A Photo A Day

A New Collage

2012-01-29T00:33:00.000-06:00

I made this a couple of weeks ago from an old postcard and a page from a book.

Goldfish

2012-01-28T02:08:00.002-06:00

In a pond on the University of Chicago campus.

Field

2012-01-27T00:24:00.002-06:00

This is the field behind my mom's house in Michigan, shot a couple of years ago on a sunny Fall day.

Sunset At Mom's

2012-01-25T00:06:00.000-06:00

Shot with my reverse-mens Brownie camera last month in Michigan.

Posting is a little sporadic here lately. It's because I just started a new semester and am very busy / tired. I've got another week of contest theme photos to post, which I'll get to as soon as it's less crazy here.

Found Him!

2012-01-23T02:21:00.002-06:00

Bad Hair Day

2012-01-22T01:20:00.000-06:00

I really can't remember where I shot this. I wish I could-it's begging to be photographed some more.

Window Frost

2012-01-19T01:23:00.000-06:00

Today, Chicago felt kind of like how this photo looks: Bright and pretty, but really cold.

Cone

2012-01-18T00:06:00.000-06:00

I gave my studio a much needed and much procrastinated cleaning over my winter break (which just ended-today was the first day of the new semester). While cleaning, I found a set of negatives shot with an old Kodak camera I bought at a garage sale a few years ago. I like that camera because it easily allows for multiple exposures on the same fame of film. That explains this shot-the same subject shot several tmes on the same frame, to give a fuzzy, impressionistic look.

Jackelope

2012-01-17T00:34:00.000-06:00

Shot in a Galena, IL, shop window a couple of weeks ago using my reversed lens Brownie camera.

Blowin' In The Wind

2012-01-16T00:56:00.000-06:00

Here's another photo shot at my Mom's house. This one was around Christmas, I think, and was shot with my reverse lens Kodak Brownie camera.

Grass Chair

2012-01-15T00:49:00.000-06:00

Been scanning some Holga and reverse-lens Brownie negatives this weekend, catching up on a bit of a backlog. This was shot with my Holga in my Mom's yard on Thanksgiving weekend.

Pop Culture!!!!!!

2012-01-14T00:30:00.000-06:00

Here we are, at the end of pop culture week. I saved the cheesiest for last! Thanks again to Jackie for suggesting this theme.

Pop Culture!!!!!!

2012-01-13T01:02:00.000-06:00

Stickers in a store in Japantown, San Francisco. Shot last June.
One more day in the Pop Culture theme. Tune in tomorrow to see how it ends!

Pop Culture!!!!!

2012-01-12T00:06:00.000-06:00

我愛動畫，但從來沒有真正觀看了展示本10。我只是覺得這一個有趣的照片。射擊在芝加哥的唐人街

Pop Culture!!!!

2012-01-11T01:12:00.000-06:00

Today's pop culture inspired photo is of a little Japanese toy, shot in my studio a while ago. I don't know where I got that toy, but I suspect it was at Mitsuwa.

Pop Culture!!!

2012-01-10T01:02:00.000-06:00

I had a box of those Valentine heart candies last year, and was interested in the ones where the printing was bad. I shot a bunch of them using a macro lens, but lost interest after that and didn't do anything with the photos.

Pop Culture!!

2012-01-09T00:02:00.000-06:00

Day 2 of images inspired by pop culture. This one was shot in October, 2010. It's a closeup of fliers on a notice board on the University of Chicago campus.

Pop Culture!

2012-01-08T02:09:00.000-06:00

Back in November, I held a mini-contest on this blog, asking for ideas I could use for a week-long theme of posts. I announced the winners, but haven't posted anything from them. Until now. For the next week, I'll be following the theme of "pop culture", suggested by my friend Jackie. Thanks, Jackie, and remember-your prize is a print of any photo posted to this blog.

So, pop culture. This photo was shot at Chicago's Maxwell Street Market late last spring. I have no idea what that thing is, but it's obviously Spongebob inspired.

