Best's Kosher

Monika Soltysik Copywrite © 2008

Monika & I went with my Mom, sister, Uncle John & Carmen to the Cubs game last night (Thanks for the great tickets Mom!). Even though the Cubs lost to the Brewers (...and we froze) we had a great time. I didn't really get any great shots last nite, but Monika got this one of the one vendors that I loved...Great use of DOF babe!

Canon 40D
Canon 70-200 2.8L IS
f2.8 1/125 Sec @ ISO 800

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman ~ Wright Collage Civil War Reenactment

Canon 20D
Canon 70-200 2.8L IS @ 200mm
f2.8 1/60 Sec @ ISO 100

Macro Monday

Ok, when I started this blog I promised myself NO CAT PHOTOS. So less then two weeks after I start posting, what do I post? A cat photo. A cool one...but still a CAT PHOTO! I shot this one over the winter of COBOL, one of my two cats... The other is named Java. If you don't get the relationship between the names, be thankful. You are not as much of a computer nerd as me.

Canon 20D

Canon FD 50mm Macro with EF Adapter & life size converter

f5.6 1/60 Sec @ ISO 800

Ready...Aim... Fire!

I got this one at the Wright College Civil War reenactment. Monika & I took a ride over there on Sunday morning. It was a lot smaller then I expected, but fun all the same. I'll probally will post a few more photos from the event later on in the week.

Vacant

Jefferson Park CTA Tunnel

Canon 40D

Tamron 11-18mm f4.5-5.6

f22 1.3 Sec @ ISO 400

Water Tower Place

This photo is of the lobby of Water Tower Place on Michigan Ave. I hadn't been there for a few years & it seems to be making a bit of a come back. Last time I was there it seemed like they were at less the 50% occupancy... In fact I know the owner of the Bang & Olufsen store that used to be located there. His rent for 1200 sq. ft. of space was $42,000 a month... That is over a half a million dollars a year. ON RENT!

Canon 20D

11-18 Tamron f4.5-5.6

f5 1/30 Sec @ ISO 400

Any guesses?

I work at an old school camera shop right outside of Chicago. Usually I sit right in the front window of the store (on display but not for sale). Last fall a kindergarten teacher was walking her kids around the neighborhood looking at all of the store fronts & having her children guess what kind of store it was... Can you guess what kind of store this is?

Black & Wednesday

Police / City Worker Parking Garage ~ Milwakee & Central

Komodo Dragon: Shedd Aquarium exhibit extended

The Shedd Aquarium has extended the Komodo Dragon exibit until the end of summer. Good news for Chicagoians as this is not an exibit you wanna miss!

Canon 20D

17-55 f2.8 IS
f5.6 1/25 Sec @ ISO 400

Macro Monday!

I just had to join Brookville Daily Photo & do a Macro Monday of my own. I took this one out in the alley on Saturday. I don't have a clue on what type of plant this is, so if you do please let me know. It's just starting to flower, so maybe I'll get a better idea in a couple weeks.

Canon 40DCanon
FD 50mm Macro with EOS Adapter & 2x ext. tube
f22 1/100 Sec @ ISO 800

410 N. Michigan Avenue

Monika & I took a trip down to Michiagn Ave to take a stand against our local terrorists today. I REALLY felt like a tourist, but it was a lot of fun anyway...& I didn't get shot at once!

About the Photo:
"The Wrigley Building a located directly across Michigan Avenue from the Tribune Tower on Michigan Ave. It was built to house the corporate headquarters of the Wrigley Chewing Gum Company

When ground was broken for the Wrigley Building in 1920, there were no major office buildings north of the Chicago River and the Michigan Avenue Bridge, which spans the river just south of the building was still under construction. The land was selected by chewing gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. to headquarter his gum company. The building was designed by the architectural firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White using the shape of the Giralda tower of Seville's Cathedral combined with French Renaissance details. The 425 foot south tower was completed in April 1921 and the north tower in May 1924. Walkways between the towers were added at the ground level and the third floor. In 1931, another walkway was added at the fourteenth floor to connect to offices of a bank in accordance with a Chicago statute concerning bank branch offices. The two towers, not including the levels below Michigan Avenue, have a combined area of 453,433 square feet.

The two towers are of differing heights, with the south tower rising to 30 stories and the north tower to 21 stories. On the south tower is a clock with faces pointing in all directions. Each face is 19 feet 7 inches in diameter. The building is clad in glazed terra-cotta, which provides its gleaming white façade. On occasion, the entire building is hand washed to preserve the terra cotta. At night, the building is brightly lit with floodlights." ~ Taken From Wikipedia

Canon 20D
Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS
f22 1/60 Sec @ ISO 400

Blue Bagged it! ~ New image tomorrow

Kennedy Expressway ~ Jackson exit.
Recycled from 2/07 ~ New images to follow tomorrow.

