Category: Out Of Chicago

Out Of Chicago, Summer 2017 Conference

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I had the privilege to be involved again in the flagship Out Of Chicago Photography Conference. Instructors and attendees from all over the world spend a weekend totally immersed in everything photography. As one of the photowalk coordinators, I do not have a lot of opportunities to sit on classes or venture out on photowalks during the show, but, this year, I was able to lead a couple of excursions. But more on that later. The conference officially kicks off on Friday evening, and this year, our keynote speaker was none other than the incredible Art Wolfe. His images speak for themselves, but, to hear him talk us through them, it was a perfect start to the activities.

Prior to the official start, there are pre-conference workshops on Thursday and Friday. I had the opportunity to assist Derrick Story, a wonderful photographer and even better person, on Friday during his “Down ‘n Dirty Street Photography with Film” workshop. As you all know from previous postings, I have started shooting film again. I could not pass up this opportunity. I will be getting the film processed, and will be posting a separate article once I have scanned those negatives.

Friday night featured our “Photocrawl”, where we have photographers stationed at signature venues throughout the Loop. This year, a new twist was added, where we had guides lead groups to specific locations. I had the opportunity to be one of these guides, taking folks to Buckingham Fountain, Maggie Daley Park, and finishing at Cloud Gate (a.k.a. The Bean).

Saturday, the conference kicked into high gear, and I spent the day at the center, making sure the photowalks went out successfully. I went out to assist on Mike Boening’s and Derrick Story’s photowalk to Wicker Park. Being a life-long Chicagoan, I know these long distance excursions have inherent logistic difficulties, especially when they involve public transportation. Wicker Park is a street photographer’s paradise, though. Incredibly vibrant, with very approachable people, eclectic culture, street art, and great architecture. It has everything, well worth the time to go when you’re in Chicago. I took some folks on a walk east on North Avenue, and we came across a new public art installation featuring Vivian Maier, the renowned mid-century street photographer. The art is stunning. I was able to continue working on my sunglasses project too.

In the afternoon, I sat in on a mini workshop hosted my friend Lara Joy Brynildssen about Lightroom Collections and Lightroom Mobile (and almost ended up going into detention for causing too much trouble with my friend Monty). I learned a lot in Lara Joy’s class. Saturday night, after dinner, I ventured out into the Loop for an evening photowalk. Originally, I was leading my own group, but, it only ended up being one person. So, we joined up with another group, venturing to the River Walk.

Sunday morning, I led a group on an architecture photowalk in the Loop. We started at Harold Washington Library, right down the street from the Conference center. From there, we went to Calder’s Flamingo and captured some excellent reflections. We continued on to Chase Tower, and along the way, everyone said they wanted to see where a certain photo was taken, a spot where you can look down on an elevated train intersection of several CTA lines. I know the spot, so, we went there instead of a couple of other buildings. The featured photo of this article was taken from this spot.I just love exploring, and it’s not about the destination but the journey. And it turned out to be a great idea. The rest of Sunday was spent back at the Conference Center. By the time of the closing address, I was wiped out.

The conference is one of my favorite times during the year. It’s been a privilege to be involved, and working with some truly amazing people. Networking is always a big component of the conference- reconnecting with friends I met at previous conferences, and meeting new ones. It’s humbling to be involved with such talented photographers. I look forward to next year’s conference already!

The Out Of New York Photography Conference, Part 2

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My last blog post took us through Saturday evening, but there was one more day. This second part is dedicated to Sunday, because that was an incredible end to an incredible few days in the Big Apple. As part of the staff of Out Of Chicago, I was able to choose one of the all day workshops that were happening throughout Manhattan. I chose Steve Simon’s workshop. I have admired Steve’s work for years, he has a very unique vision, and is able to capture the human element like few photographers I have seen. Plus, I have been wanting to do more street photography, so the choice was easy.

We met at the entrance to the High Line. The High Line is a Rails-To-Trails conversion of an unused section of track of the New York Central Railroad. The High Line stretches for 1.45 miles in lower Manhattan, from Gansevoort Street to 34th Street. Some great architecture has sprung up around the High Line, there are great views over several streets, and a great mix of people. For this excursion, I shot predominantly film, Kodak Tri-X 400, and the rolls are yet to be developed. We encountered an interesting slice of life there, but this was just a taster of what was to come. I did get a few digital shots, the one below is looking toward upper Manhattan, looking up 10th Street toward midtown Manhattan.

