fourpointedstar

It’s no secret that I LOVE photographing light trails. I will visit the same spot OVER (January 2022) and OVER (January 2022) and OVER (April 2022) and OVER (November 2023) to see if I can get a NEW (November 2020), FRESH (January 2023), or INTERESTING (November 2023) photo.

But consistently I wonder, how can I create an image that challenges me this time – that presents a new challenge. At its core, capturing a light trail is just understanding how the light is moving and the exposure that’s need to not under or over-expose your image. So, how can I create an interesting composition with each visit?

What do you do when the light trails are from trains, when the pattern will only repeat over and over? The backdrop, scenery, and angle can change as seen in the two contrasting images: January 2021 & November 2023

How about if the space is tight and you’re below the action? Maybe you can lean on the really strong angles (November 2023) or depend on the architectural elements and allow the light trails to be an accent instead of the star of the show (also November 2023)? As it turns out, “Laser Bridge Light” (above) is one of my favorite compositions not just from that recent trip downtown, but also of light trails along the river.

And lastly, there are the images that challenge us compositionally and technically; here the balance of a very wide flat scene combined with the oncoming lights from traffic is more than I can conquer right now. I like this image better than my last attempt (November 2020); and I’ll be honest, previously, I have would have just not attempted to capture the image; but there is a much better image in that scene – I just have to find it.

.

>alternate images<
.

I love photographic reflections because they lead the viewer to look more than once, hopefully to investigate what caused the distortion, the odd lines, or the extra shapes. This image makes me take second and third glances each time … and I took the photo!

I absolutely love that the St. Regis is reflecting the buildings across the river almost as if you were viewing a painting.

p.s. After posting this image a few places, two people chimed in: “what if you edited this to be a square and removed the trees?” and “that looks like you could give it a pop of color!”. Now we all know people who offer their opinions a bit too much, but differing opinions can add value to our lives, and in this image’s editing, I think ultimately the image benefits from their opinions.

I’ve captured many images from this location over the past 15 years, but it’s only been the past 2 or 3 years that I tried to capture light trails of the Wells Street bridge’s CTA tracks. I love the light trails in this photo, now I just need to capture a bicyclist with lights on their bike riding down the river walk ramp.

…view older images with the thumbnails below…

…view older images with the thumbnails below…