The Heist.

With the economy in questionable shape, we hear on a daily, if not on a more frequent basis, people trying to get rich without being 100% honest Recently I saw online a video of a man stealing a purse of a woman who was in a wheel chair; there also was a story of a 10 year old boy who had his bike stolen in a small Minnesota town. He wrote a letter and his local paper published it; now millions of people know about his wanting his bike back because it was all over the internet. (What will be interesting is when it is returned and how that individual will be ridiculed probably until he or she is forced to leave town.)

Living in the Western suburbs of Chicago you might think we only have minor crimes taking place—and in general we do. Except, every so often something out of the ordinary happens and it more than captures the headlines, it makes the news.

Recently a small restaurant, nestled between a Great Clips and a nail salon, had some visitors; it turns out these visitors were area SWAT teams. In other words, these were not a few guys coming in for a casual meal. They were there for one reason---there was cocaine being trafficked out of the restaurant. It turns out the street value of 4 kilos of cocaine is more money than the value of most of the houses  where we live. (A few years ago---but the housing market has really hit our area---but that’s not part of the story.)

The owner of the restaurant said that “he had been having trouble paying his bills”and this was the only way he could find to get out from his debt. Not a good choice as he is in jail on $1.5 million dollars bail. That’s a lot of enchiladas as this was a Mexican restaurant---now a former Mexican restaurant.

So yes these are difficult times, and yes many of look for ways to bring in extra money into our households. But as we move forward it’s important as I tell my kids, to appreciate what you have and to remember---if it’s not yours, it’s someone else’s.

Just ask the 10 year old boy who had his bike stolen---and by the way, it apparently is a “one-of-a-kind” that no one in town has. Should be interesting when it shows up at school one day.

The photo above is not a heist; it’s actually window washers who are several stories above the ground. What I liked about the photo was how being above a jewelry store can make for a very interesting picture. Isn’t that what “Snap.Shot.” is all about?

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The core.

“I know you broke up with him

And your heart's still on the shelf

It's been over two years for me

And I'm still not quite myself

You can't be with someone new

And you can't go back to him

You're beginning to realize

That it's sink or swim.”

Sometimes life deals you a hand that you would like to give back; feeling like there is a dark cloud travelling constantly over your head, you can never feel comfortable with who you are and what lies ahead. But above every dark cloud there is sun. It may not be visible from where you sit at this time, but if you have ever flown on an airplane, you know what is above the clouds.

Living in Chicago I have been fortunate to meet many people in the years I have called the “Windy City” my home. What has always amazed me is how you move to a new location, make new friends, and learn you both have things in common. Whether it’s the love for theater, sports, or food, the bonding takes place and it develops as the friendship moves forward.

Recently I have had conversations with people who have been more than open about their lives. Lost relationships and the pain they went through to deaths of family and friends---life can be very interesting. Yet, when someone asks, “What’s going on?” I usually respond with, “Not much.” But there is a lot going on, every day. But I often wonder how interested people will be in my life, interests, passions, and more? I have found the true friends are just as interested in my life as I am in theirs.

But how does this happen?

Living in a city of millions, how do you find the people who make up your extended circle of friends? I am sure where you work or live has something to do with it, but in the end it’s all about exposing who you are and taking the risk. Fail to take it and you are back at square one. I know when I first moved to Chicago it was tough; I rode on the coattails of others and honestly I was not always comfortable.

Funny, it still happens---but isn’t that all about determining whether you “sink or swim?” I think we all have swimsuits somewhere in our closet; if you are still looking for it, take it out, you might be surprised the water feels pretty refreshing.

The photo above is from the inside of the “bean” in Millennium Park in Chicago. Surrounded by many it’s easy to see there is a central core of those who will always be in the picture.

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Street Photographer.

Sometimes when walking down the street, you will see people with cameras up to their eye taking a picture. Nothing too unusual about this since there are millions of cameras in millions of hands around the world.

It’s when you are standing looking at something that has caught your attention and you suddenly realize someone is taking a picture of you that it becomes a bit creepy. There is a very thin line between visually interesting and invasion of privacy. Technically if you are about town, and someone takes a picture of you, you are giving them rights to do so as you are in a public place. That doesn’t make it more comfortable, but it’s pretty much an unwritten rule.

I like to take pictures of people---often I don’t know them, and vice versa. However, if you are at a baseball game reaching for a foul ball or at Millennium Park in Chicago kicking water around, it’s not like you are just standing there---you are involved in something that is fun and bringing joy to people who would see the picture.

