someday

i'm going to find a way down onto these tracks.

there is a huge empty field right next to an old abandoned train bridge.

i'm sure i'm not supposed to go down there, but that kind of space is so rare in the city, and the pictures looking north, up the river to the skyline would be awesome.

now i just need to find some climbing gear...

blustery spring day

windy and bright.

one of my favorite days on the lake.

though i could have used some gloves. taking photos when there is a cold spring wind off the lake is kinda finger numbing.

totally time consuming

its like having a bite-y toddler.

you're constantly potty training, or trying to get her to listen to you.

she doesn't get when its time to settle down.

and definitely thinks my arm is a very tasty chewy toy.

but then she looks at you like this:

and snuggles her head into your shoulder and starts snoring.

its a good thing there is a balance between their frustration causing behavior and their cuteness.

portraits

lakefront in fog and rain

black & white

i really love the double exposures that are coming out of this camera
i got this last one by saying "chase!"

these finally came back from developing. i love my film lab, they only do color, but arranged for a b&w lab to do the extra rolls.

too much of this

too little time to photograph.

today was beautiful and sunny, and all i wanted to do was be outside, taking pictures and just enjoying the sunshine.

but work called.

hopefully this weekend will be full of puppies, walks in the park, and lots of photos.

chasing light and clouds

trying to capture anything in low light on my camera is a little hard.

when the light keeps changing every second, as the sun sets and a storm rolls west, its almost impossible. but the light was so beautiful, i had to at least try.

they were the storm clouds that you only get at the changing of seasons.

tempestuous and threatening, but ultimately it doesn't rain.

beautiful to watch, whether or not i can capture it on film.

a pattern

obviously i like trains. i mean, who doesn't like trains?

looking back through old photos, i noticed that i like to photograph the crazy perspective that happens when tracks continue off into the distance.

this is why I love going through old art/photos/writings of mine. i see where i've stayed the same, how i've changed, and things that i forgot were beautiful.

i try to learn with every picture i take.

that's part of this exercise, to take a picture every day so that i remember how to photograph people and things.

how to frame them in a way that catches a moment you would usually miss.

the beauty of some one's hidden self.

a forgotten building and its exquisite decay.

the gentleness of the moments in between.

ralph

the beginnings of my co-worker ralph's sleeve. ralph is super awesome and has said he's totally down for letting me photograph his tattoo process.

if i can find a way to focus in tighter, i'd love to do a series of tattoo portraits. greatly influenced by shawn barber, whose work is stunningly beautiful.

we have makeup wars during our quick changes.

sunday afternoon visit

i tried to go out and take pictures on the lake, but chicago's weather had other ideas. so instead I went to roger's park and visited meg, olivier and bernard.

there is a staircase at the lyric that i love.

its silly to love a set of stairs, but this one seems to be have been forgotten 30 yrs ago. its teal and rust colored, and has windows on two sides overlooking the river. no one uses it, and if there is a matinee, opera music echos through all ten stories. i may start sitting in there during lunch, and just watch the river go by.

still life

photographing my house with the last few pictures of a roll.

success!!

mike was nice enough to let me take pictures of him very early in the morning

and then he made his badass face.

my wonderful neighbor Rudy. he makes beautiful drawings.
sometimes i forget to wind my film. this time i'm happy I didn't, 'cause i like the results
the most super Chase, also my neighbor. i'm so happy i captured a tiny bit of his joyousness on film.
i was so happy with the results of these. the black and whites were a fluke, a random roll of color processed 400 speed. and they turned out awesome. expect much more.

and a most gigantic thank you to Chase and Rudy for letting me bother them in the middle of their work day. they were a joy to photograph.

and to mike for letting me take his picture before the caffeine kicked in.

cheater self-portrait

i have a whole series of mirrored self-portraits across the history of my various cameras. there's something i really like about them. maybe because it allows me to hide behind the camera, while at the same time having my picture taken.

the day job

what I did all last week and this weekend.

hopefully prettier pictures forth coming.

beautiful

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwX7uEiEWx4

i wish I could post this video here, but my very new blogger skills haven't figured that one out yet, and mike isn't home to help me. there is something so wonderfully magical about stop motion animation.

enjoy!

(hopefully I will be getting the results of my friday shoot back tomorrow. I can't wait! the immediacy of the digital camera has made me a little impatient with waiting for my film to come back. and I'm excited to see if it all turned out!)