While Milwaukee was just waking up one June morning in 2021, Abhishek Chandra was at the lakefront, taking his first crack at photographing McKinley Marina.
He thought the conditions that dawn might make for a special picture, and the dead-calm conditions delivered exactly the kind of quiet beauty the Waukesha-based photographer was hoping for, the boats’ bare masts rising against a bejeweled sky and reflected in a mirror of smooth water.
He spoke with us about the image he made, which was the Big Picture in our June issue, and his photography.
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What is your favorite thing about this photo? What “makes” it?
The stillness. The colors drew me in, but what really made it for me was how quiet everything felt – the reflections, the boats, the vertical lines of the masts all coming together in a balanced way. When I came across the scene, I remember thinking it might end up being one of my favorite photos. I have a large print of it hanging at a friend’s house now.
When and how did you shoot this photograph?
The photo was taken in June 2021, at sunrise. It was planned – I usually work around weather and light, and that morning the forecast called for a strong sunrise and almost no wind. I specifically wanted to shoot reflections, and chose the marina because of the boats. This was actually my first time shooting there. What I remember most about that morning was how still everything felt. Almost no wind, very calm water, which is really why I went there. I was alone, which is usually how I shoot. Photography is a little unpredictable, and I like the freedom to wait, move around, and look without feeling rushed. I don’t have many photos from that morning because I spent a long time searching for the right scene. Once I found this one, I knew it was special. The image was a single frame; editing it probably took longer than taking it.
Tell us a little about yourself and your photography.
I’m a hobbyist more than anything else – been doing photography since around 2010. I’m usually most drawn to landscapes and cityscapes. I don’t shoot all the time, but when I do, I tend to put a lot of thought into planning the shot. I think what I’m usually reaching for is a certain kind of stillness, the moment that feels quiet on the surface but carries something deeper if you stay with it a bit longer. People can find my work at abhichandra.com and on Instagram.
