Looking Local (310/365 11-06-09)

Originally uploaded by CarusoPhoto

On our way in to work, I managed to grab this shot on Chicago’s Kennedy Expressway, just south of Hubbard’s Cave.

I am absolutely thrilled to announce that one of my photos has won a prize in the Capture My Chicago contest.

The Capture My Chicago contest was a fun and very interesting process. Simply put, photographers uploaded Chicago related images to the Capture My Chicago website where the photographs were voted on by the community. Once the voting period concluded, the votes were tallied up and the best photographs (as determined by the vote as well as by editor selection) would be included in a hard-bound, coffee table book and an accompanying DVD. To quote their website, “The Capture My Chicago book and DVD is a really exciting project because it’s a combination of your best photos, our best photos, and a democracy-style editing system. With this new approach, the book will truly be the best of the Greater Chicago area.”

And since Capture My Chicago was presented by CBS 2 Chicago, during the run of the contest they also featured some of the photos on their afternoon and 10:00 newscasts. I was fortunate enough to have several of my photos make an appearance.

The book will be comprised of eight chapters: Friendly Faces; Arts, Culture & Food; Sports Spirit; Scapes of All Sorts; Recreation & Celebration; Newsworthy; Pets; and Landmarks & Architecture. I was hopeful that my work would make it into the book, but today I received an e-mail informing me that I have been selected as a prize winner. There are 18 prizes all together: a Grand Prize, a Cover Prize, and two prizes in each chapter (Highest Score & Editor’s Choice). What makes this an even bigger honor is that over 28,000 photographs were submitted. In fact, according to their website, “2,480 photographers…submitted 28,144 photos,” and the community “cast 2,388,443 votes to shape the Capture My Chicago book.”

I will learn which photograph received the honor next month at the presentation reception.

In the meantime, the book is available for pre-order. For a limited time, Capture My Chicago is running a special offer of $10.00 off the book…and free shipping. And, along with the book, you will receive the free DVD that contains hundreds of great photos of the Greater Chicago area. To buy the book, you can click here. To learn more about Capture My Chicago, please visit their website at capturemychicago.com.

Crossing Guards (309/365 11-05-09)

Originally uploaded by CarusoPhoto

A crisp, autumn morning…leaves rustling in the breeze and under foot…and crossing guards at a busy intersection: such are the things that make for a moment captured. Of course when I was a kid, the crossing guards were just, well, older kids who wore those orange seat-belt looking things, not the fancy vests of today’s modern guards.

Birch and Blue (308/365 11-04-09)

Originally uploaded by CarusoPhoto

On our way in to work this morning, I managed to make this photo while we were sitting at a red light. How can you NOT love a blue door, particularly when there’s a birch tree out front?

 

Backyard Leaves, Autumn (307/365 11-03-09)

Originally uploaded by CarusoPhoto

I was struck by the beautiful blanket of leaves in our yard, so naturally I got out my camera and made some photographs.

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To read more about my on-going quest to make a photo-a-day, every day, in 2009–my Project 365–please take a moment to check out my post from December 30, 2008 appropriately titled, “Project 365” as well as my 50 day update, similarly appropriately titled, “50 Days? Already?” my more cryptically titled 100 day update, “Day 100…or The Last-Call, Whiskey-Soaked Plan That Didn’t Die,” the rather pedestrian-titled half-year update, “And in a Blink, a Half a Year is Gone…,” and the verbosely titled, “A Hard Time Seeing the Trees for the Forest –or- What I’ve Been Learning these Past 300 Days.”

Concrete Pineapple (306/365 11-02-09)

Originally uploaded by CarusoPhoto

We have two concrete pineapples on our front porch. Recently, we had to move them when we had some patching done on the porch. Consequently, they were sitting in our yard…so this morning, in the overcast morning light, I went out and grabbed this shot of one of them.

On Stage (305/365 11-01-09)

Originally uploaded by CarusoPhoto

My wife and I–along with our friends Erik and Meg–are huge fans of the band, The Devil Makes Three. We saw them tonight at the Beat Kitchen in Chicago…and once again they put on an absolutely terrific show. This is a shot of guitarist Cooper McBean.

If you ever get a chance to see them, do it. It’s a bit difficult to describe them, so I will quote from their website:

“Laced with elements of ragtime, country, folk and rockabilly, the critically praised, drummer-less trio – consisting of guitarist/frontman Pete Bernhard, stand-up bassist Lucia Turino and guitarist Cooper McBean – brings forth a genuine approach to acoustic music that is deeply steeped in rhythm.”

I kept wishing I had my full camera kit with me, but also know that wouldn’t be very practical. However, I remembered I WAS carrying a camera…my iPhone. I snapped a few photos, wondering if I would get anything of value given the low, low light. This shot, however, stood out for me…and ended up looking pretty much as I had hoped/planned.

Autumn in Suburbia (304/365 10-31-09)

Originally uploaded by CarusoPhoto

It was one of those beautiful autumn days, and I made my way out into the yard for a quick session of making photos. Here the satellite cable, gutter, downspout, and brick wall all make for an interesting counterpart to the sky and changing tree.

Made with a Lensbaby Composer (with the Plastic Lens Optic insert) mounted on a Canon 5D Mark II.

Autumn Zen (303/365 10-30-09)

Originally uploaded by CarusoPhoto

Three square stepping stones, one tree, and a leaf that fell perfectly all added up to a scene I couldn’t walk past without putting camera to eye.

Guest Chairs (302/365 10-29-09)

Originally uploaded by CarusoPhoto

There was just something about the black and white that skewed this scene for me. All of a sudden, this could be any waiting area in any office in any recent decade…and I liked that.