Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago gives you one of the most iconic museum facades in the country, with its Beaux-Arts limestone exterior, grand staircase, and those two massive bronze lions framing the entrance on Michigan Avenue. The lions alone are worth spending time with; get low and shoot upward to emphasize their scale against the building, or position yourself across the street to capture both lions with the full facade behind them. The staircase and arched entrance work well as a symmetrical composition, especially with a wide or standard lens in the 24-50mm range. Morning light hits the eastern facade beautifully, and the soft hours after sunrise give you clean shots before the crowds arrive. On busy afternoons, use a tighter focal length to isolate details like the bronze patina or architectural ornament. The surrounding Millennium Park area lets you combine multiple compositions in a single visit. (Chicago, Illinois, United States)
