‘Variety's the very spice of life,
That gives it all its flavour.’
~William Cowper

Most of the time, you'll find me photographing landscapes in the natural world. That said, I shoot other subject matter, too - like cityscapes and architecture. One of my favorite places to do that is in my home city: Chicago.

Since most of the buildings downtown were completely destroyed by the great fire of 1871, Chicago's skyline is a relatively recent creation (and, like every city, continues to change over time). Still, the modern skyscraper can trace much of its history to Chicago and the Chicago School of Architecture. The city boasts a variety of styles and many landmark masterpieces.

Whether you're a first-time visitor or a native, the Chicago Architecture Foundation's river cruise is a wonderful way to become acquainted with the stories of how many of the buildings lining the Chicago River came to be. It's always enjoyable to cruise the Chicago River, and even if you've done so previously, you might learn and/or see something new (for example, three riverside buildings are scheduled to be completed this year).

Beyond the skyscrapers, there are spectacularly beautiful parks - and of course, the Lake Michigan waterfront!

While I often have specific locations and compositions in mind when I'm working in Chicago, other times I like to wander around with an open mind just to see what captures my attention. Since the light and conditions are always fluid, you never know what opportunities might present themselves.

The photograph below is an example of one of those unplanned shots. Standing in Millennium Park one late afternoon, I was admiring the lines of the Trump Tower, which at that time had just been completed. It was still a little unusual to see something up high in that spot (the unattractive Sun-Times Building which it replaced had been short and squat) - so the new skyscraper captured my attention.

The building was further accentuated by the picture frame my eyes were seeing - created by the "Diamond Building" (Crain Communications) and the "Bean" (Cloud Gate). I used a telephoto lens to compress and accentuate the framing. The combination of shapes (curves on the one side and diamond on the other) and the fact that the reflections are unorthodox make for a more interesting composition.

Even someone who is familiar with the city might pause for a second before recognizing that he's looking at reflections in the face of Cloud Gate, mainly because the sculpture is actually quite some distance from the Crain Building (and the Crain Building is, in turn, not at all close to the Trump Tower).

Thanks to the telephoto lens, this is one of those instances when what the camera sees is even more fascinating than what the human eye observes.

If you haven't already, I highly recommend shooting something completely different from what you normally photograph from time to time. Switching gears can exercise your imagination. Especially if it feels like you're in a creative rut, give it a spin. Variety is the spice of life!