photos from joshua l. smith
What makes a waterfall a “waterfall”? Jelkes Creek doesn’t have enough elevation change to create a falls through its meandering path in Sleepy Hollow and Dundee Township to create much besides bogs and marshes. I would guess that this damn & spillway were created as a control point for Jelkes Creek as it flows under Hwy 31. What I find most interesting is that I’ve driven by Lake Beatrice for over 15 years and missed that this spillway existed the entire time.
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As I waited for the sun to rise, a few photographers arrived with the same idea – Chicago Henge under the Bean. As we waited, we all came to the same realization, that this photo was not going to materialize. There were quite a few tourists wandering around by 7am, so when I saw these three younger girls come by, I asked them if they would pose for us for a few photos; they happily obliged.
They were all 3 college students from France who were spending a month in New York for school and took a trip to Chicago for the weekend.
There are three or four days in the spring and fall when the sunrise aligns with the Bean in downtown Chicago. Back in 2023, I drove downtown twice to capture “Chicago Henge” and ended up with this delightful photo.
This spring, Chicago Henge was on a weekend, so I got up at 4am to head downtown to capture the sunrise; sadly this glow was the most that Mother Nature cooperated. When I arrived downtown, it was pretty obvious that the sky would remain overcast, so I created other images instead and ended up with 3 pairs of photos that I like.
All in All, a successful trip.
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Back in late December, I ran across this composite photo by Sven Bergmeier on Facebook – the yellow leapt off the screen, just like the serenity of the dancer leapt into my memory. As is normal for me – I started imagining ways that I could create similar images.
This image rattled around in my brain for a couple of weeks until Side Street Studio Arts, here in Elgin, announced the call for art for their 13th anniversary. One of my goals is to enter more of my photography into exhibits, but not the simple images, but the creative pieces.
I asked my oldest daughter if she would like to help create an image for the Side Street exhibit; she’s danced in a private studio, and then in her high school’s Orchesis program as well. I showed her the idea and then some ideas for a pose when she jumps; and then, on a 25 degree morning, we went out along Lake Michigan and captured quite a few photos.
I love how this images shows her joy and enthusiasm, the orange pops against the blues and concrete, and the variations in her jump add to the image rather than detract. Hopefully other photographers will see this creation, and be inspired to create images too.
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