Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/753330
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF @NEALKUMAR NEAL KUMAR | THE ARCHITECTURE BUFF @nealkumar From sultry sunsets to long exposure light trails, Neal Kumar is the man behind the iPhone 7+ that captures some of the Windy City's most picturesque architectural views on Instagram. A 31-year-old dermatologist and urban photographer who hopscotched from North Carolina to Boston to Venezuela before landing in Chicago, Kumar first began using the photo-sharing app shortly after its inception in 2010; since then, the Gold Coast resident's artistic images of soaring skyscrapers, historic bridges, and traveling trains have gained him a following of more than 72,000. With smartphone cameras evolving to shoot ever-higher-quality images, Kumar finds it a fascinating challenge "to see how far I can push photography." Image inspiration: "I try to find either unique perspectives or capture the light of the city in a way that people haven't seen before." Twenty minutes in Chicago: "I would grab some donuts from Do-Rite and walk along the Riverwalk." Secret of success: "Shooting as much as possible. The more photos you have, the more you'll find [images] that really jump out and that you enjoy." Standout images: "[My photos] capture all aspects and all moods of the city, especially with how often the weather changes." Must-snap spots: "The John Hancock observatory and the Sears Skydeck, especially during fog… I also like Milton Lee Olive Park, which has a nice skyline view." For Neal Kumar's Chicago favorites, visit michiganavemag.com clockwise from above left: Neal Kumar captures the Wrigley Building; a rainy day on Michigan Avenue; and a graffiti-covered theater at the abandoned Horace Mann High School in Gary, Indiana. 120 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM