mental obstructions
Between the weather and the madness that has become work, I've have only one lunch-hour walk in two weeks. This week, in fact, I didn't even bring in walking shoes.
And lack of walks means lack of photography. As our evenings have been booked pretty solid, I've had no chances to see if the foxes are still using their den. Last night I cleaned the back gutters on the house, and I realized later that I might have had some interesting macro photographs while up there. Maybe tonight I'll try for the front gutters...
When I don't get to use a camera often, I feel like something is amiss. I feel "off" or like I'm forgetting something. But the problem is that when I start up again, very often my mind goes completely blank and I struggle and struggle to find subjects. Sometimes I can force my way through the "fog" by just snapping pictures at random - ignoring subject matter completely and just framing shots to get a rhythm going again.
The lack of walks has also left me feeling sluggish and tired. My bad food habits catch up too quickly when I'm not exercising.
As 
helloheather has pointed out, we've both been stressing about baby-stuff. But we've made a decision on a stroller and baby carrier for the car, now it's just a matter of buying it. We've also decided to forgo the changing table in favor of an existing dresser and one of those curved changing pads. I think it'll be a fine solution.
Baby classes have been a little fast-paced. A lot of information is being covered in only four classes. I learn far better by repetition: reading or doing. In general, if I'm nervous or fearing the unknown (something I've experienced a lot during this pregnancy) I'm even less effective in learning new things. Combined with the rapid pace of the class, I feel like important information is simply slipping between my fingers. It's frustrating and, of course, making me feel more anxious which in turn impedes even more information retention.
Bah, what a mashed up entry.
wanderlust
Perhaps it's simple "spring fever" but I have this very strong urge to get out and travel. In particular to load up the cameras and hop in the car and just drive somewhere. Around Lake Michigan, or out to the Badlands of South Dakota, or down to Texas, or somewhere. It could also be, in part, a reaction to not being able to walk very much during lunch these past couple of weeks, I'm not sure.
This past weekend was good. twench came over and helped me paint the kitchen while whippetgirl and helloheather scrapbooked and sat with Lauren.
The painting went well and we got done in a few hours (with the required stop for lunch and wait for the next coat) and then the five of us went to BW3's for dinner (mmmmm...wings) and Cold Stone for dessert.
Sunday I headed down to my grandmothers to install a wireless network. All told it went rather well and I even cleaned my uncle's computer of some persistent spyware. Of course, a few hours after getting back home I get a call that the wifi connection is b0rked. While on the phone, apparently the wifi magic pixies stopped by because it mysteriously started working again. I sure hope this isn't a trend.
And today during the lunch hour I was able to get out and walk in this wonderful weather. I chose a northerly route and headed up Orleans to Chicago Ave and then back on Franklin to Wells. Snapped a few photos and had lunch at "Brett's Kitchen" (a sandwich/burger place under the El tracks on Franklin).
just my luck…
This week is looking to be spectacular in terms of temperatures.
Monday: mid 40's.
Tuesday: upper 40's.
Wednesday: lower 50's.
Thursday: upper 50's/lower 60's.
Friday: lower 60's.
And I have to work through lunch today, tomorrow, and Wednesday (or Thursday). Three prime walking days gone. One day, however, I'm going to head down to Millennium Park to meet my cousin Steve for lunch. That'll be nice.
(Of course, these temps may not hold true but the potential is there.)
winding loops
On Thursday I heard, but did not see, my first robin of the year. Today, while removing painters tape from the guest bedroom walls, I saw my first robin, hopping around, looking for a good meal. The temps have been so nice today and we've had the windows open getting in as much fresh air as we can 
Friday I walked through the Fulton Market district of Chicago. It's an area I've been to before, but never this far west (I made it to Ogden). It's a really neat part of the city and the photographic opportunities were just throwing themselves at me. I had a great time.
Today I sat down to watch part of the latest issue of my DVD magazine from Luminous Landscape. Of particular interest was the segment on street shooting (in this case, in China). Michael Reichmann discusses a bit about what it takes to overcome the intimidation some people feel in photographing people in public. This is something I've mentioned here before and I've not made any headway in remedying the problem. Reichmann's comments have prompted me to think more critically about what my hangups are with this type of street photography. One of his suggestions is to do what I've been doing for some weeks now: shoot in the streets but photograph inanimate objects.
