So Christmas is officially over, and my gifts have been given with proper surprise.
So now I can share my good news with the rest of you. I didn’t want to share too soon
and ruin the surprise for those who were getting a copy of the book for Christmas!!!
If you run into my friends Gerry & Rosene, don’t tell them… they haven’t gotten their gift yet.
Shhh… keep it quiet… but only from them!

So it’s official – the Chicago photography book published by CBS2 Chicago
has finally been published and distribution has begun. And I made the cut… twice!
Two of my photos were chosen to be published in the book.
I’m very excited!!!

For those who may not remember, sometime last Fall, CBS2 Chicago announced this special
project on their news broadcasts. My dad turned me on to it and I started submitting photos.
The deal was that they were accepting photographs that depicted life in the City.
Photographers from all over submitted images to the website – which were then put up to an
online popularity poll. The more votes your images received, the more likely your image was
to be published in the book. So I submitted several photos, many from my morning biking
sunrise series, and hoped for the best. It wasn’t until early December that we found out
if we had been chosen by the book’s editors for the publication. And I was excited to
make it into the book twice - against a LOT of stiff competition!!!

2,480 photographers

28,144 photos submitted

2,388,443 votes cast

So… after all of that, one of my images found a place on Page 68 in the “Scapes Of All Sorts”
section of the book. It was one of my favorite biking moments of the summer. A surreal
biking moment when the morning fog was literally “illuminated” by the rising sun.

“Misty Morning Glow”

My second image chosen was used on Page 24 in the title page montage (top row, fourth
from the left) for the “Arts, Culture & Food” section of the book. Again, it’s of of my favorites -
this time, it’s my favorite “hidden gem” inside the Chicago Cultural Center…
a beautiful Tiffany stained glass dome in the rotunda.

So that’s it… another great experience… and another great chance to be published!
I hope you all get a chance to find a copy of the book and enjoy the many beautiful images
that capture the essence of Chicago…  and have you heard?… two of them are mine!!!

A little cloudy this morning over the lake.
Dramatic clouds crossing the sky… with a sliver of a sunrise breaking on the horizon.

Then I turned around and headed back home…
as the sunrise began to brighten the incredible skyline behind my back!

Yes, it’s true… today there were elephants on the streets of Chicago!
Strolling down the street, one long line, tail to trunk, tail to trunk…
Walking from the train that brought them right down the street to The United Center.
Seriously… the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus has come to town.
And every year they walk the elephants down the street… today was the day!!!

It was a beautiful day in Chicago today… crisp & clear, beautiful fall weather.
A perfect day to head out on my bike for another incredible day of riding.
Soaking up what little time is left of Fall… squeezing in just a few more miles!

Vote early. Vote often. Vote by this Saturday!!!

CBS2 Chicago is coordinating the publication if a coffee table book
featuring photography by local photographers. Thousands of photos
have been uploaded to the website – and now people are voting on
which ones should be include din the book.

And I would love to have mine chosen… this is where you come in.

Simply go to www.capturemychicago.com and register to vote. It’s free and all
they really ask for is your e-mail… presumably so they can notify you to purchase
the book when it’s done. If you don’t register, your vote doesn’t count.

So once your in… do a SEARCH for the following three picture titles.
Vote for each one to help stack the ballots in my favor. The following photos are
currently my top three vote-getters… so let’s push them over the top!!!

1.  Misty Morning Glow.

2.  Tree. Bike. Sunrise.

3.  Tiffany Stained Glass Dome

And then if you’re still having fun… and want to vote for more…
here’s the rest of my Top Ten.

4.  An Early Snow
5.  Sunrise Branches
6.  Spectacular Clouds
7.  Golden Maple Keys
8.  Chicago Sunrise
9.  Sunrise Ribbons
10. Morning Drama

After that… there’s still more than fifty of my other photos hoping for your vote!
You can also do a SEARCH for “Gary Jackson” to see the rest of my shots.
Plus thousands of other photographers shots you can vote for or against.
So have fun, place your votes… remember, the deadline is this Saturday 10/17.

Welcome to October.
Welcome to Chicago Artist Month.

October is a special month every year that celebrates the local artists in Chicago
who make cool stuff around town. There will be lots of studios, galleries & stores
celebrating throughout the month with shows, openings & artist receptions.

To kick-off the month, this weekend is the annual Ravenswood Art Walk.
It’s a great chance to stroll up & down Ravenswood to see all of the galleries and
studios that will be open to the public. Lillstreet Art Center is a great place to
park and start your tour. My studio is on the second floor in 205 West.
You can stop in and see “where the magic happens.” I will be there all day
Saturday from 10:00am-6:00pm to greet the people strolling by… and trying
to get some clay work done at the same time?! Then start your tour using the maps that
will be available at Lillstreet. If you stop by every place on the list, it could take all day!

Lillstreet Art Center - studio 205 west.
4401 North Ravenswood, Chicago… on the northeast corner at Montrose!
Seriously, just a few steps east of the Montrose stop on the Brown Line El.
Stop by for a tour, participate in some free workshops, have a piece of pie
at the First Slice Café or just hang out in my studio!

And to kick-off the month of art…
here’s a quick picture of a great new bricolage mural that was completed this summer
on Foster Street at the Lake Shore Drive underpass. Gotta love it…

Vote for your favorite photos today!!!… hopefully mine!

Yep. CBS2 Chicago is sponsoring a photo contest to collect the best photos
that capture the spirit & beauty of Chicago. They are planning on publishing
a quality coffee table book & DVD of the best photos. I have submitted several
of my photos for consideration… and now I need your votes!
And we only have two weeks longer for voting!

Please log onto www.CaptureMyChicago.com
Do a “search” by name – looking for me, Gary Jackson. It will direct you
to my collection of photos. If you like what you see, please give me a vote.
And in true Chicago style… vote early and vote often!!! It is my assumption that
whichever photos receive the most photos will be the ones published in the book.
And I would LOVE to be a published photographer!!!

Here’s a few samples of my photography…

Another night under the Big Top here in Chicago!
Not quite Cirque du Soleil… but VERY close! And that ain’t no horsin’ around…

So tonight I was “treated” to a wonderful night of equestrian fantasy.
A group of us were given some great tickets for this incredible show. Thanks!!!

A combination of incredible horses, beautiful scenic effects, mesmerizing music
and the magic of Cirque du Soleil. In fact, “Cavalia” was created in part by one
of the former folks from Cirque du Soleil. And you can tell…

It’s not quite as fantastic, energetic & exciting… rather more inspiring, relaxing & beautiful.
The things that the horses do – incredible! They way they perform… the way they interact…
all different horses… an evening of magical equestrian beauty I would highly recommend!

With an incredible bricolage mural already gracing the Bryn Mawr underpass
of Lake Shore Drive here in Chicago… it’s finally time for another one!
Rumor has it that the Alderman wants to do all of the underpasses along
Lake Shore Drive in her Ward. And I’m all for it!!!

So the new one is a work in progress… starting with a rough drawing on the wall
of the “basic” design & structure of the wall. Both sides of the street are being done
with different designs. One of the key properties of these bricolage projects
is the random assortment of tiles, shards and mirrors all creating the big design!
As well as special tile pieces made to commemorate different aspects & events
of the neighborhood. It will be fun to watch the bricolage project continue over
the next few weeks – ending with the final grouting to finish it all off.

Yesterday… sunny, crisp & clear – perfect for biking.
Today… cold, windy, rainy, snowy & miserable – perfect for nothing!
Just another Spring day in Chicago.