Thanks for visiting my website and BLOG… Most of all, welcome. If you are browsing these pages, my guess is that you might have picked up my business card this past weekend at the Lake View Music Fest on Sheffield. As I told many, my website is a work in progress… and there are many images which as of now, are not yet online… BUT that does not mean they are not available. Anything you saw in my booth is for sale and I would be thrilled to work with you to get you some images. With that in mind… check out my COLLECTIONS tab… or contact me through this site with what you are looking for! I can’t wait to help you!
I live a fun life… I really do… I can’t complain… I go to more concerts, Cubs games, fun events, etc in one month than most people do in a year or sometimes lifetimes. BUT nights like this… BEAUTIFUL summer nights in Chicago, where the weather is just right, with not a cloud in the sky and excellent music being performed right downtown… it hurts just a little to stay home. Being responsible. Money is tight, work needs to be down… So overrated. It does not help that almost every person I know who loves music is blowing up Facebook and Twitter with pictures and show reviews of excellence. You see… two little artists named Ray LaMontagne & David Gray are performing in the windy city. And I am at home… editing pictures from the past week, getting images ready for my photography booth at the Lake View Music Fest this weekend (on Sheffield between Addison and Waveland – right next to Wrigley Field). I am listening to music on the radio and had a thought, hey… I have photographed LaMontagne & Gray before (sounds like a law firm) and since I was not there to shoot the show tonight… I created a collage with my favorite shots of each. To those at the show… and those not… Enjoy. And if you did go to the show… and are in Chicago this weekend… stop by my booth at the Lake View Music Fest and tell me about it! Oh… and next time I skip the concert of the summer… Kick my ass. (originally posted 9:16pm on August 25, 2010)
(updated 2:07am on August 26, 2010 – I could not stay in 100% two nights in a row… my good friends in the excellent Chicago band Hello Dave were playing two blocks from my house and there was good music to see, food and a drink to be had… so I ventured out to see some live music! I’ll stay in tomorrow night… or not!)
A few months back, my friends at Bar 1 Events hired me to come out and photograph the almost 60 contestants trying to make their way through the “Big Break” singing competition. The winner takes home $15,000 and hopefully the launch into a great music career. Tomorrow night, they are down to the TOP 5… Can’t wait to see the talent and how they bring it. Should be a fun event… starts at 8pm at Duffy’s on Diversey. Come on out!
One of my favorite weekends in the summer is the Chicago Air & Water show – usually mid-August. It is even better when the Cubs are at home and you can sit in the bleachers while watching the fly overs. This year, the team was out of town… but the weather was perfection. My friend Nick invited a big group to his rooftop patio and while enjoying food and drink… we watched the Blue Angels and others do their skillful flying. This was my favorite shot I captured as they cruised by the moon.
This past weekend was one of those weekends where I LOVE what I do… and forget that money is tight, business is slow, etc. Weekends like this past one are when I truly realize how lucky I am and feel like I am living the dream. Friday night…. it all began by photographing Kid Rock… from the time he entered US Cellular Field to his show & backstage at Soldier Field where he performed with Bon Jovi and ending the night at an after-show at the Hotel Sax. It was a rock and roll ride and his team & entourage could not have been nicer! He is a true rock star… and one of the best in the business. It is a pleasure to work with him. Special thanks to his manager Ross and my friend Amy with the White Sox for the help and a day I will not soon forget!
After recovering from a late night… I prepared for another fun night… This time on a smaller cruise ship than I am normally use to… the Odyssey Cruise on Lake Michigan as official photographer for Ernie Banks and his “Giving Back” Charity cruise. For three hours we sailed the lakefront, enjoyed entertainment and stories from “Mr. Cub” Hall of Famer Ernie Banks and fellow HOF Cub Billy Williams. A great event for three great charities including Rainbows for Kids (www.rainbows.org/).
After getting home at close to 2am… I was up at 5:30 and headed to Gilberts, IL for the annual Columbia Sporting Good’s Muddy Buddy Adventure race. 2,000 + people braved dense fog for a run/bike race followed by a army crawl through 50 yards or more of mud. It was awesome to photograph and an event that I almost think would be cool to participate in down the road. How often do you see people this covered in mud and smiling so big? (http://muddy-buddy.competitor.com/event-info/chicago/)
Three fun events… one weekend. I need sleep. Goodnight.
I just had this photo creation (5 shots edited together) of the Chicago skyline from the John Hancock printed and mounted in a 12×36 print that looks awesome. This would be a great addition to any home or office… perhaps as a going away gift for someone moving out of town… or a newcomer to the Windy City. The 12×36 version mounted on wood and ready to hang sells for $225. I can do larger for you if interested. Check it out and let me know how many you want to order!
I just came across this excellent stop motion video of a guy literally walking across America… Great use of something like 2,000 still photos they said. Check out the behind the scenes video on YouTube also. Great song also… rumor is it is performed by Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros. Is that correct? Let me know what you think of this video….
It’s almost August… yet my blog thinks it is still early May. Or at least one would think that from the last time I posted an entry. I have taken a virtual summer vacation from blogging and posting… yet I am still shooting events, concerts, parties, headshots, art daily. I have been posting pictures and stories to Facebook and Twitter… but I have not added anything here. Why? I don’t know… it is a very common theme and something I think about often. My birthday is coming up on Tuesday… and I am in the process of re-defining my business and career. I am at a cross roads and it is time to take this to a new level or find a new adventure. With that being said… I WILL be posting more. I WILL keep this updated… and hopefully people will check it out… and enjoy what I post here. My question to you… what would you like to see and read here? What kind of pictures and stories do you want to see and hear? For my blog, twitter, facebook to be a success… I need it to be a multiple sided conversation and dialogue. So let me know… and get ready to hopefully read more. If you are already reading this… that is the first step.
Last weekend I was once again on the Carnival Inspiration photographing Kid Rock’s Chillin The Most Cruise. It was simply amazing and Kid Rock was one of, if not the best host of a cruise that we have worked with. I hope to post more about that soon… but in the meantime… I just found out today that one of my shots of Kid Rock… from just after his Lido Deck packed Q&A session is the #1 picture on Rolling Stone.com’s random notes section… I am keeping my fingers crossed that it ends up in the next print edition…. Until then… here it is:
A month ago I was in New Orleans shooting Better Than Ezra… and time has not slowed down since… I keep telling myself that I am going to invest more time in blogging, updating this and that… and yet, the days go by and nights come and go… and I update Facebook and Twitter but this very blog gets neglected. I plan to show it more attention… but tomorrow another Sixthman cruise beckons… and I head to Tampa once again. This weekend I am the official photographer for Kid Rock and his “Chillin The Most” Cruise from Tampa to Grand Cayman. I am sure there will be stories and tales of adventure for sure. And of course… I will be sure to share. In the meantime… enjoy this shot of the Lido Deck from the VH1 “Best Cruise Ever” that I photographed a few weeks back…
More coming soon…. Until then… check me out on Twitter or Facebook!
I just had this photo creation (5 shots edited together) of the Chicago skyline from the John Hancock printed and mounted in a 12×36 print that looks awesome. This would be a great addition to any home or office… perhaps as a going away gift for someone moving out of town… or a newcomer to the Windy City. The 12×36 version mounted on wood and ready to hang sells for $225. I can do larger for you if interested. Check it out and let me know how many you want to order!
