Postcard from Chicago

The name of this photo is, “Where Trees Meet.” It was taken in a small park on the south side of the Chicago Institute of Art, on Michigan Ave. in downtown Chicago. The white wall you see in the background is the Institute.

I just love the way the tree branches come together above the walkway from each direction. And, in fact, there are two other walkways on either side of this one where the trees also meet. Somehow, they were able to train the tree branches (cock-spur Hawthorne trees) to create this effect. How they did it is beyond me.

I assume these tree branches have a tendency to grow straight out rather than up and by planting them at the proper distances from each other, they were able to make the branches meet in the middle. What is even more interesting is that the branches bend downward, giving a concave appearance above the walkway.

Believe it or not, this was not an easy scene to capture. I took photos both on an April visit and an October visit, trying to find a way to capture that concave look. What you see is the best I could come up with, thanks to a little post processing magic in Photoshop.

Not visible in the photo is the famous bronze “Fountain of the Great Lakes,” which adds to the sights and sounds of this lovely little park. It is a great place to eat one’s lunch or sit and read during one’s lunch hour…which of course, local residents often do. So do tourists, including me.