CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Last summer I set-up a tripod at the end of Chicago's Navy Pier to capture the Parade of Boats for the annual Race to Mackinac Island. I shoot 6 rolls of film over a 3-hour period. In a few of the background / environmental shots, I found that I shot several scenes of Chicago over and over. Here's three versions of roughly the same South Loop Skyline. For those familiar with downtown Chicago, the boats in the foreground are in Monroe Harbor and the center buildings are clustered around the intersection of S Michigan Avenue and Roosevelt Road, just across from the south end of Grant Park.

The images are not back to back, nor shot with exactly the same settings. They just happen to have almost the same view, same lens, same camera, and same focal length. A difference in sunlight probably contributes most to the visual differences, more than the difference between the B&W vs color, and the differences of the ISO speeds of each film.

This first image was captured second overall. I know this because the EOS 1v labels the physical film with an ongoing sequential number of rolls used. The B&W uses Ilford Delta 400, at an effective ISO-200. All the scanned JPEGs have been processed in LR6, so these aren't straight from the camera or scanner.

I prefer this B&W version to the last B&W presented in this sequence, especially the details and contrast of this image vs the later B&W, even though the later version is shot with an orange filter with the goal of increasing contrast. The sunlight onto the building probably really impacted the results.

Image 1
Film: Ilford Delta 400
Effective ISO: ISO-200
Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
Aperture: f/7.1
Focal length: 200mm
Shutter speed: 1/250 sec
Camera: Canon EOS 1v HS

2022 Boat Parade - Race to Mackinac by Paul Sager, on Flickr


This second image was captured using expired Fuji NPS 160. I really like this film, where my stockpile is nearing the end. This roll was labeled with an expiration date August 2001. I'm not the original owner, where I have my rolls frozen except for those I plan to use in the next 6-months or so. None of my NPS160 rolls have had any problems, so the rolls were likely kept frozen before being resold to me.

There's a bit of a film grain, but nothing like the Delta 400, where the Ilford Delta is known for having a fine-grain for a 400-speed film. The grain for film speed is not linear. My finding is film grain is more a function of the film type and shooting conditions / exposure, rather than simply the ISO-speed of the film.

This image is nice. It just doesn't have the nicer light of the first image.

Image 2
Film: Fuji NPS 160 (expired August 2001)
Effective ISO: ISO-100
Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
Aperture: f/9
Focal length: 200mm
Shutter speed: 1/250 sec
Camera: Canon EOS 1v HS

2022 Boat Parade - Race to Mackinac


The third image returns to Ilford Delta 400, this time with an Orange filter. The effective ISO was adjusted to ISO-080 to account for the 2-stop impact of the filter, and then a bit more exposure for this film over the box-speed. The image contrast shows my preferred result of using specifically an Orange filter with Delta 400. The light just doesn't seem as nice as the timing of the first image.

The grain seems roughly the same as the earlier B&W, maybe even a bit less pronounced.

This image was the first of the day in this 3-image sequence. There were storms passing north and south of the city, with rather overcast skys in the early portion of the morning, changing to bright sunlight in the afternoon. That subdued light likely impacted this image.

Image 3
Film: Ilford Delta 400
Effective ISO: ISO-080 with an Orange filter
Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
Aperture: f/9
Focal length: 188mm
Shutter speed: 1/80 sec
Camera: Canon EOS 1v HS

2022 Boat Parade - Race to Mackinac


I've given you everything I see, know, remember about that morning nearly a year ago. Do you see any other aspects I missed in the comparison? Is the color vs B&W important to your shooting, choice of film, if still shooting film?

Wait, here's a fourth bonus image I found in the 2021 results. My position at Navy Pier was slightly different by about 10-yards between 2021 and 2022, but still with the same camera and lens, this time with Kodak Tri-X 400 and a Yellow filter. The time of day was similar, but a more overall sunny morning. The 400-speed film again was adjusted for the use of a color filter, this time ISO-160. When I look at the details of image 3 and 4, the Ilford Delta seem to have less pronounced grain and more fine detail.

Image 4 (bonus from 2021)
Film: Kodak Tri-X 400
Effective ISO: ISO-160 with an Yellow filter
Lens: Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM
Aperture: f/9
Focal length: 200mm
Shutter speed: 1/500 sec
Camera: Canon EOS 1v HS

Chicago Skyline

pj81156 Loc: St. Petersburg, FL

In this case, black and white seems best, to me. I’m in the car, as we speak, on the way to the Smoky Mountains. With Tri-x and Ektar. I believe black and white will give me better results. I took my Olympus OM2n with one lens, a 50mm f1.4. By the way I lived in Chicago for 25 years and your photos make it more beautiful than anything I remember.

BebuLamar

So you know that the cameras do lie. Anyway I lived in Aurora, IL for more than 35 years.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thank you pj81156, BebuLamar! Several of these South Loop buildings are 'new', less than 15 years old, I think even newer. So, Chicago could look 'better' simply from looking different?

BebuLamar

Is that the Willis Tower (was Sears Towers) when I was in IL before 2011? I couldn't recognize it because it lost the 2 white antennas.

pj81156 Loc: St. Petersburg, FL

Our son has lived in Aurora for more than 20 years. We go there frequently.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

No, the Willis Tower would be about a mile, or less, off the right-edge of the images, moving west and a bit north from this location in Chicago.

johnm1369 Loc: Indiana

CHG_CANON, I am a fan of your photography. You are fortunate to live in a place that provides plenty of great places to shoot. I will be in Chicago next week and I am going to try to take some night shots near Buckingham fountain. That is if time permits.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thanks John! Let me temper your expectations. I haven't been down to the Buckingham area since Memorial Day, and access to the area seemed to be closed-off then. We're running a NASCAR race thru / around Grant Park in early July and I think that area is now all fenced off. I'm not 100%, but do want to caution to be prepared. Head out to Navy Pier for evening shots, as a plan B, or take an evening / sunset architecture tour on the many boat options.

johnm1369 Loc: Indiana

Thanks for the heads up. That's disappointing!! But there are other options I will explore. Have they closed Lake Shore Drive??

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

The Tribune just sent an update that includes some details:

The southbound lanes of the major lakefront thoroughfare will close from Randolph Street to the Museum Campus beginning June 28. Lane reductions will extend farther: Traffic will be reduced to two lanes at North Avenue, then to one lane at Chicago Avenue. Downtown traffic will be directed to exit at Michigan Avenue, and through traffic will be directed to exit at Grand Avenue. Between Grand and Randolph, only local traffic will be allowed.

Northbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive will be closed along the same downtown stretch beginning July 1. Traffic will be reduced to two lanes at 47th Street, then one lane near 31st Street. Northbound traffic will be required to exit at I-55.

Access will remain open to Navy Pier and the Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium and other attractions on the Museum Campus, though some of the museums have adjusted their hours.

johnm1369 Loc: Indiana

Thanks for that information. We will be leaving out of there on June 23, so maybe we can avoid some of that mess.