May — A Year in Photographs — New Neighborhood

Union — Day 150

The search began in November of 2024 to find a new home. From Lincoln Park, an explored dozens of condominiums in Chicago, seeing hundreds online, I settled in River North—a vibrant urban neighborhood in Chicago.

While one may have been in and through River North many times, it isn’t until living in a neighborhood that true exploration of a neighborhood begins.

As I step out of my new building, I encounter new sights and familiar ones. However, the photographer’s true essence lies in their ability to perceive and capture unseen moments.

New home, new neighborhood.

April — A Year in Photographs — Minimalism

Traffic Cones — Day 110

Minimalism is both my favorite and most challenging photography subject—perhaps people are too. I spend my time wondering to find something that fits the description, which is a challenge to define as is.

Is ‘minimalism’ in photography few items in the frame? No color? High contrast and removing significant details? As with most subjects in photography, there are rules, but most rules I find to be an excuse to be lazy.

Walking down a city street, passing trash cans, cars, people, lights, windows, and sometimes it being cold, warm, sunny, or raining, perhaps minimalism is the act of finding less in a place where there is abundance.

March — A Year in Photographs — Triptych

View fullsize

I enjoyed my February of Lines and Curves but found I wasn’t as inspired. Perhaps it was the business of the month presented to me or that I subconsciously wanted something different, but in fact, I think it was that I was photographing a subject rather than a concept.

My favorite months in #AYearinPhotographs have been when a specific concept was the driving force behind the photography. For example, Street Fashion Photography in 2023, or Night Photography where the subjects were both the people and the scene, but the people were motioned blurred, creating specters in otherwise normal and even boring locations.

Triptychs have always been a curious exercise for me, where all the photos are related in some capacity. The challenge is finding not just one photograph of the day but three.

Each day is a concept, theme, and story in and of itself.