.

Afternoon rush hour on a weekday can be a madhouse on any Chicago street. Place a few taxis, an el train, a city bus, several pedestrians, a double-decker tour bus, numerous cars and a motorcycle on the same street and voila!, "Where's Waldo?".