2026 DESKTOP CALENDAR

It’s that time of the year again! Here’s a little snippet about each photo in my 2026 desktop calendar, which you can buy here

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JANUARY: I know it seems crazy, but venturing out when the city is frozen is a thrilling adventure. In this case, we went down to Ping Tom Park near Chinatown to check out the ice on the South Branch of the river. If you look closely, @amyulo is taking photos on the bridge.

FEBRUARY: Come February in Chicago, warmth and the promise of sun are valuable commodities. I photographed this late-winter sunrise of the South Loop skyline from my balcony. I don’t wake up early (like the birds) very often, so when I do, a fiery sunrise is a welcome sight.

MARCH: March is a rough month in Chicago. It can be bitterly cold after an already long winter, yet we might get a few tastes of a (relatively) mild spring. One thing’s for sure: the spring equinox happens like clockwork, and spring officially begins. When that happens, we get Chicagohenge. Whether or not spring-like weather follows is a different question entirely.

APRIL: Since 2012, more than 200 cherry trees have been planted around the Columbia Basin in Jackson Park, just behind the Museum of Science and Industry. In April 2025, I – along with thousands of other Chicagoans – flocked to the park to capture an especially brilliant bloom. Thanks to maturing trees and favorable weather, a display like this hadn’t been seen in years; a cold snap early in the season (this is Chicago, after all) can easily prevent flowering. If you’d like to see more photos or learn more about the trees, check out my blog here.

MAY: Another month of flowers, but how could I not include a Michigan Avenue tulip photo? I shot this on my iPhone last spring. These guys are a sure sign that summer weather is on the way. This particular ‘forest’ of tulips was just outside Tribune Tower. I pushed my phone into the tulip bed, being careful not to damage any stems, then framed LondonHouse in the background.

JUNE: An early morning looking over Millennium Park is one of the great pleasures of Chicago living. I snapped this photo from Cindy’s Rooftop during a “pop up” workout session hosted by Pure Barre Streeterville. The early morning wake-up, and soreness after, was worth it for this view.

JULY: Summer is in full swing when the harbors are full. This was an aerial photo I shot of Monroe Harbor during an early-morning helicopter flight. It looks like a few boats had already set out for the day’s adventure.

AUGUST: Sunsets from LondonHouse are tough to beat, especially late in the summer when the sun spills down the concrete canyon formed by the Chicago River.

SEPTEMBER: This is an iPhone photo of the skyline after a late-summer storm moved through near sunset. The streaky reflections come from positioning my camera right against my balcony’s ledge, where a thin puddle of water had formed allowing me to capture that mirrored glow.

OCTOBER: For whatever reason, and no good ones, in my ~18 years of living downtown, I never once went out to watch the Chicago Marathon. But this year I did, and it was a blast! I’m so mad at myself for having missed out on so many amazing photo opportunities for close to two decades. I’m already looking forward to scoping out some new vantage points next year. Hopefully this shot provides a little motivation to get you through the month.

NOVEMBER: Maggie Daley Park is breathtaking in fall. Over the past few years, it seems the foliage doesn’t hit its peak colors until very late October or even early November. When it does, Chicago, and the park transforms into a stunning mosaic of golds, oranges, and reds. Capturing it via drone really highlighted the patterns and textures of the trees, and the park’s winding layout.

DECEMBER: This is an older shot, but one I love. The time felt right for it to be in my calendar. It’s Cloud Gate on a snowy evening. I used my camera’s flash to light up the falling snowflakes…all the white specks you see in the frame. The image itself is a digitally mirrored edit I made just for fun; something about this photo felt like it needed that treatment while I was editing.