Chicago’s Cloud Gate

Walk around downtown Chicago on a weekend and you will most certainly be drawn to the parks in the area, especially Grant and Millennium Park. Technically, Millennium Park is part of Grant Park, but to many they are known as separate sections.

Millennium Park is not only a popular hangout, it is also the site of some astounding art and architectural work.  One of the highlights in my eyes is the Cloud Gate, also lovingly called “The Bean.” During a nice day, tourists and residents alike will stop by to gaze at the reflections. As a photographer, you can have a lot of fun here. (continued below…)

Experiment. Take pictures of people posing in front of the Cloud Gate or capture their often warped reflections. This is especially fun when you walk “inside” or underneath the Bean. There are also many variations for taking pictures of the skyline: reflected as in the night shot, behind like in the day shot, you get the idea.

In the evening, it will not be as crowded, but you still will find people hanging out, especially other photographers. You can capture a completely different image during the evening hours. The most spectacular is probably the one showing reflections of the illuminated downtown buildings. The park officially closes at 11pm and you will be told to leave. So make sure you have enough time to play around with different settings and angles.

Other highlights of Millennium Park you should not miss are the Crown Fountain and BP Bridge, both great during the day as well as at night.

Definitely related posts: (handpicked)

• Hancock Observatory – A Bird’s Eye View of Chicago
• Buckingham Fountain, Chicago
• Chicago Night Photography
• The Chicago ‘L’

~ by tripgalleries on April 28, 2009.