This week’s top photo comes from Visual Journalist Candace Dane Chambers.
What makes this photo great?
This photo is all about the light. A strip of sunlight runs up the center of Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling's face to illuminate the police emblem on his hat as he speaks about an officer who was killed in the line of duty. That small highlight, particularly when it hits his hat's emblem, elevates what could have been an ordinary portrait to a visual embodiment of the story.
How did you get this photo?
For this story, reporter Sophie Sherry and I waited at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse for the verdict in the trial of Steven Montano for the murder of Chicago Police Officer Andres Vasquez Lasso. This was a high-profile case being covered by multiple major news outlets. It was also my first time covering a crime story for the Sun-Times, as I just joined the Photo Desk on July 7. My colleague, photojournalist Anthony Vazquez, showed me the ropes and shared what to expect once the verdict was announced. Things moved quickly once the family left the courtroom, so I positioned myself in a prime location to capture all the closing remarks from the legal teams and representatives of the Chicago Police Department. It can by difficult to vie for space at a press conference, but I challenged myself to find an angle with animating light. This photo is the result.
Technical details:
Equipment: Canon EOS R5 with an EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens
Focal length: 200mm
Aperture: f/3.2
Exposure: 1/320
ISO: 200
15 more powerful photos from the Sun-Times photo staff:44
Yentl Grigler, 10, Deonte Haywood, 13, Brandon Thomas, 20, and Coreion Lee, 13, perform footwork Thursday at the Cook County Building in the Loop, where officials declared August as Footworking Appreciation Month.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Chilina Kennedy as Billie Jean during a rehearsal of “Billie Jean” at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier on Thursday.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams #18 dances during practice while quarterback Case Keenum #11 runs drills nearby on the first day of training camp at Halas Hall in Lake Forest on Wednesday.
Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze #15 runs drills on the first day of training camp at Halas Hall in Lake Forest on Wednesday.
Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
Berwyn firefighters work Thursday to put out a fire at the BP gas station at the corner of Ogden and Oak Park avenues in Berwyn. An explosion damaged the gas station building and nearby businesses.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Children cool off playing in the Crown Fountain in Millennium Park during a heat wave on Wednesday.
Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times
Fr. Michael Pfleger takes out bottles of water from a cooler near the corner of South Racine Avenue and West 79th Street in Gresham on Wednesday. Volunteers with St. Sabina Church distributed water to commuters, drivers and pedestrians to beat extreme temperatures.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Carl Bailey, a volunteer at St. Sabina Church, distributes bottles of water near the corner of South Racine Avenue and West 79th Street in Gresham on Wednesday. Volunteers distributed water to commuters, drivers and pedestrians to beat extreme temperatures.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
The Chicago Philharmonic’s annual Side By Side went forward as planned on July 19 despite a heavy rain earlier that day. “We got some calls from other people who were really excited,” said executive director Terell Johnson. “I was like, ‘OK, we can’t cancel; we’ll just go forward and hope for the best.’”
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Michael McClain, a longtime friend and ally of convicted ex-Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan, walks out of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse after being sentenced to two years in prison on Thursday.
Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times
People attend “The Great River Parade,” which features performances at different parts of the Chicago River, under the West Belmont Avenue bridge near North Campbell Avenue on Saturday.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Kayakers listen during “The Great River Parade,” which features performances at different parts of the Chicago River near the West Belmont Avenue bridge and North Campbell Avenue on Saturday.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
A crowd gathers for a celebration of Union Station’s centennial at 225 S. Canal St. in the Loop on Tuesday.
Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times
People watch as Berwyn Fire Personnel work the scene of a fire at BP gas station at the corner of Ogden and Oak Park avenues in Berwyn on Thursday. An explosion from an unknown source severely damaged the gas station building and nearby businesses. No injuries were reported.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Curtis Berry, 53, with his dog, Seven, at Chicago Animal Care and Control at 2741 S. Western Ave. Seven is battling an ear infection that Berry can’t afford to treat.
