Walk into any sports bar on the North Side of Chicago and you’ll see them. It doesn’t matter if the team is twenty games under .500 or chasing a pennant; those grainy, glossy, and high-definition pictures of the cubs are everywhere. They are more than just wall decor. For a fan base that waited 108 years for a "next year" that actually came, these images are religious icons.
People think they just want a photo of a home run. Honestly? They want the feeling of the ivy. They want that specific shade of blue that somehow looks different under the 1:20 PM sunlight than it does during a night game.
The Evolution of the Wrigley Aesthetic
Taking a photo at Wrigley Field used to be a gamble. You’d bring a disposable Kodak, snap twenty-four frames, and hope to god the light didn't blow out the scoreboard. Now, everyone has a 48-megapixel sensor in their pocket, but the soul of the imagery hasn't changed.
The early 1900s shots are haunting. Look at the shots of Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown. The shutter speeds were slow, so you get this beautiful, ghostly motion blur on his delivery. These aren't just baseball records. They are historical documents of a neighborhood evolving around a concrete diamond. Then you move into the 1960s—the Ernie Banks era. The colors in those vintage pictures of the cubs are hyper-saturated. "Let’s play two" wasn't just a quote; it was a visual vibe defined by wool jerseys and sun-drenched bleachers.
Why the 2016 World Series Photos Hit Different
We have to talk about the shot of Kris Bryant’s face as he threw the final out. His foot slipped. If you look closely at the high-res versions, his eyes are already widening before the ball even hits Anthony Rizzo’s glove.
That specific moment represents the peak of Chicago sports photography. It was the "impossible" captured in 1/2000th of a second. But even the candids from the parade—five million people turned into a sea of blue—carry a weight that "normal" sports photos don't. Most fans keep a digital folder or a physical scrapbook of these because they serve as a "where were you" marker.
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Capturing the Ivy: A Photographer's Nightmare
If you’ve ever tried to take pictures of the cubs near the outfield wall, you know the struggle. The Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) is a fickle beast. In April, it’s a dead-looking brown skeleton. By July, it’s a lush, deep green that eats light.
Professional photographers like Stephen Green, who has spent decades as the team's official lensman, have mastered the art of balancing that green. If you overexpose, the ivy looks neon. If you underexpose, the players look like silhouettes.
- The Spring Look: It's all about the brick. Since the leaves aren't out, you get the raw texture of the stadium.
- The Summer Peak: This is when you get those iconic "ball against the green" shots.
- The October Fade: If they're playing late, the ivy turns a deep, blood red. Those photos are the rarest and, arguably, the most beautiful.
The Instagram Trap vs. Real Moments
Go to the "Budweiser Bleachers" and you’ll see a thousand people with their backs to the game. They’re taking selfies. There’s nothing wrong with that, I guess, but the best pictures of the cubs usually happen when the camera is pointed at the field, not the fan.
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The real magic is in the details. It’s the chalk flying off the baseline when a runner slides into third. It’s the way the ivy shadows fall across the outfielder's jersey. It's the beer snake in the bleachers—a chaotic, plastic monument to Chicago fandom.
I remember seeing a photo from 1984. It was just a shot of the old hand-turned scoreboard. There were no players in it. But you could see the names of the pitchers and the inning-by-inning scores. It told the whole story of a Saturday afternoon without a single human face. That’s the power of this specific niche of photography. It’s about the place as much as the people.
Practical Tips for Your Next Trip to Clark and Addison
If you're heading to a game and want more than just a blurry mess on your phone, you've gotta think about the sun. Wrigley is oriented weirdly. For a 1:20 PM start, the sun is going to be harsh.
- Avoid the 1:00 PM shadows. The contrast between the bright infield and the dark dugout is too much for most phones. Wait until the 4th or 5th inning when the light softens.
- Focus on the Marquee. Everyone takes a photo of the red marquee. To make yours stand out, try a "worm’s eye view" from the sidewalk looking straight up. It makes the sign look like a monolith.
- The "W" Flag. Don't just snap it limp. Wait for a gust of wind off the lake. You want that flag fully extended against the blue sky. It’s the universal symbol for "Chicago won," and it’s the best way to end any photo gallery.
The Ethics of the Shot
There is a weird tension in sports photography now. Everyone wants the "viral" shot. But the most meaningful pictures of the cubs are often the private ones. A dad holding his daughter’s hand as they walk through the tunnel for the first time. The look of pure, unadulterated stress on a fan's face during a full count in the 9th.
These are the images that endure. Not the perfectly posed influencers in the front row, but the grit. The mustard stains on a jersey. The rain-delayed fans huddled under the concourse.
Making it Last
Don't let your photos die in the cloud. Honestly, the best thing you can do with your pictures of the cubs is print them. There is something about seeing a 4x6 print of Wrigley Field that makes the memory feel more "real."
Get a decent frame. Avoid the cheap plastic ones. Go for something wood or dark metal to match the stadium's aesthetic. Put it on a shelf where you’ll see it in February when it’s ten degrees out and baseball feels like a distant dream.
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To truly master the art of capturing the North Side, you have to stop looking for the "perfect" shot and start looking for the "true" one. Whether it’s the ivy, the scoreboard, or just a really good hot dog against the backdrop of the infield, the best photo is the one that reminds you why you care about a game played by grown men in pajamas in the first place.
Actionable Steps for Cubs Fans:
- Check the Light: Use an app to track the sun’s position at Wrigley. For those crisp, golden-hour shots, you want the late innings of an afternoon game or the start of a night game during mid-summer.
- Clean Your Lens: It sounds stupid, but stadium air is greasy. One wipe with a microfiber cloth will fix 90% of your "hazy" photo problems.
- Look for Symmetry: Use the architectural lines of the grandstands to frame your subject. The stadium's steel girders provide perfect natural borders for your compositions.
- Go Wide: If you have an ultra-wide lens, use it from the upper deck. It captures the entire "bowl" effect and shows the relationship between the field and the surrounding neighborhood.