Xanadu

I am working on new promo pieces that I will sending out in the next few weeks.  During my customary harddrive search for interesting images that will dazzle and amaze I found a few that I took for sculptor/artist Patrick Dougherty.

A few years ago he created this temporary structure he called Xanadu at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL.  The scale might be deceptive in the image, but it was as big as a two story house and made entirely of sticks and twigs.  There aren't too many times in my life that I can honestly say, "I've never seen anything like that before", but honestly... I haven't!  It was a whimsical creation right out of a fairy tale.  Unfortunately images just don't do it justice.  This is one of those thing you had to see to believe.

Mr Dougherty wanted some photos of Xanadu in the snow, so that's what brought me out here on this cold winter day.  The second photo should give you a better idea of the size of it.

Germany Trip

I have been doing some traveling lately for work.  In the past 5 weeks I've been to Boston, Toronto, New Jersey, and Germany.  I really enjoy traveling, and each place provided me with a good story or two.  But Germany was the most fun, and I thought I'd share some photos from that experience. 

 I was there with two other people; Tom- a photographer I work with, and Dan- a designer with an agency in Chicago.  We spent the first part of the trip in Schesslitz.  I'd never heard of the place, but with a name that sounds like a Milwaukee microbrew I knew it has to be the real deal.  And I was right.  It is a very tiny and picturesque Bavarian village that looks like things hadn't changed there in 40 years.    I felt like I'd walked on to a movie set.  We stayed in Hotel Schloss Burgellern, which is a beautiful old mansion with just the sort of five course dinner that you want after an 11 hour plane flight.

We were actually given rooms in a nearby building.  We were told that it was because the TVs in those rooms had a few channels in English.  I didn't really need to get caught up on any BBC comedies, but oh well.  The first image below is the yellow building we stayed in.  The second image shows you the main road in and out of the village.  And yes, is really that quaint and cosy.  If you ever really want to get away from it all, this is the place to do it.  There were many beautiful barns in the village.  Several of them were constructed with big, heavy beams.  And then in-between the beams were sticks that were covered up using a homemade mixture of mud and manure.  It sounds terrible, but looks wonderful :) 

The second half of the trip was in Nuremberg.  Our driver Bert drove us there while doing 180 k/hr on the Autobahn, and playing us his unique mix of music which ventured back and forth between the Ramones and German soccer team fight songs.

As you have probably noticed, the area had quite a snow storm just before we arrived.  It continued to flake off and on while we were there, occasionally giving me the impression that I was walking around in a souvenir snowglobe.  Nuremburg is great for getting around on foot, with it's expansive pedestrian shopping areas and grand cathedrals.  It also has something it's quite proud of- the Nuremberg bratwurt. 

Nuremberg brats are different that regular ones because they're smaller.  A little larger than a Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage, they are sold by numerous street vendors, and are placed three at a time on a small bun of handmade bread.  Of course we had to give them a try.

After some shopping we stopped for dinner at Zum Gulden Stern, which turned out to be the oldest sausage restaurant in the world!  Yeah, I know!  You'd think that this is something I would have checked off my list long ago.  But after a sizable German beer and 8 (yes, 8!) more Nuremberg brats I think I had enough of the real Bavarian experience to last me a few years.  At least I finished it off with an apple strudel... you know, for the fruits and veggies. 

You can view many more photos from the trip here: http://jeffreyworks.zenfolio.com/p716243120

Universities

I heard from a number of people that enjoyed reading my last post about Father Michael and Benedictine University.  It is a bit strange sending one's thoughts out there into cyberspace, so I was glad to hear from people that had read it and were touched by Father Michael's story.  I even received messages from some people at Benedictine, which was a pleasant surprise.

I thought I'd follow up with a few photos from projects I've worked on over the years for other colleges, universities, and places of higher learning.  I enjoy these type of assignments.  Each university has it's own flavor, and it's fun trying to capture those images that show off the unique personality and character of the campus and student body.

