New Images - The Westside

Questionnaire

A former student asked me to answer some questions about my work for an assignment in one of his classes.  I thought the questions were interesting and worth sharing... 

What is your name/company's name?   Lily Mayfield Photography

What is your specialty and why did you choose it?  My specialty or main interest is fine art documentary work, but I also do freelance work.

Did you study photography in school or come from another field?  Yes I did.  Although I started off as an English major, I switched majors and got a BFA in photography, and later an MFA in photography.  My dad is also a photographer, so I grew up looking at photographs all the time.  I think that helped develop a strong sense of composition even before I began shooting.

What were your first clients/first photo jobs as you began your career? The turning point for me, what made me switch majors to photography, was when I went on a mission trip to Havana, Cuba.  I was asked to document the trip.  I took my role seriously and spent all my free time wandering in the streets of Havana and photographing.  I got some amazing photographs. I'm still very proud of that work.  Other first jobs were shooting weddings, shooting portraits of kids in their dance recital costumes, and high-end event design photography for a company called Botanicals.

How did you market your work when you began your career?

A website is crucial, business cards are also helpful.  I also maintain a blog. Word of mouth and networking has gotten me many jobs.  I think the first step is to create a website and update it with new work periodically. 

How do you market yourself today?  Honestly, I think I could use some help with that! Maintaining the website is very important.  As an artist, I am constantly applying for exhibitions and grants.  You can find web resources for that info.  SPE (Society for Photographic Education) and CAA (College Art Association) are helpful resources.  Also, maintaining relationships with people who support your work is important, it often leads to more opportunities.

What advice do you have for photographers starting out today?

Find a way to use your camera to make money.  That's essential.  But also don't give up on your personal work. That's just as important.  It feeds the spirit.

What camera and lens combo do you use?

I have 3 combos for various subject matter:

#1 - Canon Rebel XTi (digital SLR) with 24-105 mm lens

#2 - Pentax 67 (medium format) with 45 mm and 105 mm lenses

#3 - Toyo 45A (large format 4x5) with 90mm, 150 mm, and 210 mm lenses

Where do find your inspiration? What keeps you motivated to be a photographer?

I am inspired by beautiful days with rich color and light.  That makes me want to go outside and look around and discover things with my camera.  I also have a bit of a competitive streak and when I see other people doing amazing things with their cameras, it makes me want to get out and shoot.  So I think just getting out and looking around me as well as viewing other photographs - both inspire me.

How often do you make photos just for yourself - ones you haven't been hired by a client to do?

It really varies on how much time I have.  My goal is to get out once a week to  shoot for my personal projects.  But depending on the demands of teaching, I may or may not get around to it.

It's important to keep your personal style as a photographer - How do you keep yourself from having every shoot the same, yet keep your style?

That's a tough question.  I just try to be open to the subject and not formulaic.  I try to see each subject with fresh eyes and think about the best way to see that particular subject with my camera. My "style" is just a part of me - not really something I think about too much.

What defines you from your competition?

I think I have a certain sensitivity to my subjects that others may not.  When I photograph people it is very important to me that I do not take advantage of them or exploit them.  I think I do that partly through the way I photograph them (often looking back at the viewer/camera), also through the fact that they have agreed to allow me to photograph them, and it is a collaborative effort rather than me "stealing" their image.  I photograph where I am - what I know, what I see on a daily basis.  I also have a particular use of color and light that is different from other photographers. But honestly, I can't get stuck on that too much - I just have to go out and use my camera to see.  Each photographer sees things differently.

New Images from The Westside

Here's a few more images that  I shot last weekend. These are all locally owned storefronts on 26th St.  This region of Little Village is quite lively on the weekends.  These locally owned stores have a lot of support from members of the community.  Of course, the economy has also affected this area and you can find some empty or transitioning storefronts as well.

Sale on Shoes

Now Hiring / Se Solicitan

Happy Halloween... 
new images from  The Westside

Se Renta

Costumes for Sale

Undergarments

New Images from The Westside

It's interesting how teaching filters into your own work. The two images below were shot in September.  The week that I shot these, I had been lecturing about the impact of time of day and weather on color in a photograph.  And it seemed that since that was on my mind, I kept looking for a change in color due to time of day.  Then on a stormy Sunday, the sun began to peek through pockets in the clouds and the light was amazing.  I took some of my own advice  and went out to photograph in this stormy, moody atmosphere.  The sad little storefront churches on Ogden never looked so full of life.

