The Best Photo I've Ever Taken
People are usually surprised when I show them my favorite photo from my camera roll. At first glance, the image does not look like anything special. It is not a stunning landscape or emotional portrait.
Instead, it is the type of photo that becomes more interesting the longer you look at it. There are a lot of details and context that make this photo my favorite.
Why is Chicago hosting a lobster festival?
Let’s get this question out of the way, shall we? Chicago is not the first place that comes to mind for a lobster festival - for any seafood, really. Chicago sits on Lake Michigan, a fresh water lake stocked with the type of bass guys boast in their Tinder profiles instead of the fish you would find in chowder. However, Chicago is diverse in its population and food. There is a festival for everything in the city and food from all around the world. Rather than flocking to Navy Pier for the freshest lobster, this festival is a celebration of the Northeast seafood culture.
Chicago Details
There are certain details that I love about this photo. It was taken at Navy Pier, an iconic Chicago landmark. There are an array of flags lining the background: the U.S. flag, Illinois flag and a Chicago flag, providing the photo with a sense of place. Many of the colors are blue and white, with a few red details - the same color scheme as both the Chicago flag and the U.S. flag. This all feels appropriate since summer food festivals like this one are a very American Midwest thing.
The People
The people in this photo are also so diverse and interesting. The couple in the matching button-ups and lobster hat are my favorite. They just arrived at the festival and walk arm-in-arm, scheming a route to best experience their (I assume) favorite food. In the middle of the photo stands a Midwest dad, complete with ankle-high white socks, athletic shoes, long jean shorts belted with a polo t-shirt tucked into them. The girl in line to the right of him is wearing a red, lobster-colored dress, which is subtly festive and completes a patriotic color scheme with the girl next to her, wearing a white t-shirt and blue jean shorts.
Personal Context
Finally, I distinctly remember taking this photo and look back fondly to this day. This was taken in August of 2018, during my first year of photography. I was learning how to use all my camera settings and watched photography YouTube vlogs by Evan Ranft and Peter McKinnon religiously. One of my friends was working at this festival, so I went to visit. We were sitting on the steps of the Aon Grand Ballroom during his break when I snapped this photo. It was a perfect Chicago summer day.
My favorite photos are not necessarily the ones that are perfectly exposed, with awe-inducing scenery and saturated colors. The best photos, in my opinion, are the ones that have a story behind them and interesting details within them.