By Robby DeGraff (Mid-term project for Spring 2012)
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365 Days Later: Life in the United States after a semester abroad in Vietnam
Posted in documentary photography, photo essay, photo story
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Leave Your Mark
By Emily Study (Mid-term project for Spring 2012)
For thousands of years, humans have had the instinctual urge to physically leave their marks. They began recording their daily thoughts and feelings more than 35,000 years ago by drawing pictures on cave walls. Using sharpened stone tools and animal bones as writing instruments, humans recorded such feelings as excitement from hunting victories and sadness from the loss of a loved one.
Today, humans still have this natural instinct to write down and share their thoughts and feelings. Although now we live in the age of tweeting and posting Facebook statuses, the purpose of our writing has remained the same: to record what we’re thinking and how we feel.
Sometimes, though, what we write on Facebook or Twitter doesn’t necessarily match exactly how we feel. Because there is no anonymity with technology, our thoughts and feelings might get clouded by the fact that our name is next to whatever we write. So if we take away all of the technology—the social networking sites, smartphones, iPads, computers and the Internet—we get back to more “primitive” times. Times in which humans’ marks were once anonymous and were written for the sole purpose of making humans feel better, regardless of who might see them.
For this project, 11 people reverted back to these primitive times and wrote their thoughts and feelings in chalk on the sidewalk and cement walls outside of Sullivan Center. While the writing instrument is different than what was used 35,000 years ago, the outcome is the same: humans could write honestly and leave their marks on nature for others, like me, to discover.
When photographing these marks, I discovered the truthful, touching and inspiring thoughts and feelings that these 11 people had written throughout the day on Friday, Feb. 24, 2012. Their marks served many purposes. Some expressed relief (see Picture 7 and Picture 9). Some served as reminders that it’s okay to be who you are (see Picture 2, Picture 3 and Picture 12). One helped in the grieving process (see Picture 6). Some were reminders to love yourself and to love your life (see Picture 1 and Picture 8). Some expressed humor and communication (see Picture 4 and Picture 5). And some served as reminders to believe in the power of your dreams (see Picture 10 and Picture 11).
These marks, though they may wash away, represent humans’ everlasting urge to record their thoughts and feelings. Humans have always had, and will always have, the instinctual urge to leave their marks.
Posted in documentary photography, photo essay, photo story
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Chronicling a Day in the Life of a Dancer
by Shawna Sellmeyer (Mid-term project for Spring 2012)
Erin Throop (“The Dancer”) starts off her day a bit behind schedule. Waking up at about 10:15 am, Erin swings her feet off the bed, pauses to take some deep breaths, and eventually stands up to begin her day (“Waking Up”). Today, Erin will be going to the dance studio in Mundelein in order to get some practice in. This task has become somewhat of a routine for Erin since she has been dancing and performing ballet since the age of four – a total of 17 years. Although it may seem tedious, Erin declares ballet is her passion in life; if it weren’t her passion, she wouldn’t be devoting so much of her time to it. Being a ballerina has become a part of her identity.
After stumbling around the bedroom, trying to wake herself up, Erin makes her way for the bathroom to brush her teeth and put her hair in a bun – the distinctive way ballerinas do their hair (“The Bun”). Erin recalls that when she was young, she would cry when her mother would do her hair for recitals and practices. “My mom would pull my hair so tightly, so not only did it hurt, but I absolutely hated the way I looked”, Erin explains. After this anecdote, I can’t help but notice that Erin’s bun is messy with stray hairs; perhaps she does this on purpose after years of having ‘perfect’ and painful buns done by her mom.
Erin then goes into her kitchen to make coffee – something that she can’t live without. “I find myself getting huge headaches on the days in which I don’t have coffee… that’s how addicted I’ve become to it!” Erin explains as she grabs a coffee filter (“Morning Routine”). After hitting the “Start” button on her coffee machine, Erin takes a moment to stretch (“Morning Light”). These simple moves will aid her when it comes to dancing later.
