No. 95

Revisiting Channing Street, Elgin, Illinois.

No. 75

"You gotta keep moving or they'll bury me."
Glenn “Buddy” Shales still has it in him to smile. This man of many talents has not lost his up and up. Seven years ago Buddy was forced to eat through a tube shortly after learning he had cancer. He has forgotten how foodstuffs taste. He copes by tending to his garden, which he calls his cathedral, spending time with his grandchildren and painting when it’s not scorching out. “Like I said, I don’t buy nothing” so he uses house paint and donated cardboard to create his pieces. “They take me 15 minutes and I am no artist, that’s why I sign them the roofer.”

No. 72

Art and stuff. These are a few images made while hanging out with a polymer clay artisan, Juli McCarthy, during an assignment for the Courier-News. Juli features her creations at the Bristol Renaissance Faire in Kenosha, WI from July through September.

No. 69

Write it down. It's important and quite something to read the scribbles years later. Save it in a tangible manner and folded into several ways.

No. 57

Snow in snow out.
I found this in the parking lot of the Courier News after landing the gas-consuming thing that parades me around town. The tire marks have distinct patterns that say I’m out-a here. But, which way is out?

No. 49

In light of the recent controversy hovering over Democratic Illinois Governor Milorad "Rod" R. Blagojevich I thought it might be kind of me to share this photograph. I shot it while the political parade was visiting a sporting goods store in downtown Elgin last year.

No. 45

These images are from an assignment at the Professional Building in downtown Elgin. The elevator pulled me onto the 7th floor where I was required to hold my coughing for the ride home. I saw performances and photographed some time ago the opening of the Cultural Arts Commission space. They feature cramped gallery shows and simultaneous dance exhibitions.

No. 40

I have recently been revisiting many of the photo stories I have created while a staffer at the Courier News. I found these images that accompanied a story by Steve Ross Johnson on a female mixed martial artist named Felice Herrig. The 23 year-old appeared on the reality TV series Fight Girls and fought on the World Combat League.
We shot and took notes at the Elgin Recreation Center. All the audio I had compiled along with my sound slides piece has been gone and lost in digital heaven after my computer and external hard drive were stolen 15 steps away from the front door of the Courier News. It was a sad day indeed. Since then I have been investigating the contents of cd’s and binders hoping to find the remains of precious silver and gigabytes holding the history of my insane curiosity for the humankind. 23 year-old Felice appeared on the reality TV series Fight Girls and has fought on Chuck Norris' World Combat League.

No. 38

I have Holga shots to share from Elgin. This image appeared on the cover of our GO! section on Halloween.

No. 36

In light of the popular 2008 election I have chosen to explore the candidate fandom. Specifically in signs and merchandising.
I have not yet found any creative republican signs but I have found this one down the block on Walnut Street in Elgin, Illinois.
I am still looking for signs of support from the other spectrum. I just received word that I will be creating video clips on the local elections in the Kane County area. Wish me luck.

No. 26

Flamenco is colorful, boisterous and rhythmic. This image was made today at Elgin Community College on the second day of their weeklong International Week celebration.

No. 18

Snake Belt.
I attended a pet blessing today in the parking lot of St. Laurence School in celebration of the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. A young boy brought Sheila to the pet blessing I brought my camera. 10/03/08

No. 15

Well the time has come for someone to stare at me in exchange for all the staring I've done in my small lifetime.

No. 2

High school volleyball in dimly lit gyms across the western suburbs, I bow to you out of sheer fear. IHSA officials at St. Edwards High School in Elgin refused to allow a photographer to do his/her job thus prohibiting strobes or flashes of any kind to be used during league play tonight. I protest silently and putter my way to an alarming iso of 2400, a 2.8 aperture and a shutter speed of 1/250th on my D3. The results are scary. If I don’t breathe, blink an eyelash or attempt to crank my engine and think, an internal thing I’ve been known to do, I fool myself that I can possibly create something foul enough to pass as usable. I enjoy a shallow depth of field in sports often, but it’s a narrow pass when you introduce low light and action that actually moves fast, faster than I can record with my camera.