1001 South State - Chicago, IL

Selecting images to post on the blog can be difficult when there are too many great options. Our 1001 South State project in Chicago, IL highlights this dilemma. 1001 South State, the newest high-rise to grace the Chicago highline, is a 40-story residential tower designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz and built by Walsh Construction.

This apartment building holds all the amenities: from swimming pools and work out facilities to a bike repair room and dog run. Expansive green spaces on the 5th floor make the outdoor experience accessible, while pool and grill areas make communal living convenient yet private. The glass-covered exterior curves and angles, providing countless views of the city from every possible position to apartment residents. It seemed like every space we photographed yielded an entirely fresh perspective of the Chicago Skyline or Lake Michigan.

Located in the South Loop, one of Chicago’s fastest growing neighborhoods, 1001 South State also includes 7,800 square footage of street-level retail space. Towering above its surroundings, this breathtaking building can be seen from virtually all angles throughout the South Loop, establishing it as a main view throughout the neighborhood. 

The image above is an example of a two-bedroom apartment facing southwest with fantastic views of Lake Michigan.

Above - The south-facing penthouse suite.

Above - 40th floor residence lounge with an unreal view of the Chicago skyline (never been seen before from that angle).

1001 South State is a new 40-story, 398-unit residential high-rise in Chicago's South Loop neighborhood. Levels one through four include parking. Level five ...

Hamilton Elementary School - Moline, IL

A few weeks ago, I photographed the brand new Hamilton Elementary School in Moline, Illinois. This shoot was unlike any I have done before and I was slightly intimidated. Shooting a space as large and creative as an elementary school takes concentration and problem-solving to produce the exact composition and lighting I want.

During the pre-planning stages of the project, I knew that the story behind this project needed to be told by the students. Legat Architects and I decided that due to the size of the school, we needed more than just a few students scattered in the empty halls; we needed a crowd.

Once we reached that decision, we coordinated and planned with parents to have approximately twenty students the day of the shoot. Because the children were so excited for their modeling debut, their energy and cooperation made the shoot fun for everyone involved. Their excitement helped capture the spirit of Hamilton Elementary and the images turned out great!

Legat Architects, Russell Construction, The Moline School District, and I want to thank all the students, parents, and teachers that not only made this shoot possible but also successful.

Moody Bible Institute - Chicago, IL - AJ Brown Imaging

Recently, we had the opportunity to shoot at the Moody Bible Institute downtown Chicago. After completing the remodel of Culbertson Hall, they asked us to come photograph their newly-renovated space.

Moody Bible Institute

In today’s architectural photography world, most professionals generally agree that shooting a space without people is less than satisfactory. Because spaces are designed specifically for people, documenting without them turns the images bare and lifeless. Adding people into photographs also helps the viewer’s understanding of scale and helps them imagine the functionality of the space. 

However, adding people to architectural photographs turns the project into a completely different process. Instead of only focusing on lighting the space, we have to light the people within the space in a complimentary way, which creates a whole set of challenges with positioning and power of lighting.

Because we were scheduled to shoot the week before students arrived, finding people to include in the shots proved difficult. Luckily, we ended up using a couple random students who were on campus early, a few young-looking staff members, and my own assistant, Peyton who “still looks 19” (his words, not mine) in several shots

Desperate times call for desperate measures and the image above reveals the rare occasion where I’m in front of the camera instead of behind it!