"I'm sort of a spy."

Hello, February and lovely readers. Just a heads-up: I am returning to the earlier format of my website which had some features I’ve been missing lately. But am also trying to save the good parts of the most recent one. Which is to say, for a few days, there may be some broken links and strange bedfellows lingering about (from samples).

Difference-Maker

Vivian Maier

American Street Photographer

1926-2009

Vivian Maier roamed the streets of Chicago and other cities taking thousands (over 150,000!) of photos of the architecture and people around her. A private person, earning a living as a nanny, her work went undiscovered until accidentally found through an auction in a storage facility. Her secretive nature had led her to storing all of her photos, film, and negatives in a rented storage space. She was unable to pay the rent in the last two years of her life. Many negatives were never developed.

The photographs capture emotion, mood, grit, and daily activity. She held her camera at chest level in order to maintain eye contact with the subject. Many of her most memorable photos have people staring straight at her.

An official website here will lead you to photos and lots of interesting tidbits about her life, and you may enjoy this article that focuses on the enigma she truly was.

There are several YouTube videos of her life and work. I thought this was a beautiful rendition of her photographs.

And this is a good one about Vivian herself. Despite the warning at the beginning of the video, I saw nothing to be offended by.