January — A Year in Photographs

One month down, eleven to go.

Every second of the day, every event I engage, has become a photographic vision.

Coffee, Chicago, 1/18/2017

I've learned a great deal about myself and how a project of this magnitude can become both overwhelming and exhilarating. Starting with a simple idea of a photo everyday for the whole year, it has culminated into a huge creative exercise with Guest Photographers, themes, social and professional connections, narratives, and more.

Chevron 2, Chicago, 1/30/2017

Some days I have been able to set out, wandering until I find a moment to photograph. Some days I take dozens of photos and, other days, find myself wanting; not living up to my own standards. It is sometimes 9:07pm and I am legitimately concerned I won't find a photo but I have discovered a way of living in the moment; a zen appreciation for even mundane things and the photograph then presents itself to me. It is a sort of dance between creative-self and the Universe.

This month, I focused on black and white. A time honored photography style reducing the visuals to simplicity, shapes, light and shadow, and beauty in what otherwise one might consider unremarkable items and moments. I gave myself no other provisions but even within this hemisphere of photography, I challenged myself to find mini-themes within the week or day such as Interview with Dr. Stan McCracken.

It also became a challenging month in Chicago, in general. Aside from it being the dead of winter, Chicago tends to be a generally sunny city. However, this month, we saw a total of 4 days of sunshine and a few peaks of sun here and there. While many black and white photographers love an overcast day, I am of the preference of direct sun, high contrast, and shadows. Much of January I shot at night just for the drama of the scenes.

Gothic, Chicago, 1/16/2017

On the other hand, it was a rather wet January; little snow but lots of rain. As any cinematographer knows, night filming is always best with fresh falenl of rain or water on the street.

With the Inauguration and the protests around it, I was given a fair amount of subject matter. As part of my journalistic part of this month in photographs, Resist proved to be exciting and energizing. I have not shot a protest since 2011 when the NATO Protests took place. One will easily understand the drive of a photojournalist.

My outing with Guest Photographer: Eric Dirksen, perhaps my favorite event this month, took me on an adventure in Chicago to a famous building but rarely seen view. And moving forward, I have not doubt I'll enjoy more excursions with photographers throughout Chicago and the world.

Guest Photographer: Eric Dirksen

While I'm not sure what the next eleven months bring for my photography adventure, January has proven a challenge and a lesson to the future of 2017.

Up Next: February – Shapes and Patterns.

The Thirty-one Photos of January:

Dino – Day 31
Jan 31, 2017

Guest Photographer: Eric Dirksen

Photographer Eric Dirksen

It has been quite an enlightening month of photography. With January almost a wrap, my mind works endlessly to fathom what the next eleven months bring. Creativity is somewhat maddening at times but also immensely gratifying. 

Eric Dirksen, a friend and long time colleague, joins me in A Year in Photographs as my first Guest Photographer. An exciting part of this creative journey is seeing where it will take me. And while I have known and respected Eric's photography, we have never gone out shooting.

On the Edge...

Grabbing our Nikons, we climbed to a rarely seen view in Chicago; probably one of the best views of the bridges of the Chicago River. The sun setting, the warm (but still cold) day for January numbing our ears and hands, we captured some beautiful shots.

January's theme: Black and White; and today we join forces. Chicago is a marvel of cityscapes and architecture —  city feels like it was designed for photographers. Searching for January 26th's photo, Eric met the challenge with his skills in photography and first guest photo of the year.

Eric Dirksen's Photo of the Day

©2017 Eric Dirksen

From one iconic building an iconic view of the Chicago's famous river and bridges.

“For me photography is such an incredible outlet - to be able to capture a nano second in time and have it convey a message or a story is not only inspiring but very powerful to me. The challenge to be able to portray so much with a still frame in time is an almost therapeutic process because it allows for me to get out of my normal head space and away from the things at hand in life or going on around me in the world. It is from there that I’m allowed to focus on the beauty that lies before me. ”

— Eric Dirksen

I think Eric's incite into his love for photography is something many of us can relate. I've often said spending time photographing is a zen, meditative experience. I don't look at the time, I often pay little attention to meal times, and feel a deep sense of calm. Even when shooting in a noisy location, there is a certain silence. 

“My favorite subjects always tend to be of the scape variety - whether it be cityscapes or landscapes. It’s hard not to love a cityscape growing up around, and now having been living in, the third largest city in the States. There’s something about the collection of architecture stacked up against one another that just truly makes me appreciate the individual design and mapping that goes into the planning of a city as well as the individual high-rises themselves. Similar take on landscapes - theres just more of a challenge to emulate through a 2D image the incredible nature that is formed in various parts of our globe, but that challenge is not only what makes the moment more enjoyable, but the story you’ll be unfolding with that one snippet of time that’s been captured as well, which is my end goal for my photographs.”

— Eric Dirksen

Our excursion at a dusky sort of time gave great drama to the city. Chicago has been unusually gloomy these past few weeks; thirties and forties are nice and warm(ish) for this time of year but we are use to much more sun. It was dark but added a certain cinematic mood.

“Light is everything. Light is everything good, yet it is also everything bad. Too little or too much, and the scene just isn’t as great or good at all. Light is also something of creativity, and we see it all the time through long exposures. So, I would encourage to play around with light and find what balances you can create to take an image from good to great.”

— Eric Dirksen

My journey is just beginning and thank you, Eric, for sharing this great location for a magnificent view and adventure in Chicago adding your touch to A Year in Photographs.

Come out and join me, join us, on this photographic adventure! Please contact me and let's capture some amazing shots.

I'd love for you to follow and check out more of Eric's incredible work. You can find him on Instagram and 500px.com. Check him out!

Interview with Dr. Stan McCracken

Dr. Stan McCracken

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.

Lapsang souchung

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