So Do I

2012-01-06T02:00:00.002-06:00

Shot in a Toronto bookstore last summer.

Light Streaks

2012-01-05T00:53:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted here recently because I took a short getaway trip to lovely Galena, Illinois. Here are a few abstract photos I shot of Christmas tree lights in my B&B room there.

The City

2012-01-02T01:19:00.000-06:00

Shot last summer while on a long walk around the city. I'd like some weather like that right now.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T01:02:00.000-06:00

Adventure Golf

2011-12-31T00:09:00.002-06:00

A mini-golf course, shot with my Holga camera last summer.

I'm Back!

2011-12-30T00:19:00.000-06:00

I returned home from my Mom's house this afternoon. Been busily cleaning my studio all evening, and haven't even looked at the photos I shot while I was there. Here's one taken in Toronto last summer with the pinhole attachment for my digital camera..

Happy, Happy

2011-12-24T01:55:00.000-06:00

I'm off to spend the holidays with family. I'll return to this blog in a few days. Hope you have a good whatever it is you celebrate, even if you don't celebrate anything.

Tree

2011-12-23T01:33:00.002-06:00

A Christmas tree at my Mom's house, shot last year with my reverse-lens Kodak Brownie camera.

Self Portrait In Mall Christmas Decorations

2011-12-22T00:49:00.000-06:00

Shot last weekend in Chicago.

Red Ivy

2011-12-21T01:24:00.002-06:00

On a University of Chicago building.

Winter In Chicago

2011-12-19T01:45:00.000-06:00

I'm not a fan of winter, and I'm really not a fan of winter in Chicago. It's not the weather, which is pretty much the same as in Michigan where I grew up. Winter in Chicago is actually sunnier than in winter in Michigan, which is a good thing. What I don't like is that Chicago is at the eastern edge of the central time zone, so that during the winter, it's dark by 4:30 pm. I really hate that.
That said, the city can be really pretty this time of the year. I shot this photo yesterday (around 4:45 pm) while out holiday shopping.

SF Houses

2011-12-17T00:55:00.000-06:00

Shot out of a (parked) car window last summer, somewhere in San Francisco.

Jordaan

2011-12-16T01:41:00.000-06:00

Amsterdam, the lovely Jordaan neighborhood. Shot in 2007.

Plant

2011-12-15T01:43:00.000-06:00

Here's a plant. I think this was shot in Oregon, somewhere in the Mt. Hood area.

Lens Flare

2011-12-12T01:54:00.000-06:00

Shot on Christmas Day a few years ago in the field behind my Mom's house in Michigan.

Oops

2011-12-11T00:57:00.000-06:00

Missed a couple of days. End of semester busyness. Here's a couple of infrared photos to catch up.

The End

2011-12-08T00:34:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow, I'll teach my last class of the semester. Exams are next week, then I'm done until mid-January. None of that has any relation to this photo of Toronto, taken from the turret of Casa Loma.

Cold Spell

2011-12-07T00:58:00.002-06:00

A cold spell is supposedly headed to Chicago. I suppose it's inevitable.

Dinosaurs!

2011-12-05T00:54:00.002-06:00

Loose on the streets of Chicago!

Buddha

2011-12-04T00:15:00.000-06:00

Smart Museum, Hyde Park, Chicago, October 2010.

Over Golden Gate Park

2011-12-03T01:29:00.000-06:00

The view from the top floor of the DeYoung museum in San Francisco.

Busy!

2011-12-02T01:06:00.000-06:00

Very busy, but the end of the semester is in sight. Plans for break include getting to work on the two winning themes I picked for the mini contest a couple of weeks ago. Watch for those soon.

I Love Cacti!

2011-12-01T00:57:00.002-06:00

Shot at the University of Michigan Botanical Gardens last Friday.

