In the early nineties, I cut my teeth working for local weekly newspapers like the Defender, New City, and the Chicago Reader.
I loved seeing the interiors of cafes and restaurants in natural light, where the simplest things created artistic still lives, and photographed my meals before eating.
The food magazine Saveur was an inspiration to me, as for what could be done in capturing the zest of the real things happening in creating food,
and sometimes when I was lucky, I was able to photograph the people beginning the prep for the evening menu.
I got assignments from a SF startup called TurnHere and another called Seamless, photographing the dishes of local restaurants in their settings that would be included in their online advertisement.
My favorite assignment was shooting images for a book about local ‘greasy spoon’ diners, who found me by an image of the quirky scenes at Chicago’s famous White Castle.
Yes, their tiramisu tasted GREAT!
Moving into digital and past newspapers, I began to photograph for walks, special events, and expos, and photographed private events such as the Chicago WineFests in their various locations through the year.
Chicago Winefest – one of my favorite clients!
Past clients have included Sweet Thang Bakery, Letizia’s Bakery and Spacca Napoli, not to mention the restaurants captured for the start up companies.
I love watching the ‘zen’ movements of master chefs.
I’m a behind the scenes type of person, so I really enjoyed capturing the graceful rhythms of chefs within crowded rooms and the skill in creating the dishes for their customers.
The simplest things are beautiful to me.
I always pinch myself that I really do the thing I love every day. And I’d love to have the opportunity to work with you, too!
Fill out the Contact Page for photographic art of your event or experience soon!
For the scholars, teachers and parents staring a new year, one of my ‘oldies but goodies.’
‘Enjoy’ a bowl of soup in a different way to connect (and reconnect) with the calm inside.
This uses a visualization technique called imaginating, a great tool for managing and mellowing real life situations.
The key is to let your hearing, sense of touch, sense of smell and taste engage naturally as you ‘hold’ the warm spoon and marvelous chickeny goodness in hand.
Try it, play with it (!) and apply it in different situations to see it work for you!
Dorothy Perry is a Chicago natural light photographer interested in the illumination of the inner life. Contact her here.
This is a little story of the application of abundant thought to creating a new auto. In short, this is how I made my new car happen!
I am a fan of the Volvo 240GL car – it is a very unique and beautiful car to me, and I have already owned four!
My current 240 was classic and beautiful, had deep sentimental value, and ran like a champ. But 3 years ago, a motorcycle hit and run damaged its side, and my energetic pleasure for this car decreased when I looked at it. The quotes for body work alone were more than it cost!
I was reading a new book for creating abundant situations in daily life, and chose to test their ideas with my car situation.
In meditation, I felt how I looked and thought about it in a continual state of dissatisfaction.
I did not want to feel this way about this car, which was great in every other way.
So I began to really love the heck out of this car just the way it was,
seeing memories of its dependability and protection in my mind,
memories of washing and cleaning it,
happy moments driving in the beauty of nature, and talking with loved ones,
saying that it would resolve itself in an even better way than I can imagine,
and most importantly, leaving it alone, and not dwelling in doubt that my desire would be granted in its own Divine order.
I blessed the situation with this confidence and abundance mindset for four months to see a change in the situation. It happened quickly and happily.
The Fourth of July saw a rash of gunfire in the area where I was visiting, and my car window was shot out by a stray bullet. No auto glass places, even the ones famous for older models, could find a window for it.
A terrific car for me – and now her new owner!
I lost my mind a little in the energy of ‘fixing it’ – activity that often makes things more expensive or worse! – searching want ads, frustrated at the communications with strangers, while dealing with the realities of errands without a car.
I forgot I had to speak what I desired into effect.
Now with sanity restored, I looked at the photographs of my car and thanked it for its’ years of dependable, safe operation, the memories driving loved ones, and its dependability, and wished its next owner years of pleasure and safety in driving it.
I then began to describe a beautiful auto of the same style that had been well cared for, and would be a stable, good running vehicle for myself and my family.
The change in the situation happened the next day. My searches led to a new auto website, and the details of a car lovingly cared for came on the market four days ago! Within a week this lovely gold 240 was mine!
The first night at home!
From stating my desire to seeing it in the energetic presence of a new car took about four months. It is exactly what I desired, and I enjoy owning it even more, knowing it came about in this manner.
I believe to send those you know and don’t know uplifted thoughts of love, acceptance, and abundance is a shift in mindset that assists that bringing about the good you desire.
Now the car is here, I have changed the statement that everyone who saw, heard, touched, or even briefly heard of my car and story would be blessed, enriched, and have doors opened for opportunity and abundance in their lives!
See you around Chicago!
Dorothy Perry is a Chicago portrait photographer specializing in custom family portraits, modern headshots, & personal branding for women and executives at home and on location.
is relaxing the eyes’ focus (letting the eyes ‘go fuzzy’)
when waiting or resting.
It rests more than your eye muscles:
it also gives the ever-spinning wheels of mind a rest, too,
and lets your intuition come through
to show you how to see something new.
Dorothy Perry is a Chicago portrait photographer specializing in custom family portraits, modern headshots, & personal branding for women and executives.
Today on The Easel, I have a contemplative photograph with subtle and elemental symbols that show something different each time you look at it. This ballet of shape and pattern occurred during a moment teaching photography on a snowy day on the far side of Chicago:
In the photo above, it is the photograph behind my head.
Bird on A Roof is 20″ x 30″ and made from fine watercolor paper with a deckle (torn) edge. Choose my neutral frame here, a different size, or an unframed version.
If you are interested in purchasing my art images for yourself or others, contact me for details. I love to see my photos in other people’s homes.
Dorothy Perry photographs for the joy of it as well as her professional work.
