I have been posting to this blog for over 13 years, each year reporting on accomplishments over the prior year and goals for the new year.

2024 is no different. My main photography goal for the year is listed in the January submission of the 2024 C.London 52 Week Photography Challenge. Content this year will work towards that goal in addition to my general shooting. Check out my website "About" page to learn more. The website is at www.jeffmarcowitz.photography 

All content posted here in the blog will also be on the website, however with a subscription to the blog, you'll continue to receive the email notifications.

Thanks to all of you who have followed this photo blog for many years and welcome to any newcomers. My hope is that the images and stories are interesting and thought-provoking as I continue this creative journey. As always, comments, critiques and suggestions (here and the website) are welcome and appreciated as they often lead to new ideas and inspiration.

Thank You.
Jeff

Thursday, December 30, 2021

American Butter Owl

American Butter Owl
Opened up what I thought was a new tub of soft butter only to find this creature inside.

Ricoh GRIIIx @ f5.6 1/250 26mm (40mm equiv) ISO 3200

Photographed 12/29/21

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Plow Through + The Day After

Plow Through
52Frames - Week 53 - Break The Rules! (Alternate)
What rule was broken here?  Hint: Same as the original photo submitted for the challenge.

Ricoh GRIIIx @ f6.3 1/250 26mm (40mm equiv) ISO 250
Photographed 12/28/21


The Day After
What a difference a day makes.

Ricoh GRIIIx @ f6.3 1/1000 26mm (40mm equiv) ISO 100
Photographed 12/29/21

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

First Day of Snow

First Day of Snow
52Frames - Week 53 - Break The Rules!

What rule was broken here?  Comment or email me with response.  My friend @photofinish_sid got it right on first guess.

Ricoh GRIIIx @ f6.3 1/250 26mm (40mm equiv) ISO 320

Photographed 12/28/21

Monday, December 27, 2021

Tools of the Trade: Redux

Tools of the Trade: Redux
CLondon52w52: Revisiting Goals

From the C.London website: "We’ve made it! 52 weeks later! Let’s revisit those initial goals. How did you fare? Are you feeling more confident in your own work? More focused in where you want to go from here? I hope it was a year of growth, new photography friends, and inspiration. For our final image, we’re going to create the image from either week one or week 26 (your choice!) I’d also love it if you accompanied that image with something you’ve gained from this experience. Congrats on making it through!"

My primary photography goal in 2021 was to become a better visual storyteller.  “Every picture has a story. It may be factual. It may be fictional. It may be intentional.  It may be accidental.  It may be superficial or it may be deep.  But it’s there, somewhere.”  Looking back over my 2021 photos, definite progress has been made and it’s still a work in progress moving into 2022.

In re-creating the Week 1 image, my intent was to simplify, and represent that simplification from the software I use, to the paring back of the kit I shoot with, to visual treatment of the image.  This weekly challenge has truly been a huge learning experience, supported by the additional Chelsea coaching and comments, critiques & inspiration from the many new photography friends I’ve been fortunate to “meet”.  Looking forward to 2022!

Apple iPhone 12 Pro @ f2.0 1/120 6mm (52mm equiv) ISO 250

Photographed 12/27/21

Saturday, December 25, 2021

Askew

Askew
Visual Notes 11
[a page out of the @aarondigruccio playbook]

Lincolnshire, IL

Ricoh GRIIIx @ f5.6 1/250 40mm equiv ISO 100

Photographed 12/25/21

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Weird Reflection

Weird Reflection
52Frames - Week 52 - Combine 3 Challenges

While multi-tasking at my desk, I observed this weird reflection coming off the end of my iPhone.  Sensing there was an image here that could solve this week's 52Frames challenge, I pulled out the list and identified:

Week 6 - Single Focal Point
Week 9 - Details
Week 10 - Negative Space
Week 25 - Macro
Week 42 - Low Key

And I still cannot explain the reflection.

Ricoh GRIIIx @ f6.3 1/250 26mm (40mm equiv) ISO 1600

Photographed 12/20/21

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Monument

Monument
CLondon52w51: Lesson Learned

From the C.London website: "Explore something new you learned in the past year of weekly prompts and create an image with that new skill in mind."

My son's girlfriend is an amazing environmental artist and art professor (www.reganrosburg.com).  She was invited to show some of her work at a prominent gallery in Chicago.  I took the opportunity to photograph a glimpse of one piece during the uncrating.  Intentionally using a foreground element by framing a piece of the sculpture through a hole in the plastic enclosure is one of the many lessons learned this year.