I have worked on a few different projects for DePaul over the years.  This first image is law students going over some details before they present their final case to the instructor-

Of course it is simple to take great images of Notre Dame.  They make it easy with all the amazing architecture-

And I spent a couple of days at the University of Missouri taking photographs for a book they gave out to new students.  This is a scene in their on-campus hospital-

Looking Back

As we move into 2010, I thought I would take a moment to look back at my favorite photography experience from 2009.  Interestingly, it didn’t take place in the most exotic location, or produce my favorite image of the year.  But it was one of those moments that made me very glad that I am a photographer.

Benedictine University in Lisle, IL hired me to photograph Father Michael Komechak for use in a few promotional pieces.  He was the curator of Benedictine’s art collection, and it was mentioned that I might be capturing him in front of some of the artwork.  It was made pretty clear to me that Fr Michael had strong opinions about certain subjects, and he would have the final say as to exactly where and when this would all take place.  In my mind I started to add up all the possible problems that go along with having an unknown setting with a 77 year old ‘opinionated’ subject.

I did one day of scouting for potential locations, just so I had a few ideas in case I needed to steer him in a certain direction.  It was a cold winter day in early February when we finally met.   Father Michael seemed nice enough and was actually asking my opinion on where I thought we should take the photo.  I asked him where he spends most of his time, and what activities does he do on campus that would help tell the story.  He thought for a moment and then casually mentioned to me, “Well, why don’t you come to my office.”

I’ve photographed in enough college offices to know that they are almost never interesting.  They are full of stacks of papers, books, old computers, and random corkboards covered in colorful notes of paper.  But Father Michael led me to a corner door which contained an office unlike any other.  I expected to at least see a desk, and initially I couldn’t tell if there was one in there.  Instead what I found were piles of paintings, sculpture, pottery, beadwork, African masks, and countless other things all haphazardly arranged in a way that made it look as though a tornado had just thundered through an art museum.  There was hardly room to walk, and my one and only comment upon entering this place was “Oh, wow!”

It was at that very moment that I knew Father Michael and I were going to have a great time together.  We spent the next 2 hours talking about photography and art as he showed me through the collection.  He knew every piece, who donated it, and where he thought it should be shown around campus.  I learned that there were two additional rooms attached to the first one, also stuffed to the gills with artwork.  The second room had hundreds and hundreds of paintings, all stacked up and leaning against each other.  Well, I knew that this is where the story was.  This is Father Michael’s passion.  This is where the photos needed to be.

He agreed wholeheartedly, and we spent about 20 minutes in the first room moving things around just so there would be enough space to take a photo!  Also, I wanted it to remain ‘overwhelming’ without looking messy.  At one point he was down on all fours crawling under tables, moving boxes around.  He loved this place and these things in it.  After moving, stacking, and rearranging, we finally we got to a point where things were looking right.

In my mind the photos are almost incidental to the great conversation we had.  At 77 he still had so much passion about art and life.  He was thrilled to talk about each and every piece that we stumbled upon.  He was a photographer as well, and I was delighted when he ran across some of the images he’d taken back in the 60s.

Very soon after our photo session Father Michael was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and he passed away on August 30th.   Luckily he was around to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his ordination in May.

One of the reasons that I love being a photographer is that I get to meet people like Father Michael, and they let me into their world for a moment or two.  I feel that these are rare events that not everyone gets to enjoy, and I’m a better person because of such encounters.  I just hope that 2010 holds more opportunities like this one.

Jump

I finally had time for a fun photoshoot recently.  This is my friend Kelly, who is luckily athletic enough to be able to jump 25+ times so I could get just the right shot.  The session took place at the Cultural Center, and I want to thank my friend Michelle for the use of the room.  I've been looking at it for years, knowing that it would be perfect for photos of some sort :)

Come Back, Summer!

I don't think it's a surprise to anyone that knows me that I hate, detest, and loathe the winter and all things cold.  I grew up on a beach in Florida.  There's apparently sand and sunshine in my blood and I've learned that it's impossible to fight my basic, primal, beach-lovin' urges.  I recently returned from a trip to visit my family and friends down there and I'm all ready to go back.

