West Coast and Back Again

Below are a bunch of photos from Chicago and the Bay Area that I've accumulated over the last few months that don't fit into any particular category. Enjoy! 

An L overpass in Chicago.

A man walks his dog in Chicago's Humbolt Park.

Rockefeller Chapel at the University of Chicago.

Mt. Diablo seen from the Berkeley Hills.

Birds floating on Lake Merritt.

The bird sanctuary at Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA.

Rockefeller Chapel the night before the first polar vortex hit Chicago.

a quickr pickr post

Lake Merritt

Just ten years ago Oakland's Lake Merritt was in a state of disrepair: the water was polluted, trails were poorly maintained, and the surrounding buildings were dilapidated. After the passage of Measure DD in 2002, however, $115 million was allocated to improving the Lake. Ten years later, Lake Merritt has been transformed into one of Oakland's most valuable public spaces. The water is clean, the the trails are chock full of runners and walkers, and then surrounding buildings have been repaired. When I was back in California over winter break I took a series of photos of the Lake trying to show the improvements that have been made over the years and what a gorgeous place it is now. Hope you enjoy!

a quickr pickr post

Lake Merritt Glow

    I've been wanting to get a shot of downtown Oakland in the blue hour ever since I got home. Unfortunately, it has been raining most of the time. Luckily, there have been a couple of nice sunsets, and I was able to get a few shots I was happy with. I aso got a long exposure of a blue heron and an obligatory Christmas tree bokeh shot. Enjoy!

I usually don't do much bird photography, but as I was shooting at Lake Merritt there was a blue heron just standing still in the water. It was dark out so I needed a long exposure (luckily I was already using a tripod). I don't think 5 seconds is par for the course when doing bird photography, but the heron stood still enough that it came out pretty clear.

a quickr pickr post

Lakeside

I went down to Lake Merritt today and took some photos...I may have gone a little overboard with Photoshop though.