An Afternoon in the Clouds

During my last trip to Chicago, my mom and I went for an urban hike in downtown (during the start of the polar vortex). I was proud of myself for making it a few blocks before I started complaining. We found ourself at the top of the John Hancock Tower. The sun had already gotten quite low in the sky... it created some cool shadows and provided a high contrast for these photos. I forgot what a nice view it was from up there. Although, I'm still not a fan of the Trump Tower (thought about photoshopping the building out). Enjoy!

Creepy Statue in Los Angeles

For some reason, this statue creeped me out. I didn't like the look on the guy's face... and it kind of looks like he's growing a third leg in the mid-section. 

A Walk in the City

Here are the last few images I took while strolling around Chicago with my parents on a cold/windy December evening... didn't want to spend much time out of the car this evening, but still managed to take some photos.

'X' Marks the Spot

"Rooftopping" in Chicago. A nice view from C-View Bar at the top of Affinia Hotel... looking down at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Superior. This was basically the heart of the Black Friday madness in downtown Chicago.

Christian Science Center - Boston

A couple images from the Christian Science Center in Boston, MA.

Looking Up???

Went for a walk around the city of Boston... and took a series of shots "looking up" at the various buildings. I thought it gave a different perspective on the downtown area.

Holding Us Prisoner

I'm definitely not an overly political person, but I thought that the symbolism represented by this picture was appropriate (given that there is still a chance the US could default on debt).

Shown in the background is the Boston State House... and in the foreground, you have bars that surround the building. In looking at this picture, it conveys the sense that the government is holding us prisoner. I thought it came out pretty interesting.

June 14, 2011

Looking at the city of Minneapolis from across the river. I liked how all the power lines mixed in with the sky... created a cool effect. The power lines in this picture are actually connected to the hydro-electric dam at Saint Anthony Falls. The dam used to power the entire city of Minneapolis. I wanted to come back here at night and take a picture of the city lights, but some random security guard told me that the river area was not so friendly at night. It seemed ok to me??

From afar, the downtown area looks pretty massive... but it's actually quite small. The buildings you see in this image make up the entirety of the downtown area (doesn't go any further back or to the side). Nonetheless, the suburbs do extend out rather far.

June 6, 2011

Minneapolis Skyways

The Minneapolis Skyway System is an interlinked collection of enclosed pedestrian footbridges that connect various buildings in Downtown Minneapolis enabling people to walk in a climate-controlled environment (which is GREAT when it's 15 below during the winter... or 90+ degrees during the summer). The extensive system is renowned as the largest continuous system in the world. It forms a network of pedestrian walkways that link sixty-nine full city blocks over seven miles!!

I have to admit it's pretty rad... you can pretty much get anywhere you want without going outside. It reminded me a bit of Hong Kong's underground MTR network.

May 20, 2011

Flowers along Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

May 13-17, 2011

I recently went on a little trip to Chicago to celebrate the christening of my brother's new baby. It was a fun little trip... and I enjoyed seeing family and friends. I happened to be on the top of some relatively tall buildings in downtown and took some pictures looking down. I'm referring to it as the "Rooftop Gallery". Hope you enjoy!

Rooftop Gallery images below:

April 21, 2011

A foggy afternoon in Chicago.
(couldn't think of any other clever thing to say)

April 18, 2011

Another picture from the foggy day in downtown Chicago. You're looking up at the Prudential Building (aka One Prudential Plaza)... from the corner of Michigan Ave and Washington St. The Prudential Building used to be the largest building in Chicago. It's now dwarfed by the surrounding buildings (which are covered in fog).

I like the angle of the light post in this picture... looks rather "artsy".