GoPro Goes To Chicago!

[ricki]

We went to Chicago over the weekend. Things warmed and cleared up with sun and temperatures in the 40 to 60 F range on the last day. Here are some architectural shots using the new GoPro HD2. All my images were shot in this write up using the camera and in some cases HDR processing. The wide angle optics offer some unusual distortions of tall buildings. This follows "GoPro Goes To New York" at http://www.fksa.org/showthread.php?t=10800.


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Heading up the Chicago river.


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Old and new buildings are in abundance in Chicago.


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Trump Tower with some distinctive structural glazing.


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Aspects are reminiscent of New York, complete with subways and in this case the L or elevated rail system. Of course they used to run cattle down the streets into the stock yards here. Wonder if they did that in NY back in the day?


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No shortage of high rises in the windy city or more accurately place of rotten onions? Explorer Louis Jolliet commented that the place reeked of something. The local Miami indians identified the smell as coming from rotten ramps known locally as "chicagoua" a type of wild garlic which was later evolved to "Chicagou."


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Looking west into the city from the ferris wheel on the Navy Pier


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A look at the wheel itself. I understand this invention was detailed on a napkin and later constructed for the World's Fair held on the Navy Pier in 1893.



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Looking west from near the end of the pier.



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Walking back into the city from the pier into a gaggle of Canadian geese on the lawn.


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Coming up on the John Hanc0ck building. We tried to visit the higher and more inland Sears Tower but the viewing area was closed for a private function. So no images from that viewpoint.


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A look over the city from the lounge near the top of the building.


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Something about these Marina City buildings puts me in mind of a episode of "Outer Limits."


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The new HD2 does better in low light than its predecessors. This was shot well after dark without a tripod!


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We stayed at the Palmer House in the Loop. My family has some history here.


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The Empire Room of the Palmer House hosted numerous luminaries over the decades, the photos decorate the halls of the hotel. My father was with Tommy Tuckers orchestra as a musician and road manager for many years up to WWII. The stop at the Empire Room was a favorite as they toured all over the USA and beyond.


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A photo of the orchestra in the early 1930's. Dad or Al S. Iossi is off to the upper right. He played bass fiddle, bass horn and piano. One time he had a bunch of family members over from Iowa for a memorable evening of music in the Empire Room with the orchestra in around 1939.


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Marilyn Monroe stands tall by the Chicago River.


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See you from Chicago!