a_sullivan's photostream  

I haven't done any tinting, photoshoping, or altering of my photos ... except to brighten a bit or straighten out a bad tendency of having the left side raised a little higher than the right (never had this issue with my old Canon AE-1.) That is the extent of my processing.

I believe in composing within the frame, so I don't crop.

Photos that are in black & white, I've consciously chosen to shoot in black & white.

Photos that are in color, I have shot in color due to the fact something struck me about the color in that place at that time.

I hope you enjoy the world from my perspective.

11/04/11: To the "Occupy" people: I am from the far southern suburbs of Chicago. I have lived in the same area for over 45 years, watching with bewilderment as things have changed...and not for the better. It used to be rich beautiful farmland, which has been replaced by cheap track housing. The original farm houses and barns, if not torn down, have been left to rot.

My photos reflect what was, what is now, and what will never be again.

Farmland this rich NEVER should have been replaced with subdivisions. I would see the subdivisions and wonder who could afford those monstrosities. Now I know. Now it is obvious. Very few -- lots of foreclosures.

My area is also part of the rust belt. Towns dried up from the time of Reagan. Issues that "Occupy" rallies around now have been happening to certain segments of the population for decades. It isn't new. It's just that now it's reached a certain tipping point. White middle-class and college grads have been affected too and with the introduction of social media have allowed us coalesce from our disparate lives, and condense into a cohesive, solid whole.

My images are reality. Sometime they express irony. I try to find beauty in everything, even decay. Everything is falling apart, but that is also exciting, because that means there is room to rebuild.

I've been vocalizing my concerns about inequality for over 20 years. It's about time people are standing up to government and business and demanding accountability and ethical behavior.

But we have to stick together, so don't snob someone if they aren't from your zip code. We are all in this together, capiche?

My Center & Main is your Center & Main.