Freezing Cold in the Polar Vortex by taffy

Freezing Cold in the Polar Vortex

Yes, it's here. The vortex has arrived. It's very very cold. This was taken on Sunday but I feel like it captures how it feels to be outside. @jyokota and I did a mini-adventure to photograph the skyline early evening, lasting less than 5 minutes and both our fingers were numb by the time we got back to the car!
Taken from the long pier-like walkway that leads to the planetarium, looking north toward Navy Pier in the distance. What you see on the left is a running path around the aquarium -- no runners then or today, I'm sure!
Get pushed challenge in extras: http://365project.org/taffy/the-also-ran-ph/2014-01-28
Instant fav! Awesome capture and I'm glad I don't live there.
January 29th, 2014  
Wow! This embodies the word cold!! We're back to single digits (windchill colder). but Chicago is even worse, yes!?
January 29th, 2014  
Wow...it looks frigid! Excellent processing.
January 29th, 2014  
stunning capture, it FEELS cold just viewing this! Fave, of course!
January 29th, 2014  
Caz
Gosh, this looks positively arctic ! Super capture and processing ! fav
January 29th, 2014  
Nia
oh no that has just made me colder!! they weather is crazy, even down here in Texas. Stunning image, but don't lose your fingers for a photo!
January 29th, 2014  
@nanalisarocks @joysfocus Thanks so much for the fav's Joy and Lisa! Lisa, if you get a chance to click the fav button again -- for some reason it didn't register -- I'd appreciate it (but I love the sentiment no matter what!).
@luvmynynix Windchill here, Laurie, is something like 20 below. It's just awful as the sun was out all day teasing us, but it was painful literally anyplace skin was exposed. Brrrrr.
@kwind Thanks Kim, I appreciate the visit!
January 29th, 2014  
Yikes! Stay safe!
January 29th, 2014  
Wow...great shot! I can't image it being that cold! We had 44C here yesterday with more heat to come on the weekend!
January 29th, 2014  
ks
beautiful.
January 29th, 2014  
Stunning capture and Fav!!
January 29th, 2014  
Beautiful
January 29th, 2014  
Fantastic shot and really great processing. Keep warm and stay safe!
January 29th, 2014  
Stunning picture
January 29th, 2014  
Jo
What an amazing shot, it really captures the cold.
January 29th, 2014  
very cool shot
January 29th, 2014  
A fav Taffy, love the long exposure look to this :)
January 29th, 2014  
Very slick. fav
January 29th, 2014  
does look super cold. very cool shot
January 29th, 2014  
Eerie shot!! Love the dark colors! Fav :)
January 29th, 2014  
Marvellous, looks almost futuristic somehow.
January 29th, 2014  
Beautiful shot. A powerful illustration of the weather!
January 29th, 2014  
I love the composition, and your picture really conveyes the cold very well. Can you remember what your shutter speed was? ...it doesn't show on the exif....
January 29th, 2014  
great atmosphere, really feels cold and unpleasant
January 29th, 2014  
This has a Chill Factor of 10! Really tells the story so well. Amazing Fav!
January 29th, 2014  
Stunning!
January 29th, 2014  
Gorgeous, I´m hypnotized by that softness!
January 29th, 2014  
Great shot!
January 29th, 2014  
Fav! Wonderful shot
January 29th, 2014  
Brrr chilly
January 29th, 2014  
Beautiful cold:)
January 29th, 2014  
Fabulous shot!
January 29th, 2014  
Great capture.
January 29th, 2014  
Wow!
January 29th, 2014  
Brrr that looks like a freezer. No wonder nobody is around. Fabulous capture.
January 29th, 2014  
Captures the chill perfectly - very atmospheric. Fav
January 29th, 2014  
I feel the cold........and you've captured the cold great shot!
January 29th, 2014  
This is a lovely shot. It looks so cold.
January 29th, 2014  
Fabulous composition Taffy, I can almost feel how cold it is. Well imagine anyway!
January 29th, 2014  
Wow that looks incredibly cold. Nice processing, it almost shimmers
January 29th, 2014  
this made me shiver just looking at it! ~ nice one
January 29th, 2014  
beautiful
January 29th, 2014  
Beautiful! You have really captured the cold feeling... It's cold here in NY too!
January 29th, 2014  
Beautiful!
January 29th, 2014  
Wow! This is almost magical! The lighting is amazing. You have captured the cold so well....I can feel it!! Just beautiful and a FAV
January 29th, 2014  
So well balanced and processed, Brrrrrrrrrrrill shot
January 29th, 2014  
Oh now that loks cold, fab shot though
January 29th, 2014  
FAV! Wow! This has an otherworldly feel to it. Love the colors and composition. So good to see your wonderful photography again, Taffy. I have missed it and YOU! Thanks for sharing your approach to Year 2. I know that for my own sanity, I have to make some changes, too. I think I read a comment from you that you now have a flickr page? I am interested in possibly doing that as well. Was it hard to set up? Do you have any Flickr tips to share? I'm not off to browse your recent photos. Forgive me for not commenting on them. (Again, that time thing! )
January 29th, 2014  
Great shot!
January 29th, 2014  
Lovely (even if it is cold). Love the painting-like look.
January 29th, 2014  
A wonderful image and the colours really reflect how cold it is. Hard to imagine from this neck of the woods. Anything below is seriously cold to my mind.
January 29th, 2014  
Wonderful capture which really makes you feel cold to look at it!! Love the long exposure look - is this HDR? Love it!! Fav!!
January 29th, 2014  
Fantastic! Wow - what an incredible scene. Brrr.... don't envy you the cold though.
