Interview with Dr. Stan McCracken / January 26, 2017 by Adrian Galli

Documentary-style filming and photography are always a joy to shoot. I would be an explorer should my creative genes not gotten the better of me. But my explorer genes could not help but be expressed. Cinema and photography are two mediums which one can easily explore any topic. If an adventure to Patagonia is one's desire, make a film about it and go. If one's dream is to explore the beauty of culinary arts, a photographic documentary is a perfect channel.

Friend and colleague, Hart Ginsburg, whom I have been working with on several short films, invited me to photograph notable psychologist, Dr. Stan McCracken. Besides having a super-awesome name, his "blue collar" (as he calls it) style of psychiatry is deceptively titled.

Originally intending to be a biological oceanographer, his life took him in a different direction receiving a bachelors degree in English and Asian Studies. The Vietnam War and the draft brought him to enlist in the armed security agency and was assigned a to not his interests in Japanese but Vietnamese.

This excursion into a world both unknown, and perhaps at the time unwelcome, lead him to knowing the work of Carl Jung and his introduction to psychology and social services.

Listening to his methodology, he simple and practical process make psychology less cerebral and more common. A quote from a mentor of his, "If a woman is out in the cold with no coat, don't ask her how she feels about being cold. Get her a coat," gives a glimpse to his insight into the human psyche.

Sipping on lapsang souchung tea with hints of lavender, he told stories of his beginnings as a PhD, success, defeat, and the psychological and social impact this election has caused. A cozy and warm office decorated with artifacts from both East and West, his charm was only matched by his incredible knowledge he shared.

Always honored to meet influential people, I'm excited to share from our engaging interview and more to come when the article is published. In the mean time, enjoy a few images from our shoot.

From One Year: Dr. Stan McCracken – Day 25

Resist / January 20, 2017 by Adrian Galli

Inauguration Day, 2017, people all around the world take to the streets to protest what many have called a lunatic who was voted into the Office of the President in the United States of America. While he lost the popular vote by nearly 3,000,000 votes to Hillary Clinton, he took the Oath of the Office of the President today.

Love and Mercy – Gazelle Twins

Chicago's response to the new president taking power; take to the streets in the greatest Chicago tradition.

Chicago Inauguration Day Protests – 2017

Yesterday, I honored my American heritage and my President. Today, I fear a dark cloud looms over my country. So much progress has been made over the past eight years with former President Barack Obama.

For those who know me, I am not one to idolize. I never gush over a celebrity, politician, or other famous person. Nor will I start a life of idolism now, however, over the past decade, Barack Obama has greatly earned my respect and I honor his valor, decorum, decency, leadership, and integrity.

Years ago, I heard a speech during the election season; the Senate race for Illinois. A young Obama spoke with such grace that, within minutes, I had decided he would get my vote. My friends and colleagues will tell you my instant intuition and judgement of others is granite; solid and true.

When Obama announced his running for the Office of the President, their was no question I would vote for him. While I know many of my readers may disagree with me, I do not make these assertions with my mind or heart. It is a visceral decision like a thousand generations of my ancestors speaking to me.

“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope. ”

— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Former President Barack Obama, you will be missed and should you find yourself reading this, I thank you, personally, for leading this country with honor and distinction.

Dedicated to former President Barack Hussein Obama.

Day by Day – A Year in Photographs / January 3, 2017 by Adrian Galli

It is only Day 3 of A Year in Photographs. Exciting is the journey of a project of this nature. One sets out on a mission to shoot a single photo but ends up shooting far more. It become a challenge not only to keep every day fresh but also to choose which photograph is the best to share.

A journalistic approach may be valuable when capturing so many photographs. While I've decided to photography each month with a particular theme, I'm quickly finding in each day, a "mini-theme" develops. Architecture, people, abstract, and more, in the coming year, each day seemingly is going to be a story.

I'm going to need a lot more storage....