This has a great balanced composition. I also like how you chose a subject with so many shades of gray (each in a distinct block). The pre-sunset light creates nice deep shadows and a pleasant sky gradient. Did you use any filters in this shot?
Also, I'm curious if you shot this in color and then converted to B&W digitally? If so, did you convert with equal RGB weights or did you use one color channel more than the other two? I've been experimenting with converting late day shots to B&W and haven't been able to get the tones just right, as you did here.
Thank you for your comments, Andrew. I did, indeed, shoot the original in color. It was actually a struggle to decide which to post, as the color shot has a pure blue sky and some warm late-day tones on the lighter buildings.
I used Fred Miranda's B&W Workflow Pro Photoshop plug-in to do the b&w conversion. As the scene has a predominance of blue, I used the blue channel as the main control and then varied the balance between red and green. My goal was to get the Hancock Building's antennae to grab your eye by producing a strong contrast against the sky at the top of the frame. Then, I wanted to gradually lighten that dark sky as we reach Olympia Tower (to the left) and Water Tower Place (overlapping the Hancock).
I also used a TS-E 90mm (tilt and shift) lens for the shot, although I did not have to make much of a parallax adjustment since I shot from the 43rd floor and the Hancock Building tapers.
I remember seeing a shot of the Hancock Building by the late, famous architectural photographer Ezra Stoller very similar to this in the 1960's shortly after the Hancock was completed and long before the other buildings were built. It was a real kick to try to replicate that shot, although Mr. Stoller's shot, as usual, was truly stunning.
