Chicago Union Station
Chicago Union Station is still a working train station, which is part of what makes it such an amazing shooting location. The station sits in a grand Beaux-Arts building from 1925 with commuters walking through it all day, so there's always movement and activity. The Great Hall is a massive open space with a soaring vaulted skylight where the light pours through it beautifully. The skylight was recently restored and lets in even more natural light than it used to, so the whole room fills with this soft, even glow during the day. Around the hall there is tall Corinthian columns, original oak benches, brass torchiere light fixtures, and two sculptures by Henry Hering on the east wall representing night and day. Wide angles looking up into the skylight from the centre of the hall work well, and the columns give you strong vertical framing. The marble staircases leading down from Canal Street into the Great Hall are great for capturing people moving through the space. Midday brings the strongest light through the skylight, but mornings and late afternoons give you more directional light and longer shadows across the floor, which adds some depth. The east side of the exterior has a big limestone colonnade that photographs well from across Canal Street. The station is open daily as an active Amtrak and Metra hub, so you can walk right in without a ticket. (Chicago, Illinois, USA)
