best of the mid-west

City Limits Postcards - 4pk

2012-01-22T21:45:00.000-06:00

Potrero Hill Housing Projects

2012-01-22T03:24:00.002-06:00

I was standing right there, between the lightpost and the overpass sign.

Will stopped traffic with his tow truck right behind my car,

and I took this picture.

Sunnydale - Day After

2012-01-22T03:12:00.000-06:00

Christmas

Christmas in the Bay

2012-01-22T03:08:00.000-06:00

2011 4th of July in Pacifica, CA

2012-01-21T18:10:00.000-06:00

Year in Review

2012-01-21T18:04:00.000-06:00

Going through 2011 photos and posting some random stuff.

thought it might be nice to kick off the year of the Dragon with some pictures of cash:)

Winter Garden, FL Backyards - Part 2

2011-12-24T21:51:00.002-06:00

Winter Garden, FL - Backyards

2011-12-22T22:03:00.000-06:00

Digital Flipbook

2011-11-11T00:30:00.001-06:00

Colma on El CAmino Real

2011-11-02T02:13:00.000-05:00

Bridges and the Bottom of Diego Rivera

2011-10-22T15:30:00.001-05:00

Bay Area Explorers

2011-10-22T15:27:00.000-05:00

Love, rocks, nostalgia

2011-10-22T15:22:00.000-05:00

Some Things Stay the Same

2011-10-22T02:42:00.000-05:00

Time Travel to Sunnyvale

2011-10-22T02:33:00.000-05:00

Flowers - Pool Opening

2011-06-15T21:51:00.002-05:00

Thanks for the flowers mom.

Wright crew - Thank you!

Me and Evan!

Opening Reception - Chicago City Pools

2011-06-10T13:11:00.001-05:00

Rio Crew Represent!

Special thanks to Steven Hudosh for making this kick-ass time-lapse.
Blogger cuts off this whole frame so here is a direct link to youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skxuQ7UhFlA

FL Pool Pano

2011-05-29T17:37:00.001-05:00

Fort DeSoto Beach, FL Panos

2011-05-29T17:34:00.001-05:00

Orlando Panos

2011-05-29T17:30:00.000-05:00

More from the Carr kids...

2011-05-29T15:10:00.000-05:00

Oldest

2011-05-29T14:36:00.000-05:00

In case you were wondering...

2011-05-29T14:21:00.000-05:00

Chicago City Pools

2011-05-26T20:28:00.002-05:00

My solo exhibition of Chicago City Pools opens in one week @ Wright Auction! Can't wait to show everyone the work!!

Wright
1440 W. Hubbard
Chicago, IL
5-8pm

Click here for the press release.
Click here for a link to the project.

Future Kylie

2011-05-02T23:16:00.001-05:00

In this photo of my 4 year old goddaughter I think we can see the future.

Panos from Easter

2011-05-02T21:36:00.001-05:00

Liz with her grandpa and my dad.

Easter Family Portrait

Easter Family Pre-Portrait

Maddy and Clara

My sister.

Liz with her parents.

Me, Maddy and my Easter dates, frank and Steven.

San Francisco Misc.

2011-04-09T22:16:00.000-05:00

SFMOMA

2011-04-09T22:08:00.002-05:00

Got to see the wedding portrait Frida Kahlo painted for a friend of her and Diego in SF.

This small picture on the left is a rip form the web, but the other two are details I took.

Awesome show!

Visit to SFAI

2011-04-09T21:54:00.001-05:00

Alway reppin RIO when I travel.

In March I traveled to SFAI to interview for their MFA program, in photography.

I thought it was a good sign that my hotel room had a view of the pool, considering the bulk of my submission portfolio was pools.

Diego Rivera murals in the SFAI library.

I am SO THRILLED to be attending in the Fall! Yay,

My new school!

Chicago City Pools

2011-04-05T18:58:00.000-05:00

Panos of Clara

2011-04-05T18:54:00.001-05:00

Borrowed a Widelux from Peter Sorel...

I tested it out in my alley with Claradog.

Trip to Yale for Grad Open House

2011-02-02T18:13:00.002-06:00

selfNovember 2010, I'm slow on posting as you can see. Yale has a small but amazing art gallery, so here are a few shots from there and also, "Old Yale" campus.

Sometimes, I get mad.

2011-01-19T21:19:00.000-06:00

But breaking stuff makes me feel better.