The other day I was talking with one of the photographers who is photographing football with us, and he said he takes pictures when he walks to work. I didn’t think much about it until he described how he did it. He keeps the camera next to his hip, points upward and snaps. His belief is he is capturing people in their everyday routine of walking to work or catching a train, cab, bus to their next destination. Kind of an interesting way to walk to work.

As he told the story it made me think of a recently discovered photographer, Vivian Maier, who took street shots for many years---she was a nanny in a Northern suburb of Chicago. She literally captured Chicago from the 1950s to early 1970s, for what it was back then---a big, growing town with grit and plenty of characters. Her photos are amazing ---she did it all without pointing the camera into the face of her subject. How was she discovered? Her negatives were found at a garage sale; she was the nanny of this family and has since passed away.

The unknowing buyer saw them and knew he had to have them; in the end he purchased nearly 100,000 negatives. It’s value…priceless, yet he paid a fraction of what they would be worth if you could purchase them. Makes you want to go to a garage sale doesn’t it?

The photo above was taken in Millennium Park; with clouds overhead, and bodies without faces, this photo is just a snippet of life in the big city. For me, pictures tell a story, or at least they should; if I am ever at a garage sale and see negatives in a box, you can be positive I am going to buy them.

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The Boys of Fall.

“When I feel that chill, smell that fresh cut grass

I'm back in my helmet, cleats, and shoulder pads

Standin' in the huddle, listenin' to the call

Fans goin' crazy for the boys of fall.”

Up until a few years ago I had no idea how football impacted the world of Glen Ellyn, Illinois and its surrounding suburbs. The walk to the field, stepping into the stands, and the noise that takes away any conversation you even considered having for the next couple of hours is history.

This is football season, and I have found out there is nothing else like it.

Okay a bit dramatic, but when you walk through our downtown when a game is taking place a few blocks away, you have the lay of the land. There is music playing in the distance, clapping, and one of my favorite moments---when the band leads the players to the field from the locker room a roar that is deafening. It’s really very cool and I have been able to photograph it.

But it all starts well before high school. When boys turn 6 or 7 years old, they step on to the field with flags at their sides; it’s the best way to learn the game and also not be weighed down with the pads that are reserved for later years. But those years are not far away and when they do put on the “official” uniform, it’s hard to tell their ages, playing weights, or their talents. I learned that the 103 pound players can weigh up to 117 pounds but they are called “stripers;” that means they can only play on “the line” because when they hit a player that is a lot smaller than them you can imagine---especially when they are not prepared for the hit.

This year, I am going to be capturing the “boys of fall.” If you know anything about me, I enjoy shooting action sports. This winter, while I was looking for the next form of employment, I was fortunate and was introduced to 2 of the local teams in the Western Suburbs of Chicago. They were open to looking for a photography company to shoot portraits on picture day. As luck would have it, they picked our company…and we suggested, with a lot of enthusiasm behind it, they consider letting us shoot games during the season. The cost to the team? That would be nothing, nada, zip. We will let the parents decide if they want to purchase photos.

It all started this past weekend. Six action shooters representing our company spent the entire weekend (except when it rained on Saturday afternoon) shooting photos of young football players from 14 different communities. Combined I believe we took more than 12,000 photographs. For me it was a defining moment.

The photo above is one of my favorites; no I did not take it, my wife Susan did. What I love about it is the placement of the player, the look in his eyes, and his visible love of the game. Bring it all together and you have magic---or, the Boys of Fall.

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Take care of your teeth.

This may not be the most appealing topic to write about---I have written about my dentist before---but taking care of your teeth is not only important for your health, but it makes you more attractive.

The other night I was watching an interview on one of the many channels we have on U-Verse, and saw a rapper talking about something he has done or why his statements through music are up there with the Gettysburg Address. The reason I don’t remember specifically what he said is, I was staring at his teeth. They had “grills” on them---all metal and straight across his entire top of his mouth.

Teeth, of course, are important for many reasons. They help you chew food, protect you from bad people should you need to bite them, and let’s face it,  a smile does go a long way.

If you recall from a previous “Snap. Shot.” I am not a big fan of going to the dentist; it’s not that I don’t understand the need to go, it’s just one aspect of my life---among a few---that I do not enjoy. I actually do know people who enjoy the every 6 month routine, I am just not one of them.

This month has been a busy one for our youngest daughter; if all goes as plan she will have major gaps in her mouth. We have the tooth fairy on high alert as she has probably 5 teeth that are as we say, “wiggly.” When you are young, it’s exciting. However, as we know, when you have already lost them as planned, and you lose them again, that’s not good news.

