Snow Day: January 2013

January 23, 2013

by Posted in Canon PowerShot
snow day 3
The Fast Times: Late 2012
Ukrainian Village: April 2013

Nowhere to go, nothing to do, camera out, take a picture or two. Canon PowerShot digital camera, 1/23/2013, my and Lauren’s place on Iowa Street in Ukrainian Village, Chicago.

Close-up profile of a sleek black cat named Callie, her yellow-green eye catching the light dramatically. She's perched on a dark green knitted blanket beside a leaning row of colorful books on a cluttered table, with warm sunlight streaming in from a window behind her. The cozy interior is softly out of focus, with details like wooden shelves and a lived-in feel of a Chicago apartment in Ukrainian Village, photographed in January 2013 using a basic digital camera with visible warm exposure and slight grain.

callie

Intimate close-up of Calliope, a black cat with striking golden eyes, staring directly into the camera from inside a large black milk crate. The lighting emphasizes the rich texture of her fur and the glossy reflection in her eyes. Behind her, a soft-focus window glows with cold winter light, and the corner of a wooden table or chair is just visible, adding warmth and contrast to the scene. Shot indoors in a Ukrainian Village apartment, winter 2013, with a digital point-and-shoot camera. A golden, tufted armchair with worn arms sits invitingly near the window of a sunlit Chicago apartment. Draped across the back is a dramatic faux-leopard coat, and a pale pink purse with a coiled strap rests casually on the seat cushion. To the right, black plastic milk crates are stacked as makeshift shelving, topped with blankets—and Callie the black cat is barely visible curled up on the top crate. In the background, wood trim, shelving, and soft window light evoke a warm, cluttered, and creative domestic space. Taken January 2013 in Ukrainian Village.

A symmetrical composition showing two tall windows casting bright white winter light into a room. Between them hangs a loosely framed abstract aluminium Perplexia artwork with red, green, and black diagonal streaks. Below it, a green, tufted vintage chair sits in front of the wall, flanked by a red-violet dress form draped in scarves on the left and a string of Christmas lights pinned unevenly above. The room feels vintage and lived-in, a quiet moment in a Chicago apartment on a gray January day.

the art in the frame here is my Perplexia Art piece Class Seven Atmospheric Bands

A gas stovetop in front of a tall window with a view of neighboring buildings and balconies filled with terra cotta pots and planters. On the stove, several well-used items crowd the space: a black tea kettle, a French press, a spatula, and a large pot with a scorched and stained cookie sheet acting as a lid. A red oven mitt hangs between the windows, and a telescope stands to the right, angled toward the window. The lighting is dim and natural, casting the whole scene in a soft, dreary winter tone. Shot in a Ukrainian Village apartment in January 2013. A cluttered kitchen scene in a Chicago Ukrainian Village apartment, with a pile of dirty dishes stacked in and around a stainless steel sink beneath white cabinets. The top of the cabinets is lined with various liquor bottles and wine glasses, including two bottles of Jeppson’s Malört, a notoriously bitter local spirit. On the wall above the sink is a completed puzzle of two kittens in a basket surrounded by pink flowers. The counter is crowded with plates, utensils, and miscellaneous items. To the right is a fridge with magnets and dish towels, and to the left, a wooden door leading into another room. Photo taken in January 2013 using a digital camera, with warm indoor lighting and slight yellowish cast. Interior view of a small, overstuffed pantry inside a Ukrainian Village apartment. Multiple shelves are crammed with spices, sauces, cans, oils, snacks, and kitchen gadgets, including a slow cooker on a lower shelf and a blender nearby. Hanging wire baskets hold loaves of bread and snacks. A power cord plugs into a nearby outlet on the left wall. The pantry is framed by dark wood trim, and a small Medieval-style artwork is mounted on the right wall just outside the pantry door. The chaos and richness of domestic life is captured with a warm, slightly grainy tone. A wintry alleyway view from an upper-floor apartment window in Ukrainian Village, Chicago, taken on January 23, 2013. Snow falls lightly across the scene, dusting rooftops, back porches, garages, and wooden staircases. Old brick buildings line both sides of the alley, with thick utility wires crisscrossing above. Trash bins line the alley below. The gritty, authentic character of Chicago winter is emphasized in this urban landscape photo, taken with a point-and-shoot digital camera. A snowy street view across West Iowa Street in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village, taken from a third-floor window of 2013 W Iowa Street looking north. The image shows two residential houses—a beige one and a peach-colored brick building with green doors labeled “2012.” A bare tree dominates the foreground, its branches stretching in front of the buildings. Snow gently coats the sidewalks, roofs, and the street, with a “One Way” sign visible near the center. The photo captures a quiet moment of residential calm in winter. Another snowy urban scene in Ukrainian Village, shot from above and slightly to the side. A gabled roof in the foreground is partially covered in snow, with two satellite dishes attached. Behind it stands a taller brick building with an old wooden back staircase and small balcony. The image is framed with visible utility wires and more bare trees, giving a stark but textured sense of depth and place. The muted colors and soft lighting reflect a typical gray Chicago winter afternoon. ​​

You may have noticed I’ve taken a lot of pictures inside this apartment. It really holds a special place in my heart. So many good memories even though it only lasted a year, and even though I was still somewhat struggling financially and with career and purpose issues.

Moving to this place actually took me further away from my coffee shop job–I used to be able to walk six blocks to work every day, but it was an hour commute across a bus and a train from Ukrainian Village! And rent was higher, too! But I didn’t care. I wanted to be here because I knew the effects on my life would be worth it, and they absolutely were.

The only other character in this album besides me, the photographer not pictured in any of these shots, is Callie, aka Calliope, Lauren’s adorable black cat. Something about this apartment made her act a little possessed; I saw her walk up walls more than once. But she was an indulgent model for these shots.

Looking back, I’m glad I captured so much of the natural environment of the place, without cleaning it up or anything like that (which would’ve been a gigantic undertaking anyway). Lauren was reupholstering a chair or two, and I had my art hanging up alongside the rest of the stuff already there. And man was that kitchen sure cluttered. I love the architecture of the brick buildings in this neighborhood too, and our cozy little corner off Damen was just perfect.

Sometimes I even think about moving back.

The Fast Times: Late 2012
Ukrainian Village: April 2013

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