2010 - Wrap-IT-UP!

2011-01-19T15:42:00.003-06:00

So, facebook, flickr and apathy have taken the wind out of my blog's sails (poor thing). But, as I wrap up my photos from 2010 I will be posting some here that slipped through the year's cracks.

Starting with this beautiful orange van.

...and onto Art Chicago...where, (sorry) I don't know the artist, I found this lovely sculpture,

which brought to mind this,

and this.

Moving on, here is a typical Missy skyline.

Obligatory shot of Clara.

2010-12-29T13:31:00.001-06:00

Kirk and Gina's tree

Wells

Winter in the Chi

2010-12-29T13:29:00.000-06:00

Suburban Hotel View

2010-11-14T21:52:00.000-06:00

Windiest Day of the Year

2010-11-14T20:18:00.000-06:00

Gage Park 83 years apart...

2010-11-04T11:23:00.000-05:00

Gage Park, Chicago, 1928

Gage Park, Chicago 2010

Africa Panos

2010-11-01T12:12:00.000-05:00

Elepant

Zebra

Lion

Wilde beast herd

As I look through my images for grad schools apps I came across these panos from my 2007 trip to Kenya. We had an AMAZING time!!!

Amazing Muppetness

2010-10-25T11:10:00.000-05:00

I found this on fb and can't find it again. If you know whose it is please post it!

Jesse White - Coolest Secretary of State in the USA

2010-10-04T22:59:00.000-05:00

Ok, I have seen the Jesse White Tumblers a number of times. If memory serves my Lombard Leapers Park District gymnastics team, above, once opened for them...in 1986. I am pretty sure that I have never seen Jesse White at any of the events. I'm pretty sure I would remember the Illinois Sec. of State, Mr. DMV himself, performing with them.

This guy has nerves of steel! People, he is 76 years old!

A pretty amazing guy.

What does it all mean?

2010-10-02T11:26:00.000-05:00

Mysterious "weed banner" appears in my alley from time to time....what does it all mean?

Late July Flooding in the Burbs

2010-10-02T11:22:00.000-05:00

Top 50 Pool Shots!

2010-09-21T18:12:00.000-05:00

See the (working) final 50 here, on my flickr.

Decisions, Decisions

2010-09-20T19:24:00.001-05:00

Which one of these loveliess to choose....?

Pulaski Pool 1

Pulaski Pool 2

Pulaski Pool 3

Pulaski Pool 4

Pulaski Pool 5

Working Top 5 Pools

2010-09-20T13:43:00.004-05:00

Pulaski Park

Chase Park

Avalon Park

Davis Square, 2010

Douglas Park

This is not final by any means. To make such a small edit of this large body of work I struggled to hit the sweet-spot between intimate portraits and timeless architecture with a literal in-between, showing neither.

Humboldt Park

I removed this from the third position and replaced it with Avalon.

Sears from My Office

2010-09-12T17:59:00.000-05:00

Parking Goddess of Chicago

2010-09-12T17:49:00.000-05:00

Time Travel on LSD

My parallel Parking skills are unparalleled.

Margite in my everyday life.

Rio Jiu Jitsu BBQ

2010-09-12T17:43:00.000-05:00

Rio Jiujitsu BBQ!

above, Beluso and Anton on the mat.

Overwhelmed

2010-09-01T20:24:00.000-05:00

How will I edit....? So many pics

Pools Edit Begins

2010-09-01T19:20:00.000-05:00

Glorious working from home. Now if only someone would pay me to do photography (on my terms). I have 112 proof sheets with 416 photos from the pool project.

Pulaski Park Pool

2010-08-24T01:29:00.000-05:00

From the rooftop.

Air Show

2010-08-23T00:15:00.000-05:00

Above, California Park, 3843 N. California Ave.

Below, Hamlin Park, 3035 N. Hoyne Ave.

Back to Ada Park

2010-08-18T16:23:00.001-05:00

Ada Park, where it all began... Now that I have photographed every pool on my list, I went back to Ada to get a self portrait.

Went back to Ada where it all started and got some better shots of the signs (da Park). I made it there for open swim. The water was deliciously cold. I met a young man (brent, 16) I whipped him in a swim race across the short end of the pool and later whipped him and and his friend to the rope. hahaha. He helped me take the above shots.

Armour Square

2010-08-15T12:11:00.001-05:00

more here.

