Calders Flaming an orange abstract metal sculpture in Chicago stands in a wet reflective plaza The sculpture is reflected in the rain coating the plazas stone pavers in the evening with buildings in the background

Rain in the Loop

I haven’t gone out specifically to photograph the city in falling rain in a long time. Maybe never, actually, despite photographing countless storms and heading out into blizzard-like conditions.

I wanted to catch the city at blue hour, when the deep-blue color of evening mixed with the brilliant reflections of streetlights, traffic signals, and illuminated buildings on wet pavement. So I ventured into the Loop with my camera and rain gear.

My first stop, and where I got my most successful shots came around Alexander Calder’s Flamingo sculpture at Federal Plaza. The green cast from the Kluczynski Federal Building lobby gave me retro vibes, sort of like the glow from old mercury-vapor lamps. Rather than trying to neutralize it while editing, I leaned into the green, letting it play against the red of Calder’s Flamingo and the cool blues of the evening. I feel like I almost captured the full color spectrum in one photo. And there was no shortage of people with umbrellas.

From there, I waded through puddles to State Street and north toward the Chicago Theatre, looking for more photo ops. I didn’t find many. The rain was heavier and more persistent than I’d anticipated. By the time I reached the Theatre, I was absolutely soaked. It was the kind of rain that made you realize how waterproof your outerwear is (or isn’t).

Thankfully, a heavy-duty vinyl rain cover kept my camera dry, though the same couldn’t be said for me. The walk back was a slog, but I made it home with a few photographs to show for it. In case you’re wondering, I shot exclusively with my 24–70mm lens. Changing lenses in those conditions was not gonna happen. And using the viewfinder was near impossible, so I I relied on my Z8’s LCD screen. Still, nailing focus was challenging while looking through the blurry, wet protective vinyl. Add in rain and spray on the front lens element and you have a recipe for some imperfect shots, but in conditions like these, I think it adds character.

Here are some frames from a very soggy evening downtown. My “waterproof” Gore-tex shoes are still drying out…

A night scene in a city. Rain is falling and city lights reflect in every wet surface. A woman rides a bike through the center of the frame.

A dark, rainy night in a city. Lights reflect in the wet pavement in Chicago. A person with an umbrella is in silhouette in the foreground and softly out of focus. The background cityscape is sharp.

A black and white image of a streetscape in Chicago. A man with a large umbrella walks toward the camera.

A person walks through a plaza with a blu umbrella in the center of the frame. They are surrounded by a bright red metal sculpture above, and a reflection of that sculpture in the wet pavment below.

A man walks with a blue umbrella away from the camera. Thousands of raindrops are visible in the foreground, illuminated by the lights of the Chicago Theatre marquee mostly out of frame

Posted 10.2.26

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© 2026 Nick Ulivieri Photography in Chicago, IL.