Once again, forgive the reflections and crud on the bus window, because I wasn’t in any position to ask the bus driver to pull over so I could take this picture on the lakeshore.

But yes! It had been a stretch of steamy summer days and some afternoon storms had finally started to break the heat. I had scored a window seat on the bus (that’s much harder to arrange than one on a plane), and as we drove up DuSable Lake Shore Drive, I glanced out to the lake and realized the full bow was visible. Somehow, its southern end aligned perfectly with that two-mast tall ship in Lake Michigan. And here too, there’s one person to give us a little scale. I can’t lie: Those clouds still look really great, too. Here’s a photo that would make a great painting, but by itself it’s still a really good picture, and that’s why I love this photo.

August 16, 2024. OnePlus 12 cell phone, 6.06mm focal length (35mm equivalent: 23mm), f/1.6, 1/850, ISO 50.