Brad Pitt and I share the exact same birthday (month, day, year) outside of that, our stories diverge considerably. Mr. Pitt went on to become an internationally famous superstar, while I have led the much more interesting life of the starving artist. I come from a long line of storytellers (whose gift for gab stretches back through the mists of time to our native Ireland) and professional malcontents who were seemingly born to create something in the arts, be it music, writing, sculpture, painting, or photography. I started writing at age 12 with a screenplay with my cousin Ryan about a planet where everyone looked like Elton John entitled "Don't I Know You?" More screenplays followed, several of which received epic Super-8 production with budgets that sometimes ran up to $10. A few even had sound!  More writing followed: songs, poems, short stories, numerous unfinished novels, etc.. Somewhere in there was an attempt at being a rock star...
Still living at home, at age 22, my father dropped an elderly Nikromatt 35-mm film camera into my lap, in the hopes that I would "make a go of it" as a photojournalist. That didn't happen, but I did develop an abiding love of photography that along with writing and archival work have been among the chief passions of my life. When it comes to my photography, I try to be as creative as possible while at the same time striving for a documentary/archival quality. The only set rules I adhere to, when it comes to making pictures are: 1.) Try not to make the picture blurry, and 2.) Don't drop the camera.
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Comments (10)
Chipka
Oooh. Metal stuff! I like metal stuff. Metal stuff is good. And I also agree that parts of this city are murky and simmering in a rather thick stupor. But enough of that. This is a great photo, especially considering the unctuous light that passes for daytime here, when we're not broiling in summer. I love the idea that it's just details and not a whole thing shown here. I can get a glimpse of you as well, so it's also a nice self portrait. Really well seen.
bmac62
I see you back there squezzing through the bars:) Great find and am enjoying your title immensely. Nicely composed to catch the eye...
auntietk
Less than the whole thing. Check. Reflection. Check. Chicago. Check. Metal stuff (as he says). Check. Deceptively mundane and freakin brilliant. Check. Punny title, well done. Check. Yup! There's a lot to like about this! :)
durleybeachbum
Brilliant title and a richly layered pic. A shame they can't match the letters to the gate.
moonhawk
great photo, love old ironwork
kgb224
Superb capture my friend. God Bless.
flavia49
great capture
sandra46
GREAT SHOT
myrrhluz
I like this a lot! For all the reasons Tara so adroitly stated. I love the lines and the composition with the placement and crop of the gate, and the reflection showing more behind. Great capture!
anahata.c
An old Bach joke: Someone said "your fugue is too long!" And Bach said, "sh_t, man, it's baroque." (Not as good as your title, but it's good to rub shoulders with big names...) Another beautiful abstract, and another rich juxtaposition of so many elements and vectors. Also, you allowed the front-most grills to be slightly out of focus, and that makes them feel a bit like a dream or apparition. (Those words are too strong because the effect is subtle; but it still adds a new dimension to the piece.) All kinds of stuff going on in this, the numbers floating in space, the blanked-out words, the grills behind grills, the cars in the background, the angles of the street, and an overall feeling like it's raining out there or just very gray. Chicago does offer lots of architectural patterns, but of course it takes the right eye to find them (ie, yours). This is a truly well-found shot, and a beautiful abstract. I made it to 2013, here! Well Lucinda (myrrhluz) commented on May 14, so I don't feel quite so bad. I've seen all of these, as they went up; I just never got here to comment. I don't get out of my neighborhood nearly enough, and when I see your shots (along with Chip's) I realize I really need to...