 

Up 10th Avenue

We had a few more locations to go to, so we left the High Line at 23rd street, and walked to the MTA stop for the F train to go uptown to 57th and 5th. This corner is known as Bill Cunningham Corner. Bill Cunningham was a New York Times fashion and street photographer, and this corner was where he camped out to document expressions and fashion. He passed away in June of this year, and it was a weird feeling standing at the corner where so much of his work was done. But, I quickly realized why he spent so much time there. The gentleman in the next photo came strolling by not long after I camped out there. He knew he was getting attention and he enjoyed it.

 

57th and 5th Dude

Our next stop was Washington Square Park, another very unique New York location. They have everything there, including a grand piano at one end, a comedian at the other doing “Stand Up In The Park”, to Abraham Lincoln, jazz musicians, tarot readers, chess players, and the list goes on. You want to see a cross section of New Yorkers? Go there.

 

New York Abe

Our last stop was Chinatown. I have seen the neighborhood in countless movies. It was just as I had imagined it to be. Some people wanted their photos taken, but most did not. I  got some photos anyway, and our group posed by what was supposedly a Banksy piece of art depicting Donald Trump, although its authenticity as a true Banksy is up for debate.

The conference was an experience I will never forget. I fell in love with New York. As a life-long Chicagoan, spending many, many hours in the Loop, the vibe of Manhattan was extremely familiar. And yet it had a different pace altogether. I doubt I will get used to the insanity of most of the drivers. Maybe if I lived there it would become part of my fiber. Regardless, I will be coming back to New York, sooner rather than later. There is so much yet to see. Also, as with the previous Out of conferences, I made new friends. I met some incredibly passionate and talented photographers, of every level of experience. Some were from Turkey, some were from San Francisco, some were from New York and Long Island. Meeting these folks, and learning from them, seeing things in a new way, sharing ideas,  this what it is all about for me. So for this, I am eternally grateful to the Out Of Chicago team- for letting me be a part of the crew, and continuing to inspire me.

Chinatown

The Out Of New York Photography Conference- October 14-16, 2016

Gallery

It has been a privilege to be involved with the Out of Chicago organization. It has opened many doors for me, expanded my network, and sparked a lot of creativity. The cornerstone events are the conferences, which up until this year, happened once a year in Chicago. This year, we took our conference to New York City, in addition to our normal summer conference. Planning these events takes a tremendous amount of time, but in the end, the effort is worth it. It’s such a great team, and I am honored to be in their ranks.

The conference this year began with a Thursday evening sunset cruise on the East River, which I had every intention and desire to attend, had it not been for a very disorganized and geographically challenged shuttle bus driver. He took us from Laguardia Airport to midtown Manhattan, and he drove right past my hotel on 33rd Street, to go all the way to 92nd Street to drop off the first group. As a result, most of us sat in Manhattan traffic for over 2 hours, and by the time I got to my hotel, there wasn’t enough time to get to the 35th Street Pier.

Friday morning was an early start to help get the conference venue set up. My job is to help coordinate the photowalks, so I spent the better part of the day making sure the groups went out on time, make sure they knew the route, any special instructions, maps, etc. But, Friday evening, I had the opportunity to lead my own group to Grand Central Terminal. You think you are ready for the grandeur of the interior, but still, seeing it for the first time was incredible. We spent a few hours exploring the main hall, but naturally, everyone was feeling the effects of the long day. I got back to my hotel, which was only a 10 minute walk from the Terminal. Grand Central Terminal

Saturday morning, up early again, got the photowalks organized for the day, and spent the day at the conference. Saturday night, we had to shuffle schedules a little- I was originally taking a group to DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan and Brooklyn Overpasses) and Brooklyn Bridge Park, but, instead, I took a different group to the 9/11 Memorial. The Memorial was at the top of my list of things to see while I was there, so it worked out. The scene was as heart-wrenching as I anticipated it to be. The tragedy of that day, even 15 years later, was still palpable. The Memorial consists of two fountains in the footprints of the North and South Towers. There is also a museum, but due to the hour, we were not able to go in. To get to the Memorial, we went through the Oculus, which is the new transportation hub at the site. The design is astounding, it’s also a must-see.  The group was a little smaller than the night before, and we all dispersed once we had taken it all in.

9-11 Memorial