Earlier this month I had the pleasure of spending a few days in downtown Chicago. This was my first time in Chicago and I couldn’t believe how cold it was. Even though the temperature was the same as home in Pennsylvania, I couldn’t seem to stay warm for the first 2 days I was there. I know what you’re thinking…”Oh, it’s the windy city Jesse, duh”. Ironically, it wasn’t that windy tho..just cold ! Luckily, that was the only negative I came across. Chicago is an amazing city. Clean, lively and full of life like a giant melting pot of diversity. I felt a strong resemblance to NYC but Chicago definitely has its own vibe. I was super fortunate to check out some amazing food spots. Shout out to Portillos! I knew I had to get a skyline shot so on my last night, I ubered over to the Hancock building. I didn’t have a tripod but luckily I was able to set up on a small ledge overlooking the city in various spots and set the self time. The view spans a breathtaking 80 miles around and features 4 states. I will have prints available soon. The elevator ride down (100+) floors felt like an experience all in itself. Realizing I was close to my hotel, I walked down Madison Ave back to my hotel and passed every possible retail store I could think of. If you’re a foodie or indulge in retail therapy, Chicago is a must. I also had the opportunity to shoot with an extremely talented model, Ashley Marie. We were on a tight time limit and not having a means of transportation or much of an idea of where I was, we opted to freestyle around the city in the hour we had and tried getting as many looks as we could. Below is a few of my favorite shots from our session. I didn’t have any off camera lighting with me so these were all natural light. Her info, along with our fantastic MUA we collabed with (Deja) info will be below. Go give them a follow. Overall, I wish my time in Chicago was longer ! I’d love to go back and work with a handful of people I didn’t have an opportunity too because of time restraints. Next trip will most likely be Jamaica…stay tuned.
Model: @theashleymarie
MUA: @dejatyre
