Street Parking

Street Parking, originally uploaded by William 74.

I'm sure I've said it before and I know I'll say it again, but sometimes you just get lucky. I'd gone downtown to try and do some experimenting with shaped bokeh, and it wasn't going well at all. I spent a good hour or so fiddling with the camera, pointing it at stuff, and getting bupkus for my troubles. I was about to pack it up and go home when I saw this bike up the street (it's actually parked on the bridge over the Fox River). I headed over and this perfect shot just presented itself. A nice machine, a pretty building, and some dramatically moving lights. No tricks, just some classic elements. What more do you need?

In the background there, is the historic Baker Hotel in St. Charles. It's a lovely building, built in the late twenties in the Spanish Romantic Revival style. Perched right on the Fox River, it quickly gained a reputation for it's luxurious surroundings and excellent service, and featured two excellent restaurants, the luxurious Trophy and Rainbow Rooms. Throughout it's heyday the Baker was known as "Honeymoon Hotel", and occasionally you still meet married couples who did just that.