Happy Feet

I love taking pictures around Chicago. Whether it’s on my way to a bar, heading home from work, or taking a day off from work, I’ve captured more city scenes than I care to share. So when a long-time friend of mine, we’ll call her Paula, came to me with a proposition that involved taking pictures around Chicago, I didn't need to hear much more, despite the inquisitive looks that everyone around us demeanored. The task was to photograph a large percentage of her very nice shoe collection in the foreground of an obviously Chicago scene, with Paula acting as the lower leg model. The pictures would go no higher than her calf and the focus would be split between the array of fancy-type shoes and the history of our Midwest Metropolis.

On a risky date in late October, the Earth decided to cooperate and grant us the colors, the sky, the temperature of a perfect picture day. Having sent me the catalog of shoes, I was able to assemble a rough idea of landmarks and trademarks that embodied the city, but really depended on instinct and creativity to fill in the gaps and provide the originality that we both sought. Buckingham Fountain is nice (even without the ‘fountain’ part), but there are millions of tourists that think B.F. is Chicago. I had hoped that we could capture a little more of life in Chicago without completely abandoning the post card fodder.

Before we even left for the city, I pushed our departure time back about two hours to squeeze in another 9 holes of par 3 golf on what was one of the best mornings for golf that I can remember. Paula, an absolute sweetheart, offered to postpone the plan and ironically rain check the date. Despite the delay, I wasn't going to waste the weather on presumably additional day-drinking within the confines of merry establishments while celebrating my friend’s 30th birthday. As much as she considered this a favor, there was no denying my own excitement for the day ahead. Besides, plans are plans. We set up camp, packed as many ‘daytime’ shoes as we could in her large, bright-pink bag, and red-lined to Roosevelt to begin our journey.

The walking lower bodies at Agora; the Roosevelt bridge looking at Michigan Ave; the Lakefront Trail outside of the Shedd Aquarium; Lake Michigan with the Planetarium; Buckingham Fountain with a skyline backdrop; the Jackson St. Bridge looking into the depths of the loop; the iconic lion outside of the Art Institute of Chicago; Lurie Garden near the Pritzker Pavillion; Millennium Park; the Chicago River; the Merchandise Mart train platform.

At the conclusion of our time with the sun, we found more calendar life than everyday life, but the colors and brightness of the day made the trees and buildings and water all shine and glisten like New Year’s Eve. We traversed almost four miles, took seventy five pictures, talked, laughed, shared an appetizer, enjoyed some beers, and finally headed north to regroup for the evening session. We had made fantastic progress and it felt like the day was over, but the best was definitely yet to come.

The Ron Santo statue outside of the Right Field Bleachers; The Chicago Theater; the State Street Riverwalk; the Chicago Remembers Vietnam Memorial; a Chicago Flag painted horse on Michigan Avenue; The Water Tower; a CTA sidewalk cardinal directions; a fountain at Kinzie and La Salle; the Merchandise Mart train platform; the Brown Line CTA car; the doorway of an apartment building.

After twelve hours, six and a half miles, and one hundred and fifty pictures, we were spent. From two dozen footwear changes to street stains on my hoodie, phase one of the project was complete and our bodies were worse for wear. Aside from the hopeful product of this difficult to explain, rather ambitious adventure, which will range from a coffee table photo book, prints on canvas, and who knows what else, why would we exhaust ourselves, both physically and literally, laying on the street behind a resting CTA bus?

When things are changing in your life, you find solace in comfort. And when things are changing in your life, comfort means familiarity. While my social calendar has shifted in recent weeks, I not only found comfort in making plans, possibly overextending myself, and following through with those plans, but I also found comfort in creating something new for the benefit of another. There’s an unbelievable feeling you get by helping others. It’s as selfish and warm feeling as going out and buying a new video game system, but at a fraction of the cost. It’s not only about giving the product, which I hope turns out well, and it’s not about giving my time, which I have more to offer these days, but it’s about giving your attention, passion, and consideration to someone and something. I’m not saying I’m a beacon of humanity because I took a bunch of pictures of my friend, but I did scoff when she asked how much she should write the check for, you know, to pay me for my services. As if! 

Ambitious and revived, not long into our nighttime shooting and after posing in front of the Chicago Remembers Vietnam Memorial, we received the same consideration and attention. In between failed 50-50 grinds and shaky kick-flips, a propositioned high school boy held Paula’s arm while she modeled on his scraped deck and I lay on my stomach, framing and snapping one quick picture of sidewalk, wheels, board, shoes, river, and part of the Marina Towers.