Waiting on the room
Between the black
I’m not sure whether it was a protea, but any time there’s a perfect flower wedged between black velvet chairs on a backlit, piano-key glass wall, I’m interested. After the trip to South Africa I have proteas on the brain, but this was taken in a hotel lobby in Chicago.
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On an island at The Peninsula
You can take photos, yes. No, not with a tripod. The hotel doesn’t want that. The hotel doesn’t mind photos. Your car will be ready in a few minutes. Sir? How many shots are you taking? Of the lobby? No, we won’t stop you, so as long as you don’t use the tripod… Dead silence… Click. Click click. Click. Click click click. Sir? Your car is ready. Let me help you with that. Click. Click click. I’ll get the door for you. Follow me… Sir? Click… click. This way.
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McDonald’s reflecting pool
This is my first post in well over a month. I had a really busy December, but I’m shocked it took me this long to get back into routinely making photographs. The hardest thing, which sounds silly, is to know how to pick up again and find momentum.
I had no idea McDonald’s could produce anything other than red-and-yellow plastic until I visited the company’s campus in Chicago’s western suburbs for a wedding. I’m not sure it’s my kind of place – it’s an oasis in the suburbs – and I can’t imagine staying there for any reason of my own, but it was nice. This is the back side of the lodge-like hotel, which overlooks this pond.
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Hotel lobby floor
It’s simply one of the best spaces in Chicago. I used to come here and just sit around for 20 minutes while on my way to the Art Institute. My time is less throwaway these days, but I did take a good hour to find some decent angles in my most recent trip to the Palmer House’s lobby. I may post a few more in coming days. I haven’t decided. Sadly, this could be my last visit for a while.
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Singers in the Lacquer
I’ve been stopped by more and more people in recent days asking me to take their picture. This rarely happens to me. I think the tripod I carry might scare them out of asking. Maybe it looks like I’m too engrossed in what I’m doing with my camera? Lately I’ve had more requests, and I always say yes when asked.
This photo I asked to take. As I made my way through the Palmer House I met a mother and her two daughters in the Empire Room. They told me the Red Lacquer Room (pronounced LOCKER, I think) on the fourth floor was even better, so I eventually made my way in its direction. As I entered I was surprised to find the two girls running around having the time of their lives. Mom happened to be there too, I just didn’t see her at first due to the commotion. Olivia and Erin were the kids names, I think. All of the running around in this gorgeous empty room lent some surreal atmosphere. After a few minutes the two girls agreed to pose as if they were addressing the mic at the opposite end of the room. The end result retains that odd feel of having free reign over this perfect space.
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Up in the corner
I broke my own rule for the second time in a week. Maybe it’s the staircases. Recently I said I would rather not post images from the same place on successive days, but setting up the walk-up to The Empire Room as I did on Sunday means to me that I need to deliver an Empire Room image. It’s not an obligation kind of thing, it’s just how I sold it. After recapping the journey to the room I myself would like to go back inside. Let’s do so.
THE EMPIRE ROOM, as the sign outside shouts in all caps, is bold and dominating. It looks like the kind of place in which a president should speak to his vast cadre of same-minded constituents – if they actually had something to say. It almost surrenders to this buttoned-up status quo, but it is gold and garish. I found a corner, got up on one of the three stages and let the space stretch up behind me overhead. I believe this summarizes the place as best as possible. While it is of the establishment it simultaneously pushes the volume just past a listenable decibel – expensive, yet artfully excessive. Maybe this explains why presidents stay in this hotel when they visit Chicago, but The Empire Room itself hosts musical acts and performances.
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