[MRRiley]

I'll be in Chicago Sunday, 13 Nov through Tuesday, 15 Nov. My wife is attending a seminar and I will be able to run around and shoot during the day. We are staying down near the Navy Pier. I won't have a car but figure downtown should be easy to get around. Anyone have any suggestions as to where/what to shoot? Any places to stay away from?

Thanks,

Mike

[blackcloudbrew]

I had part of one day in about the same area a couple of years ago. The Navy Pier area is nice by itself but Millennium Park with it's large sculptures is an easy walk away. The 'Cloud Gate' mirrored torus thingy is fund for photography. Also close by (and just beyond the park) is the Chicago Art Museum which is a good visit and some photo ops too. That's about it for my knowledge.

[darrenleow]

Check out the Occupy Chicago protests at Jackson and Lasalle. Definitely check out the Millenium Park area, the Marilyn Monroe statue at the Michigan-Wacker intersection. There's also the Museum of Contemporary Art nearer to Navy Pier, and possibly some of the neighborhoods, such as Wicker Park, Oak Park (Frank Lloyd Wright district).

If you decide to take the 6 bus down to Hyde Park to visit the University of Chicago, let me know!

Zenfolio | Darren Leow Photography | University of Chicago

[ivoire]

Lots of good suggestions above, if you like heights, try the Sky Deck. Go here for a few more ideas.

Chicago Attractions | Explore Chicago

[krp]

As other have said, Millenium Park is a good place to shoot, and close to the Navy Pier. The Sears Tower is expensive, only go if it's a clear day. Also if you want the classic Chicago skyline panorama shot, head down to the Adler Planetarium. The best view is at night and at sunrise.

[darrenleow]

Oh, also, you could try out the architectural river boat tour - a good way to learn about Chicago's famous buildings, and a great view of the city from Lake Michigan

[psychdoc]

I lived in Chicago for a couple of years. Still have family there and visit at least once a year:

If you dont have a car, chicago has free trams for the tourist areas in downtown. Not sure if it runs off-season. If the weather is not too cold, rent a bike. You can ride around most places near the lake and get plenty of pictures. Public transportation is also there. Not as good as NYC.

# Adler Planetarium: best view of the Chicago Skyline.
# Take a picture of the 'Bean' in Millenium Park
# Navy Pier is somewhat over-rated, but worth a visit. But if you go along the bike route, you will see some nice places to shoot pics.
# The Architectural Tour is a definite must. Take the BOAT tour NOT the bus. You get much better views. Take a wide angle lens...A fish eye might be real fun. I was not into taking pics when I went on the trip a while back. Someday...
# John Hancock building: supposed to have better views than Sears Tower. However, the only time I went up there it was so hazy it wasnt worth it.
# Michigan Ave: walk up and down this street. Plenty of people. You can get plenty of street photography here.
# Playboy mansion: apparently the first playboy mansion was in Chicago...In any case, the building is not much to shoot. But if you go to that area, there are a lot of nice houses, stonework etc.

Stay away from: Chicago is a pretty safe in the downtown area. If you are not a winter weather guy, It can get really cold when the wind blows near the lake areas, which is pretty much the downtown. I always have to have gloves and something to cover my ears in additon to everything else...

Have fun!

Some pics:

The bean

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Last edited by psychdoc; 11-14-2015 at 03:36 PM.