hydrant, chicago, 2002
How do you give an inanimate object a personality? That was one of my challenges as I photographed Chicago's landmarks, both large and small. This Chicago Water Works hydrant was taken on an empty Sunday afternoon sidewalk downtown. Its red paint was in stark contrast to the grey surroundings. What caught my eye was the way the setting sun was just hitting it casting a soft shadow, like it was on stage with a spotlight. I also liked the geometry formed by the angles of the spouts which are rotated 30 degrees off from the lines in the pavement. This offset creates a unique circular eye flow within the composition.