Photographing Chicago at Night

Upon leaving the Shedd Aquarium Jazz Night I walked to Grant Park to capture the sights of the city with my camera. One of the best times to take photographs is at dusk. The reason for this is that sunlight is not as harsh at dusk (and also at dawn), as it is during the middle of the day. Shooting at dusk enables the photographer to capture moments like this…

I really like this photo because it is colorful. Pink clouds, blue sky, silver buildings and green lights make it perfect in my eyes. I would not have been able to have had the same effect if I had taken this photo during the daytime. I’ve often wondered how photographers are able to capture photos like this one. Here are a few of the tricks I used.

1. Use a tripod. Nighttime shots don’t have a lot of light so your camera shutter needs to stay open longer. Your hand isn’t steady enough to prevent blurriness.
2. Take your time and take lots of photos. On one hand, I was all alone during my trip to the aquarium and around the park. On the other hand, I didn’t feel like I was rushed into taking a photo and hurrying away. On this particular night I took probably 100 photos of the same thing. A good night is when one photo looks good. Sometimes in the viewfinder you can’t see a tree branch that has intruded on your scene – or a pedestrian. If you take lots of photos, odds are there will be one that is worth sharing.
3. Use a level. While not necessary, I have a small level that attaches to the top of the camera, this helps me to keep the horizon straight.
4. Follow other photographers. The photo below of Buckingham Fountain was taken from the same spot as several other photographers who had their tripods setup. Follow the experts, who know what the good angles are, and take their lead. Some of you may recognize this fountain from the opening scene in the TV Show Married with Children.

For 9 P.M. at night the fountain was quite busy. It is illuminated with a variety of color changing lights and is set to music. A great place to sit and people watch.

Chicago has some interesting sights to photograph. Along with the fountain and skyline, Millennium Park has a great outdoor theater. It just so happened that the night I stumbled across it, there was a Jazz Concert in the park. Chicago loves it’s jazz. It was just about ending as I walked onto the lawn. It is a gorgeous, state-of-the-art concert hall. Perfect for a summer night. There were groups of people with their lawn chairs sprawled out on the lawn. Picnic baskets, wine and great company made for a relaxing evening for the concert goers I’m sure. Here is a close-up look at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion.

Just across the way is the famous Cloud Gate. It is made entirely out of polished steel.

I caught the cloud gate after the sun had set, so I couldn’t take as many photos as I had hoped. This also would have been a neat place to photograph during the day too. The quintessential shot to take here is the photograph of the photographer. I posted my best one at my Flickr site, but it’s not as sharp as I had hoped. I was losing light fast.

Chicago has a lot of interesting architecture to admire, appreciate and photograph. Be sure to carve out some time to do just that. And if you time it right, maybe you can find some jazz to go along with it.