After a cup (or two) of coffee and a bowl of cereal, Erin is out the door and on her way to Mundelein. With her bright pink ballet shoes in hand, Erin walks through the dirty alleyways (“On the Move”). About fifteen minutes later, Erin has arrived at the dance studio and begins to physically transform into the dancer. She first changes into her dance clothes in the bathroom and then returns to the dance studio to switch out her everyday shoes for her ballet flats (“Juxtaposition” and “Tying”). After stretching for some time, Erin finally begins to practice her technique in front of the mirrors in the studio (“Three Perspectives”).
Today is a typical day for Erin, the ballerina.
Posted in documentary photography, photo essay, photo story
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Damen Hall
By Sarah Seifert (Final Project for Spring 2010)
As I am about to complete my time here at Loyola University Chicago, one of Damen Hall’s time here on campus is coming to a close as well. Damen Hall, built in 1966, is coming down this summer, to make way for better, safer, more aesthetically pleasing classroom space. This project documents my last time inside of Damen’s sterile hallways, an experience that proved to be somewhat nostalgic in feeling. It highlights how Damen Hall is well past its prime in an effective space for today’s university campus, while fondly recalling its past.
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- Old mailboxes in the building’s second entrance help to reveal the age of the building.
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- Signs are hung on many of the shuttered classrooms in preparation for the hall’s demolition.
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- …and how long it has been since these lockers have been opened.
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- With its destruction imminent, there is less emphasis on keeping the space neat.
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- Many of Damen’s floors are quiet as its usage for classroom space winds down.
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- Hallways of lockers beg the question of how the building was used back in its “heyday”…
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- The main method of travel between floors was the building’s borderline dangerous set of escalators.
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- Students have walked the hallways of Damen Hall since 1966.
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- At the bottom of one of its stairwells, a random fan signals the beginning of a possible junk pile.
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- The 10 story eye sore is said to be a cesspool for asbestos.
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- Damen Hall is set to be demolished this summer, 2010.
My Neighborhood
By Angelica Lewis (Final Project for Spring 2010)
After a long time of thinking and reflecting on what is most important to me I’ve decided to complete my final photo project on my neighborhood, Gresham-Arburn. Born in the 80s’ and being raised on the south side of Chicago was always interesting. There was always something to do and a new adventure to partake in. Raised by a single mother and my grandmother in a home that was built and once owned by the great-grandparents.
However, in recent years with a downward spiraling economy many people have lost jobs and are constantly losing their homes. With hope in my heart and mind I fight to see the light at the end of the tunnel for my neighborhood. A place that was once the stomping grounds of my great-grandfather, grandmother, mother, siblings, and I.
Gresham is historic for its train and metric rail system since the time of the Pullman porters. The neighborhood was the beginning of a new start for Irish immigrates and blacks coming from the south in search for better jobs and schooling. My pictures portray a dark, but realistic side to the city of Chicago. The photos show a daily reality for many people who live, work, and try to survive in this area of the city.
The images are hard to take in at first and to the natural eye this neighborhood might seem lost and hopeless but after a few clips I see hope and a vibration. I start to remember the warm and misty summer memories that lurk in my mind. Memories of Bar-B-Ques, block club parties, and Easter day pictures in front of my grandmothers home. This is my Neighborhood and it will always be the place I was born, raised, and still love today.
Standpoint Theory
By Dana Elborno (Final Project for Spring 2010)
In life, what we see is highly affected by what we already believe and who we are in this world. What is so evocative to me about photography is not only that we can capture life as it happens, but that what we capture push us beyond the boundaries of our expectations and perhaps get us to challenge our beliefs. Furthermore, we can offer society a perspective of the world through a new lens and in doing so, push the boundaries of their expectations as well. I chose these photos from my collection of work so far to portray, what I believe is images of the world through someone else’s eyes. In the future I would like this project to evolve and perhaps turn into a more participatory project with my audience by picking a time and date in the future and asking several friends to shoot pictures of exactly what they see at this time. The juxtaposition of the images will be striking because essentially we’ll get to simulate being in two places at once and expanding out standpoint. Maybe even more simply, I can use two cameras set up on opposite sides of my apartment and fire them at the same time.
But, for now, in this particular project, I tried to show images that complicate out perception of what the East and West are and what they look like when they collide. As a first-generation Arab-American so many images of my life and the things I have experienced have been a commentary on the myth of the East and the West and that’s what I hope to give some insight about.
