If you know me well, you know I go to Chicago several times a year to indulge in opera. That started, according to my Google calendar, in 2011. But I think it was the very next year, 2012, that I contacted an online acquaintance via the now defunct Google+ social media platform that was so much loved and used by photographers around the world.

To make a long story short, he agreed to meet me at “The Bean,” a must site for photogs in Chicago, and today I have a whole bunch of Chi-town friends. Getting together with them to walk and shoot is a regular feature of every trip. Tom was not able to meet me on this February 2024 trip, but I had a great time with Barbara and Michelle.

When I go to Chicago, I take the L into the city and begin shooting at once. The most colorful, interesting graffiti is visible only from the trains, but getting an in-focus, well-framed shot from a moving train takes some concentration and many wasted pixels!

And when it comes to color and pattern, the Chicago River also never disappoints. Blue water requires a bright blue sky above. Acting quickly is a must because in a moment the light will change and the pattern you’re trying to capture is gone.

Chicago would not be Chicago without the L. There’s a spot in the Loop where you can stand on the street and look down on the tracks. I can’t remember the place to tell you, but I can walk to it when I’m there!

Chase Tower in the heart of the Loop is another familiar spot. On an overcast day, the top of the building recedes into the clouds.

In a city full of wonderful public art, Picasso’s famous Flamingo is just a half block from my usual hotel. Of course, I can’t resist “one more shot” about every time I walk past it.

Sometimes in winter Lake Michigan is full of ice, but not so in February of 2024. The sailboats had been puled out of the water, but a flock of Red-breasted Mergansers (Mergus serrator) paddled about among the empty slips.

Headed home? Don’t put up the camera until you must board the plane! I prefer flying in and out of Midway (MDW) because it is a much more human scale airport. But I must take the most affordable route and that is often O’Hare (ORD). Keep an eye open. You never know what pretty pictures the ground crew will randomly leave behind.

So thanks for taking this little tour of Chicago with me. I thought you might enjoy seeing a variety of the kinds of things I shoot there, and so the “one-photo per month” rule continues to be suspended. #YearInReview