The Ensemble Espanol - Dress Rehearsal - 6/14/2018

f you don't have plans for this weekend, go see The Ensemble Espanol at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie. Here are 6 photos I took at the dress rehearsal this past Thursday. The performance is incredible as usual. Tickets are only $20 so don't miss it!

José Greco 100th Anniversary Greco’s children Carmela Greco, José Greco II and Lola Greco perform on stage for the first time since their father’s passing. Other Program Highlights Include a World Premiere Ballet by Carlos Rodriguez honoring Dame Libby Komaiko and a Commemorative Performance of “Bolero” to mark its 25th Anniversary.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta 2017

Canon once again was the main sponsor at The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.   Canon offered people cameras and lenses to use each day of the event for no charge.  Everyone was also given a free 8GB SD card so they could take all their images home. For the second year in a row I worked in the large Canon tent manning the “Ask The Expert” counter.  I stayed busy all day mainly showing people how to adjust their borrowed cameras to capture the days festivities.

The Balloon Fiesta is the largest balloon convention in the world. The number of registered balloons reached a peak of 1,019 in 2000, prompting the Balloon Fiesta Board to limit the number to 750 starting in 2001, citing a desire for "quality over quantity". The limit was changed to 600 in 2009 — citing recent growth in the city and a loss of landing zones. On any given day during the festival, up to 100,000 spectators may be on the launch field where they are provided the rare opportunity to observe inflation and take off procedures. Countless more people gather at landing sites all over the city to watch incoming balloons.

Mass Ascensions

One of the biggest events of the fiesta, where all participating balloons launch in two waves, filling the sky with hundreds of balloons at once.

Balloon Glows

Large numbers of balloons are illuminated at night by their propane burners. They stand static and do not take off during these events. The "Glowdeo" is a night glow for the special shapes balloons.

Cubs vs Dodgers 2017 NLCS

Finally got called up to the big league this summer. Chicago Cubs hired me to try and capture what happens inside and outside the stadium during the playoffs.  It was a lot of fun even though the Cubs only won one of the three games and were eliminated from the playoffs.

The 2017 National League Championship Series was a best-of-seven playoff pitting the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Chicago Cubs for the National League pennant and the right to play in the 2017 World Series. The series was a rematch of the 2016 NLCS, which Chicago won four games to two en route to their first World Series victory since 1908.

Here are just a few of the many photos I took during those three days in October.

Finding the perfect spot on the chalk wall at Wrigley.

Owner Tom Ricketts handing out baseballs to kids during the game.

Green Day - Wrigley Field 8/24/2017

I was fortunate to be home when someone from the The Cubs organization called me.  "Can you be at Wrigley Field in a half hour?  Green Day wants a photo with the Cubs World Series Trophy during their sound check" I somehow managed to change my clothes, pack my gear for photo shoot and still make it to Wrigley in time.  Shoot went well and the concert was great.  Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tre Cool treated their Wrigley debut on Thursday night as if it was an opportunity to show they still were young at heart. Green Day played all their hits as well as songs from “Revolution Radio,” the group’s most recent LP.

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Taste of Uptown 2017

The Taste of Uptown is a culinary celebration of Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood.The 2nd Annual Taste of Uptown is an event that celebrates Uptown’s amazing cultural and culinary diversity. This restaurant crawl featured small bites and samplings from Uptown eateries. Participants received a passport at check-in at Fat Cat Bar (4840 N. Broadway) and strolled from restaurant to restaurant along the Broadway and Wilson corridors enjoying samples at various locations.

