Viva la revolucion

Not since the Tiananmen Square the protests in 1989 have I been so floored by mass uprisings of people. Today's revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia have inspired a new wave across the Arab world that is writing history. Inspired by the same, my friends at Collaboraction Theater have dedicated their annual debauched throw-down, Carnaval to recognize our past and current change agents. Let Them Eat Cake is this year's theme for the March 19 event at Double Door.


A variation of this image I made is being used to promote the event in
wild postings and on the web.

Before designing this image, a long conversation ensued among myself and the event's designers about the nature of revolution. We asked, who are revolting today and how might contemporary Americans identify with current events in the context of a party invitation? The phrases "Let them eat cake" is commonly misattributed to the 18th century queen of France, Marie Antoinette but so commonly so that we chose to visualize a character from France circa 1790, but with a fiery little spin.

Mindfulness and The Oprah Magazine

When magazines seem to be getting thinner with fewer original photographs, O, The Oprah Magazine is a model for great editorial imagery and content. O, published by Hearst in New York collaborates with great photographers, and is fun to shoot for. I've worked with their talented photo editors a number of times and each assignment has been a day of learning and freedom.


Cheri Maples and her dog at a favorite place for meditation near her
home in Madison, Wisconsin.

A few months back, before all this snow I spent the day in Madison, WI with Cheri Maples, a ex-policewoman turned Buddhist monk and teacher. She founded the Center for Mindfulness & Justice and a follower of Buddihst monk and activist, Thich Nhat author of Being Peace. Cheri now teaches criminal justice personnel mindfulness techniques to better perform in their jobs.


Cover of February, 2011 O Magazine.
Photo: Ruven Afanador



Full version of the published portrait of Cheri Maples

Now weeks later, the same location is lovely as before and blanketed with snow.


This photo: Maureen Brady

Photo editor: Olivia Barr
Make up: Lindsey Williams
Assistant: Derick Smith

Agree to disagree no more.

So, let's say you and your husband have been raging about what to do with that huge tax refund you just got in the mail. (um. Right) He wants to take a dream trip to Vietnam, and you want to pay down your credit cards. Every night you go to sleep a little further apart.


Kevin Weilgus and Angelo Rago photographed for Chicago Magazine.

You can see his side, but you just KNOW the responsible thing to do. No longer must you bear those awkward, solo cuddle sessions. Air your grievance with the world! JabberJury.com will soon launch as an online community where strangers can vote for the direction of your life.

What factory.

Crawford Electric Generating Plant, Chicago

Old theater. New collaborator.

Here are a few behind the scenes stills from one of my shoots this month for some great new collaborators at Grip Design.

Try and find me in the maze of props and gear. Nope! That's Waldo. I mean Harrison.

We shot at the Congress Theater in Chicago for its grandeur and early 20th century feel. The Congress was one of the great and opulent movie houses from the 1920's when Chicago was Hollywood, and Hollywood was a spec of dust in a desert. Now the Congress hosts rock shows and lots of Mexican wrestling.



The crew was Harrison Hillman, Tim Blokel, Joyce Taft, Brynne Rinderknecht

Eating the props

I immediately can tell when a conceptual assignment is up my alley. So when Runner's World called to commission an image about eating more fish, I knew to set the table. They wanted to see a runner who just bagged a giant fish, like some Acapulco tourist.

March 2011 issue of Runner's World

The trick however was less about how to make a 4 pound fish look like 240, but just where to shoot it. You see, it was December and although we have plenty of seaside-y locations in Chicago, Lake Michigan was frozen. None-the-less my assistant Tim and I geared-up for winter winds and shoved off to the lakefront.

Tim in front of the Columbia Yacht Club.


Frozen Monroe Harbor

We scouted high and low, and after unsuccessful efforts to creatively avoid ice and snow, we strolled out to the Chicago Police Safety Station. There we found the newly renovated "lighthouse" that exuded the cool qualities of coastal Massachusetts. We also discovered one added benefit: the cops keep their water from freezing by bubbling air throughout the entire harbor.

View of the Police Station looking northwest toward downtown.

We shot several frames for where to place our runner who I was shooting the following day in studio. Afterward that day I shopped for the fish. At two different fish markets I bought a beautiful Striped Bass and an New Zealand Snapper, both of which I later ate.

New Zealand Snapper which I filleted badly.

I prepared the Bass with a recipe given to me at the fish market for Salt Baked Fish. It was so fun and easy, and made the greatest fish tacos for 2 days!

Photo editor: Marc Kauffman
Retouching: Paradigm Color
Makeup: Morgan Blaul

In print. On my table

One of the small pleasures of what I do is seeing my work in use. Which is to say, in magazines, books or where ever it was intended to be seen. Here are a couple from this week. I'll try to keep up with sharing my tear sheets as I find them in the world.



Advertisement for Steppenwolf Theater's production of Sex with Strangers.
Link back to read the behind the scenes of this shoot with Ogilvy Mather, Chicago.



My own self promotion in Lurzer's Archive, Vol. 6.
Watch a video interpretation of this image.