Chicago Polar Bear Club - Crazy People

[inTempus]

I caught wind of the Chicago Polar Bear meetup today so I ran to Chicago to get some pics.

These people are nuts. It was 18 degrees and windy. The water... I have no idea how cold it was, but it was COLD.

Here are some shots, comments are welcome.

 

[djrichie28]

Very nice. #2 and #4 certainly tell a story of how cold it must have been. I suppose that is what photojournalism is supposed to do. Well done.

 

[pcacj]

OOOUUUUCCCCHHH !!!!!!!!

 

[inTempus]

This is one of my favorites, I like how you have crazy guys out of focus in the foreground with the guy in the background almost in a trance like state... two totally different reactions.

From a traditional composition standpoint it's probably not the best... I just like the feeling of it.

 

[Dmitri]

lol at the shorts of the guy in the second picture!! Great pics

 

[Renol]

Oh gosh! Crazy is right but wow! Number 2 = by far best shot of the set

 

[Big]

I think the guy on the left in #5 is cheating... :lmao:

 

[PatrickHMS]

I think the guy on the left in #5 is cheating... :lmao:

At first glance, thought he might be a photographer, but we aren't that crazy, are we?

Probably couldn't get wet, might catch a cold.

Or whipped, and wife wouldn't let him go in without the snowmobile suit, but wait till the suit gets all wet and waterlogged.

 

[Goontz]

Or whipped, and wife wouldn't let him go in without the snowmobile suit, but wait till the suit gets all wet and waterlogged.

Lol, that's a drysuit. I bet you he's got some perfectly dry and warm clothes on underneath it. My guess is he's rescue personnel that's there just in case someone spends a little too much time in the water

Very cool shots, inTempus! Post more if ya got em.

 

[mom2eight]

No 2 made me laugh!!! Those people are insane. I want even get in my pool when its 70 degrees. Yikes

 

[inTempus]

Or whipped, and wife wouldn't let him go in without the snowmobile suit, but wait till the suit gets all wet and waterlogged.

Lol, that's a drysuit. I bet you he's got some perfectly dry and warm clothes on underneath it. My guess is he's rescue personnel that's there just in case someone spends a little too much time in the water

Very cool shots, inTempus! Post more if ya got em.

You nailed it. The guys in the dry suits are rescue divers from the Chicago Fire Department. They were there to make sure no one died. I would have thought they would have been very busy, but it seems everyone survived.

I haven't processed anymore of them. I'll post more later tonight if I get a chance. I'm glad you like them.

 

[Iron Flatline]

They're good... They work because I get chilly just looking at them. I wish the shot composition was less crowded in 4 + 5.

 

[inTempus]

They're good... They work because I get chilly just looking at them. I wish the shot composition was less crowded in 4 + 5.

Yeah, I tried to single out people as much as I could. You had 150 people all running and jumping in at the roughly the same time at an entry point that is about 20ft wide. It was a stream of people darting in and jumping right back out. Sheer madness. The whole thing only lasted a few minutes. I fired off as many shots as I could trying to get some semblance of composition where I could.

I was happy I got as many keepers as I did. I didn't expect that many given the circumstances.

 

[inTempus]

lol at the shorts of the guy in the second picture!! Great pics

Here's a straight on shot of the shorts... they are funny.

 

[inTempus]

Here's a couple more.