Last November, we hosted our second photowalk around South Michigan Avenue, so it’s time for a recap! We had decided to focus on interior locations, which was good since winter came to Chicago early!
There are a lot of great indoor locations around South Michigan Avenue if you know where to find them! We started with the Palmer House and its gorgeous lobby area: it has 3 spiral staircases! Here are two different takes on our favorite one:
Just South of the Palmer House is a small gem that most people aren’t aware of: the staircase of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. With the atrium and skylight above the staircase, it’s a great spot to shoot! There’s often a banner hanging in the middle, so you may have to be creative with your shot or remove it in Photoshop!
Our next stop was the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. While you may have photographed the great glass facade of the building, you probably don’t know that they will let you photograph inside (provided you sign a waiver). It has a great textured wall that mirrors the facade. Perfect for minimalist shots!
After a short subway ride, we headed to the Cultural Center, which has so much to shoot, including the world-famous Tiffany Dome.
Our last stop was the Art Institute, another location with 3 staircases! The first staircase is the historic one close to the entrance, where details shots work great.
If you haven’t visited the south wing, you probably have missed the beautiful spiral staircase. Unfortunately, an art installation blocks most wide shots nowadays, so we focus on details.
Right by the staircase, on the upper level, is a gallery with some beautiful arches. Angie found some great angles there.
The third staircase, and our final stop of the day, is located in the modern wing, designed by Renzo Piano. It’s harder to shoot but you can still find some interesting angles.
We’ll be back in 2019 with more photowalks in Chicago and Toronto. They’re shorter and less intensive than workshops, and we try to find locations that are not as common.
