As I headed north from my last assignment Saturday, fighting traffic, I enjoyed the nice evening light creeping through downtown and along the lakefront.
Just after the sun set, I caught a glimpse of a bright pink and orange sky forming in my rearview mirror. I nearly swerved off Lake Shore Drive at the North Avenue exit to make a photo of the skyline but I was a few seconds and a few lanes from making it over.
My mind jumped to one of my favorite city views: the John Hancock Center framed by Lincoln Park and reflected in Diversey Harbor. I pulled into the zoo (Pro tip: the first 30 minutes of parking are free) and ran for the bridge to get a shot before the colorful light disappeared.
I wasn’t even alone! Another photographer had the same idea and we reached the viewpoint just in time to get a minute of shooting before the color faded.
This image is a four-second exposure with the camera sitting on the Fullerton Avenue bridge as a makeshift tripod. The sky looks the same with a longer exposure, but the rippling water of the harbor flattens to a more serene mirror.
