CHICAGO, IL
STORY TIME. Some of my fondest and most vivid memories growing up are from trips to "Summertime Chi". From family vacations to tagging along with my pops to trade shows every summer, to more recent visits as an adult, I have had countless good times in downtown Chicago.
In ‘97 I saw the Bulls play the Sonics, MJ - yes that MJ - sealing the game in overtime with a pair of free-throws. My dad and I were in the 'standing room' only section of the United Center for my first of what turned out to be many NBA games (hundreds?).
I was recently finally able to say thank you - 27 years later, almost to the day - by taking him to an NBA game in his new home city of Charlotte (near enough at least).
In ‘97 my dad and I saw Dan Patrick in an elevator. I can’t recall either of us saying anything but perhaps my dad got a “Yo DP” off at the end. That was my first experience seeing a celebrity (late 90’s Sportcenter guys were SUPERSTARS.)
In 2002 I laughed the hardest I’ve ever laughed in my life, still to this day, in a downtown movie theatre at the opening of Anchorman. In my mind’s eye I can see myself falling into the aisles, literally, laughing at Ron, Champ and Brick.
There was a LONG stretch between childhood and adulthood where I didn’t make it to Chicago, well over a decade if I had to guess. That can explained pretty flatly: as soon as I had a car that could handle a four-hour drive, I was going to Milwaukee.
Took my sister to Shedd aquarium in February 2018. It almost looks like its not a thousand degrees below zero.
In 2017 I was walking down the street and I RAN INTO ANOTHER CR PHOTOGRAPHER. That was fucking crazy lol. We both ended up photographing a Trump protest that day.
my guy Kyle Cleveland! what are the fucking odds!? Like I actually want to know lol
Nearly 20 million people per year visit Cloudgate, aka The Bean. On this particular day, I was the first. See the full set here.
That same year I got invited to the most insane party that I have ever been to, the employee Christmas party for the ENTIRE DOWNTOWN SERVICE INDUSTRY. It was an entire hotel booked out, with whole floors and rooms having their own themes and features. I saw blow-up pools, ball rooms like Chuck-E-Cheese, I think a donkey even? Absolute panemonium. That was also the first time I saw IV’s being offered as a hangover cure, they had em all over the following morning in the lobby.
In 2019 I was hired to shoot a surprise engagement in Millennium Park, my second paid gig there. The eventual bride (she said yes!) turned out to be a cousin of a old friend of mine. I posted a few of the photos right away on Twitter, which broke the news to said friend, and he replied that he wouldn’t have rather found out any other way. That has always stuck with me as some of my favorite feedback to my photography that I’ve ever received (thank you Hiddy!) Here’s some feedback for myself in hindsight - stop fucking drinking poison (I had a few pops that weekend) but the photos turned out great and that’s all that mattered in this case.
Speaking of drinking too much, my very last bender started in Chicago in 2021 when I got stuck at O’Hare airport. I ended up meeting with group of friends who were in town for Lollapalooza and making the best of it.
“We deserve... a smoke break”
Taken the London House rooftop, summer 2019. I've seen a lot of shots from up here but I'm particularly proud of this one because I timed the boats evenly between the bridges. Details!
Also taken in 2019 from the same spot, this has to be one of my eeriest pictures. This eight months before we ever had heard the word “Covid” in any form, and the only Corona we were talking about had a lime it it. Trump would go on to lose an election 5 months later, and the word Corona would change the world shortly after.
In 2023 I skipped a Monday work day and rode around Chicago with both my best friend and the girl of my dreams, which is of course the plot of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, one of my favorite movies ever. Hard to imagine that dream of a day ever happening again, but that’s probably for the better. Some stuff is just too good for a sequel.
“And it was all yellow”
I LOVE YOU CHICAGO