Another busy week at RedEye in Chicago. I shot 4 covers this week & a spread on c2e2. Today there was a great spread of Superman Vs. Batman content for which I shot a cover with Superman & Batman action figures having it out. Designer Sara Amato did a great job designing the cover and lending art direction on this one. To accomplish the image I held a smoke machine and threw foam pieces and sand while Sara hit the shutter for me. The strings holding up superman were photoshopped out while his laser eyes were photoshopped in. If my smoke machine hadn't set off the Tribune Tower's smoke detector I would have done the laser eyes in camera as well... cant win em all.
Lenny Gilmore
Cullen Omori shoot at Bric-a-Brac Records
The wonderful, quirky Bric-a-Brac Records in Logan Square was nice enough to let me photograph musician Cullen Omori in their spot for a RedEye feature on him penned by Josh Terry that is out today. Check it here: http://trib.in/1R5980B
24 Hours of assignments for RedEye
I thought it would be fun to share a photo from each of my 5 assignments for RedEye on March 15, 2016. In descending order (without giving too much away ) is from a night life project I'm working on with Heather Schroering, the second is for a story on a new watch company, the third is a charcuterie plate, the fourth is for a story on expanding the 606 to the east, & the last is for a story on the ever growing popularity and acceptance of tattoos.
RedEye Covers from 2015
My fifth year at Chicago's RedEye was a creatively productive but tumultuous one. I wanted to share a gallery of a few of my favorite print covers and spreads I was a part of over 2015 as a photographer or illustrator.
I'm really proud of all the great reporters and designers I work with over at RedEyeChicago.com . We are a really small, but tight knit team. They've given a lot of trust and I'm thankful for that.
Looking forward to what 2016 will bring.
Happy Holidays folks!
Alycia & Jason's Wedding
I spent beautiful, happy weekend photographing my friends wedding in Brooklyn, NY.
The following are a small selection of my favorite photographs from that wedding.
Jake Anderson ( left ) came with me to photo assist , here is a instax of us after putting on our ties in the morning.
Photo Credit: Petya Shalamanova
If you are interested in booking me for your wedding fill out the form below.
What an amazing week to live in Chicago and work for a newspaper. Earlier in the week I covered the Stanley cup finals and yesterday I illustrated a commemorative cover to go with an issue looking back at the hawk's incredible season.
Blackhawks illustration for RedEye
Roman candle battle in Chicago
I was heading home Tuesday night, about 10:30 p.m., maybe 10:45 p.m., south down Western Avenue near Adams Street where fireworks started popping off all around my car. Looking around I saw teenagers in two groups on either side of Western pointing Roman candles at each other, as sparks ricocheted off my car and the vehicles around me. I drove to Van Buren St. and turned my car around while pulling my camera into my lap. I parked my car and walked into the fray, aware that this might be the beginning of something less playful.
I made my way into the the group of men and teenagers grouped on the West Side of Western Avenue A man asked why I was shooting and I said I was a photojournalist for RedEye.
e yelled to the group to leave me alone and then told me to make them look good as I put my camera in front of my face and pulled my button-up shirt over my head to keep sparks from getting in my face or hair. I began photographing the group on the East Side of Western Ave as they ran at the group coming from the West Side of Western Avenue. Meeting in the middle of the street with Roman candles pointed towards each other, they engulfed each other in rhythmic streams of sparks.
I backed up to the sidewalk as a cop drove into the middle of the battle, breaking it up as one young teenager pointed his Roman candle over his shoulder sprinting away. The cop chased one group around a nearby vacant area until they had all dispersed in all directions. Turning around I realized the other hadn't stuck around to watch the cop's actions and I was standing alone. Pulling my shirt down I walked back to my car and finished the drive home.
An onlooker told me the two groups were rivals of some sort, but that you weren't sure. I think it was mostly all for fun; men of all ages like playing at fighting.
Portrait shoot with Leon Bridges
Leon Bridges photographed shortly before his performance at Chicago's Green Mill
Loved shooting Leon, his style was perfect for the Green Mill. Check out his music below.