Oh my frickin’ god do I love this photo. I’m flying from Austin to Chicago and, Chicago being goddamn Chicago, it is completely overcast. Underneath that layer, the city I live in is gray and grim and grimy. But I specifically chose a flight that would approach the city as the sun was getting low, and as we slowly started to descend, we got close enough to the clouds to really see all that texture, with the sun bringing it out so cleanly. With the cirrus clouds above having their own fun with the light, and the sweep from the bright highlights on the left to the increasing shadow on the right, and all that blue in the upper right, this made me feel like I could deal with the city’s utter lack of sun for a little while.

February 2, 2025. OnePlus 12 cell phone, 6.06mm focal length (35mm equivalent: 23mm), f/1.6, 1/1,500, ISO 50.