Rodney Campbell's Blog

Completed in 1897 as Chicago’s first central public library, the Chicago Cultural Center was designed to impress and to prove that Chicago had grown into a sophisticated metropolis. The country’s top architects and craftsmen used the most sumptuous materials. Rare imported marbles, polished brass, fine hardwoods, and mosaics of Favrile glass, mother-of-pearl and coloured stone, to create an architectural showplace

Quad

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S @ 14 mm, 1/15 sec at f/8, ISO 220

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

The inlaid marble staircases at the southern (Washington Street) end of the cultural centre are particularly spectacular. Perhaps moreso with the famous Tiffany dome beyond the end of the stairs

An arched portal, bronze-framed doors, and a 3-story, vaulted lobby with walls of white Carrara marble and mosaics. The staircase is also of white Carrara marble, set with medallions of green marble from Connemara, Ireland, and intricate mosaics of Favrile glass, stone, and mother of pearl. The stairway to the 5th floor was inspired by Venice’s Bridge of Sighs

Tiffany Approaches

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S @ 14 mm, 1/15 sec at f/8, ISO 180

In 1991, the building was established as the Chicago Cultural Center by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. Becoming the nation’s first and most comprehensive free municipal cultural venue

Zag

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S @ 14 mm, 1/15 sec at f/8, ISO 200

Before coming to Chicago I’d done some research online for both:

1. places to photograph
2. places to visit (tourist destinations)

Sometimes a place could be one and the same but not always 🙂

One of those places was the Chicago Cultural Center. So whilst my wife was free we decided to visit

The stunning landmark building is home to two magnificent stained–glass domes. The slightly larger but in my opinion less spectacular is here at the northern end of the building

Domed

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S @ 14 mm, 1/15 sec at f/8, ISO 100

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

The building also has an abundance of very interesting staircases. Always a drawcard for a budding photographer like me

Crossing the Threshold

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S @ 14 mm, 1/15 sec at f/8, ISO 500

Escher

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S @ 14 mm, 1/15 sec at f/8, ISO 320

I arrived back home from my epic multi month travels around half of Australia. Just in time to join my wife for a trip to the states

She was heading to Chicago for a training workshop. As I was still on leave from work I joined her for a two week vacation 🙂

In Chicago we were staying in the city on Michigan Avenue, so we had easy access to the city sights

Once we’d settled in we took a walk down Michigan Avenue till we arrived at Millennium Park

Open Heart

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 24 mm, 1/25 sec at f/8, ISO 640

During the day it was crazy busy and the famous Cloud Gate (The Bean) was surrounded by tens of thousands of tourists like us. You could barely get near it, let alone photograph it :). Here’s a shot from underneath the bean looking up at the curvy reflection of the crowds

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

Macy’s

NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/4 S @ 24 mm, 1/25 sec at f/8, ISO 1250

These raptor’s were very interested in my drone as I was flying above this salt infected landscape in Western Australia’s rural wheat belt

I think they thought it might be another bird and they “buzzed” the drone a few times. Luckily no accidents occurred – for me and them…

Raptor

DJI Mavic 2 Pro L1D-20c + 28.0 mm f/2.8 @ 10.26 mm, 1/640 sec at f/4, ISO 100 x 21 Frames

Some actually flew extremely close to the drone and I even managed to capture one in flight very closeby as I was taking this 180˚ panoramic shot

The twenty one frame stitched panorama above and below the single frame with the bird flying past

Note: These photographs (especially the wider shots) look much better when larger. To see larger versions in an inline overlay slideshow gallery viewer click any of the images.

Raptor

DJI Mavic 2 Pro L1D-20c + 28.0 mm f/2.8 @ 10.26 mm, 1/640 sec at f/4, ISO 100

Farscape

DJI Mavic 2 Pro L1D-20c + 28.0 mm f/2.8 @ 10.26 mm, 1/400 sec at f/4, ISO 100

A Gentle Wash

DJI Mavic 2 Pro L1D-20c + 28.0 mm f/2.8 @ 10.26 mm, 1/400 sec at f/4, ISO 100