I have tended towards details and textures and elements of form and repetition of form in my photography from these walks. I think, in terms of (for a lack of better words) urban landscapes, I'm slowly refining my eye through this daily, or near daily, practice. Of course, what I don't want to do is to get completely locked into these objects at the expense of other types of photography. I can see this as becoming a way to avoid photographing people instead of challenging myself to do so.
So far it's not been really nice enough to haul out the Holga with the Polaroid back. The temps are still a little cool for developing (and the winds a little strong for trying to hold onto a print before peeling it). I had hoped to take it out today, but the moments of sun were so fleeting, that it just wasn't possible.
We're off to our last play of the season at Chicago's Shakespeare Theater in a little bit. In addition to being the end of the seasion, this will mark the end of our involvement with the theater as well. We have been season ticket holders since it opened and have really enjoyed going to these plays. However, with parenthood looming and prices rising, we felt like perhaps it was time to re-prioritize. If you do get a chance to go to a play there (I don't think tickets for individual plays are difficult to get) I would recommend it.
losing the light
In this case, the subject is not about sunsets, but about the changing of the seasons.
As winter retreats, the sun returns. In December and January (and even mostly through February) the sun (in these northern latitudes) stays fairly low in the southern sky. This makes for really quite decent light mid-day as it tends to be warmer (in tone) and produces pleasing shadows. This, of course, is relative to the exceptional light around sunrise and sunset.
But it's a lot better than the bright, directly overhead, sun of mid-day July.
I've been walking an average of 3 miles a day during my lunch hour, usually 3 to 4 days a week. And so I've made it a point to observe the quality of the light over time. Diagnosis: it's getting worse. Today, for example, I walked into the South Loop again, down near Roosevelt Rd and then back through The Loop. Nearly every time I raised the camera to take a picture, I found myself wondering why the light was so harsh, the contrast so high, and the photo so unappealing. Something about seeing the photo through the eye of the camera caused my brain to realize what I was really looking at, instead of what I had constructed in my mind just seconds before.
So, as the temperatures continue to rise and the sun continues its northernly climb, decent photography during lunch will be increasingly more difficult. A challenge to be certain. I'll soon be able to switch back to my Polaroid Holga, and shoot with lower-contrast film, something I've been looking forward to since this fall.
always, always check your settings…
Yesterday, with the weather in the mid-40's and the sun shining I walked (during my lunch hour) from downtown to the fabled Goose Island (well the south-east edge of it) for a total of 3.5 miles! It was great, I paralleled (as much as possible) the Union Pacific NW tracks (the ones I ride every day). The tracks are a story and a half above street level, and so it was interesting to see the buildings and sites from "down below." I managed to put 24 images on my 16MB card. (This self-limitation was started in order to focus on quality over quantity.)
Today it was a bit cooler (only 39 downtown), but I was able to get in a 3 mile walk. I walked with a coworker down Randolph to Ogden and then back on Washington. Shortly after starting the walk back on Washington, I realized I had left my camera on the 0.3MP setting. 15 photos were shot at 640x480. Damn, damn. When you have only 2MP to work with, cropping is already pretty limited. With 0.3MP, the images pretty much are what they are.
A little bit further…
The near 50 deg temps lead me west down Madison St. today. 1.3 miles out and 1.3 miles back. Fewer photos, which is how I was able to get further out this time, and I think I could go further still within the hour.
This is where I'd like to head next:
http://lnk.nu/maps.google.com/7lc
Sadly, our wonderful temps won't be back for a bit. But when they are, I'll be ready
Stretch the legs
Despite the fact that it's only 34 deg F downtown today (a tad below the predicted high of 39, I might add) I decided I couldn't miss any of the sunshine, however fleeting it was going to be (and it was).
So I grabbed my @work camera and started walking west down Washington Ave. Turns out that, with traffic lights and snapping photos along the way, I can get just about 1.1 miles in 30 minutes. Which is what, in fact, I did.* After a quick block over and back to Randolph St., I headed back and was at my desk by the end of lunch.
Things I learned during my walk today:
- There is now a Le Peep almost right next to Harpo Studios. Like MacArthur, I will return. Unlike MacArthur it won't take me two years and cost hundreds of lives. At least I hope it won't.
- I need to be more brave when photographing within the city and less worried about people freaking out.
- My shoes really need to be more comfortable if I'm going to continue these long walks during lunch.
*When I used to drop off film at Lab One (before they closed), I would routinely walk 3 miles in that hour, but that was without stopping for new photographs.