Red Leaves, White Fence

2011-11-30T00:44:00.000-06:00

This photo was shot a year ago, during Fall, 2010. I read online that the colors this Fall were supposed to be unusually intense, but it was kind of a bust, color wise. Great weather, though.

The Planetarium

2011-11-29T02:23:00.001-06:00

Longway Planetarium in Flint, MI. Shot a couple of summers ago with my Holga camera.

Chippy

2011-11-28T00:02:00.000-06:00

Back from my Mom's house. Here's a photo I shot in her front yard today.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T00:46:00.000-06:00

I'm leaving town for a couple of days, going to visit my Mom for Thanksgiving. I'll resume posting when I return to Chicago. Speaking of thanks, I'd like to thank you all for reading my blogs. I know there's not a lot of you, but it's fun doing this for knowing that a few people enjoy it.

Here's a couple more photos. All of the photos in today's post were shot in digital infrared last summer in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.

Cartoon Color

2011-11-22T01:25:00.001-06:00

I've been playing with color effects in Photoshop lately. This one's kind of garish, but I like it. It fits the image well.

Bridge

2011-11-21T00:39:00.002-06:00

Shot in digital infrared on an overly hot day last summer.

50% Off

2011-11-20T01:05:00.000-06:00

Kitsch objects going cheap!

Winding Trail

2011-11-19T00:51:00.000-06:00

The Dan Ryan Woods in southwest Chicago, shot with infrared film in my Holga camera.

Shadow Portrait

2011-11-17T00:36:00.001-06:00

Shot at McCormick Place in Chicago last spring. That carpet is proof that Satan is real.

Infrared Brownie

2011-11-16T01:12:00.000-06:00

This photo was shot last summer with infrared film loaded into my reverse lens Kodak Hawkeye camera. I had high hopes for using infrared film in this camera, but after shooting a couple of rolls was kind of whelmed by the results.

Winners!

2011-11-15T00:20:00.000-06:00

The contest to help me find inspiration for this blog has now concluded. Congratulations to Pam for her theme "Noise", and Jackie for her theme "Pop culture". These two tied for first place. I'll do a week of posts with each of those themes. Not sure when, but soon.

I liked all of the entries, to be honest. They all seemed interesting. These two seemed to spark ideas the most for me, however.

Jackie and Pam, you each will get a print. I originally said it would be one of the images I post in your theme, but if you want to pick anything I've posted here, go ahead. Let me know when you've chosen, and I'll make your print.

Cacti

2011-11-13T01:36:00.000-06:00

Shot with my Pinwide pinhole attachment on my digital camera last summer in Toronto.

Gray Portland

2011-11-12T00:30:00.000-06:00

This is what the photo I posted yesterday looks like converted to grayscale. Lovely digital infrared.

Just a couple of days left to offer suggestions for a theme for this blog. See this post for details.

Pink Portland

2011-11-11T00:16:00.000-06:00

The Chinese Gardens in Portland, shot with an infrared filter on the camera but not processed into full infrared.

Reflections

2011-11-09T01:19:00.000-06:00

Downtown Chicago shop window, shot in September, 2010. I quite like this one.

Playground

2011-11-08T00:53:00.000-06:00

Shot with my toy Holga camera a couple of years ago. At one point this was going to be part of a larger series of Holga photos of playground equipment, but I lost interest.

Keep the ideas coming! After yesterday's post, I've received some good suggestions. Post more if you have them.

I Need Inspiration

2011-11-07T00:35:00.000-06:00

A month ago, I posted a photo along with some comments about how I was feeling a little uninspired with this blog. A month has passed, and while somewhat better (helped by avoiding 'pretty' photos), I still feel I need some inspiration. So, I'm asking for help by having a little contest.

Readers of this blog (I know there are several out there) are invited to suggest a theme for me to follow for about a week's worth of posts. The theme can be anything: particular subject matter, locations, photographic techniques, etc. They can be concrete, abstract or metaphorical themes, vague or specific. You can suggest as many different themes as you want. Post them as a comment to this post, or send me an email (look at my profile to send an email).