Livingstone Church

Douglas Park

This next image was taken over the summer.  This romanticized image of  an unconscious and curvy young woman thrown over the man's shoulder and the fact that they seem to be some kind of mirage emerging over the landscape like an oasis for the weary traveler is quite strange to my gringa, feminist sensibility.

Zacatecas

Art Loop Open - 
Art Crawl Friday Oct. 15 

Can't believe I haven't posted anything in over a month... obviously the semester is in full swing.  So this weekend marks the beginning of Art Loop Open.  Organized by Chicago Artist Coalition, the month-long exhibition seeks to exhibit work by Chicago artists and to draw art enthusiasts downtown to Chicago's loop area.

Art Loop Open is on display at 10 venues: Block 37, Hard Rock Hotel Chicago, Hotel Burnham, Macy's, Merchandise Mart, Chicago French Market / MetraMarket, Palmer House, Hotel Allegro, the Wit Hotel, and W Chicago-City Center.

Three prizes will be awarded to the artists with the most votes by viewers.  You must go to the venue and send a text message in order to vote for your favorite work of art.

 Antony, Harold, Agel, y Hector on display at Block 37

My work will be on display at:
Block 37
108 N. State St
Chicago, IL

Please go view the works and vote! 
1st round of voting: Oct. 15 - 22
Art Crawl: FRIDAY Oct. 15,  5-8 pm

Hope to see you there!

Rug-hooking Projects: 
Iglesia de Punta Banco rug is done

After more than 2 months of work, my Iglesia de Punta Banco rug is finally done.  This little blue church is in Costa Rica near the very end of the beach road, south of Pavones.  I still have to figure out what I want to do to finish off the edges.  This is certainly the most detailed rug I've ever done, with the finest cut of wool strips I've ever used.  Thanks to Jane Halliwell Green for her suggestions in the pictorial workshop. 

New Image from The Westide - Ogden Courts

This sign was fairly new about the time I moved to Lawndale in 2007 - an advertisment for a soon-to-be-built condo development.  The Lawndale neighborhood seemed ripe and ready for new construction back then before the housing market crashed and recession hit.  Lawndale is directly west of downtown, and close to shopping areas in the near suburbs of Cicero, Berwyn, and North Riverside.  Suggested sales prices were posted ranging from $230,000 - 300,000. 

Now this billboard serves as a space for other local advertisers: cab drivers and plumbers, and as a reminder of Lawndale's once shining promise of growth and development.

Two New Images 

from The Westside Series

I'm working on a new sequence for The Westside photographs.  I hope to get some more work done on it and post it on my website soon!   The green, brown, and neutral color combinations in the images above are really pleasing to me.  Both images were taken in the Lawndale neighborhood.

I really enjoyed hearing stories from Lawndale residents who came to our Foto-op @ Op shop event.  I heard stories ranging from personal anecdotes to historical information about areas I photographed.  I found out that the Lawndale used to be a Jewish neighborhood about 50 years ago. And apparently there's a photographer who documented the community during that time.  I find the massive transition of culture in a specific location quite intriguing.  Lots of research and shooting to do!

Photos from Foto-op @ Op Shop 

August 11 2010

We had a great turnout last night at our most recent Foto-op event.  We were excited to feature work by new Foto-op participants Kelly Jones and Sarah Baranski. And what a beautiful space provided by the Op Shop of Hyde Park! Thanks to Laura Schaeffer and the Op Shop crew!  If you haven't been to Op Shop, get down there and check out the daily featured artists through August 16th.  Tonight, Op Shop features Rachel Herman's Imp of Love series!  http://www.rachelherman.net/

Hair Stories - Kelly Jones

The Westside - Lily Mayfield

Was Once Home - Sarah Baranski

Symbiosis - Nicole Wingate

Foto-op @ Op Shop - 
ONE NIGHT ONLY!

Foto-op artist collective is at it again!  We're having a one night only special event featuring photographs by Nicole Wingate, Lily Mayfield, Sarah Baranski, and Kelly Jones at the Op Shop. 

We'd love to have you come out and support local Chicago artists and the Op Shop of Hyde Park. The Op Shop is an organization that utilizes empty urban spaces as temporary sites for art and performance.

The Op Shop in Hyde Park
5226 S Harper Avenue
Chicago, IL

Wed. August 11th, 6-9 pm

Hope to see you there! There are some great little restaurants in this area - make a night of it!

For more info about the Op Shop:

http://www.theopshop.org/index.html

New Images from the Westside

Cubs and Sox Garage

I've been photographing in my neighborhood again this summer. Here's a few new images. I'm shooting these images with film, which really slows down my process in all phases of production. My least favorite part of working with film is spending so many hours removing dust from the scans! That's certainly a HUGE advantage of shooting digitally. But I like what is happening in my process as far as slowing me down while I'm shooting.

