June — A Year in Photographs — Through the Looking Glass

Balloons — Day 158

Perhaps what makes something wonderful is the imperfections rather than the perfection.

A crack in a family heirloom. The decay of an artifact. The crooked nature of a bonsai. The Japanese call it ‘wabi sabi,’ the philosophy that embodies the appreciation of beauty in imperfection, impermanence, and the natural cycle of growth and decay.

I took June to look at ordinary things through unordinary glass. Some reversal of images, blurring and distortion of edges, and the refraction of the image itself.

“Adrian’s Life Rule 25: Sometimes things that are technically wrong are creatively right.”

— Adrian’s Life Rule #25

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.