When we brought family from Germany back to the O’Hare airport in Chicago earlier this year we spent a couple days in downtown Chicago, visiting the Field Museum, exploring the iconic architecture of the city, and of course eating some good food. Seeing Chicago from above is always fun and so we went up to the observation deck of the John Hancock Center on the 94th floor and enjoyed a 360 degree view over the city and far beyond.
This is usually a pretty busy place and a photo like this one seems to be impossible because there are always people pressing their noses against the windows. Being up there mid morning made the view to the south the least desirable due to back-lighting and haze. But when I saw this corner of the observation deck suddenly complete empty and the shadows of the windows on the floor, I knew I had a shot. Exposing for the highlights emphasized the contours of the Chicago skyline. The ice on Lake Michigan on the left side was the hottest spot in the picture and the rest rendered nicely silhouette-like. Although I didn’t take the time to set the preview in the viewfinder to black & white, it was what I felt was right for this photo and converting the RAW file to B&W was the logical consequence. The distorted reflections from the streets below on the glass above the windows make for an unusual effect.
With its X-bracing on the tower’s facade, 875 North Michigan Avenue, former John Hancock Center, is easy to identify among Chicago’s skyscrapers.