Too Young To Die Project
We hear all these stories about events that happen in Connecticut, Colorado, overseas, and south of the border, but what about what happens in our backyards? Chicago is home and will always be for me, but being outside of the city really shows me how little the national media covers or even cares about what is happening in the greatest city in the world. The nation turns a blind eye, and I ask how we can do the same. I'm not saying I have a solution, but I feel that as a collective, we could at least make others aware of the problem. The violence that is plaguing our city affects us all in some shape or form, whether you realize it or not. It could be someone in your family, your friends, your neighbors, or even co-workers that might have been affected by the violence.
I've seen it in my old neighborhood, I've seen it in the neighborhoods some of my family lives in, and you might have seen it in yours. Should we just go ahead and brush it off because it's Chicago and things like that happen? That would be the easiest thing to do, but I say let's bring light to the situation. Do you want to be outside of your city and find out the perception from a majority of the population is that Chicago is a war zone? How do you feel about living in a city that is now being called Chiraq? Are you comfortable in seeing a city die? Look around you, or just look at the newspaper every morning. This is a real issue that we need to talk about and not ignore. Now I might not be home, but the least I can do is bring some attention to the issue at hand. I don't expect everyone to care or go out there and lead a march, but what I hope what we can do is think about the issue and bring attention to the violence that is affecting the city, not as individuals, but together as the community of Chicago.
That being said, I am very fortunate to have a platform like Ruby Hornet to help share a long-term photo project by Carlos David Ortiz titled Too Young To Die that aims to shed light on the problem of youth violence. It's a project that shows the effects that the violence is having on kids, their families, and what effect this is having on the city of Chicago. It aims to personalize the people that are affected and share their stories. It's a project that puts a face on people we may not know but people that we should acknowledge. As Carlos states, " These stories are not about hip-hop, rap music or teens wearing saggy pants. These stories are about poverty, despair, neglect, hope, love and resilience." Check out the photos below of some of what Carlos has been documenting and learn a little more about his project in the video.
Photos by Carlos David Ortiz
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IG Weekly: denizsuerkan
It seems like everybody is on their phone scrolling through photos deciding which ones to post on Instagram. It's so easy to do, whether you're a photographer or not; just point, shoot, choose a filter, then post whatever you created. From the funny duck face selfies to breathtaking landscapes to gritty city streets, some use it as visual journal giving glimpses of their lives. Others have taken it to another level creating works of art. All of us at Ruby Hornet are fans of the social media platform and decided to do a weekly series of highlighting people whose Instagrams we feel are cool. Let us know in the comments section if you'd like to be featured, or let us know about some other cool Instagrams. Be sure to follow the Ruby Hornet Instagram, too.
This week's featured Instagram comes from denizsuerkan. This Instagrammer captures stunning photos from her life in Turkey.
Photos via denizsuerkan
A few of the best Chicago Blackhawks celebration photos
So it's been a few days since the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup, and I'm sure everyone is still dealing with that post-championship hangover. In honor of the champs, I thought I'd share some of the best photos of the team celebrating their victory over the Boston Bruins. Catch the team celebrating an incredible season and make sure to head downtown for the parade and be part of the celebration if you're in Chicago.
Photos by: Getty/AP
Full Metal Jacket
On an April night in 1970, photographer and Vietnam vet James Hensinger captured images when his 173rd Airborne Brigade was confronted by a Viet Cong sniper hiding somewhere in the surrounding area that attacked is army base in Phu Tai. There was a huge exchange of shots fired between the both sides that lit up the sky. That night, the US base was unleashing round after round of bullets and even used tanks in the exchange. Hensinger set his Nikon to take long exposures,capturing the firestorm that occurred that night in the process. Check out the rest of the photos below.
[via io9]
Photos by James Hensinger
Georgia May Jagger for Muse Magazine
Muse Magazine's newest issue is out and have enlisted the help of David Bellemere to photograph British model Georgia May Jagger for the summer edition. Yes, you read that correctly: Georgia May Jagger, as in her father is The Rolling Stones frontman, Mick Jagger. It looks like May followed in her mother's footsteps as her Mom is former '70s top model Jerry Hall. You can check out the shoot that Georgia did for Muse below which features styling by Michael Philouze.
Photos via Muse
[Photography] The Impossible Smartphone Printer
If you ever wanted to own a Polaroid camera or just wanted to print your photos from your iPhone, The Impossible Instant Lab is something worth checking out. Paired with an accompanying app, you are able to take your digital iPhone photos and turn them into analog instant photos with a lo-fi look. You simply choose your photo, open up the app, and place your iPhone on the cradle; the image is then exposed on the film, resulting in a printed Polaroid for you. Check out the video below to see how it works and the photos it produces, for more check out The Impossible Project.
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Photographers Laid Off From The Chicago Sun-Times
Imagine being paid for doing what you love, but then being laid off by your employer with no warning. That is what happened to the entire photography staff of the Chicago Sun-Times last month when they found out they were going to be replaced by reporters armed with iPhones. The reason for the layoffs was due to the newspaper wanting to focus more on video content to accommodate those who access their news from their computers and mobile phones. It's hard to imagine a company laying off an entire department even with the advancements of photo technology in cell phones. CNN commissioned photographer Brian Powers to photograph the entire photography staff of The Chicago Sun-Times holding something meaningful from their career. Check out some of the photos below and get to know the rest of the staff here.
Photos via CNN
Zombie Land
When someone mentions amusement parks you're typically taken to a good time in your life. Amusement parks are where people go to have fun and enjoy all the excitement the parks have to offer. These are places that are full of life and in most cases a place you never want to leave. But when certain events cause these amusement parks to close and are left abanonded they become some of the eeriest, saddest places on earth. Check out the photos below and catch a glimpse of some real life Zombie Lands. For more photos and amusement parks head on over to i09 here.
Photos via io9
