Pleasant Enough All the Same, February 7, 2009

Below are some photos of folks attending Saturday's matinee performance of the Wild Duck at the Court Theatre. The pensive nature of these portraits is in direct contrast to the Spring-like vibe at the MCA, and throughout the city of Chicago in general, as temperatures were well above normal for February.

184, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

183, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

190, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

192, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

As always, there's more where that came from.

Pleasant Enough All the Same, February 5, 2009

At the MCA last night the patrons' glances leered in every direction, with some folks looking to their left...

170, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

173, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

While some eyes went right...

177, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

178, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

And other times they peered straight down, resulting in their reflection returning the favor...

166, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

Peep all the glances here.

Pleasant Enough All the Same, February 4, 2009

With the MCA project being past the half-way point, it's become apposite to set rules or boundaries on certain evenings in order to keep the portraits fresh and viable. The one variable that will Never Change is that the subjects will not be asked to pose, ever. Candidness is key. That said, the approach to taking the actual photographs can change, so last night I gave myself the 'assignment' of ensuring that I got at least one shot of a subject from a low angle, and one where the subject is perfectly centered and looking straight at the camera. The first two images are the results. In the remaining three shots the space surrounding the subjects is given equal importance, with varying consequences.
In other news, last night after looking at the installation this gentleman approached me and said, 'You're a Hitchcockian, aren't you? Your sole concern is on faces...' I took this to mean he thought I was Psycho. To see the entire set, Click P for Photos.

155, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

164, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

161, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

160, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

163, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

Pleasant Enough All the Same, Installation Update (All the Same)

Below is a shot of the portrait installation in the Court Theatre after three weeks. From a distance it looks pretty-well filled in, but believe you me, there's still a long way to go. Two weeks and (hopefully) about 120 more portraits, specifically.
To see all the portraits thus far, click ¡here! Also, if you happen to be reading this and plan to be in Chicagotown an March 17th, please come on down to the Museum of Contemporary Art between the hours of 2 and 8PM to take one of these portraits home with you, free of charge. If you are in one of the portraits I'd love for you to have it, and if you're not but would like one anyway, that'd be great too. Or, if you're in the neighborhood and would like to simply stop in and say hello and not take home a photograph (even though they will be FREE), I would not judge you.

Wall Installation Week 3, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

Pleasant Enough All the Same, February 1, 2009

Sunday, besides being the half-way point for the MCA portrait project, was another bright and sunny winter's day in Chicago. This meant more natural light poured through the Court Theatre windows than I'm used to, which allowed me to experiment with shapes and silhouettes as patrons stood near the glass. The first shot is a direct result--a portrait not representative of the subject, per se, but one that is more about form, light, and contrast. That's how I'm going to try and sell it, anyway. The framing in the second shot can only happen by happy accident, when the shutter is continually pressed without looking through the viewfinder. The third was carefully framed, as the subject was standing near the winding staircase, allowing me to position the camera between two support beams of the bannister. If you're so inclined, see the entire set, in binary form, by clicking here.

153, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

150, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

149, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

Pleasant Enough All the Same, January 31, 2009

Maybe because it was a matinee performance of 'The Wild Duck,' and maybe because, for Chicagoans' twisted standards anyway, the sunny, mid-thirty degree weather felt really good, but the zeitgeist of The Court Theatre lobby on Saturday afternoon was blithe and welcoming. You could sense that people felt really good (except Stefano, who was "sick" from being out too late the night before). This made for some great portrait-making-opportunities. Here's a few that I don't feel I screwed up too badly:

131, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

132, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

139, originally uploaded by Christopher Hiltz.

See the rest of the photos I've taken for project here. See a photo I wish I'd taken here.