Sunrise over Horner Park

I was on my way to work in early september when I saw this sunrise over Horner Park. I had to wait a while for the jogger to make her way around the track and come into frame. I was pretty late for work but thought it was well worth it.

Check the Technic

Even though they are big, easy to scratch, and almost always dusty, I love records. Especially when played by a competent DJ on a pair of 1200's. I took this with the 105mm and a remote fired flash.

The House is Happy

I took this photo in a southwest suburb one day when I was wandering around in a cornfield. I smiled back at the house and then took its photo. We were both happy.

2 Bucks in A Forest Preserve

I took this photo early one morning in a forest preserve on the southwest side. Fall is mating season for white-tailed deer so I was hoping they would duke it out. No such luck. They calmly ate some grass and then strode off into the brush.

Batteries!!

I took this photo at last years Artropolis. Which is held annually at the Merchandise Mart. It is an awesome event jam packed with tons and tons of really great art. If you have not gone it is worth every penny. I spent all 3 days there last year and I still didn't get to see everything.

This piece is called "Dead Star" and was done by Michel de Broin. I really like this piece of work and he has some other really interesting pieces on his site. One of my personal favorites is superficial.

Check him out and make sure you swing by Artropolis this year. It is not to be missed.

This is Where I Live: Segment 3, Truc Lam Buddhist Temple

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The Truc Lam Buddhist Temple is located on the corner of Ashland and Wilson in a beautifully restored building. The Temple serves as a gathering place for the tight knit vietnamese community who come here to meditate, reflect, and observe deep rooted traditions. They practice a form of Buddhism called Trúc Lâm school that was founded by King Trần Nhân Tông. Every Sunday they offer a service that starts at 10 am and runs close to 2 hours. Prior to service the basement is a bustling hubbub filled with children practicing their blocks, kicks, and punches over the sounds of the women cooking up a delicious feast for the free afternoon lunch. Upstairs you can find the men discussing topics amongst themselves in vietnamese while seated at the long tables on the main floor. By 10 am most of the adults migrate to the top floor to partake in the chanting and meditation lead by the resident monk.

The Abbot (the head monk of the temple), the venerable Thich Hanh Tuan, usually leads the service. He was out of town, however, so the Reverend Thich Thong Chanh took over the duties. He is originally from Vietnam and has been in the states for a few years. He is a full fledged monk and has been training since he was a child.

They have an open door policy to new initiates as well as the curious so feel free to drop by as everyone at the temple is very friendly and welcoming.

See the rest of the series here.

Fall is Here

Fishing

I woke up at sunrise on a saturday to get this photo and I almost fell into the water with my camera, a few lenses, and some flashes. This is on Corey Lake, in 3 Rivers Michigan.

City Compressed

Took this by the Chicago Cultural Center. I used a telephoto so it compressed the image to make the buildings more 2 dimensional. I wanted to make it feel dense.

Shadow in the Mist

Watermelon Stand

Chicago Skyline at Night

Click here for larger size

Country Road

I took this photo in 3 rivers Michigan while on a long weekend with some of my family.

Washing the Windows

Click HERE to see lager sizes.

Rain Music

This is Where I Live: Segment 2, Ecuadorian Parade August 2009

The Ecuadorian Parade took place on Montrose Ave on Saturday August 8th between California and Kimball. The hot weather did not deter crowds from lining the streets and enthusiastically waving flags as floats passed by. Some bystanders found shade under trees while others braved the intense sun to cheer on the parade. Floats were escorted by people in traditional ecuadorian dress dancing to traditional music, as well as two women in carnival-esque outfits replete with feathered headdresses dancing to Pitbull's "I know you want me". All in all a great event. It is a hidden gem of parades amongst the larger ones in Chicago and is not one to be missed.

Click here to see more photos from the parade.

Sailing on the Demetrios

I was fortunate enough to go sailing a couple weeks ago on the Demtrios with some friends and family. There wasn't much wind but it was really cool to see the skyline from the lake. The Demetrios is a beautiful boat and it was an honor to be able to sail it. I also got to take some cool photos. I'd like to thank Captain James, 1st mate Tim, and Josh for the opportunity to be on the boat.

To see more click HERE.

Wicker Park Fest 2009

Wicker Park Fest was a fun time this year. Mullets, music, and drinking in the street. Caught a nice performance by Mickey Factz. Got a chance to shoot onstage during Futurerock. Very nice.

Click here to see more.

This Is Where I Live: Segment 1, Iron Cycles

Introducing. . . This Is Where I Live.

Camerainmyhand.com would like to welcome all of you to the new segment on the blog. In this new feature I am going to highlight a local business, event, gathering, landmark, etc that contributes to the social fabric of Chicago. For the first installment I featured Iron Cycles. A great new bike shop in the Albany Park/Ravenswood Manor Neighborhood. With no further ado, enjoy!!















Iron Cycles opened in March 2009, only four months after after the owners, Brandon and Matt made the decision to run a bike shop. It looks like they made the right decision because they are hopping. They had about 5-10 customers in the 2 hrs I was there. Fair prices, good work, quick turnaround time and a loyal returning clientele. They knew everyone by their first name and if they didn't they were quick to introduce themselves and treat them like old friends. Brandon and Matt both ride themselves and you can tell how passionate they are about bikes. In the short windows of time when they didn't have a customer's bike in the repair stand they were tuning and tweaking their own brand new team bikes. Nisha handles the customer service aspect of the business and she does a great job. She's very helpful and quick to answer any and all of the customers questions. They are really cool people and they run a great spot.

Iron Cycles is an awesome local bike shop that fits well in the community. So the next time you're looking for a new bike or repairs check them out.


Iron Cycles is located @ 3136 West Montrose Ave, Chicago IL 60618
Contact them. 773.539.4766
stuff@iron-cycles.com


Click here to see more photos.

(If you have any suggestions for my next installment please email me @ camerainmyhand@gmail.com , thanks!)