Work

When I saw these tools in the leather goods store in Roscoe Village, I knew I wanted to try to get a picture to capture the feeling they gave me. I felt an awe as I stood and imagined the hands that have held these tools through the years to allow the art of this lost trade. Beauty can be found in the tools as well as the art.

Tired

Nothing to me says "tired" like our dog Mulligan. He is slowly recovering from another bout with his illness. It is a disease that has compromised his immune system. He is on strong medication (one of them we even have to wear gloves when handling), and it makes him exhausted. It was his second go-round, he came out of remission since last year. The vet staff was even talking about euthanasia, but he seems to have turned the corner. He doesn't like to have his picture taken, so unfortunately this is probably as good as I'm going to get.

Macro

This was one of the first sunny days we've had this year. We were in Roscoe Village and this rope was hanging on a canal boat display. I thought the diagonal lines and the ragged ends and the way the sun was hitting it made something so utilitarian into something beautiful. I'm not sure it qualifies as macro but I think of it as any close range photo that makes you look at the subject slightly differently.

Breakfast

This photo may not be thought-provoking or even that interesting, but when I think of breakfast, bananas are one of the first things I think of. I love bananas, especially when they are slightly green. Once they start turning a little brown and getting mushy, they're good for slicing on cereal, or if you let them go too far - making banana bread.