Rodney Campbell's Blog

This is the view from just into Lake Michigan looking back towards the city of Chicago

This was a handheld stitched panorama taken from our cruise vessel as it was turning around

Lake View

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 24 mm, 1/125 sec at f/8, ISO 64 x 7 Frames

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

One of the things that Chicago is famous for is it’s architecture. We were keen to go on one of the architecture tours whilst we were here

We’d booked to head out on one of the architecture cruises for the next morning

The Wrigley Building

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 24 mm, 1/100 sec at f/8, ISO 64

Heading down to near the Wrigley Building, we joined Shoreline Sightseeing for their 75 minute cruise on the canals past many famous landmarks and varied styles of building

Architecture Tour

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 24 mm, 1/30 sec at f/8, ISO 64

Our tour was excellent (if a little chilly out on the water :)) and our guide in particular was very engaging

I’d say well worth the time and cost if you’re ever in Chicago

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

Trump

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 70 mm, 1/125 sec at f/8, ISO 64

Our hotel in Chicago was directly opposite the John Hancock Center. It’s one of the tallest buildings in Chicago. The 360 Chicago observation deck is on the 94th floor of the building with amazing views over the city

Spiral Park

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S @ 14 mm, 1/200 to 1/3 sec at f/8, ISO 64

I was planning on heading up there one evening during our stay and photographing the city during twilight

As it was literally next door to where we were staying I figured I’d have ample opportunity during our weeklong stay

For now however I took some shots from down on the street looking up at the John Hancock building

John Hancock

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S @ 20 mm, 1/640 to 1/10 sec at f/8, ISO 64

This spot over the road where the building is framed by this alleyway when looking up worked particularly well

With such high contrast lighting conditions these shots are all exposure blends of seven (7) exposures bracketed at 1EV increments

Alleyway

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S @ 14 mm, 1/200 to 1/3 sec at f/8, ISO 64

The Footbridge

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S @ 14 mm, 1/320 sec at f/8, ISO 64

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

One of the places I’d researched before coming to the US was this spot which overlooks the elevated trains at Wells Kinzie Garage

Elevated

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 36 mm, 1/100 sec at f/8, ISO 64

There’s this lovely S-Curve of track below when you head to the top floor of the Wells Kinzie public carpark

I was planning to come here one night and shoot some log exposures with the lights at some stage. However I figured if I was in the area I’d recce the area so I knew where I was going in the dark 🙂

The Line

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 43 mm, 1/50 sec at f/8, ISO 80

Located on the south side of the Chicago Cultural Center is the world’s largest stained glass Tiffany dome

The magnificent translucent dome, 11.5m (38 feet) in diameter and made of Tiffany Favrile glass, is cut in the shape of fish scales

Tiffany Dome

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S @ 14 mm, 1/30 sec at f/8, ISO 64

At the top of the dome are the signs of the zodiac. At the base of the dome is a quotation from the British author Joseph Addison. The dome glass, lighting fixtures, wall sconces and chandeliers were made by the Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company of New York

The dome spans more than 90sqm (1,000 square feet). It contains some 30,000 pieces of glass in 243 sections held within an ornate cast iron frame

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

1896

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S @ 14 mm, 1/15 sec at f/8, ISO 360