View Single Post
Old 07-09-2010, 07:46 PM   #2 (permalink)
SecretMethod70
Human
 
SecretMethod70's Avatar
 
Administrator
Location: Chicago
Good thing you're coming now and not 5 years ago: Chicago's Bean sculpture is free to photograph, at last - Boing Boing

I have no suggestions for gear, but there are so many things to photograph I wouldn't know where to start! That is, if you're interested in architecture.

A quick Google search yielded these results...

Flickr: Discussing Best Places To Visit/Photograph in Chicago...
Chicago Photo Ops - Chicago Photography - Popular Chicago Photo Spots

You could pay to go up the Sears - er, Willis - Tower and get a shot from above, but you can also go to the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of the John Hancock building. The view is just as good (though no glass balconies!) and there's no entry fee. You might want to get a drink or two out of respect though.

I know Star is interested in the museums too, so you should probably consider a CityPass, in which case you wouldn't have to worry about the entrance fee for the Willis Tower SkyDeck. If you do this, I'd choose the SkyDeck over the Hancock observatory, because as mentioned above you can go to the Signature Lounge or Signature Room instead. In fact, the very first time I ever met a TFPer in real life it was for drinks at the Signature Lounge. If you do this, I'd do the SkyDeck for shots during the day time, and then get drinks at the Signature Lounge and take shots there during the night time.

Obviously there are a bunch of photo opportunities in the museums, Sue at the Field Museum being the most well-known. You can get pretty good shots of the skyline from there too. And, of course, there's the Art Institute.

Marina City is another fairly iconic image of Chicago, and the Chicago Riverwalk is nearby too.

Lincoln Park Zoo and Conservatory is free to enter, and while it's not the best zoo ever it's pretty decent and it's kind of cool to see the animals with the urban backdrop.

Navy Pier is a tourist trap, but people seem to really like the ferris wheel. I imagine there are probably some good shots from there, though it obviously costs money to ride. I think Navy Pier itself is free to enter, so at the very least you could try for some skyline shots from there if you want.

One of the better spots to get a shot of the skyline - unless you're on a Lake Michigan boat ride - is from right around the Shedd Aquarium and/or Adler Planetarium. Again, there are good shots here during both daytime and nighttime. Belmont and Diversey Harbors or North Avenue Beach are also decent spots for skyline shots from a different angle.

Buckingham Fountain and Grant Park are good places to go, and the Hyde Park neighborhood has some great older architecture (including the University of Chicago and President Barack Obama's house) and I think it's totally worth a visit if you like that sort of thing. It's right near the Museum of Science and Industry if you're interested in that. Also nearby is Promontory Point, which is a popular spot for photographs. Since you know about "The Bean," you've got Millennium Park covered.

There is, of course, a trail to walk down pretty much anywhere you go along the lake, so there are plenty of opportunities there.

Not too far from Amy's neighborhood - but a bit of a trek from where you two will be staying - is Baha'i Temple, which is another landmark of the area.

By now you're probably getting the idea... there are just too many good spots to list! And I've pretty much only named the more popular places. Best thing to do is just grab your camera and explore!
__________________
Le temps détruit tout

"Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling

Last edited by SecretMethod70; 07-10-2010 at 07:20 PM..
SecretMethod70 is offline  
 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76