Photography is my calling. I have been with the “After Supper Visions” program for 16 years. I am a pioneer of this program. It enabled me to show my love for my two sons through this art. Thank you for helping me to support my sons as a single parent.
Artist Statements
Taking pictures makes me feel cool and warm. I like photography. I am so grateful for the scenery that cameras give me. God gave me some vision because I am legally blind but still can see the beauty of life.
James F.I like taking pictures hoping that someone will be inspired by what Chicago looks like through my vision of what I see.
Bobby L.I like to take pictures of the places I used to stay at when I was homeless. These photos remind me of my past, and the After Supper Visions Program is helping me move forward to a better place.
James L.I enjoy photography. It brings back memories when I was smart kid, who loved my teachers. Teachers who took the time and showed us how much fun it was to learn. We went on field trips, that was exciting to us when I was in grammar school and high school.
Regina H.I like the fact that I can learn about taking pictures and I hope I can continue to learn.
Claude S.These three shots were done during the late day because I was trying to capture shade, light and shadow to produce a scene that would be appealing and comfortable to the eye. The third shot with bike was an expression of reflection, light, and shadow.
Maurice P.I came to Catholic Charities to be in the class on Wednesday and one of my friends told me about the class on Tuesday. I love to take pictures of colors and shapes. Pictures to me is artwork, each picture to me has a shape and color, it tell you a story about something. As a child I was in art classes and I find art is a melody. It’s also like a book, it has a beginning and an ending.
Lori V.It was a hard discussion to come up with all these very creative statements. It is the beauty a person can capture that gives me complete joy.
Maurice B.When I took the pictures, I was thinking of inspiration. The Cubs is my favorite team. The other pictures were about springtime with the colors of leaves and flowers. The bus stop picture was about still life, how peaceful the picture looks.
Markeara L.My friend and I go out to take pictures as a team and enjoy and compare.
Roberta J.Where do we go when we go. Do you know yet life goes on. Life at time could feel like a cage. Most people have no idea it exist be it up top or at the bottom, we are all seeking of some sort of freedom.
Shawn B.I live here in Chicago. I am an artist that really appreciate what Catholic Charities is doing with the photography sessions. Looking forward to doing more photo events with them.
Lamont S.Photography is my calling. I have been with the “After Supper Visions” program for 16 years. I am a pioneer of this program. It enabled me to show my love for my two sons through this art. Thank you for helping me to support my sons as a single parent.
Margaret A.The view from the river walk to the lake emphasizes the beauty of our city.
Valerie B.I am 48 years old, AA, disabled, single female; who is both an educated mason that is both poor and homeless. I am also a non-veteran, non-gang member, without children. Due to gentrification, I was evicted out of public housing after a quarter of a century. All praises and thanks to Father God and Catholic Charities. I am moving from being barred from low-income housing to the bus and park bench to a new home of my own. Step by step.
Michelle T.Please find smiles inside…
Mia G.A picture is worth a thousand words but I had nothing to do. Taking photos is a good hobby and I hope someone will like my talent.
James S.I have been in the show for 3 years. I love taking pictures outdoors. The way the shadows fall, the way the color grows and flower. City life catches my eyes!
Roberta J.The photography class was great. It gave me a chance to be creative and to see the beauty of God.
Tracey M.Like the quote by Tess Flanders “A picture is worth a thousand words”.
Neal H.I like to talk to others and see a new life Time is not good, I don have a job or home. Working for it all but pictures and the photo project are helping me to look up. Being with friends at the photo project has helped me.
John L.Back to the show again. I love coming here. The pictures let me be creative. I like talking to the people that come to the show and I like to see the pictures of the other artists in the show. I take the camera with me everywhere I go. I always have my eyes open for different pictures that might jump out at me…This year I was at one of the races in Chicago and lucky enough that the city closed off the streets. I was able to take some pictures of the streets of Chicago without any traffic.… Read more
Mike B.As I walked off the escalator at Harold Washington Library and caught sight of all those extraordinary dog tags, I thought of all the lives sacrificed. That in itself was enough to inspire me. The dog tags tell stories of men and women, some who lost lives and some MIA. My words cannot express how I felt when I took these photos. I can only say that my heart goes out to all those courageous men and women whom they represent.
Earl B.I was so vain at one time until I finally opened my eyes in this photo and seen the world as a whole, our people and places and art come together in our religion as one.
Andrea C.Winter comes to Spring in Douglas Park. A hidden jewel on Chicago’s west side is ready for its close up.
Kurt J.I have been taking pictures for eight years and I am still in the pictures. I like being in it because it helps me calm down and be happy. I like taking pictures outside a lot, hot, snow, that what I like doing. It shows what best comes out of me.
Octavia W.Thank you! I took the stain glass picture at Holy Name Cathedral. I took the Chicago underground train station picture at the Harrison stop on the red line. This one is looking out the window of the Harold Washington Library.
John B.I like to talk to others and see a new life. Time is not good – I don’t have a job or home. Working for it all but pictures and the photo project are helping me to look up. Being with friends at photo project has helped me.
John L.The photo project has improved my creative and artistic expressions. My images are an expression of my creative side. Thanks to Catholic Charities for giving me a chance to become an artist.
Chester P.Photography is like still poetry, looking through the lens of a camera, I try to find something that speaks directly to me. I love to escape. Photography is a perfect way to escape. When I am taking pictures, I go to a faraway place where I can become one with the camera, and nothing else matters. I love my photography class. I have learned how to hold a camera correctly, at the same time choose a view that speaks directly to me.
Eva M.Be free to express yourself through the love of art of the art you love.
Jerrell C.We only must tap into the very inter beings of our souls to awaken the art forms in us all. If you do not enjoy what you are doing you will never be good at it. By Luke Parker. If you don’t start somewhere, you’re gonna go nowhere. By Bob Marley. When you photograph people in color you photograph their clothes. When you photograph people in black and white you photograph their soul. Hippy Ted Grant
Deborah A.I spent the summer in Cedar Michigan last year, and the view at most everywhere I went was breathtaking, so here are some of the sights I would like to share.
Robert R.My photo vision scenes from Chicago lakefront. With the use of shade, shadows, shots were taken on angles using lines to draw the viewer into the photo scene
Herman H.Pictures of any kind are the procreating and production of two God-given eyes correlating and collaborating. If only the world can see straight, eye-to-eye, that would make one perfect picture of a perfect family.
Cheryl H.I thank God for blessing me to get in this class; it has helped me a lot and I am happy about it, very happy. I thank you all for this class and my beautiful pictures.
Mattie R.As the saying goes: A picture is worth a thousand words. In other words, pictures can tell a story. Good or bad, happiness, sadness, whatever the story might be; a visual of what you are trying to say could help the story be told better.
Christopher D.This is my second year doing the After Supper Visions show. I really enjoyed it. Last year I took the picture of the rose during the Christmas dinner at Catholic Charities, a reflection of another building hitting the garage made an interesting light show and a mirror image on glass with dancing rain on a stormy night.
Tracey B.Photography is an art and I pray that my pictures are a good example of my talent as an artist.
Gerald G.The Catholic Charities is where I spend time doing things I like to do like taking photos of Chicago and yoga and whatever they have but most of all is taking photography.
Maurice C.
After Supper Visions