Pilsen Crown Vic

2010-08-14T00:08:00.000-05:00

Douglas Park

2010-08-13T11:05:00.001-05:00

more here.

Thanks, Thursday!

2010-08-12T22:04:00.004-05:00

Thank you, Thursday!

I had a sweet photoshoot today with my good friend's kids (below).
Drove up north to Gompers Park, where the old black woman working the door let me into "family swim" because, "It's hotter than Hell today..." Took pics of a nice Latin Family with a baby, swam.

Hit two more pools, swam some more.

Picked up my framed Jason Lazarus print at Yoko's.

And now, Sultan's Market! Delicious, well-deserved treat. It's a pain in the ass getting there and parking because it is like 4:30 at the 6 corners. I throw on my flashers and as I'm running up the street to the store a huge SUV (with rims!) turns the wrong way down the street. Stops and an undercover detective leans out the window, points at me:

Him: Get over here!
Me: (walks over, might be worth mentioning here that I am in a wet bikini and towel)
Him: (angry) You can't just make a U-turn WHEREVER YOU WANT! You CANNOT drive your car in reverse down a one way street, and I'm pretty sure YOU CAN'T PARK THERE!
Me: So....move my car? (thinking, Gosh, when you put it like that...)
Him: YES! Move your car. (stares at me)
Me: and...don't drive like a jerk?
Him: Yeah, (almost to himself) don't drive like a jerk.
OK, no Sultan's for me...
Him: (overheard as he tries to get out of his bad spot facing the wrong way on a one way street with a packed North Avenue behind him) Get out of my fucking way!

Hahahahaha, where does he think I learned to drive like that? Hello, watching cops!! It was like my audacity personally offended him(...only people like HIM can drive like THAT, and only in the name of justice!) And/or he was sort of in awe of my sweet git-r-done driving skills.

hahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!

Feelin' lucky.

Went home and BBQ'd myself some ribs.

Now for something a little lighter...

2010-08-12T13:10:00.000-05:00

Fresh portrait of my friend Terri's son John. I gave him a guitar to honor his (partial) namesake, Johnny Rotten. Nothing like cute kids and good assistant to make a shoot go well!
Thanks, Danielle.

Man with Fish, 2010

2010-07-27T12:30:00.004-05:00

Jack Spencer's powerful image, Man with Fish, Como, MS, 1996 (at left), is the inspiration for this piece. His photograph of a young man with a large caught fish is about potential, bounty and hope. It's glowing light and deep shadows speak of life's miracles and mysteries, including man's complicated relationship to nature and the cycle of life.

Although Mr. Spencer uses the word “Man” in the title, to me it speaks about youth. The optimism of the large fish and the smooth hairless chest make me think “young man” of about 20 years old. A man, but not by much.

My treatment of the image is anti-optimism. By reshooting the image with an older fully grown man, holding a small diminutive fish, I am expressing disappointment. This, along with his softer physique, less symmetrical frame and somewhat slouchy appearance, convey my dissatisfaction in mediocrity, reality, mankind and men.

I was compelled to “re” create this piece after breaking up with my boyfriend as a way of expressing my frustration about what I perceived to be his inability to fulfill traditional gender roles. By using my ex-boyfriend as a model I am talking about my specific disappointment in him, as well as, a universal feelings of frustration. This man, 30 years old, holds a fish too small for him. As it is not enough to nourish him alone, it is certainly not enough to nourish another. He cannot contribute to his family, or his community at large. This is an image about coming up short.

*I'm still working on the statement...but you get the idea.

Hamilton Park

2010-07-19T19:51:00.005-05:00

1215 E. 83rd St.

More on my flickr.

More South Side Pools

2010-07-19T19:33:00.008-05:00

Avalon - 1215 E. 83rd St.

Grand Crossing - 7655 S Ingleside Ave

Russel Square - 3045 E 83rd St

More on my flickr.

Maddy's First Boat Ride

2010-07-19T19:29:00.005-05:00

Lake View

2010-07-19T16:33:00.003-05:00

Noshkoro, WI

Cousin's Weekend 2010

2010-07-19T16:27:00.002-05:00

Neshkoro, WI

Bessemer

2010-07-13T19:19:00.004-05:00

8930 S. Muskegon Ave.

I got shut down here by a pimply faced life guard and two fat women, one white and one black. Exterior shots only.

