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Old Chicago at night
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Posted by: Rich Rohrich---------------------

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.

http://www.chicagostories.net/andy/...DSC_2521_BW.jpg

http://www.chicagostories.net/andy/..._2531_BW_1a.jpg

http://www.chicagostories.net/andy/...526_BW_crop.jpg

http://www.chicagostories.net/andy/...29_NX_Sepia.jpg

Posted by: Rich Rohrich---------------------

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

Posted by: dohp---------------------

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)

Posted by: Kawidude---------------------

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!

Posted by: Rich Rohrich---------------------

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

http://www.chicagostories.net/andy/...0197_sfx_2a.jpg

Quote:

Originally Posted by dohp

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.

Posted by: dirt bike dave---------------------

More proof that technology combined with talent produces awesome results.

Nice work, Rich!

Posted by: dohp---------------------

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

Posted by: Chili---------------------

Nice stuff Rich, I really enjoy 3 and 4.

Posted by: whenfoxforks-ruled---------------------

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?

Posted by: Rich Rohrich---------------------

Quote:

Originally Posted by whenfoxforks-ruled

Have you ever tried shooting around the Lower Wacker area?

Bob - That's on my To Do list.

Posted by: Chili---------------------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Rohrich

Bob - That's on my To Do list.

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

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.

Posted by: Rich Rohrich---------------------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chili

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.

Posted by: whenfoxforks-ruled---------------------

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

Posted by: Okiewan---------------------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Rohrich

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

http://www.chicagostories.net/andy/...0197_sfx_2a.jpg

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.

Posted by: Ol'89r---------------------

Very cool Rich.

I love the black and white stuff.

The train shot is awesome.

Posted by: Rich Rohrich---------------------

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 .

http://www.chicagostories.net/Pulas...neg_blu_DRN.jpg

http://www.chicagostories.net/Pulas..._0714_2_DRN.jpg

Posted by: Ol'89r---------------------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Rohrich

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.

Posted by: Rich Rohrich---------------------

Another example of what Silver Efex can do.

http://www.chicagostories.net/andy/..._sfx_1a_drn.jpg

Posted by: MXSparx---------------------

The train pic is soooo sweet

Posted by: Kawidude---------------------

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

Posted by: Rich Rohrich---------------------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kawidude

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.

Posted by: whenfoxforks-ruled---------------------

Whats the chance of Rich shooting a vintage MX race?

Posted by: Rich Rohrich---------------------

Quote:

Originally Posted by whenfoxforks-ruled

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.

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

Posted by: whenfoxforks-ruled---------------------

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.

Posted by: whenfoxforks-ruled---------------------

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!

Posted by: Rich Rohrich---------------------

When I get home from work tonight I'll post up the B&W Hannah picture. It's my favorite of all the old moto pics I took.

I dug up a few boxes of Ekatachrome color slides from Maplehurst back in the days when the entire front of the pack was wearing LOP jerseys. One of these days I'll scan them and post a few of the good ones.

Posted by: whenfoxforks-ruled---------------------

1 thing if I could change time, run a gp at Maplehurst! Danny Thews was on LOP's team, but he hid over here in Indiana when we hit up the Rocks. Crap, now you got the Surwall swagger brought back to memory, but his speed! Thanks Rich!

Posted by: RM85rider123---------------------

Those are some cool pictures. I'd love to shoot photos of richmond, Va.. Or otherwise the "history city"

Posted by: biglou---------------------

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Rohrich

When I get home from work tonight I'll post up the B&W Hannah picture. It's my favorite of all the old moto pics I took.

That is a sweet shot, too. It should have been featured on The Motocross Files.

I love your Chicago stuff, Rich. And soon, hopefully we'll have some Bonneville stuff to share. I am giddy like a schoolgirl!

Posted by: whenfoxforks-ruled---------------------

89er on the flats in black and white? Fantastic plan Lou! Better than the fastest Indian!

Posted by: Rich Rohrich---------------------

I still haven't found the original negative but here's a scan of an old wrinkled print of my best moto shot.

One good print out of about a zillion shots. I think I'll stick to shooting landscapes.

http://www.chicagostories.net/images/hannah_redbud.jpg

Posted by: Chili---------------------

Sweet!

Posted by: whenfoxforks-ruled---------------------

Now we are talking black and white! Thanks Rich. You seemingly got covered in landscape!

Posted by: Rich Rohrich---------------------

The Hannah picture was Kodak TriX 400 B&W film shot with a Minolta XE7 using a 200mm lens and a 2x teleconverter. I don't recall the shutter speed or aperture, but it was pretty overcast so it was pretty much wide open so probably f4 or f5.6.

Posted by: Squid31---------------------

Some really kick ass shots here Rich. I'll have to have a look at that software too.

Posted by: Rich Rohrich---------------------

Squid - You'll love it. The more I play with it the better I like it. Nik Software in general is my favorite stuff to use.

The RAW converter they wrote for Nikon is unreal. It's good enough that most of the time I never have to fire up PS.

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Old Chicago at night

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