I'll pick the winning theme or themes. My criteria for judging will be how much I like and am inspired by the theme, and how well I think I can work with it. If I pick your theme, I'll send you a print of your choice from the images I post around it.

Deadline for entering is one week from today, November 14. Send me your theme ideas!

Joy of Reflexology

2011-11-06T00:56:00.002-05:00

San Francisco shop window, shot last summer.

TV Eyes

2011-11-05T00:15:00.000-05:00

Televisions mounted on a coffee shop wall. Japantown, San Francisco, June, 2011.

Meet Meat

2011-11-04T00:38:00.000-05:00

A large enamel picture of meat on a Devon Ave. storefront in Chicago.

Book Sale

2011-11-03T10:56:00.002-05:00

Damaged by Tyler Hewitt | Make Your Own Book

Blurb is having a book sale through November 30. Enter the code BIGTEN at checkout, and you'll receive $10 off the cost of a book. In case you're interested, my book Damaged is available there.

Clinic

2011-11-03T01:27:00.000-05:00

Shot on Chicago's multicultural northwest side last spring. I like that part of town, and don't go there often enough.

Blue Tape

2011-11-02T01:17:00.000-05:00

I don't think this really needs any comments.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T00:32:00.000-05:00

Try not to eat too much candy.

Tower

2011-10-30T01:23:00.000-05:00

Shot last June in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood with my Holga camera.

Cicada

2011-10-29T00:33:00.000-05:00

In 2007, the 17-year cicadas emerged in Chicago, and for a few weeks there were large, slow moving insects everywhere. My yard had tons of them, more than my neighbors', probably because I refuse to chemically treat my lawn in any way, and more of the larvae survived. It was pretty cool. Here's a photo taken in my front yard of a cicada on an allium flower.

Frost

2011-10-28T01:27:00.000-05:00

Frost on a window, shot on a cold winter's day a couple of years ago.

Look Up!

2011-10-27T01:51:00.000-05:00

I shot this with my reversed-lens Brownie camera a couple of summers ago. I really like this photo, despite my being a committed atheist.

Stripes

2011-10-26T00:32:00.000-05:00

I have no idea what this is a photo of. If I had to guess, I'd say it's a closeup of a page in a magazine, possibly Artforum.

Untitled

2011-10-25T01:06:00.000-05:00

Couldn't think of a title for this one. Feel free to add your own.
Shot at the Oriental Institute in Chicago about a week and a half ago.

Shadow Skull

2011-10-24T01:10:00.000-05:00

Digital infrared shot made in my Mom's backyard last spring,

Scary!

2011-10-23T01:08:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that Halloween is just over a week away. October is just flying by. This was a very poorly exposed shot made with my Holga camera a couple of years ago. I added the duotone to improve the image quality, as it looked really bad otherwise.

Green And Red

2011-10-22T00:36:00.000-05:00

Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago. Shot last January with a small digital camera.

Animated Chicago

2011-10-21T00:23:00.000-05:00

This is an animated gif made from a shot taken with my 4-lens Nishika camera. This was the top of a parking structure southwest of downtown.

Infrared Woods

2011-10-20T00:50:00.000-05:00

Shot in the Dan Ryan Woods in Chicago last spring.

Untitled

2011-10-19T00:35:00.000-05:00

Hmmm, I couldn't think of a title for this. Anyone have any ideas?

Pink-Eyed Blurry Beast

2011-10-18T00:44:00.000-05:00

Fooling around with my camera a few years ago; shot this off of the tv screen.

50's Lady

2011-10-17T00:34:00.000-05:00

An image from a 1950's era homemaker's magazine, shot on a light table with a macro lens about 5 years ago.

