Eric Jacobson

Chicago Based Photographer Captures City One Click at a Time

Sundial

Photographer and Chicago native, Eric Jacobson spends most of his free time strolling through the streets of Chicago, snapping pictures as he explores different sites and neighborhoods. And we think he has got quite a knack for the trade.

Starting as a young kid running around with a disposable point-and shoot, Jacobson gradually upgraded his equipment, learning to capture on film what he sees with his own eyes. While self-taught, he is a far cry from the hobbyist he may have been back in the day. In fact, Jacobson is a perfect example of a photographer who loves art for art’s sake, seeking it out with every opportunity – and his humility adds to the appeal of his work. When you ask him if he considers himself a professional photographer, he shifts uncomfortably in his seat, explaining under his breath that photography is something he has always just loved to do.

As his portfolio grew, those around him caught onto the fact that he was really good. With a gentle nudge from his long-time girlfriend, Jacobson decided to start a photo-blog, featuring the two things he loves most: photography and the city of Chicago. The gist was that he would convey his city adventures through a photo a day for an entire year. The blog, called “Showcasing Chicago One Image at a Time” was an instant success.

In the 365 day project, Jacobson posted a new blog each day, exposing various angles of the Windy City, revealing her secrets one snapshot at a time. He covered a significant amount of ground, learning all about the city in the meantime. Depicting Chicago through the eyes of a traveler, Eric shows us the Shedd Aquarium, Navy Pier, a plethora of Chicago architecture, the Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago sports, and Chicago locals at their finest. Oftentimes the captions offer detail as to the background of the subject matter, but mostly the photos speak for themselves.

One of the more intriguing series of the project, published throughout October as Halloween approached, focuses on the haunted side of Chicago. Visiting Graceland Cemetery, the Jane Addams Hull House, and the Congress Theater, Jacobson describes in detail the legends behind each landmark, documenting his experiences on film. In a particularly eerie post, readers are taken to the edge of the Chicago River at LaSalle and Wacker, where the infamous S.S. Eastland tragically capsized, killing 844 passengers. In order to fully capture the experience, Jacobson visited the site of the disaster at 3:00 in the morning, when the loop was deserted and the tinkling of misplaced wind-chimes could mysteriously be heard in the night. The resulting photos were as ghostly as they were spectacular – another testament to his raw talent.

For an entire year, Jacobson shares his city in a variety of colors and angles. He says that he did it, “because every day I am reminded of how amazing this city is and how visually stunning it can be.” With emotionally charged beauty, Jacobson’s photos challenges his viewers to take a closer look – not just at his perspective as communicated in his work, but at the cities we live in, the buildings we pass every day, and at the scenes we forget to appreciate. With that in mind, Jacobson makes certain that everyone who visits his blog is tuned into the beauty of his perspective. And for that, we are grateful.

Now he continues to dabble in photojournalism (see his excellent coverage of the NATO summit here). As followers, we can continue to expect to see great things through the lens of his Nikon D5000. And as for transitioning to photography for a living – he is open to suggestions. Check out more of his work at http://chitographer.com or in the EIL Store.

 Lightening Strikes

About the Artist

Eric Jacobson grew up on the south side of Chicago and began dabbling in photography at a very young age. Starting with a disposable camera, he learned how to capture images on film, gradually working up to a professional level. He graduated from Northern Illinois University with a degree in mechanical engineering. Now a full-time resident of Chicago, Eric is constantly inspired by the city and has built a following through his ability to capture in detail the hidden beauty of urban environments. Follow his blog at www.chitographer.com.

Jacobson takes most of his pictures with a Nikon D5000 on a variety of lenses. His photos are not edited, unless the specifically noted in HDR.

What is HDR? High dynamic range imaging (HDRI or just HDR) is a set of techniques that allow a greater dynamic range between the lightest and darkest areas of an image than current standard digital imaging techniques or photographic methods. This wide dynamic range allows HDR images to more accurately represent the range of intensity levels found in real scenes, ranging from direct sunlight to faint starlight, and is often captured by way of a plurality of differently exposed pictures of the same subject matter.

Eric Jacobson on the EIL Arts Store