Thursday, May 24, 2007

Same day, different Beans

The Cloud Gate sculpture (aka “The Bean”) in Chicago’s Millennium Park is perhaps one of the most photographed landmarks in the city. And as such, it becomes a challenge to get a photograph that is truly unique. But hey, that’s what makes it so much fun.

This photo was taken prior to the North America Photobloggers meetup last month. I noticed this family posing for photos with the Bean. I stuck the lens of my camera between the columns of a stone fence to get this view. I later played with desaturation and selective blurring to enhance the already otherworldly effect of the sculpture (I also used PhotoShop’s distort function to align the vertical lines of the buildings in the background, hopefully adding to the “there’s something different about this but I can’t put my finger on it” feel of the photo.

You can see how some of the top photobloggers in this part of the world interpreted the Bean here. This one is my personal favorite among the NAP group’s pics. And if you’re still hungry for more Beans, feast your eyes on these.

Yeah, yeah, I know. They’re a gas.

By the way: This is post number 691 on Points of Light. I posted my first serious entry here two years ago today. I've had fun, met a lot of interesting people, made some new friends, and grown as a photographer over that time span. Thanks for stopping by.

Cicada update: Still haven't seen any in my Elgin neighborhood, but heard some last night, far away.

Click on picture to enlarge. Photograph © 2007 James Jordan.

4 comments:

Hillary said...

Happy bloggisversary! :) Thanks for sharing your work!

keltic said...

great pictures, as always.
please consider doing a "think summer" photo like you did for spring! (maybe a cicada could be the photo feature on it? :) )

Wanda said...

Congratulations on 2 years. I'm new to blogging this year, but have so enjoyed your pictures.

JAM said...

Congrats on your staying at it so long. Your work is inspiring, and this one is no exception. Love the other-worldly feel to it.