Sony A7C f8 @ 1/25 28mm ISO 6400
Tamron E 28-75mm F2.8

Photographed 12/21/21

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Diagonals


Diagonals I
Visual Notes 10A
Ricoh GRIIIx @ f2.8 1/1000 26mm (40mm equiv) ISO 100

Diagonals II
Visual Notes 10B
Ricoh GRIIIx @ f2.8 1/2000 26mm (40mm equiv) ISO 200

All Photographed 12/19/21


Monday, December 20, 2021

Entwined

Entwined
Visual Notes 9
[a page out of the @aarondigruccio playbook]

Lincolnshire, IL

Ricoh GRIIIx @ f4 1/250 40mm equiv ISO 500

Photographed 12/19/21

Sunday, December 19, 2021

Circles

Circles
Visual Notes 8
[a page out of the @aarondigruccio playbook]

Lincolnshire, IL

Ricoh GRIIIx @ f4 1/250 40mm equiv ISO 320

Photographed 12/19/21

Saturday, December 18, 2021

Ascent

Ascent
Union Station
Chicago, IL

Happy not to be doing this on a regular basis anymore.

Ricoh GRIIIx @ f4.5 1/80 26mm (40mm equiv) ISO 12800

Photographed 12/16/21

Friday, December 17, 2021

Away

Away
CLondon52w50: PHOTOGRAPHER HIGHLIGHT: Dealer's Choice

From the C.London website: "Instead of me choosing a photographer for you to work off of, I’d like you to explore the work of another photographer. It doesn’t need to be someone of fame or import - it could even be another participant you met during this year. Create an image that is inspired by their work - and don’t forget to share who it is who inspired you!"

I have been following Detroit photographer Brian Day (https://www.brianday.org) for about 10 years. I'm not sure how to describe his work, but words like ethereal, evocative and dramatic come to mind. His self-portraits are particularly emotive.

One of my favorite series of Brian's is "Time Traveler".  I don't have the clothing & props nor the photographic acumen to replicate a photo from Brian's series.  Nonetheless, this image is an attempt to pay homage to the work of someone whom I admire.

Sony A7C f6.3 @ 1/125 50mm ISO 125
Tamron E 28-75mm F2.8

Photographed 12/17/21

Thursday, December 16, 2021

"You Should Do It"


52Frames - Week 51 - In The Middle
Extra Challenge: Street Photography

Wabash Avenue
Chicago, IL

Courtney’s advice to me when I approached & said how cool her hair looked and asked if I could make a photo.

Ricoh GRIIIx @ f2.8 1/250 26mm (40mm equiv) ISO 400

Photographed 12/16/21


Monday, December 13, 2021

What Is It?

Fire or Sun?
Raging fire or brilliant sunset?

Ricoh GRIIIx @ f11 1/160 26mm (40mm equiv) ISO 4000

Photographed 12/13/21

Friday, December 10, 2021

Repurposed

New Life
Isla Mujeres
Mexico

Going through some unposted photos from earlier this year to see if they are post-worthy.

This one is of a seashell/driftwood mobile we purchased at an art gallery on a day trip to Isla Mujeres in January 2020. Finally got around to photographing it.

Sony A6600 @ f6.7 1/60 50mm (75mm equiv) ISO 250
Sony FE 50mm f2.8 Macro

Photographed 2/16/21

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Open?

Open?
El Paseo
Palm Desert, CA

Ricoh GRIIIx @ f5.6 1/160 40mm equiv ISO 5000

Photographed 11/11/21

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Hugs

Hugs
52Frames - Week 50 - Black And White Minimalism
Extra Challenge: Portrait

My grandson and his polar bear...quite a pair.  Caught them in a candid moment.

Ricoh GRIIIx @ f5.6 1/200 26mm (40mm equiv) ISO 6400

Photographed 12/8/21

Monday, December 6, 2021

8th Night

8th Night
CLondon52w49: Inspired By

From the C.London website: "Inspiration comes from countless places. I often pull inspiration from films, for example. Some may find inspiration in nature or music. Think about what’s inspired you lately and create an image that is an homage to that. Share with us what that inspiration was and how you interpreted it."

This year, I have been most inspired photographically by this weekly challenge and the additional coaching received from Chelsea.  To pay homage to this inspiration, I chose our candles lit for the last night of Hanukkah 2021.  I prefer to see light & color emerging from the darkness rather than being enveloped by darkness.

Ricoh GRIIIx @ f7.1 1/200 26mm (40mm equiv) ISO 5000

Photographed 12/5/21

Sunday, December 5, 2021

Bunny

Bunny
Chicago, IL

Great costume, great hair, great smile. This young woman allowed me to make her portrait during trick-or-treating.

Sony A7C f4.0 @ 1/250 64mm ISO 1250

Tamron E 28-75mm F2.8

Photographed 10/31/21

Friday, December 3, 2021

Play On

Play On
52Frames - Week 49 - Common Object
Extra Challenge: Product Photography

The original Play:One has been around awhile, yet a pair of these put me to sleep every night.

Ricoh GRIIIx @ f4.0 1/80 26mm (40mm equiv) ISO 12800

Photographed 12/3/21

Thursday, December 2, 2021

20 → 60

20 → 60
I-94 East

I am a GPS fanatic, turning it on in the car whenever a highway trip is involved, even if I know exactly where I'm going.  I love and rely on the live traffic updates.  On rare occasion, I forget to turn it on (like this afternoon) and as a result turned a normal 20 minute drive into 60 minutes.

Ricoh GRIIIx @ f5 1/1600 26mm (40mm equiv) ISO 200

Photographed 12/2/21