Tuley

2010-07-13T18:57:00.006-05:00

501 E. 90th

More pictures on my flickr.

Best quote from Tuley:
“damn, that lady tattoo on your back looks like lil wayne!”

Oakdale

2010-07-13T18:40:00.005-05:00

965 W. 95th St

More shots on my flickr.

Trumbull

2010-07-13T14:52:00.009-05:00

2400 E. 105th St.

More shots on my flickr.

Kennedy

2010-07-13T14:49:00.003-05:00

11320 S Western Ave.

Palmer

2010-07-13T14:41:00.003-05:00

201 E. 111th St.

Best quote from Palmer Park:

Nepotism isn't accepted in Chicago unless you are ELECTED. In which case, it is EXPECTED.

More photos on my flickr.

Mt. Greenwood

2010-07-13T14:20:00.005-05:00

3721 W 111th St.

Mt. Greenwood was my third pool and the first white (or not majority black) pool that I photographed. I took the same approach as before. This pool is accessed through locker rooms, so I went into the building, into the women's locker room and onto the deck. All with out seeing a single person. I removed my shoes. Took out my camera and took a picture.

You can see a crazy woman entering my frame from the left side in the above shot. When I took my camera down she was righ next to me. Who are you!! Who let you in?! she wanted to know. I laughed at the thought of someone “letting me in”. The building was unmanned from what I could tell and all the doors were propped open. I told her who I was and what I was doing. She was concerned that I had taken a photograph of her Summer Camp kids.

HER: You'll have to delete that.
ME: It's FILM.
HER: Well, I think I may need to confiscate your film.

Again I laughed a little. No one has the right to confiscate a photographers film, let alone for taking a picture AT A PUBLIC PARK.*

I calmly walked back to her bosses office with her. He was a nice looking, middle-aged white guy. She anxiously explained the situation to him. After I introduced myself to him and gave him my card he seemed convinced that I was not a threat in the least and was able to calm her a bit. She was very concerned about the photo because the camp kids have to sign a waiver to be photographed (BY THE PARK DISTRICT – NOT ME). She cited privacy concerns and then proceeded to make me vaguely aware of details of the various private situations going on with her camp kids, including foster kids and adoption etc.... HELLO – privacy. It was way more then I needed to know. Her boss made a call to some mean ass woman at the park district and she told me that I needed permission from her to take pictures at the pool and if I wanted to take pictures of “anything else” I could call some other Park District asshole. I took the number, thanked everyone and made my exit.

*That night, when discussing the issue with my roommate he brought up the Photographers Bill of Rights. Which states in part:

Members of the public have a very
limited scope of privacy rights when
they are in public places. Basically,
anyone can be photographed without
their consent except when they have
secluded themselves in places where
they have a reasonable expectation of
privacy such as dressing rooms, restrooms,
medical facilities, and inside
their homes.

and

Absent a court
order, private parties have no right to
confiscate your film. Taking your film
directly or indirectly by threatening to
use force or call a law enforcement
agency can constitute criminal offenses
such as theft and coercion.

Something to think about.

UPDATE: More about photography harassment HERE. Thanks Steven!

9648 South Calumet Ave.

2010-07-13T13:18:00.005-05:00

This is a follow up to the Abbott Park Post.
Above, the child hood home of my high school photography teacher.
Below, the house across the street.

More shots HERE on my flickr.

Living Room

2010-07-13T11:14:00.001-05:00

Kaboooki Michael

2010-07-08T10:51:00.004-05:00

Steven and I had sweet shirts to wear with MJ's birth and death years.

More pictures on my Flickr.

MJ Procession - R.I.P.

2010-07-08T10:33:00.004-05:00

Here are some shots from the Michael Jackson Memeorial Procession (put on by photographer Jason Lazarus) We started at MJ's boyhood home in Gary, Indiana. More shots on my Flickr.

Abbott Park - updated

2010-07-02T19:25:00.008-05:00

Abbott Park 49 E. 95th St.

Update:
I got a hard-core reality check from my amazing high school photography teacher after sending him a link to the pool pictures:

He writes:

Those images you shot on the South side are right where I grew up.
Harlan High School (where I attended) is the next structure south of Abbott Park. I lived three blocks from that park on Calumet Avenue...a stones throw from Chicago State on King Drive. Chicago State is occupying an area that use to be a train yard.
When my parents move over there I was three years old and we were the only blacks in the neighborhood. We had to endure the cross burnings in our front lawn and our garage being burned down. But we stayed and my parents lived there for over thirty years.

