Old Chicago at night

Rich Rohrich · Mar 29, 2009

One of the only good things about having a job where you get called out at all hours of the night is getting to see parts of the city I don't normally travel to in the still of the night. These pics are from the Canal St bridge that crosses the South Branch of the Chicago River near Canal and Cermak. It's in a really cool old industrial section of the city. Due to time constraints this was more of a scouting mission than anything else, but I did find that there are a ton of incredible images in this area. There is a really old ship yard near by that is just begging to be shot.

I'm planning on going back when I have more time so I can do it right. I think shooting this area as the sun is coming up will make it really spectacular. Hopefully I can capture the images I have swirling around in my head after seeing it all again.

Till then, here's a couple I liked from Thursday night.

Rich Rohrich · Mar 30, 2009

The bridge is 60 years old and this is the fourth one on this site. I would have loved to shoot the first three.

dohp · Mar 30, 2009

awesome photos, looks like the shutter was left open for quite a while in the photos

are you using a sony? i just see "DSC" in the filenames (tried to look at your EXIF but it's been stripped out)

Kawidude · Mar 30, 2009

Cool shots Rich! I can't decide which one I like best. I'm leaning toward #3. Very dramatic composition. You are the master of the B&W conversion!

Rich Rohrich · Mar 30, 2009

Thanks Kawi - Number 3 is my favorite too. I like it enough to get a big print of it.

I've been playing with a new B&W conversion tool from Nik Software called Silver Efex Pro. It's the coolest most powerful B&W tool I've ever seen. You should check out the demo, you'd really like it.

http://www.niksoftware.com/silverefexpro/usa/entry.php

Here's the first conversion I did with the demo

dohp said:
awesome photos, looks like the shutter was left open for quite a while in the photos

are you using a sony? i just see "DSC" in the filenames (tried to look at your EXIF but it's been stripped out)

Thanks dohp - The shutter speed was in the 6-10 second range. I'll post the EXIF data tonight if you are really interested.

I shot these with a Nikon D300 using a Sigma 10-20mm lens.

dirt bike dave · Mar 30, 2009

More proof that technology combined with talent produces awesome results.

Nice work, Rich!

dohp · Mar 30, 2009

i'm always interested in seeing the EXIF from all photos, just to see where one started out with a certain photo, then you can judge somewhat to see how they edited it etc.
hope you didn't take offense to the Sony thing :) a D300 is a nice camera

Chili · Mar 30, 2009

Nice stuff Rich, I really enjoy 3 and 4.

whenfoxforks-ruled · Mar 31, 2009

Thursday night at canal and cermak? Moonlighting as a cop? I know that area has changed A LOT in the last 15 years! Thats near where they moved the hot tool sales, from Taylor street to Canal. They set up Saturday morning. All them new townhouse villages on the east side of the river? I liked the 3rd pic, it makes the bridge look more immense? Have you ever tried shooting around the Lower Wacker area?

Rich Rohrich · Mar 31, 2009

whenfoxforks-ruled said:
Have you ever tried shooting around the Lower Wacker area?

Bob - That's on my To Do list. :cool:

Chili · Mar 31, 2009

Rich Rohrich said:
Bob - That's on my To Do list. :cool:

The lower wacker area is on your to do list? Hope Gomer doesn't frequent the photo forum :yikes:

The more I look at them that bit of skyline in #1 really adds to that one, now I"m not sure which is my favorite.

Rich Rohrich · Mar 31, 2009

Chili said:
The more I look at them that bit of skyline in #1 really adds to that one, now I"m not sure which is my favorite.

Doug - That's the shot I went there for, but I only had the wide-angle 10-20 lens with me. I'll go back with my 70-200mm lens and try to reshoot it to compress the view and get a bit more of the skyline in. As I was leaving I saw a great view from the other side of the bridge facing back towards the city that I'd like to capture.

whenfoxforks-ruled · Mar 31, 2009

And around dawn? Chili, that lower wacker area is like going into another world, the bowels of the city? Now let Gomer come.

Okiewan · Mar 31, 2009

Rich Rohrich said:
Thanks Kawi - Number 3 is my favorite too. I like it enough to get a big print of it.

I've been playing with a new B&W conversion tool from Nik Software called Silver Efex Pro. It's the coolest most powerful B&W tool I've ever seen. You should check out the demo, you'd really like it.

http://www.niksoftware.com/silverefexpro/usa/entry.php

Here's the first conversion I did with the demo

Thanks dohp - The shutter speed was in the 6-10 second range. I'll post the EXIF data tonight if you are really interested.

I shot these with a Nikon D300 using a Sigma 10-20mm lens.

SICK. No more to say.

Ol'89r · Apr 1, 2009

Very cool Rich.

I love the black and white stuff.

The train shot is awesome.

Rich Rohrich · Apr 1, 2009

Thanks.

I got the train yard shot at dawn on Christmas Eve while I was working at 34th and Pulaski. It's an old industrial area with a ton of cool images everywhere you look.

Here's a few more from just North of the train yard .

Ol'89r · Apr 1, 2009

Rich Rohrich said:
Thanks.
It's cool old industrial area with a ton of cool images everywhere you look.

Reminds me of where I grew up. McKeesport Pa. Right in the middle of the rust belt. Used to play in the train yards as a youngster. Remember the glow in the sky from the steel mills at night.

Rich Rohrich · Apr 1, 2009

Another example of what Silver Efex can do.

MXSparx · Apr 1, 2009

The train pic is soooo sweet :cool:

Kawidude · Apr 1, 2009

LOVE that top train pic! It almost has a little "High Pass Filter" look to it. Very cool. Is that software fairly intuitive?

Rich Rohrich · Apr 1, 2009

Kawidude said:
LOVE that top train pic! It almost has a little "High Pass Filter" look to it. Very cool. Is that software fairly intuitive?

I can use it so it must be simple. :)

The train yard picture was just a simple click and go conversion using the demo. I used mostly the defaults in one of the pre-built filters.

I bought the software last night so I'm going to try and learn all the functionality. It has Zone system features that are really cool and has the Nik Software U-Point system that effectively does what PS does in Layers and Masks, without building Layers and Masks. It's unreal.

The ability to do really powerful changes with really simple selective tools is what sold me on it. I use the Nikon Raw converter that Nik Software wrote for 95% of my work so I'm pretty spoiled on using U-Points.

Lots more B&W in my future. :cool:

whenfoxforks-ruled · Apr 1, 2009

Whats the chance of Rich shooting a vintage MX race?

Rich Rohrich · Apr 1, 2009

whenfoxforks-ruled said:
Whats the chance of Rich shooting a vintage MX race?

Bob - I suck at shooting MX stuff. I'll leave that to the guys who are good at it. My moto shooting peaked in the late 70s when I shot a muddy National at Red Bud and got a great shot of Hannah. :whoa:

Here's one from that race. I "think" the rider is Gaylon Mosier, but I didn't take good notes that day.

whenfoxforks-ruled · Apr 1, 2009

Ahh the link had issues. Is fiddling with others pics an issue? I can't help it, every picture I seen of your black and white work, told me vintage race pics would look killer! Late 70's, I was probably there, physically. The fall races were most memorable.

whenfoxforks-ruled · Apr 1, 2009

Patients. The fly away up front? That is going to hurt when he lands. That looks more 77,76? And a damn good pic for the era!

Old Chicago at night

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