I spent some time today wandering around downtown Chicago. I lived in the South Loop for two years when I was in school and used to spend every day wandering between Michigan Avenue, Wabash Avenue, and State Street. However, aside from my daily commute that passes through the heart of the city, I don't get downtown much anymore. Yet, the skyscrapers and classic "big city" environment of the downtown area never cease to amaze me. It was a beautiful sunny day with a breeze off the lake that traveled between the buildings and along the river. Intermittent sunlight shone in between the buildings before a passing clouds dulled the bright beams. When it wasn't blocked by clouds, though, the sun was blinding and bounced off the light stone buildings and murky river water.
I brought my camera along with me, although I still relied heavily on my phone (professional looking cameras often get you pegged as a tourist when you're walking down Michigan Avenue, which makes it difficult to avoid getting hassled by people trying to sell stuff to visitors). My phone was a more subtle option for grabbing a quick photo. I ultimately didn't take as many photos as I would have liked, but it was nice to walk around for several hours and enjoy the weather.
A snap shot from my phone in the Chicago Cultural Center- one of the most beautiful buildings downtown. There are several huge stained glass domes inside as well as ornate architectural design. I only had a 50mm lens with my on my "real" camera, so I used my phone to grab this wider shot. Not the best quality, but it gets the point across...
I stumbled upon a church I had never seen before in the Gold Coast area north of downtown. There was some beautiful light hitting the side of the building, but buildings nearby blocked lighting from hitting other sides. It was a great mix of tonality and contrast.
A wider view of the same church. Sort of crummy quality, but the contrast of light and shadow on the building was very interesting.