Bridge over Troubled Water

While the politicians and elected (did we really?) representatives of Illinois are making national headlines and getting air time in Leno's and Letterman's monologues, life goes on in the Land of Lincoln. (Is Abe rolling over?)

The Chicago River bisects the downtown area of the city in an unusual way, as the river runs east/west from Lake Michigan to Wolf Point where the three river branches converge. Then the river turns south and flows into the Illinois and Michigan Canal and Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. From there the water flows into the Des Plaines River and eventually reaches the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River.

Legend has it that the name of the first American settlement site arose because that is where a wolf was last sighted in Chicago. Fact or fiction? Originally the river emptied into Lake Michigan, and it is fact that the flow was reversed in an engineering feat that rivaled the building of the Panama Canal.

Many movable bridges crisscross the river including the one pictured here.

Chicago's Water Tower

One of the most recognizable buildings in Chicago, the Old Water Tower presides over the north end of the Magnificent Mile and a lovely urban park. Constructed in 1869 of Joliet limestone, the Water Tower and the Pumping Station located directly across Michigan Avenue, were the only two public buildings to survive the Great Chicago Fire in 1871.

Originally constructed to conceal a standpipe used to equalize water pressure from the Pumping Station, it is currently the home for City Gallery which features Chicago photographers and photographs. Buskers and street entertainers perform in the park surrounding the Water Tower while shoppers revive weary feet seated on benches near a fountain. Carriage horses still drink from a specially designed watering fountain on the park's west side and wait patiently for couples and families to hop aboard for a city tour.

Chicago's LaSalle Street

LaSalle Street, the heart of the financial district in Chicago, is lined with numerous imposing edifices featured in numerous movies including the The Dark Knight - and rightly so. The stately columns of the Federal Reserve Bank and the art deco Chicago Board of Trade building form the southern end of the money district and the light often bounces from one to the other in an interesting way.

It's one of the best locations to shoot in the Windy City at mid-day as the light reaches the street in the canyon of buildings. After a year of maintenance, the clock on the CBOT building has been repaired and the scaffolding removed, so it's a prime point of interest once again.

Standing Firm

By now the secret is out that night and low-light photography are two of my loves - particularly in busy cities. It could be directly related to the fact that I am not a morning person.

Something about that time of day inspires my creative juices and my adrenaline as often the peak time lasts only for 20 minutes or so after the sun has set if the sky will be included in the composition. Other opportunities, such as the man directing traffic above on Michigan Avenue in Chicago are still available when the sky has turned black.

With a sturdy Gitzo tripod and cable release, I'm armed and ready. If you spot a lady with a tripod out after dark - that could be me.

Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River Bridge

Speak the words, "Michigan Avenue" and thoughts of great shopping come to mind. From Tiffany to Nordstrom to H&M and Borders, the Magnificent Mile has them all. Several architectural landmarks such as the Water Tower, Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower are located along this thoroughfare as well.

Another highlight is the double-decker bridge over the Chicago River with the second level below street level and providing access to Lower Wacker Drive. The bi-level street was made famous in chase scenes in the "Blues Brothers" and "Batman Begins" movies.

The scene above is a view of the Chicago River bridge taken from the center median across from the Wrigley Building and looking south toward Millennium Park and the financial district.

Marcus Luttrell - Lone Survivor

On May 19, 2008, Marcus Luttrell, author of Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 was interviewed by Ed Tracy before a capacity crowd at the Pritzker War Library. The sole survivor of Seal Team 10 involved in Operation Redwing in Afghanistan, Marcus wove a fascinating tale as he described the hardships of SEAL training which prepared him well for the excruciating pain and deprivation he experienced as he battled with and fled from the Taliban with three broken vertebrae and other injuries.

Luttrell's story highlighted the comradeship between Navy SEALs, the difficult moral choices faced in a battle zone and the mental determination required for survival. Lining the second floor balcony was a cadre of cadets from the Great Lakes Naval Training Center who will soon begin the training program that will winnow their ranks down to the 10-20% who will become SEALs like Marcus and his twin brother. One can only imagine the thoughts running through their heads as Marcus shared his story.

A podcast of the interview is available here.

Standard Time Began in Chicago

How many times I have walked past this plaque in the Financial District of Chicago and never noticed it, I could not tell. But this particular day, I did notice and learned that the usage of the Standard Time System began in Chicago in 1883.

From the plaque, it seems that the railroads pushed for standardization of time as there were 100 local "time zones" developed by communities based upon the position of the sun in their location. Imagine the headaches trying to put together a timetable and tell when a train would arrive and depart with 100 such zones, and the need for such a standard is apparent.

Maybe the airlines will push for a different time system so that more of their flights are "on time".