Chicago had it's first 1+ inch snow fall today.  Now, I don't know if everyone on the road this morning had never seen snow, or if they were slowing down to gaze at the winter wonderland, but my commute to today's shoot was just a little under 2 hours.  Honestly, that's... that's just... grrrr....

So I'm happy that I just found some images of my summertime tomatoes.  I love growing tomatoes.  I usually have ones of all different shapes, sizes, & colors.  I've grown everything from white ones to black ones and all shades in-between.   I freeze and can them too so I can enjoy them throughout these cold, evil winter months.

Lellbach Builders

Congratulations to Doug & Debra Lellbach at Lellbach Builders.  I've known them for years, but this is the first time we've worked together on a project.  I took some architectural photographs for them of one of their remodeling projects.  They needed the photos to enter in the 2009 Qualified Remodeler Master Design Awards contest.  I'm happy to say that they received 2 Master Design awards- the Gold Award and the Best Of Show for projects under $250,000!

Since I'm sure some of you didn't renew your subscription to Qualified Remodeler Magazine you might have missed the spread on them in the October issue.  But I'll provide the link to an online version here:
Remodeler Magazine

Plus you can see a few different variations of these images in the 'Architectural' section on my website.

Naperville Gift Cards

Downtown Naperville has a very popular gift certificate program in place.  And the certificates are good in almost all the stores and restaurants in the downtown area.  I know I've used them before for people when I didn't know what else to get.  Well now they're moving away from the old system, and instead they'll be using a new gift card which will be similar to the common credit card systems you see in many stores.

I took the photos that they'll be using to promote the new program.  You should be seeing the images soon in newspapers, local magazines, and on the big placard near the front of Hugos Frog Bar.  I don't often get a chance to do much macro work.  But it's something that I enjoy, and I had a good time with these.

John & Marty

I had the great opportunity to take the engagement photos for my good friends John and Marty.  Luckily it happened on one of the few nice days we had in recent months.  They are a wonderful couple, and I want to wish them all the best.

Pack The Place Pink

Susan G Komen for the Cure event.  This was a breast cancer fundraiser called "Pack The Place Pink".  It took place during a volleyball game between Naperville Central High School and Wheaton Warrenville South.  Money was raised through donations, silent auctions, t-shirt sales, and a raffle.  It was great seeing all the hard work that the girls put into it, and also what they got out of it. 

Instead of their usual uniforms, the teams all wore special shirts with the name of a family member or friend that had or has cancer.  It was a great event, and I have to say that I ate about 10 cupcakes from the bake sale.  You know, I was just trying to do my part. 

Morton Arboertum

The Morton Arboretum hired me last weekend to document some of their classes and programs.  They needed images that they could use in upcoming catalogs, brochures, and the web to promote the next series of classes.  The Arboretum, for those of you that don't know, is a wonderful place to roam around.  It has always been a great spot for a picnic, with it's miles of scenic locations and hiking paths.  But I like how they have reinvented themselves over the past decade with the Children's Garden, summer concerts, and fantastic educational programs. 

Saturday started out very gloomy- dark, cool, and threatening to rain.  But fortunately the clouds helped me by diffusing the light.  Otherwise I would have been fighting the shadows as I photographed people moving under the trees.  The first thing I documented was an adult class on tree identification.

Next was a class called "Amazing Web Designers", a creative name for a kid's class about spiders.  I followed them as they roamed through the prairie looking for webs and creepy, crawly things.

 

On Sunday they wanted me to shoot a child's birthday party in the Childrens Garden.  The daughter of one of the employee's was turning two, and she had agreed to let it be photographed.  Around mid-day on Saturday, a buddy of mine sent me an email that read, "Jeffrey, I hear you're photographing my daughter's birthday tomorrow!"