Fall Reflection

2011-10-16T01:11:00.000-05:00

I shot this photo on Friday while wandering around the University of Chicago campus and Hyde Park with a group of students from the school where I teach (I'm the faculty advisor for the campus Art Club, and we'd gone there to visit museums). It's a beautiful part of the city any time, but especially so in the fall.

Persepolis

2011-10-15T00:26:00.000-05:00

This is a gum bichromate print, made from a photograph taken with a Holga camera. The photo was shot in the Oriental Institute on the University of Chicago Campus in 2007. This is one of my favorite pieces in that wonderful museum.

Twilight In San Francisco

2011-10-14T00:44:00.000-05:00

I shot this on Ocean Beach in San Francisco last June, right as the sun was setting and the lights in the city were turning on.

Mini-Castle

2011-10-12T00:09:00.000-05:00

Shot with my Holga camera last summer at a miniature golf course outside of Chicago.

Portland

2011-10-11T01:06:00.000-05:00

I shot this in Portland, in July, 2010, while riding a bike through the city.

American Fair

2011-10-10T00:09:00.000-05:00

Here's another animated GIF. Shot with my 4-lens camera at a parking lot carnival a couple of years ago.

I Am Lost!

2011-10-09T00:33:00.000-05:00

Shot with my reversed lens Brownie camera, I can't remember exactly where or when.

Through THe Window

2011-10-08T00:01:00.000-05:00

I love this shot. Made with my 4-lens Nishika camera, October, 2007 in San Francisco.

A Little Bored

2011-10-07T01:11:00.000-05:00

I've been feeling a little bored and uninspired with this blog lately. It may be the busyness of the school year and not feeling like I'm getting enough studio time, or it may be that I haven't done much shooting lately, and have nothing new to post.

Anyway, I'm not sure if anything will change here. I might take a few days off, I might not. Here's a collage I made bank in August in the meantime.

Midway

2011-10-06T00:36:00.000-05:00

Shot with my 4-lens Nishika camera at Midway Airport in Chicago while waiting for a flight to San Francisco, October, 2007.

Floating Log

2011-10-05T00:38:00.000-05:00

That fallen tree kind of looks like it's floating. Shot in digital infrared last May.

De Young

2011-10-04T00:32:00.000-05:00

A view of the top floor of the de Young Museum in San Francisco.

Moving Fence

2011-10-03T01:09:00.001-05:00

Shot near Chinatown in Chicago, not quite a month ago.

Chinatown Clown

2011-10-02T00:16:00.000-05:00

Shot in a Chinatown shop window a couple of years ago.

Inuit

2011-10-01T00:11:00.000-05:00

Shot at the Exhibit Museum at the University of Michigan back in 2006.

Closed

2011-09-30T00:21:00.000-05:00

I was saving this for the next time I'm away from home and not able to post here, but I'm a little bored with my file of images to post at the moment, so I'm using it now.

Hydrant

2011-09-28T01:35:00.002-05:00

Not much to say about this. It's just a nice photo.

Bored

2011-09-26T00:53:00.000-05:00

If you want comments about this photo, go ahead and post your own.

Fall!

2011-09-25T01:25:00.000-05:00

Happy equinox! Friday was the first day of Fall. It's my favorite season, and I'm glad it's here.

Old And Out Of The Way

2011-09-24T00:24:00.000-05:00

I shot this with my reversed lens Brownie camera this past summer while riding my bike. This was somewhere along the southern end of the Major Taylor bike trail in Chicago, I'm guessing south of 120th Street. It was a sunny day, and the viewfinders on those old Brownie cameras are pretty much useless in direct sunlight. I just aimed at the building and shot. It turned out ok, although I probably have composed the shot a little differently had I been able to see it.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

2011-09-23T00:28:00.000-05:00

I shot this a couple of years ago while wandering around downtown Chicago with my camera. Sepia tone courtesy of Photoshop. If you don't get the title of this post or how it relates to the photo, you probably haven't been paying much attention to indie rock over the past few years, not that that's a bad thing.