A long time ago, and I know of a photographer who photographed an advertisement, for a liquor company. It was only funny because as the man in the advertisement stared at you, with one tooth left in his mouth, you could not help but smile as it read, “Fortunately this man only has one cavity.”

The photo above was taken of an usher at a recent Chicago Cubs game. I didn’t take it to be mean or make fun of her. I took it because I felt it told a good story. This woman is comfortable with who she is…or she never would have a job that took her out in public. I am not sure I would want the kiss she appears to be blowing…but she did show me to a great seat at the game and I am fine that was our last encounter.

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Radio.

“I'd sit alone and watch your light

My only friend through teenage nights

And everything I had to know

I heard it on my radio.”

The glow of a green light on my stereo was one of the constants when I was growing up. Back then, we didn’t have CD’s, cassettes, or iPods, we had record players and 8-track players. We thought we were so techy and looking back at it, we actually were. We had music on cue, when we wanted to hear our favorite songs again we could lift the arm of the record player needle and play it one more time. What’s the difference between this and an iPod anyway?

But it wasn’t the records or bulky tapes that kept me glued to the green light, it was the voice coming through the speakers. I would listen to my favorite stations---KSLQ, KSHE, and KIRL radio. (KIRL was an AM station that actually went off the air when the sun went down.) Seriously. It’s signal was only available at sun up through sun down.

One of my favorite things to do at night was to sit by the phone and wait for the announcer to let us know that if we called and were the “whatever caller” we could win a prize. Up until the time we finally had push-button phones, one slip on the rotary dial meant you had to start over again. I won free albums, shirts and other things---my favorite…you got to talk on the radio.

My first stereo came into my world when I was 13; I received it from my parents the day of my Bar Mitzvah. My brother already had a stereo, with a really good turntable, tuner and detached speakers. I was just happy to have an advancement from a transistor radio that got really lousy reception. I was really happy.

The words above the blog are from the song, “Radio Ga Ga” by the group Queen. Normally I don’t write about the lyrics, but Queen was one of my favorite bands when I was young, and Freddy Mercury one of my favorite front men. He had such control of the crowd---it was something you rarely see these days. I do believe he had a similar relationship with his radio as he dreamed of making the big time. He made it...and made it big.

The photo above was taken in New York this past winter. Standing on the outside looking in, we dream of what could be. For most of us it’s cold outside, but for some lucky others, they are the right number and come up a winner.

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Marilyn.

"She was aware of her insecurities

as she took the stage,

She was convinced if she got up

there that she'd be discovered someday."

Wanting to be famous has its pluses, but it also has its drawbacks. For many of us, standing up in front of friends and family, yet alone thousands, if not millions of fans, can be very daunting. I wouldn’t know, it’s just something I suspect.

In one of my previous jobs, not one of my favorites, I had the opportunity to put my big toe into the pond of celebrity marketing. Whereas it was exciting to hear about how much a client would pay to work with a celebrity, there was also the dark side. You knew, or had a pretty good idea, that for many of those who we were working with, or approaching on behalf of our clients, were in it for one reason. They wanted the money because they had the power to get it.

Some of it bordered on the ridiculous, but then again if you have someone who wants you to work with them bad enough, they will pay very large amounts to have you as “part of their team.” While I was working there, we saw the fall of Tiger Woods. Did I really have to say his last name? Many clients were asking about the situation and what if it happened to them? This is what is called appropriately, a “kill clause" in the contract. 

Probably one of the most ridiculous negotiations I knew of was for one of the Disney stars. She was popular and she “resonated” well with the end consumer who would be purchasing the candy she was going to be working for---she was going to have her face on the package. Of course she had the most appropriate manager one could have, she let her Dad do her negotiating. To say this is a bad move is best demonstrated by Moms and Dads who have taken on this responsibility in the past---Brooke Shields, LeAnn Rhymes and other child stars who had their parents as managers. It proves to be a very bad move.

This one performer, and I hope you are sitting down, was going to be at a photo shoot for one and a half days; her cost for 36 hours of work, $750,000. The first contract was accepted at $600,000 but her Dad changed his mind and demanded another $150,000 on top of this already crazy figure. The unfortunate part…the “kill happened” as she entered rehab and the shoot never occurred. Welcome to the big time.

The photo above is from a new exhibit in downtown Chicago. Yes I have had another picture of Marilyn Monroe recently, but this attraction has become very controversial; there are people who feel that even though this is a pose that is considered one of the most iconic in film history, Marilyn Monroe lived the life of a celebrity yet had so many insecurities.

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