Recycle

Passing though my old stomping grounds of Oregon, IL. When I was in college I took this documentary photography class which changed at the time and still has a huge influence on me and how I photograph today. As a class we choose to photograph Route 64 which is North Ave in Chicago and it goes all the way out to Iowa. Jumping in a car with a friend usually Dan or a bunch of friends and just exploring and documenting the road...Its how I got hooked on road tripping and going to small towns really and plus I love to drive. From time to time since I've graduated college I'll get on RT 64 and drive though some of the towns I did back in college like I did on this one Sunday afternoon a month ago or so on my way back home from the Stephenson County Fair. Oregon is right on the Rock River on RT 64 and has always been one of the more interesting towns on 64. Its hard for me to come back to places I've been to before many times and try to make images. I always find it easier and more exciting to make images at places I've never been to before and getting my first responses to the place is always a thrill when the place a good. On this day it was a challenge since I had been to Oregon a few times, I had been out all afternoon in 100 degree heat feeling pretty tired I set out to try to make images. The great thing was the light was really great which always helps a lot. I came across one of the more interesting store fronts in town with this computer screen and a plant in this red pot really drew my attention. I love the shadow of the plant and how its kinda dancing around the recycling symbol on the screen was just perfect. The light on that plant is special in the way it's diagonally illuminating the plant...

Pretzel Power

Found on a recent trip out to Freeport, IL, In what might the strangest choice for a school mascot ever, a Pretzel! When I saw the sign I had to stop, but I didn't know how I was going to make the photograph because it was just a sign. After parking to car walking up to the front of this sign, and seeing those football tackling sleds in the background, which I didn't see when I first saw the sign from the car made the photograph complete. The fact they were the same color as the Illinios state outline on the sign was icing on the cake The light could not have been more than perfect...At least this school won't have to worry about offending any race, people etc...poor pretzel

Stone Free

I made a recent little day trip out to Freeport, IL one weekend with my friend Brendan and his sister Karen. We spent an interesting Sunday afternoon in 100 degree heat checking out the Stephenson County Fair. I knew that going to a place like this was going to be a challenge photographically because there is too much obvious stuff in this one place. While country fairs offer the usual rides, carnival food, animals, shows, games, and interesting people etc...Those are the obvious things that you see, well I'm looking for the not so obvious. Its not easy to find the obscure random things let alone at the County Fair. On our way out of the fair I see this warm earthy stone with the numbers 2002 and carved into it. I was immediately drawn to it. I tried looking at it from a few different angles I really wanted the 2002 to be visible. So I choose a slightly higher and angled down view which I felt worked the best. This is one of those things that leaves you to your imagination on what was this thing going to be. I felt that this was something started by someone and just stopped. Or it might be a work in progress? What does 2002 mean? You can go on and on... Lots of questions can be asked of an image and that's exciting to me. When something comes off at first mundane and mysterious and turns into something that has depth and feel makes for an interesting image that with each viewing something else is seen or felt....