January 29th, 2014  
Wonderful capture and very cold looking. It was cold here yesterday and this morning but headed back up to the 70s.
January 29th, 2014  
@ericdibosco I combined two photos, one at 1/60 and one at 1/100. There MAY have been a third one at 1/40 that I've deleted from my original files, but I think it was just the two photos. I used HDR Efex to combine them, and when I do that. Thanks for your kind comment on the photo--I'm glad you liked it! It was one of my favorites from the day/evening shoot.
January 29th, 2014  
love the mood Taffy!
January 29th, 2014  
That's cold! super processing.
January 29th, 2014  
You certainly do convey the cold here, and it's a beautiful composition. Keep warm!
January 29th, 2014  
Great capture,super processing!!
January 29th, 2014  
Gorgeous, it really does look cold.
January 29th, 2014  
Super shot. if it wasn't so snowy I'd want to walk round the path.
January 29th, 2014  
Really does look cold, great composition
January 29th, 2014  
That's incredible
January 29th, 2014  
this is an amazing shot.
January 29th, 2014  
Wow wee, fav
January 29th, 2014  
Awesome capture! .... hope the vortex passes quickly and doesn't cause any problems :)
January 29th, 2014  
Great capture. I love the lines and textures. Kudos.
January 29th, 2014  
Needs to be seen large to appreciate all the curves, big and small, in buildings, ice, clouds, and walls.
January 29th, 2014  
Really tells the story.
January 29th, 2014  
This reminds me of some of the shots that you linked to the last time. Very nicely captured. Wish it were easier for me to get out and capture the elements. I'm mostly doing it from the comfort of home as I can't drag my kiddo around in it. Favorama. Worth the cold fingers!
January 30th, 2014  
Brrrrrr! You make me freeze! Awesome capture of the polar vortex, Taffy!
January 30th, 2014  
Definitely has those cold tones nailed!
January 30th, 2014  
this feels cold!! Well done!
January 30th, 2014  
It does do a good job of capturing how it feels to be outside - it's been frigid here too, so I know exactly what you mean!
January 30th, 2014  
Brrrr. Great way to capture the cold.
January 30th, 2014  
Definitely conveys a chilly feel. Nice, soft affect.
January 30th, 2014  
Amazingly beautiful and cold! Fav
January 30th, 2014  
fav! this is quite fantastical!
January 30th, 2014  
Fantastic, chilly shot! Marvelous pov! Fav
January 30th, 2014  
It's hard not to fav everything you do! Fav again!
January 30th, 2014  
Wow, you really caught the cold in this photo
January 30th, 2014  
fantastic work, Taffy - fav.
January 30th, 2014  
@kareenking That is such a sweet comment to make Kareen. Given your beautiful work, it means a lot!
January 30th, 2014  
I love how the snow on the bank just seems to glow!! Very well done, and so brave of you to be out there with your cameras.....and, I am speaking from experience having slipped and fallen on wet rocks with my camera around my neck! And, it was nowhere near this cold!
January 30th, 2014  
@pflaume I think flickr has potential but it's not intuitive and I'm thinking of finding a grad student who can tutor me. I was able to upload, but there are tricks to organization I can't figure out. And I'm not sure how to find the groups others have mentioned. I'm sure it will be workable once I put the time into it, but I don't seem to have enough time at the moment to make it work. If you end up finding any tutorials, will you let me know and I'll do the same if I come across any.
January 30th, 2014  
@pamknowler Hi Pam -- yes, this was HDR with three shots stacked. I didn't do much with it other than stack it as it seemed like it would be too over processed given how shiny it already was.
January 30th, 2014  
@panthora Thanks for the kind comment, Osia! It more than once crossed my mind out there that there might be reason there weren't others walking on the embankment! I'm glad I did it now, but am wondering how wise it was!
January 30th, 2014  
This shot almost looks surreal.... fabulous capture
January 30th, 2014  
wow!
January 30th, 2014  
Wow, what a fantastic photo, Taffy. I love all the details of what you captured and the lighting. FAV
January 30th, 2014  
Breathtaking view and treatment.
January 30th, 2014  
Fabulous capture, absolutely brilliant and fav but do try and stay warm :-)
January 30th, 2014  
wow, stunning capture. My daughter is desperate for snow but might not be so keen if we get frozen fingers! ;) Fav.
January 30th, 2014  
Oops, I can just feel the cold. Great capture. Fav! :)
January 31st, 2014  
Wow, just amazing!
January 31st, 2014  
A fav for me. Beautiful!
January 31st, 2014  
truly exceptional…..
January 31st, 2014  
@carolyns @stimuloog @jesperani Thank you so much for fav'ing this shot, Jennifer, Marloes (welcome to year 2!), and Carolyn.
January 31st, 2014  
Wow, amazing shot, you've really captured the cold. Fav!
January 31st, 2014  
Brrr... Amazing shot
January 31st, 2014  
superb shot! looks so cold and dramatic! fav
January 31st, 2014  
stunning shot ,,,Fav!!
February 2nd, 2014  
Missed this gorgeous one. FAV
February 2nd, 2014  
Fav
February 3rd, 2014  
Jo
What a wonderful shot, just looking at it makes me feel cold.
February 3rd, 2014  
Cool shot...!!!
February 5th, 2014  
Wow - the composition is fantastic.
February 8th, 2014  
I just picked the "Chicago" tags and my daughter is next to me telling me where everything is! I HAD to stop here to say (again!) what an exceptional photo this is! Love it...but am more than just a little delighted that the weather was pleasantly warm today for going to the zoo! That said, I LOVE seeing photos like this!
April 10th, 2014  
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