Free: A Giving Project
By Samuel McClain (Final Project for Spring 2010)
I have always found it frustrating and depressing how little interaction takes place between strangers in Chicago. One day on the train I folded a piece of scrap paper into an origami crane and gave it to a complete stranger. I began doing this regularly and found that giving a simple gift allowed me to enter into simple exchanges with the people around me.
I gave a paper crane to each person in these photographs. Then I asked them about the greatest gift they had ever received. Our exchanges were brief, but after each one I was given an image and they were given a small paper bird. The small act of giving softened the guarded walls we all employ to ward off unwanted and uncomfortable people as we move about our daily lives. After talking to each stranger I thought, “How refreshing.”
My project was an exploration of the idea of giving and interacting to and with strangers. I will admit it was less about the finished project than practicing and experimenting with the methods used to capture images. I have a very hard time getting enough confidence to shoot strangers on the street, and an even harder time walking up to them and starting a conversation. My project was really about practicing street photography.
Each time I gave a subject a bird and took their photograph I learned something. I would adjust my approach and the things I said when I introduced myself. I also learned that I get really nervous when talking to people. So nervous in fact that I didn’t even concentrate on taking an image. I just raised my camera and clicked the shutter. I got a lot more comfortable as I shot more and more people. I also learned a lot about the kind of images I would like to capture. When looking through the photographs I took I didn’t see any individuality of artist or subject shine through. Many are just headshots and rely on the power of the story in order to resonate. I now have a different idea of the aesthetic that I am aiming for.
This project will not directly add to my portfolio, but I learned so much from taking these photographs that my future photography will be forever changed.
Niels Olsen: Renaissance Man
By Samuel McClain
“A man named Thomas P. Crapper invented the flush toilet, and there are man hole covers with his name on them inside Westminster Abbey,” Niels Olsen told me as we drove to one of the five apartment buildings he owns and maintains. In technical terms Niels is a landlord. He collects rent and manages the tenants in his buildings, but, in practical terms, Niels is a do-it-all maintenance man. Not only can he explain the history of modern toilets, he can repair and install them too.
Niels has owned and rented property for over 30 years and has always done the maintenance work himself. He has three garages, two basements, and an industrial space filled with scraps of wood, doorknobs, copper piping, power tools, sheet metal, and countless other pieces of junk he adapts and reuses again and again on his old buildings. He can’t bring himself to throw anything away, and his organizational skills are nonexistent, but with his collection of secondhand tools and assortment of salvaged junk, he can, and will, fix anything.
The day these photographs were shot Niels traveled to three of his buildings to make repairs. First he restored the water pressure in a shower, then replaced an electrical outlet on a fan, next he assembled and installed a heating unit, and finally climbed on to the roof to patch it with bits of tar, caulking, and a blowtorch.
Even with his impressive handy man skill set, Niels is best remembered for the things he says. He recites one-liners and anecdotes that are often lewd and crude but always amusing. As we drove to his building on the corner of Milwaukee and Damon Niels said, “Keep your camera ready we might see a bum molesting an old lady.” Then he looked at me and with a dirty grin said, “Or maybe even an old lady molesting a bum.” Later he explained how he once laid down his motorcycle in the rain. “I was lucky I didn’t get hurt, but it scared the hell out of me. Only me, my underpants, and my drycleaner know how scared I really was.”
Niels can be easily labeled as a foul-mouthed, blue-collar worker, but the man isn’t defined by the simple labor he does everyday. He graduated with a degree in sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, he collects daguerreotypes, is an amateur economist, and an accomplished sailor. He owns a 24-foot sail boat but hopes to upgrade to a larger vessel that he can sail through the great lakes into the Atlantic Ocean where he will head south to disappear into the Caribbean and retirement. His dream of sailing is clear, but the timeline for departure is more ambiguous. He is tied to his buildings. They must be maintained or sold. Niels knows he still has to invest more years of hard work into his property before he can escape on his boat, but he jokes that the only thing holding him back is, “A few bare breasted maidens to accompany me on my voyage. You know the type, ones that will sit on my face so I can guess their weight.”
