Stephanie Barto – Contributing Photographer

My photography adventures began at age five, when I found an old Brownie camera in my grandmother’s attic. After a few months of pretending to take photos with the empty camera, I was given a Kodak Instamatic and introduced to the world of taking photos with film in the camera :-)

I almost entirely let go of photography in the ’90s, only taking pictures occasionally for purposes of documenting items for sale online. But in fall of 2012 I felt called back, bought a little Panasonic Lumix ZS20, and committed to taking a few photos every day to discover where my renewed interest might lead me. In earlier years I worked as a professional concert and nightclub photojournalist, but I knew I didn’t care to focus specifically on that again. I started going for walks every day, exploring my own neighborhood and then venturing out more and more, and found a great love for street photography. I purchased a DSLR in spring 2013, and it has been my constant companion as I wander the many uniquely beautiful neighborhoods of Chicago and document the people and places I see.

I am particularly drawn to street portraiture, and also the images featuring Chicago’s historic landmarks, railroad and industrial scenes, ethnic communities, great architecture, and the miscellaneous wonderful oddities that evidence the unique vitality of our city.

You can see more of Stephanie’s photos at flickr.