Indeed, I have spoken with many older people in the neighborhoods and many lament the changes that have taken place over the years. This email was a reminder of not only the struggles of our parents (and our parents' parents) but of the cyclical nature of urban environments. Buildings, pools and parks being the constant, while the populations move in, have children, grow old, move out or dies, and then...it begins again.

More pictures on my Flickr.

Welcome to da Park!

2010-07-02T19:04:00.006-05:00

First off, Ada Park, 11250 S. Ada. All the signs have been "altered" to say 'da Park'.

More pictures on my Flickr.

Pool Time! Summer 2010

2010-07-02T18:32:00.004-05:00

Chicago Public Pools!
View Pools - Chi Public in a larger map
I'll be photographing as many public pools as possible this summer. Starting on the South Side and moving north.

John and Thea are Getting Married!

2010-07-01T20:28:00.003-05:00

Here is an image from my recent shoot with buddies, Thea and John, for their engagement photo. Below is a sweeeet time-lapse by Steven Hudosh of the shoot, on which he also assisted.

Bedroom View

2010-06-27T23:23:00.001-05:00

Pulaski Park Pool - Locker Rooms

2010-06-27T22:39:00.005-05:00

Chi-Town Rainbow

2010-06-27T22:35:00.000-05:00

Mid-storm rainbow.

More June Storms

2010-06-27T22:33:00.001-05:00

Exploding Plant

2010-06-27T21:14:00.002-05:00

June 6th.
June 20th.

Crazy June Storm

2010-06-18T22:15:00.003-05:00

Ghostbusters!

Pool Time!

2010-06-14T14:02:00.003-05:00

Maddy on a pool outing with my sister, mom and myself.

Mad and my Dad

2010-06-07T22:03:00.002-05:00

The only good thing about my dad's big belly is that Maddy likes to relax on it.

.

Sleep (When) You're Dead

2010-06-02T23:15:00.003-05:00

First in a new series of hand painted signs.

1839 W. Thomas

2010-06-02T23:04:00.003-05:00

Here is a closer look at my piece for the Gallimaufry show.

Or Go Home

2010-06-02T22:38:00.004-05:00

Second sign in my "adult content" series.
This bedside sign is a play on the classic "Home Sweet Home" sign.

This beautiful, solid wood sign is Hand Made in the USA.

For sale at amazing Wolfbait.

Members Must Be...

2010-05-17T17:26:00.005-05:00

Minimum Length Preference Adjustable SignThis sign (12 in x 24 in) is the first in a short series where I take typically innocuous signs and re-work them with an adult theme. This is a play on the "You must be THIS tall to ride" sign, commonly seen at amusement parks at the entrance to roller coasters and rides.

With numbers from 1 to 23 you have plenty of room to specify your own personal preferences.

This beautiful, solid wood sign is Hand Made in the USA.

$75.00

Finished Product

2010-05-10T20:38:00.003-05:00

Here is the finished painting by Francis. Work in progress seen HERE. Also, he has posted more pics from the Gallimaufry opening HERE.

GALLIMAUFRY - update

2010-05-09T00:19:00.004-05:00

Above, Janessa and Francis pose by her piece.
Below, Kumar and I stand by my piece "Home and Car".

The show was a big success. Thanks to Joey D. and Francis for putting it all together!

Dog Appreciation

2010-05-09T00:07:00.005-05:00

Claradog is about to turn 9 years old! What!? Where did the time go? Here are a few pics of her (mostly from last summer).
BEST.
DOG.
Ever.

Go West Young Man!

2010-03-26T22:15:00.005-05:00

Francis is moving to L.A.! I brought Claradog over to say good-bye and took a few shots of him and a painting that he is finishing up for the Gallimaufry opening tomorrow night.

GALLIMAUFRY!

2010-03-21T13:23:00.003-05:00

GALLIMAUFRY ART SHOW! Come on out and have fun!

gal·li·mau·fry [gal-uh-maw-free]
–noun,plural-fries. Chiefly Literary.

1. a hodgepodge; jumble; confused medley.
2. a ragout or hash.

LA Landscape

2010-03-21T13:19:00.001-05:00

Another oldie but goodie landscape.

Hey Suburbia!

2010-03-20T16:59:00.002-05:00

Two shots of Lombard from 2000.