So what the heck is a wedding and family portrait photographer doing shooting the Chicago Polar Bear Swim of 2010? The only answer I can think of is that I am both a lover of photography and a little bit crazy. This polar swim is becoming a yearly ritual for me. It all started last year when I went down to North Ave Beach on March of 2009. I was not sure why I was there. It was cold. I was without friends. I had no coffee. All I had was my camera and a crazy idea that I would get some cool photos of a few brave and shivering people. I ended up having a blast and vowed to return this year.
This time I was warm and ready with some coffee and a few of my photog friends. I was also there cheering on my best friend David Fowlie. What a brave and cold soul. I had a blast and cannot wait to do it again in March. You can get more info about the Chicago Polar Plunge here. You can check out some of Gary Middendorf's (my brother-in-law) photos here.
Here are a handful of my favorite shots from the 2010 Polar Swim. Please remember, it was 19 degrees outside:
[gallery columns="1" size="large" orderby="title"]
Chicago Polar Club Swim 2010 from Otto Rascon on Vimeo.
Set-Up
North Avenue Beach 1000 North Lake Shore Drive Chicago, IL 60611 (312) 742-5121
Rock On! info@ottorascon.com | my portfolio | facebook | twitter | 773.430.4785
By The Way: It would have been nice to have had my 400mm lens today. I then could have captured more facial expressions. Lesson learned: bring my lenses!!!