#project365 [day 97] Ashland station by night

The Chicago L is the rapid transit system serving the city and some of its surrounding suburbs in the U.S. state of Illinois, with L being short for elevated. It is the fourth largest rapid transit system in the United States in terms of total route length (at 165.4 km), and the third busiest rail mass transit system in the United States after the New York City Subway and Washington Metro. Chicago's "L" provides 24-hour service on some portions of its network, which came in very handy when returning from the United Center after seeing the home team beat the New York Knicks. Like most metro stations in the U.S. it has utilitarian style and suffer from varying degrees of decay, which seems a bit alien to me, but I'm sure it makes sense when dealing with a massive network and a shortage of funds. Thankfully there are a few exceptions which I will cover soon.

-- Gear 
Fujifilm X-PRO1
Samyang 8mm f2.8 Fisheye 
-- Post 
Lightroom : Initial tone and final crop. 
Photoshop: Clean up and sharpening. 
NikCollection Color Efex Pro 4: Toning and Detail extraction.

#project365 [day 96] Corner Bakery and Big Bowl

As you walk a few blocks from the center of Chicago, the architecture changes dramatically. Whereas in Manhattan most of the have at least a few scattered skyscrapers, or at least the majority of the buildings is around the 10 stories high, in Chicago the change is more abrupt. All of a sudden the comercial buildings are only one or two stories high, and the residential hardly reach 5.

-- Gear 
Fujifilm X-T1 Fujifilm 
XF18-135mmF3.5-5.6R LM OIS WR 
-- Post 
Lightroom : Initial tone and final crop. 
Photoshop: Clean up and sharpening. 
NikCollection Color Efex Pro 4: Toning and Detail extraction.

#project365 [day 95] Willoughby Tower

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Chicago is known world wide for it's architecture, sometimes being referred to as a living architectural museum. he Willoughby Tower stands tall and proud over the Michigan Avenue cliff, presiding over the parade of unique architecture at its sides. It is also a victim of early 20th century urban planning. The reason for the tall tower is to comply with a former city ordinance which stated that the portion of a building above a certain height could only occupy 25% of its footprint. Thus, the tall tower to maximize revenue and prestige while staying in line with setback laws. It helps distinguish this tower from the majority of buildings in the "cliff" which are all around 280 feet tall. Built in 1929 and designed by Samuel N. Crowen & Associates, its 38 stories reach a height of 134 meters, it sits where, in 1846 the Sisters of Mercy founded Chicago's first convent.

-- Gear
Fujifilm X-T1
Fujifilm XF18-135mmF3.5-5.6R LM OIS WR
-- Post
Lightroom : Initial tone and final crop.
Photoshop: Perspective correction, clean up and sharpening.
NikCollection Color Efex Pro 4: Toning and Detail extraction.

#project365 [day 94] Welcome to Chicago,Il

Chicago, the windy city,  gave us a sunny and chilli welcome. The clear blue sky, and the strong sun makes it look like a summer day, but the freezing air temperature, coupled with the ever present wind, made it clear that the city had just survived one of the worst Winters in recent memory. For the first few hours in the city I was just trying to get a feel for this town, that looks so different than New York where I spent the previous week. This was taken on the North side of Michigan Ave. Probably one of the busiest streets of the center, right on the Magnificent Mile. On the other side of the road, dwarfed by the skyscrapers, stands the Fourth Presbyterian Church. Built in 1912 in the Gothic Revival style and designed by architect Ralph Adams Cram.
This marks the start of me showing the great images taken from this great city in the three days I had the pleasure to spend there. This series will probably run into the fifth month of my project.

-- Gear
Fujifilm X-PRO1
Samyang 8mm f2.8 Fisheye 
-- Post
Lightroom : Initial toning and final crop
Photoshop: Sharpening, colour blending and clean up
Macphun AuroraHDR: HDR toning

#project365 [day 93] On the way to Chicago

Leaving the cold and sunny Big Apple behind, my first US adventure reaches the second stage. Soon we will be landing on the still frozen Windy City. Home of some of the most interesting Art Deco architecture, and to me home of the greatest basketball team in history.The 90's era Chicago Bulls and the House that Michael built. The great thing of my downsized travel kit and bag, and US sized plane seats, is that I get to carry my camera at my feet through the flight. And the frozen landscape below is too inviting not to snap a few images.

