Saudade Photography

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"I like to think your Grandma Joyce is up there doing keg stands with Moses holding her feet."

This is the story of my Grandma Joyce, of blessed memory, and of her legacy.

I was raised in Chicago with my Bubbe, not my Grandma. My relationships with elders were colored largely by fear, control, and shame. Grandma Joyce, though? Flouted every expectation set of her in Greensboro, North Carolina. She forged her own path as a young single mother, and faced a lot of difficult choices. She didn't emerge from Greensboro unscathed, but she did create a home for herself in Providence, Rhode Island. An island all her own - how fitting.

What Grandma Joyce gave us overshadows all of her mistakes. She taught us how to laugh, how to learn, and how to love. First: you feel the laughter bubbling up inside you, and then you enjoy letting it out with your whole entire body. Then: you listen to the people around you, creating a safe space with your silence. Finally: you hold your family close, kiss them on their cheeks, and give them every drop of love you have.

She was called back to Heaven on the same day RBG was: Shabbat AND Rosh Hashanah. Very significant day for Jewish people. I like to think that was Hashem's way of reminding us of what matters. And what matters is love: messy, consistent, all-compassing love.

Some new test shots with my Minolta vintage lens :-)

Maxwell is turning 32 on the 31st, which is in about 20 minutes, but who’s counting, right. Max is our resident brainiac, turning the mythos into music. Happy birthday, Max! If any of us accomplish even a fraction of what you have accomplished, we will be lucky.

I especially love this one of Max. empires

This album never fails to fill me with glee and gratitude.

places where my words and photos have been published

places where my words and photos have been published

Empires' last show of the year, and damn, was it a stunner! I love these guys and the music they play so, so much.

Glass Lux

So excited to shoot Springtime Carnivore tomorrow night! Check out my preview over at Windy City Rock.

"The self-titled Springtime Carnivore LP – due out November 4th – effortlessly reflects the growth Morgan has achieved as an artist over the past years. Morgan's confidence is enchanting, and there's a wisdom in the music that makes her a joy to listen to."

Preview: Springtime Carnivore at Thalia Hall, 10/30/14 | Windy City Rock - Chicago Music News

Behind-the-scenes from my shoot with Aly and Shay. ^___^