A journey beneath our feet

Part One

Hello all. Hope this post is finding you safe and healthy in these times. I’ve recently been working on a candid portrait series that has been on the back burner of my mind for a while now, especially when looking down at my feet in the city. Here’s a sample of the series in progress. Would love to hear what you think. What works? What needs work? What stories run through your head when you see this? I’m being intentionally, verbally non-descript. You first…oh yeah, send your feedback here. Stay safe everybody, and support your local curbside brewery, if you can… Photos ©J Madden. All Rights Reserved.

New Year at the Old Shedd Aquarium

I recently caught up on some lost time visiting one of my favorite landmarks in Chicago, the Shedd Aquarium. It was a free day, and a holiday to boot, so as you can imagine, quite crowded. I did manage to pull the camera out a few times, as you can see. Weekdays in February are free admission this year I’m told, so expect to see more of my aquatic friends in front of the lens. All pics © J Madden.

Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown!

Hello internets!  Been a while since I posted here.  I caught up with my buddy Phil a couple months back in South Chicago.  He’s been working on his “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” project for a hot minute.  Snapped a few pics in-between catching up over lost times.  Heres what we got so far.  We will be pulling her outside for a proper shoot this spring.  As anyone in Chicago this year knows, it snowed on Halloween, which was about the time we took these pics, and with a few more mechanicals to tech out, Leroy’s home was in the garage that day, 9’ long wheelbase and all…all pics ©Jay Madden photographer.  All rights reserved, which so far is only me and Phil.  

Intimate portraits on the dark prairie

vignettes in the waning phase of Chicago’s prairie flowers, and yet another test of what my new lens can do..pics ©Jay Madden photographer…Trust me, I will know if you steal…

Urban hunting expedition with a new lens...

Trying to tame a bigger, badder, faster lens…recently acquired a lens I should have had all along..a Tamron 180 macro, f/3.5…I have a lot of true up-close macro examples for another post..today, I wanted to see how well this lens held up as a true tele..hunting the urban human in their own native environment...please send any and all visceral thoughts to my email..also, anyone who happens to be in these pics, first off, thank you..second, let me know if you would like me to remove…all pics ©Jay Madden photographer…If you try to use these, I will know…

Dinner Date with the local Trash Pandas

IMG_7149-Edit.jpg

dinner date

with the trash pandas

Met up with some new potential headshot clients after work. They have a new upstart company..something about the proper sorting of trash. Rest assured, if you hear a’rustlin’ at your dumpster..they are there, making sure you sorted out your recyclables… so they say..They are very friendly and gentle with the humans, and will completely ignore you once the food offerings are gone…pics ©Jay Madden photographer…seriously folks, they’re watermarked..don’t try, please…

Shooting new product with new product

IMG_20190719_175713794.jpg

Picked up some new lighting last month, and put it straight to work in the field…or rather, the underpass down the street.

Test shots with a new model...

Bigger, meaner, and greener than the last leprechaun I shot. I found this guy at a Canadian campsite years ago. Recently unearthed in a storage space, we spent a day off in the alley, putting together test shots for a new Ad Council campaign on anger management.

IMG_20190513_155252_475.jpg

He’s really not that big in person….