Chicago Photography Guide Part 1 - The Classics
Written and Photographed by Mike Lindle
Heading out to Chicago but don’t know where to shoot? After recently exploring the city for 2 months paired with a few visits over the years, I have put together a 4 part series on the best photography locations in Chicago:
Part 1 - The Classics
Part 3 - CDOT Trains & Parking Lots
I’ve also included a few tips, the gear I used, and how to get to each location through Google Maps!
The Bean (Cloud Gate) - Millennium Park
The Bean sits right on the edge of Millennium Park in Chicago. Artistically, the sculpture is called Cloud Gate, but the locals insist that it’s The Bean. Designed by Anish Kapoor in 2006, the design was inspired by liquid mercury. The structure stands at 33 feet high and tourists love snapping their photos in the reflection of the sculpture.
Pro Tip - If you want clean images without heavy crowds, show up for sunrise or on a cold day!
Cost - Free
Camera - Nikon D3200
Cindy’s Rooftop Bar (The Bean Overlook)
Sitting at the top of the Chicago Athletic Association and a Shake Shack is Cindy’s Rooftop Bar. With the best views of Millennium park from above, this spot shuold definitely stay on your list. They typically don’t allow photos taken by professional cameras (interchangeable lens cameras) without a photo pass. You can contact them in advance to get one. No time to plan ahead? You can probably take a few photos if you’re quick and sneaky before they ask you to put your gear away.
Pro Tip - Visit their deck when the lighting is good, it stays open in winter!
Cost - Free, but you should probably buy at least 1 beer/cocktail to not overstay your welcome. ($7-$13)
Camera - Nikon D750
Lens - Nikkor 12-24mm f/4G
Lens - Nikkor 35-70mm f/2.8D
The Chicago Theatre Sign
Originally known as the Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre, The Chicago Theatre is the city’s landmark theatre. Built in 1921, the Chicago Sign hanging off this theatre has been a destination for many tourists. Still active, try to budget some extra time to see a performance!
Pro Tip - Check it out in the snow or after sundown when they turn on the lights!
Cost - Free and Public Exterior (Ticket Prices for Shows Vary)
Camera - Nikon D750
Lens - Nikkor 35-70mm f/2.8D
Willis (Sears) Tower Lookup
Walking around the Chicago Loop, you will be surrounded by some of the US’s largest sky scrapers. Even as a New Yorker, you’ll still be tempted to look up and enjoy some of the sweeping views straight above. One of the best sites I’ve found is staring straight up at the Willis (Sears) Tower on a foggy day, as the building disappears above. Completed in 1973, it held the record for the tallest building in the world for nearly 25 years (taking the title away from the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York). It remained the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere until New York’s One World Trade Center was completed in 2014.
Pro Tip - Note the focal range, if you shoot too wide, you may not get similar results in your composition!
Cost - Free and Public View
Camera - Nikon D3200
Willis Tower “The Ledge” and Sky Deck Observatory
Sitting at 103 stories above the ground, it is one of the tallest observation decks in the United States and is easily one of Chicago’s most famous tourist attractions. Approximately 1.7 million tourists visit annually. All times of day are epic, try to come around sunset or low fog conditions for best visuals.
Pro Tip - Make sure to snag a selfie standing over the glass on “The Ledge”, like this stranger pictured below! The floors are glass so you can see straight to the bottom.
Cost - $25
Camera - Nikon D750
Lens - Sigma 14mm f/1.8 Art
Camera - Nikon D3200 // Lens - Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR
Camera - Nikon D3200 // Lens - Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S DX VR
Chicago Board of Trade Center
Built in 1930, this skyscraper is another classic Chicago landmark (designated on May 4th 1977). It is currently an active office building housing employees of the CME group as the primary trading venue for the derivatives exchange. It is a Chicago emblem of preserved Art Deco style, with a three-story art deco statue of Ceres, Goddess of agriculture, at the top. Makes sense for Illinois’ vast grain fields surrounding Chicago.
Pro Tip - Shoot on a rainy day to catch light reflections off the streets to give more of a moody vibe!
Cost - Free and Public View
Camera - Nikon D750
Lens - Nikkor 35-70mm f/2.8D
The Wrigley Building Sky Walk
The Wrigley building was built in 1924 to house the corporate headquarters of the Wrigley Company. It was the first office building constructed on the North side of the River. Sold to investors in 2014 and again in 2017, it now houses modern amenities on the ground floors such as a gym and a Walgreens.
Pro Tip - Step into the plaza between the two towers and look up to see the Sky Walk connect the two buildings at the 14th floor
Cost - Free and Public View
Camera - Nikon D750
Lens - Sigma 14mm f/1.8 Art
Lens - Nikkor 12-24mm f/4G
John Hancock Center
Located in the Magnificent Mile part of the city, this 100 story skyscraper looms over many surrounding buildings. When it was completed in 1968, it was the 2nd tallest building in the world, and tallest outside of NYC. To this day, it contains the 3rd tallest residence in the world, after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and the Trump Tower in Chicago. When caught in the right lighting conditions, this building is a great site!
Pro Tip - Photograph this skyscraper from the street and bring a wide lens!
Cost - Free and Public View
Camera - Nikon D750
Lens - Nikkor 12-24mm f/4G
Lens - Nikkor 35-70mm f/2.8D
The Tiffany Dome - Chicago Cultural Center's
Located in the Chicago Cultural Center you’ll find the world’s largest Tiffany glass dome. Before Tiffany&Co made jewelry, the company was best known globally for its decorative glass. Originally built as Chicago’s first public library in 1897, Chicago eventually converted the building into the Chicago Cultural Center, offering tourists free history and context during their visit to Chicago.
Pro Tip - Get there before they close at 7pm!
Cost - Free
Camera - Nikon D750
Lens - Sigma 14mm f/1.8 Art
Crown Fountain - Millennium Park
Sitting right on the edge of Millennium Park in Chicago, a stone’s throw from The Bean is Crown Fountain. Designed by Jaume Plensa in 2004, the design features both scenery and local residents, sometime even spewing water from their mouths as part of the fountain display. The structure stands at 50 feet high and tourists love visiting in summer to play in the water.
Pro Tip - Visit at night to see the lights reflect off the granite reflecting pools!
Cost - Free
Camera - Nikon D3200
If you enjoyed this article, feel free to check out our Aerial and Timelapse YouTube Channel!
