Last night a group of enthusiastic and fabulous Soul Train fans gathered on Milwaukee Avenue in Wicker Park to pay tribute to the show’s host, Don Cornelius, who died yesterday.
personal work
Last October I photographed the legendary saxophonist Von “Vonski” Freeman for The Reader; here are a couple outtakes. I shot him before and during a set at the fabulous, historic Green Mill. Special thanks to Green Mill owner Dave Jemilo for being gracious and hospitable despite (because of a miscommunication) not knowing a photographer was coming that night.
Last Friday the Chicago area was treated to a sublime sunset sky. Here’s a shot (7 actually, stitched together) taken near my studio in Douglas Park. I’m reminded of something Frank Lloyd Wright once said, “I believe in God, only I spell it “Nature”.
My friend Mike Finch directed, edited, and stars in Rob Crow‘s (Pinback) new music video, So Way; I shot it. It debuted yesterday on the Rolling Stone blog, but the resolution is better at Mike’s Vimeo (below).
The New York Times published a fascinating, heart-wrenching feature yesterday, called The Lives They Loved. They asked readers to send a photograph of a loved one who died last year; I submitted a picture of my close friend Diane Izzo.
I shot this self-assigned portrait at my studio last week. The lunar inhabitants pictured are aerialists Laura Left and Helena Right of the duo Ambidextrous. (here’s an earlier post with a shot of them in the air at a lower altitude). The set was painted by the masterful artist Ray Borchers.
While browsing through the vaults here at the studio, I came across this picture (above) I shot in Rogers Park in the mid 1980s. I hadn’t printed this shot before (I had just made a contact sheet), and just now am noticing that this was a prequel to a photograph I took a few years later, Greetings From Uptown (below; some of you might be familiar with this picture but I don’t think I’ve posted it here on the blog). What can I say–I have a way with kids.
I photographed Jason Polan in New York a few weeks ago, and it looks like he drew me as well. He’s on a mission to draw every person in New York; he also once drew all the people in People.
Trumpeter Nate Wooley, shot in Brooklyn on October 11th, just before he played a gig with Canada Day. This is for a series I’m doing on imrov musicians. I’ve been loving shooting at night with only available light–challenging but fun. Here his main light is coming from a storefront window. More NYC pictures soon, been (thankfully) working like crazy.
Ariele Ebacher
Amanda Crockett
Ambidextrous
Zoppé Circus (photographed in 2008)
Mike Reed, the man behind the curtain.
Brilliant Corners of Popular Amusements happens this weekend at Eckhart Park, and from all indications it promises to be fooking righteous. Here you can read about the multitude of attractions available to all comers.
The amazing women featured in the top three photos will perform at the show with El Circo Cheapo Cabaret. I shot those portraits recently for a project I’m working on involving acrobats, aerialist, and other circus artists. Also appearing this weekend will be the incredible Zoppé Circus. The suave dude in the bottom picture waiting for a drink is composer, drummer, and culture kingpin Mike Reed, who created BCPA. You might remember him from this post or if not that one, maybe it was this one.
(All photos by Jim Newberry.)
I shot this on Monday around 7PM in Douglas Park near my studio. The light was magical. That’s my shadow in the foreground.
Last Friday I was fortunate to have an assignment shooting video for a Chic-a-go-go hosted Soul Train party . I can’t tell you how happy it made me to see a roomful of people dancing in 1970s style without the slightest trace of irony. Everyone was having so much fun. Thanks to impresario Jake Austen, host Mia Park, the beautiful, inspring dancers, DJ Bob Abrahamian, and the great City of Chicago.
The woman in this picture was blowing everyone away, dancing with abandon in her motorized wheelchair. I pity the fool that challenges her in a Valor Game.
Be sure to check out the superb exhibit of photos taken on the Soul Train set during its heyday.
South Morgan Street.
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