The Weekend's Last Gleaming by Chipka
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Description
Bare steps from the Westin Hotel (on Michigan Avenue) the sunken courtyard of the John Hancock Center, invites nocturnal shoppers into moments of rest. The steps leading down morph into amphitheater seats as artificial waterfalls cascade into rectilinear pools gleaming with reflected light and coins thrown in (for luck, for three wishes granted only if they are kept secret, or—quite simply—for the thrill of throwing money into water.) The John Hancock Center courtyard is something of a world unto itself: it is a part of Chicago, and carries the city’s hyper-capitalist vibe, but (even on the most crowded and noisy days) it is a place to sit, to contemplate one’s most recent purchases, or to simply eat more ice cream than the human stomach is built to contain.
As I’d crossed from the lobby of the Westin Hotel—with Marilyn and Tara and with Corey—I saw Chicago beyond the John Hancock courtyard. Many of the stores had closed for the evening: proof that Chicago—for all of its urban glitter—is still something of a small town. Stores close early, and it’s impossible to do the typical city thing and order pizza (or Chinese food, or kebabs) at 3am. If you want to eat, please do so before 10 pm. It wasn’t yet 10 pm, and so the hungry Renderosity Photo Ninjas still had a chance to fill our stomachs. We found a place—not far away—in a vertical shopping mall. It was the same mall in which we’d discovered a crystalline elevator shaft like the warp core of some Roddennberry-Class starship—boldly going where no one had gone before. The engineering crew seemed to be off duty, but the warp core was still there, gleaming in an intimidating manner in the golden light of a mostly-empty mall.
We’d spent the entire weekend talking and laughing and taking pictures—zillions of pictures! And as I went through my files, I found this image. I’d taken it on the fly. It was a bit blurry, but a blur is nothing that a good bit of postwork can’t fix. In fact, the blur was essential to the postwork choices that I’d made: rather than sharpen anything (with potentially disastrous results) I just fiddled and applied layer upon layer upon layer of poster edges and diffuse glows, grunge effects and color reversals. It’s amazing how much fun stuff like that can be, and how odd a picture looks somewhere between the start and the finish of the necessary postworking.
I remember the walk from the Westin Hotel to the vertical shopping mall with its warp-core elevator shaft. I remember the Italian cuisine with Tara and Marilyn and with Corey. I remember the beer I had, and the golden light of that evening. If this picture is anything, it is a capture of that night’s mood (before dinner) when Chicago behaved like a decent and polite city, and didn’t splatter us with rain, or throw us half-way to Indiana with the infamous wind we’re known for in these parts. (In all honesty, the city’s wind is more the effect of yammering politicians than anything else…and oh! our politicians DO love to yammer!) But when the Renderosity Ninjas converged on Chicago, the politicians didn’t say very much, the sky didn’t pelt us with rain (though a few geese threatened us with that stuff that comes out of their backsides,) and—most charmingly—a local Persian restaurant allowed us to sit at a table managed by one dangerously cute waiter! Marilyn and I both noticed him…Marilyn—being more polite—didn’t gawk as openly…or at least I didn’t notice as I was too busy gawking rather openly. I did remember, after a moment, to close my mouth.
And so, after much remembering and quite a bit of postwork, here’s a glimpse of Michigan Avenue, on a deliciously warm night as Renderosity Ninja Weekend draw to its close...
As always, thank you for viewing, reading and commenting, and I hope you're having a great week.
Comments (23)
MagikUnicorn Online Now!
Fabulous shot ;-)
Sea_Dog
Great work, chip. All those layers on the image add up to a superb impression of a Chicago evening - at least as I'd picture it.
Ilona-Krijgsman
wonderful work on this image....perfect mood...and congrats again to be gallery of the month.....you really deserve it.......also for you always wonderful comments you leave to others.......
jmb007
superbe photo!!
CrownPrince
Dont we close up early? For a major metroplis i mean. (Though i have friends from Wisconson and Iowa who are absolutly astonished at the level of activity after 11pm) Great shot of one of our most beautiful spots! What elevator are you speaking of? The watertower place?
sandra46
SUPERLATIVE IMAGE!!!! OUTSTANDING WORK!!! I ALWAYS LOVE TO SEE YOUR NEW CAPTURES, AND I'M EAGER TO SEE THE NEW ZILLIONS!!!
blinkings
Great night shot mate.
Sepiasiren
fantastic city scape and capture--a def fave
jocko500
the lighting came off super well
kgb224
Superb capture my friend.
myrrhluz
Leslie and I stayed not far from there. We walked past the John Hancock Center a lot during our week in Chicago. Very enjoyable read! Wonderful image and excellent light! The courtyard and the tall buildings in the distance are wrapped in darkness, but with very different results. The courtyard looks like a place of refuge, while the buildings in the distance have the cold aloofness of stars in the heavens, beautiful but closed from access. in between a blase of frenetic light, a last fling before nightfall wins. I love the colors! Glowing yellows with a touch of green and red, against the black. Superb postwork which creates a strong mood!
MrsLubner
Who needs fireworks when you have this to look at??? Wow. I am really dazzled by the lights and the energy in this shot.
beachzz
Oh my, Chip--it must be that warp core, for I feel as though I've been transported back to that night. Crystal elevators, and an empty mall; it was as though the world had ended and we couldn't find our way back. I remember trying to find our way out, we went round and round and finally saw a door. It went nowhere and still we laughed and wandered even more. It simply didn't matter, it was a night that should never end. thanks for this wonderful reminder!!
auntietk
I knew where this was immediately, and it took me back in a blink to that warm late-summer night, wandering with good friends in search of something to eat. We were so hungry ... in our enthusiasm for the day, we'd neglected to indulge in anything but coffee ... and we were all hoping for something edible. The food turned out to be superb, and I remember everyone trading bites, tasting everything, soul friends sharing from each other's plates. What fun it was, getting lost in an empty mall, taking photographs of the warp core, finally finding the door, happy to be back out in the night. It's images like this that keep memory fresh and alive. Thank you, dear one.
minos_6
Great narrative, pulling me into your Ninja group, and wishing I'd been there myself... I can imagine how many layers you must have used to create this! It has a painted look, and an amazing overall texture, and pools of light like islands in the darkness. Silly as this sounds, it has an overall underwater feel. Beautiful work indeed!
whaleman
Nice work, again!
helanker
OH This was really fun reading. I always enjoy reading about your Chicago trip together. I almost feel as I was there myself :-) Only my feet dont hurt after long times wandering. LOL ! And I really love the Amazing shot. It shines like gold.
Meisiekind
Every time I read about that magical time in Chicago my heart aches to be there!!! I feel robbed!!! We must really do that again... It is starting to look like I MIGHT just come to the US and Canada around Feb next year!!! Wonderful image with wonderful memories Chip!!!
durleybeachbum
A GREAT read! I wish someone had got a pic of you with your mouth open gawking at the waiter. The picture is terrific, and it really catches the mood you describe..brilliant!
MrsRatbag
I love your postwork on this shot; it's exciting, and warm, and friendly, and mysterious all at once!
flavia49
fabulous nightscape!! love the colors!
danapommet
Wonderful night capture and love all the postwork and filters that you used. Dana
praep
I love the "rusty" colors in your shot - well done work.