-- Gear
Fujifilm X-PRO1
Samyang 8mm f2.8 Fisheye 
-- Post
Lightroom : Initial toning and final crop
Photoshop: Sharpening, colour blending and clean up
NikCollection Color Efex Pro 4: Toning and Detail extracti

#project365 [day 92] Jupiter, Venus and their Sphinxes

From the great collection of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art I picked out these two beautiful sculptures by French "Romantic" artist Antoine-Augustin Préault. They depict Jupiter on the left and Venus on the right siting on top of two unusual looking sphinxes. Completed in 1868, they are plaster working models for monumental stone sculptures completed in 1870 and still sit in the garden of the palace at Fontainebleau. Like Venus, the companion sculpture, Jupiter has no precedent in antique iconography and is apparently the original product of Préault's deeply Romantic imagination. You can find more of his work at the Musee du Louvre and the beautiful Musee d'Orsay, and also at the iconic Pere Lachaise Cemetery. 

-- Gear
Fujifilm X-T1
Fujifilm XF18-135mmF3.5-5.6R LM OIS WR
-- Post
Lightroom : Initial tone and final crop.
Photoshop: Compositing, clean up and sharpening.
NikCollection Color Efex Pro 4: Toning and Detail extraction.

#project365 [day 91] Domed ceiling from the Schwarzman Building

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NewYork_20150327_098

This is a detail shot of the domed ceiling on one of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building's stairwells. It depicts a glorious ornate Beaux-Arts architecture that can be found all over the main building of the New York Public Library. And although in day 84 that it would be my last image from this building, I couldn't resist adding this one to the project. 

-- Gear
Fujifilm X-T1
Fujifilm XF18-135mmF3.5-5.6R LM OIS WR
-- Post
Lightroom : HDR photomerge, initial tone and final crop.
Photoshop: Perspective correction, clean up and sharpening.
NikCollection Color Efex Pro 4: Toning and Detail extraction.

#project365 [day 90] Streets of New York City

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Roaming the streets of the big apple.

#project365 [day 89] 115 Broadway

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This is one my last doorways, and building entrances, from the visit to New York City. Located in Downtown Manhattan, a stone's throw from the Twin Towers complex, these twin Gothic Towers are a site that should be part of your itinerary. At this point they are known as the Trinity Centre, a managed office building, you can't really roam around freely, but I really liked the mood in this entrance. Also worth a visit to the Trinity Place Bar & Restaurant, which I hope to do next time.

#project365 [day 88] Triumph of Galatea

From the NY's Metropolitan Museum vast collection of musical instruments, this harpsichord designed by Michele Todini is one of the most striking. It depicts the Triumph of Galatea, reference to fresco completed about 1514 by the Italian painter Raphael, and supported by three Tritons. It originally formed part of Michele Todini's Galeria Armonica and was described in his catalogue of 1676. Todini designed several lavish mathematical and musical machines and charged admission from the aristocrats who visited his gallery. The artistic quality of the case ranks it among the finest examples of Roman Baroque decorative art; Todini's ingenuity and search for new forms of instrumental expressivity grew out of the same musical climate that led to the invention of the piano.
This was also a great opportunity to do a test run for Macphun's Aurora HDR, their latest offering, this time in conjunction with HDR master Trey Ratcliff. First impressions are great, with very simple and intuitive sliders to manipulate all the parameters and really fast feedback. I'll try to do a small review in the coming weeks.

-- Gear
Fujifilm X-T1
Fujifilm XF18-135mmF3.5-5.6R LM OIS WR
-- Post
Lightroom : Initial tone and final crop.
Macphun AuroraHDR: HDR photomerge and toning