Niels can easily offend with his humor, but his intellect is as sharp as his tongue and he is able to offer a rare and experienced perspective of the world. Neils told a story about visiting his father, who had become senile and at times angry, before he died. In one outburst, his father told Niels and his mother to “Fuck off!” and said he was going to catch the next ship leaving port. The story seems tragic but Niels seems to appreciate the irony and perhaps hopes he has a bit of his father’s spirit.
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- Niels barters on his cell phone with potential tenants over the price of rent. His trademark bucket of haphazardly assembled tools waits for the next repair job
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- “This thing is a piece of shit,” Niels said as he replaces the lighting fixture on an apartment’s ceiling fan
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- “I have to keep them alive if I want to collect rent,” Niels said as he assembles a heater for a frigid apartment. Rugs, boards, and toilet parts litter the workshop behind him
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- Niels secretly dips his screwdriver in a tenant’s chapstick to aid in the repair of a light fixture. “It’s not like I’m sticking their toothbrush in my ass,” he said
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- Niels inspects cracks in the roof at 1902 N. Milwaukee Ave. “This building is old, even by Chicago standards,” he said
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- Niels carries his key ring as he leaves an apartment building after collecting rent
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- Niels looks at the modern Chicago skyline from the roof of his 150-year-old building at 1902 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Coffee Culture in America
By Natalie Stadler (Spring 2010)
America runs on coffee. Coffee culture has become a prevalent part of the everyday life of Americans of different ages, races and social statuses. Coffee is like a source of energy, with which people fuel themselves up starting from the early morning and until the sky turns black. It is a social element as well as just a habit for many. Coffee shops are within everyone’s reach – they are in the city, in the suburbs, at the universities, at the airports and in many bookstores. And furthermore, there are many varieties of coffee and coffee drinks available to suit everybody’s diverse tastes: hot, cold, espresso, mocha, latte, cappuccino, double shots, light and the list goes on and on.
The “coffee craze” starts from the early morning, as people head to work, classes, meetings and about their daily business. People line up at the Café waiting patiently for their favorite coffee drink to start their day with. After that, the work day has officially begun. Often on weekday mornings train cars are filled with the aroma of coffee, as people get their first doze of caffeine. Meanwhile, while walking on the streets of Chicago, more often than not, one will see people holding carton cups with sleeves containing fresh brew coffee or latte.
Coffee break for lunch is almost like a smoking habit. It doesn’t matter whether one is at school or at work, or whether the person is a university student or a police officer. For many, having lunch break without coffee is like having a cigarette without a lighter. Around noon time, once again people come alive and coffee shops are accumulating their revenues. There coffee is also a social factor – people meet up to chat over cups of latte or mocha, some people hold meetings or interviews, and what a great place a coffee shop is to make new acquaintances!
In the afternoon and until the night, for some, coffee serves as a life jacket. It helps one through overtime hours at work or for essays and project that are due the next day. It gives the necessary boost to keep working and have the mind stay active. Often one will notice students in the late evening at the university library sipping their coffee while studying as they try to stay awake.
Coffee is everywhere and for everyone. Some people are addicts, some are moderate drinkers, and some are light. Nevertheless, 54 percent of people in the United States drink coffee daily, plus 25 percent drink it occasionally (coffeeresearch.org).
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- Cafe Latte at the student-crowded Metropolis Cafe near Loyola University campus
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- Morning work commute with the first doze of caffeine at hand
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- Long line on Tuesday morning at Starbucks on Chicago and Wabash
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- “Bad boys” will just have to wait until the policemen’s coffee break is over
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- John, 53, says that dark roast is his favorite coffee while at lunch break at the Ing. Direct Cafe
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- Chicagoans on their coffee break stopping by at the Ing. Direct Cafe on Chestnut St
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- Tuesday’s work meeting over a cup of Starbucks coffee on Chicago Ave
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- Girls are enjoying an afternoon chat over favorite coffee drink at Starbucks located near Skokie Swift train station
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- Loyola students taking a caffeine boost before class to stay alert throughout the lecture
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- Student at Loyola University enjoys her breakfast bagel with Ing. Direct coffee on weekday morning
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- Caffeine helps to survive through hard days of overwhelming studies at the university’s library
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- For some, caffeine boost is not enough to stay awake after a long day