About the Photograph

It was my first trip to Chicago and although I wasn’t charmed by the city (I suppose it makes much better impression during summertime or real winter), this spot got me completely. The view from 93rd floor of the Hancock Tower, still one of the tallest skyscrapers in America, was stunning and one of the best I’d ever experienced. For the first 30 minutes, I was only walking around the floor, admiring the skyline, streets and Michigan Lake. Then the time had come to set up the gear in the best spot for the right perspective. Unlike at Top of the Rock, you’re only able to photograph through glass at 360 Chicago observation deck. Fortunately, I managed to smuggle my regular tripod (which wasn’t allowed at the time) and could keep the camera relatively stable (the skyscraper was constantly moving and the crowd also made the surface literally shaking). Thanks to my invaluable assistant, who remotely triggered the shutter for me, I was able to cover all the reflections (two hands were definitely not enough to control the whole process) appearing on the windows, despite the lens was almost touching the glass. I began long before sunset, watching the buildings gradually getting lit up. The sky was completely cloudy, so the sun was invisible, but the blue hour turned out to be almost as blue as usual. The night was even more spectacular and dramatic with all the lights reflecting on dark clouds.

Location: Chicago, Illinois