Small world!  Sure enough, his wife works at the Arboretum and it was his daughter with the birthday.  What an amazing coincidence, but I'm so glad it happened.  It took off a layer of awkwardness from trying to walk right in and photograph a party filled with people that had no idea who I was.  Instead it was easier for me to jump in there and get some great images

 

 

And yes, I do know that it's wonderful that my job let's me outside all weekend, taking pictures and meeting new people.  I don't take it for granted, and it really is quite awesome.

Images From Washington DC

I love traveling. It's wonderful going to places I've never been before and experiencing new sights and sounds. Last month I was in San Antonio for work with an insurance company, and I got to see the Alamo for the first time. Last week I was in North Carolina working for a different company, and had a wonderful soul-food dinner in downtown Charlotte.

But I came away with mostly business photos from those trips. Instead, I thought I'd share with you some photographs I took in Washington DC towards the beginning of the summer. Not many people have seen them, and it really was an interesting trip. As always, click on any image to enlarge it-

I was hired to document a business group's legislative trip to DC. I'd been there before, but not like this. I really enjoyed seeing some of the behind the scenes stuff, like the underground passageways that connect many of the official buildings surrounding the Capitol, allowing the senators and congressmen to move quickly from one place to another without fighting traffic.

The group I was following met with everyone they could, both Democratic and Republican. This is Congresswoman Judy Biggert, who was very friendly and engaging considering she had just flown back from an all-female Congressional delegation to Afghanistan, and only had a few hours of sleep before she met with us.

At one point I had an opportunity to get on to the roof of the US Chamber Of Commerce building. It has an amazing view, and many of the news organizations use it when they are reporting from DC because of the perfect backdrop. I also had along my telephoto lens, and captured some images where you can see the four guys dressed all in black on top of the White House with their rifle bags and telescopes. BUT, I suddenly realized that there might be somebody important out there that wouldn't like it if I posted those :) And I'd rather not have the guys in black outfits knock on my door at 3am, ya know?
I was very fortunate to have about 3 hours to myself during one of the mornings. So I used that time to roam around the Capitol, checking out the Smithsonian and many of the highlights. At one point I found myself by the Washington Monument. I decided to amuse myself by trying to photograph it in a way that made it difficult to tell it was the Washington Monument. I put the 15mm fisheye lens on my Canon 5D, and gave myself over to the distortion. I have some interesting ones where it just looks like a giant pyramid. But I like this image as well-
And I kept the 15mm on my camera as I strolled over to the Lincoln Memorial. It's challenging when you photograph something that has already been photographed a million times before.

Day Four- That's a wrap, people!

Ah, Labor Day is here. It's the last day of the Fling, and time to relax a little and have some fun. After a raucous after-party last night, it was good to see so many of the Jaycees up bright & early for the parade. Look how chipper everyone is with their cups of... uh, what I can only assume is orange juice? Or is that Pepto?

We have the biggest Labor Day parade in the state. It's really something to see. My kids usually come home with bags and bags of goodies that are handed out. This year it included candy, toys, shirts, a bag of bread, flags, flyswatters, assorted propaganda... you name it! Of course we have the usual parade fare; bands, politicans, businesses and such.

But there are always a few that make you scratch your head. We use to have the Star Wars appreciation society march in everything. But for the past few years there has been another group with way too much time on their hands:
Yep, they have it all; authentic vehicles, costumes, props... it's the full package.

I went on a number of the rides this year. I don't know why they all have to spin. Enough with the spinning, people! I'm still a little dizzy... I hope that goes away soon. There was one ride that didn't spin. It just went back and forth. I'm sharing this photo of it just so you can laugh with me at the doofus in the middle talking on his cell phone (click to enlarge.)
Dude, you are a teenage boy that is lucky enough to be sitting next to a teenage girl on a carnival ride. Hang up your stupid phone and enjoy that moment. Don't you know that Last Fling is all about enjoying yourself?
It's over. Done. And not a moment too soon. My legs feel like I walked 20 miles this weekend. And according to Lightroom I took 3,864 photos. I think I'll give my cameras a week off. They deserve it.

I don't know how we'll top the success of this one, but I'm sure we'll give it our best shot.