Fence with Roses

Hair Studio

I love this scene for many reasons - first as a gardener I admire the lovely aloe plants that are obviously thriving. And as a photographer, I find the window display mostly full of plants quite curious. Its appearance is reminiscent of someone's home and it feels very much like a typical Westside neighborhood shop.

Under the Pink Line Tracks

The Village Well

I finally got around to photographing this building a couple weeks ago. I'm glad I did. This morning I noticed that it was in the process of being demolished.

Extended Family

Just got back from a very quick visit to Florida. Spent some time in Tarpon Springs and of course back home in Gainesville. There's so much I'd love to shoot down there... wish I could've stayed longer.

I really enjoyed getting to photograph my family members again. I particularly love making photographs of my 11 year old niece Zoey, and 8 year old nephew Evan. They are endlessly fascinating - their imaginations and their developing personalities. I really regretted having to leave to come back for work.

Here are my favorite images of Zoey and Evan:

Telling Secrets: Evan and Jesse

Firestarter: Zoey

And here is a photo of my Mom's long hair. It was always pretty short when we were growing up.

Mom's Hair

Favorite Images from Maine

I went to Maine in June for a rug-hooking workshop and stayed a couple extra days to explore. Here's a few of my favorite images from the trip.

Stonington Harbor

Tied Down and Anchored, Stonington ME

Dock with Rope, Stonington ME

Cream & Sugar, Searport ME

Sky at Fort Knox, Bucksport ME

On the summit of Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park

at Fort Knox, photo by Jim Mayfield

New image from the Westside

I find Little Village fascinating. I live just a few blocks from its boundaries. Here's a new image. This is one of many locally run neighborhood businesses in Little Village. Many of them, including this place, are located on neigborhood streets not on any main thoroughfare.

I enjoy the intersection of various kinds of text here. And of course the graffiti and gang references which allude to a darker aspect of the culture in this neighborhood.

Old Florida

Pond, Ozello, FL

Another image to add to the series.

Old Florida

Spanish moss always reminds me of north central Florida.

Tree with Spanish Moss, Ozello, FL

This tree seems to be morphing into some kind of signpost - its limbs pointing in different directions. Florida at a crossroads.

Old Florida

I love this time of year. The semester is winding down and the summer is stretching out before me. My mind starts to wander back to my own work. I have so many subjects that I'd like to photograph and the time is nearly here when I can really focus on it.

So since today is a rainy kind of day, I figured I'd spend some time tying up loose ends... and believe it or not I still have photos that I haven't edited yet... some photos from Florida. So here's one of 3 or 4 that I'll be posting.

Cans, Ozello, FL

If I was able to travel back home more often, I'd photograph images of what I refer to as "old Florida." There's plenty of small towns that still feel completely wild, like Florida once was before Disney World culture took over. This photo was taken in Ozello, a tiny little town on Florida's northwest coast. I was struck by the aluminum cans decorating the shrubs like ornaments on a christmas tree, a trace of human presence in this wild place.

Opening Reception Friday April 16th, 5-7 pm

Hope you can make it to the opening of Alumni on 5: Greater than 16x20; Less than 4x5 this Friday April 16th 5-7 pm at Columbia College Library, 624 S. Michigan, 5th floor.

I have 3 pieces in the show, 2 of which are brand new works!

If you can't make it to the opening, the show will be up from April 16 - September 1.

De Pavones

Another image from the series. This is someone's driveway... as seen from the main road. I was interested in the light, but now I wish I would've included a figure in the space. It's still an interesting space, but I'm not sure that it's a keeper.

A doorway to the church into Punta Banco... a town at the end of the main road, south of Pavones.

Don Ricardio. His family has lived in the area for a very long time. I've photographed him previously. He donated land for a new school that was built recently. In this picture, he leans on my sister's truck, as he tells stories.

This is a shed that is on the grounds of the new school. I loved the way the chickens were strutting around.

Both of the above photographs were taken during a soccer game in town.

New Year's Day at Rio Claro. This is where the river flows into the ocean. It created a little pool that was great for kids to swim in. I've never seen this many people at the point before. All the locals came out to celebrate the holiday.

Chele. He's a mechanic. I talked to him for quite awhile and found myself understanding most of what he said... kind of a break through in my Spanish listening skills.

Surfboard locker. I love the traces of care that went into creating the locker, and also the traces of wear that have come from years of use.