Lisa Predko's Blog

Coming soon on PINK VINYL (!!!!!), Chicago’s own, Cherri Rokkett-Quality you can taste!!!!!!!!

It seems most appropriate I post this now-I just returned from a fantastic trip to LA, part of which was spent on the Sunset Strip!  This trip helped fill in the last piece of the puzzle; I can finally say I’ve officially met ALL the members of Cherri Rokkett!!!:)

I’m sorry to say I missed the Rokkett during their pyrotechnic & spandex filled debut-I was in Middle School, in Michigan,  probably listening to The Cure and The Smiths.:)

Where were YOU in 1988????

Sunset Strip, 2/11/12 11:11pm:

Chicago Magazine gave us the pleasure of photographing several Dr.s for their January issue.  Although they were all great, we certainly have a soft spot for Dr. Geroulis up in Northfield.  I knew this was going to be a good shoot when I was scheduling via phone with his wife, Mirofora; with her beautiful accent, she could read the phone book and it would sound amazing!:)  When we arrived, we learned Dr. G is also an award winning sculptor (how fantastic is that?!) and the experience got even better when I found out there was a selection of bow ties for us to choose from (swoon!).  Dr. Geroulis and the lovely Mirofora could not have been nicer people, I hope to see them both again soon!

If you haven’t seen Design Bureau yet, go buy a subscription NOW!!!! Based in Chicago, it is a magazine featuring all kinds of design-and it’s, of course, designed beautifully.  Issue #5 has a fashion section with type treatments so fantastic I want to hang them on my wall! And the PAPER, you really need to feel this paper!:)

Issue #8 was just released, and I’m thrilled to be a contributor!

Thank you Design Bureau for sending me to photograph Kelly Wagner, Phil Cooper, and Melissa Kirby, all talented designers part of the Event Creative team (as of the article release date, Phil however has moved on to another company). Walking into their giant warehouse for the first time, I could feel the energetic buzz of creativity! On staff designers, lighting techs, & carpenters (only a few of the endless crew specialties!) all work harmoniously to produce not just events but experiences. It all happens amongst rows upon rows, and stacks upon stacks, of props, lighting, and raw building materials.  If only I could have the run of this place for a week-the sets we could create!!!!!:)

Special thanks to Mr. Cooper for giving me a shot that will forever make me smile!:) Family portrait below also includes Gigi-Event Creative’s official mascot!

Ladies and Gentleman,

I have the great privilege of introducing to you, an up & coming talent we’ve had the pleasure of working with for several years now. You might recognize him from small cameos in some of our previous photographs: May I have this dance?, The Inlaws!, and if you go way back, you may even remember one of his earliest roles in Holidad (Page 2 of the website, right column, 2nd row)! May I present to you, in his first time as the star of a feature photograph, Santa Claus: Naughty or Nice?, SANTA CLAUS!!!!

Santa’s co-star is another long time collaborator; playing Mrs. Claus, Delia Aces!!!  Keep an eye out for her February 2012 show with Michelle L’amour’s Chicago Starlets.  I wonder if Santa will be there?;)

Happy Holidays!!!

Thank you Chicago Magazine for asking me to photograph the very charismatic and ambitious Ed Marszewski!:) Ed has his hands on the coolest of cool (all based in his Bridgeport neighborhood): Maria’s Packaged Goods & Community Bar, Co-Prosperity Sphere Gallery, Lumpen, and Proximity, not to mention several other PRINTED publications! Hooray for print!!:) Along with his lovely wife Rachael, he has been working hard to improve their neighborhood and together they are on a constant mission of community development. Rachael, also an artist, has some pretty grand plans of her own-including a path towards medical school, with the goal of creating better access to healthcare in Bridgeport as well as the greater south side of Chicago. I wish the Marszewskis lived in my neighborhood!:)

From the magazine (subscribe here!):

And a few outtakes we shot at the gallery:

I do not like eating doughnuts.  There, I said it!  I think I am perhaps the one person not interested in standing in line 3 hours at that new place downtown.;) Certainly a lover of sweets, my weakness lies in desserts filled with that deadly combo of sugar plus a touch of salt or just about anything Vosges makes with dark chocolate!  Mmmmmmmm!  Photographically however, DOUGHNUTS ARE FANTASTIC!!:)  Seriously, the variety, the shape, the colors, and of course the more sprinkles the better!!  Makes me wonder, maybe I should go stand in that long line just to see what my camera is missing?!!:) I was very excited when Chicago Magazine asked me to photograph their story about doughnuts and the family that loves them!  Meet the Loevys and the Segals, a family so fun we are hoping to be invited to their next family get together!:) 

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Attractive, sweet, and these people can COOK!  Check out these super fine ladies and gentleman we photographed for Time Out’s 20 Chefs to Watch!  And when you are looking for a place to eat, be sure to visit their restaurants-we’ve attached links just to make it a little easier for you!:)   A special thanks to Clarke’s on Damen, Bonny’s, and El Cid for providing us with locations for our chefs’ after hours hangouts!

L to R: Matt Kirkley – L20, Michael Simmons – Lula, Maggie Laleman – Bite, Jan Rickerl – Girl & the Goat, Duncan Biddulph – Rootstock

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