St. Regis Chicago Skyscraper in Fog Black and White Photography
Chicago River Skyline Beneath a Tower Disappearing Into Cloud
The top of the St. Regis simply disappeared. I was photographing from the water at the end of a Chicago architecture river cruise with my wife when the low cloud settled around the upper floors, leaving one of the city’s tallest skyscrapers without a visible ending.
That weather completely changed the photograph for me.
I composed vertically to exaggerate the height of the tower and keep the layers of downtown Chicago beneath it. The river forms a dark base across the foreground, while the Lake Shore Drive bridge cuts horizontally through the scene. Above it, glass residential towers and office buildings crowd together before the St. Regis rises sharply through the centre and vanishes into the fog.
I like the contrast between the precision of the architecture and the uncertainty of the weather. Every window, edge and facade below is sharply defined, yet the upper section of the skyscraper gradually loses its form until there is nothing but cloud.
Black and white made that transition even stronger. The glass buildings, steel bridge, water and heavy sky all fall into a restrained range of tones, allowing the scale and structure of the city to dominate.
I made this photograph in 2024, and for me it captures one of those brief moments when familiar architecture becomes something completely different. Chicago is still unmistakable, but the weather has taken control of the skyline.
© Dan Kosmayer, 2024
Premium Archival Fine Art Prints
Each photograph is produced using archival pigment inks on premium fine art paper, chosen for excellent tonal depth, fine-detail reproduction, and long-term image stability.
The refined surface provides beautiful detail while reducing distracting glare under normal indoor lighting, making it particularly well suited to both color and black-and-white photography.
Each photograph is sold as an unframed fine art print, allowing it to be framed according to your space and personal style.
Every print is made to order specifically for you.
Free Shipping
Shipping is included with every fine art print at no additional charge.
Your photograph is carefully packaged for protection during transit and shipped directly to your delivery address.
Tracking information is provided when your order ships.
About My Fine Art Photography
Every photograph in my collection comes from my own travels, explorations, and years behind the camera.
I create my work as photographic art rather than mass-produced decoration. From street portraits and abandoned places to landscapes, architecture, and the unusual subjects I discover along the way, each image begins with something that made me stop and look.
My photographs are available in multiple sizes so the same image can work in anything from an intimate wall space to a large statement installation.
