Lightning strikes Lake Michigan offshore of the Chicago skyline as seen from Whihala Beach in Whiting, Ind., Thursday, May 3, 2012.

This past October, I found myself on the stage of a local theater, having a one-on-one production meeting with the director of a show I was lighting there. Set pieces, still in various stages of completion, became the walls of our impromptu meeting room. We canvassed the stage together and discussed specific lighting cues planned for different moments in the script.

Read More…

Fireworks explode in the sky over Monroe Harbor and Lake Michigan near Navy Pier in Chicago, Ill., Wednesday, July 4, 2012.

Ask anyone who’s known me beyond my recently-accepted adulthood, and they’ll confirm the early existence of my strong entrepreneurial spirit. A fine example of this comes from the summers I spent mowing lawns with my Auntie JoDee between my sixth and eighth grade years. Starting in the spring time, every Saturday morning, I’d pedal my Huffy to her house a block away and fuel up the silver Craftsman grass annihilator. My aunt and I would make quick work of not only her front and back yards, but those of two other homes on Olcott Ave. As compensation, I’d receive anywhere from 10 to 20 dollars, which was a decent chunk of weekly change at age 12.

Read More…

Microwave truck towers on display between the central and south halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center during the NAB show held in Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday, April 18, 2012.

There’s a certain, unmistakable camaraderie that exists among people involved in all of the fields that I work in. Even if I’ve just met a fellow photographer or lighting designer, working with them on a complex show or shoot within minutes of a first hand shake, there’s always a mutual respect and understanding right off the bat

A view under the Michigan Ave. bridge over the Chicago River in Chicago, Ill., Thursday, January 6, 2011.

On the eve of my 30th birthday, I’ll freely admit that I’ve been guilty of reminiscing far beyond my favorite photos of 2011. With each bridge crossed on a mental journey back through time, old memories of each decade passed resurface with increasingly clarity: A family member excited that I’d be turning ten that week, back in 1991. Or, my 18th birthday in 1999 spent at Theatre at the Center subbing for a crew member – the stage manager bought me a cake! There was my 20th birthday in 2001, where I was down-trodden about a relationship that had just ended. And, believe it or not, I remember my third birthday in 1984, where a cousin at my party insisted that she squeeze into the chair with me behind my cake as my family sang Happy Birthday. As with present-day Guy, three-year-old Guy wasn’t too happy with that!

Read More…