Canon 20D
Canon17-55 f2.8IS
f11 10Sec @ ISO 100

Mauyak, Miki, & Monika

Miki, a Beluga Whale, was born to Mauyak at the Shedd Aquarium last August. Miki means "little" in the Inuit language, but I doubt this baby will be little for long. When Miki is fully grown he could easily grow to over 13 feet and weigh more then 1,800 pounds. Currently Miki is estimated to be 6 feet long & weigh more then 250 pounds.Monika & I originally went to the Shedd in February see the Komodo Dragon, but Miki made a much better subject.

Canon 20D
17-55mm f2.8IS
f3.5 1/50 Sec @ ISO 1600

The Postman

4350 N Cicero Ave ~ Raffe's Record Riot

"The name is no misnomer. This shop offers real records (as in vinyl) with a riotous array of variety. Every make, moniker and condition is available here. Those of us who have updated our audio equipment with the times need not fret. It also offers several new and used titles on cassette and compact disc. Finally, make sure to check out the poster selection, which offers pictures of bands of local interest as well as the more standard issues that are requisite for any college hipster's dorm room." ~ Metromix

Milwaukee Ave Overpass

Kennedy Expressway & Milwaukee Ave Overpass

Canon 40D
Tamron 11-18 @ 11mm
f22 15 Sec @ ISO 400

JPSP (Jefferson Park Self Portrait)

I don't get in the mood to do self portraits very often but when I saw this scene I couldn't resist... but don't get used to it.

Canon 40D

Tamron 11-18 @ 18mm

f5.6 1/2 Sec @ ISO 400

...that bike.

Yes that is a cymbal attached to his bike...

Canon 20D
Tamron 11-18 f4.5-5.6 @ 11mm
f4.5 1/1600 sec @ ISO 800

The carrot & the stick

Finally! They may still all be packed, but I've unloaded the final box! Sorry for the delay in posting. I wish I could blame it on my internet setup, but we had it the day we moved in...I was just REALLY tired... So I've made a deal with myself. I promised myself if I didn't miss a day of posting for the next 3 months I would buy myself a Canon G9. It's really small & lite but still has most of the power of an SLR...A little pricey but a very Cool Camera to take with you when you don't feel like carrying the weight of an SLR.

Today we took a drive up Milwaukee Ave to the bend in the river, or where the North branch & the South branch of the Chicago River join up & flow to Lake Michigan. This photo is looking East to 333 W Wacker Dr.

"Developed in 1983 by Urban Investment and Development Co., 333 West Wacker was designed by Kohn Pederson Fox Associates and has received the National American Institute for Architects' National Best Design Award. The Class-A office tower, with its green curved glass design, overlooks the bend in the Chicago River where the river divides Wacker Drive into its north and west branches and also offers unmatched, unobstructed views of the Chicago skyline."

Canon 20D
Tamron 11-18 f4.5-5.6
f16 1/125 Sec @ ISO 100

Still Moving....

Still packing up everything in Des Plaines...

I Hate Mondays!

For me, Monday is not only the beginning of the work week, it's my longest workday of the week... 12 whole hours of pure retail hell!!! So to get my week off on the right foot I decided to post another photo I took yesterday in our new place. This is the look out of our bedroom window... or is it the office? I guess we need to get all of the furniture in before we really decide.

Canon 40D
Canon 17-15 f2.8 IS
f5 1/10 Sec @ ISO200

Moving Day

Monika & I went over and cleaned the new apartment today. We are slowly packing up & moving all the boxes over, and hope to be totally in by Friday or Saturday. I really excited to be moving....it's WAY over due! I'm also really excited about doing City Daily Photo, I hope it helps me refine my photographic skills & eye a little more! Everyone needs practice ;-)

Anyways, on to the photo... This key is my new back door key... & I LOVE IT!!! My grandma had one just like it for her backdoor key when she lived in Jefferson Park, only 3 blocks from our new place. It brings back very fond memories of spending weekends at her house when I was young. I loved going over there when I was little boy....playing right across the street in Jefferson Park....going to Stanton hobby shop on Milwaukee. Wow is this going to be fun living down here!!!! I can't wait.

Canon 40D
Canon 17-15 f2.8 IS
f2.8 1/25 ISO200