Photo Copyright  Dave Suarez Photography 2017

Photo Copyright  Dave Suarez Photography 2017

Photo Copyright  Dave Suarez Photography 2017

Photo Copyright  Dave Suarez Photography 2017

Photo Copyright  Dave Suarez Photography 2017

Photo Copyright  Dave Suarez Photography 2017

Photo Copyright  Dave Suarez Photography 2017

Milly’s Orchid Show: 29 Years and Holdin'

You never know what you're going to see when you go to a Milly's Orchid Show. Fire eaters, singers, dancers, rope-twirlers, storytellers, poets, musicians, filmmakers and those less easily categorized.  Over the years she's had guests such as Blue Man Group, David Sedaris, Eric Begosian and Poi Dog Pondering. Murphy was, and is, Milly May Smithy, a sassy, saucy, bespangled character, a sort of weird combination of Dolly Parton and a Las Vegas showgirl. She dresses in crazy outfits, has a huge beehive hairdo, giant eyelashes and some fitting gaudy makeup.

This show featured Karol Kent's Cubs trilogy, the band Expo '76, Wendy Clinard & Company Flamenco Dance, Marc Smith (the poet and creator of the Uptown Poetry Slam), actresses Paula Killen and Consuelo Allen, Blue Man Group and a hilarious letter written by David Sedaris. all photos © davesuarez.com all photos © davesuarez.com all photos © davesuarez.com all photos © davesuarez.com all photos © davesuarez.com all photos © davesuarez.com all photos © davesuarez.com all photos © davesuarez.com all photos © davesuarez.com all photos © davesuarez.com

Salsa in the Park - Chicago Summers

UPTOWN — Uptown Saturday Nights will celebrate the 21st anniversary of Chicago Summerdance with Salsa lessons and live Latin music. Chicago Summerdance is a summertime celebration that transforms parks across the city into dance space, according to the City of Chicago website.

The monthly event hosted by Uptown United will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday at Buttercup Park, 4901 N. Sheridan Road.

Shutterfest 2017 - St. Louis

Shoot. Learn. Party. That’s the mantra here. ShutterFest is all about growing as an artist and being around like-minded people who share the same love and passion of photography.

Had a great time networking with peers and working side-by-side with some of the leading professional photographers and educators in the world!

Here's a photo of just a few of the Canon support staff at Shutterfest.

R.I.P. Lonnie Brooks

Lonnie Brooks (born Lee Baker Jr., December 18, 1933 – April 1, 2017) was an American blues singer and guitarist. The musicologist Robert Palmer, writing in Rolling Stone, stated, "His music is witty, soulful and ferociously energetic, brimming with novel harmonic turnarounds, committed vocals and simply astonishing guitar work."

I had the pleasure of seeing Lonnie Brooks play live several times.  He always put on a great show.  Here's one of my photos from a 90's show at Grant Park.

Chicago Polar Plunge 2017

The ANNUAL POLAR PLUNGE is a unique event which benefits Special Olympics Chicago and the programs it delivers to 6,800 athletes throughout the year! On March 5th more then 5,000 people jumped in Lake Michigan.  Dax Shepard was one of the first to dive in wearing his police uniform from his upcoming movie "Chips".  That was followed up by the crew from the t.v. show "Chicago Fire".  Maybe next year I'll join in......maybe. photo by dave suarez © 2017 photo by dave suarez © 2017 photo by dave suarez © 2017 photo by dave suarez © 2017 photo by dave suarez © 2017 photo by dave suarez © 2017 photo by dave suarez © 2017 photo by dave suarez © 2017 photo by dave suarez © 2017 photo by dave suarez © 2017 photo by dave suarez © 2017 photo by dave suarez © 2017 photo by dave suarez © 2017 photo by dave suarez © 2017 photo by dave suarez © 2017 photo by dave suarez © 2017photo by dave suarez © 2017

Al Jarreau

So sorry to hear that Al Jarreau passed away today. The first time I saw him was when he opened for Grover Washington Jr. at The Bottom Line, N.Y.C., September 1975. I'd never heard of him before and walked out of the show thinking it was the greatest vocal performance I'd ever heard. Still think so today. Sharing 3 photos I took in 1989 at Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

R.I.P. Al Jarreau.

Explorers of Light at Imaging USA 2017

Each year Imaging USA brings around 10,000 amazing professional photographers who descend on a city for networking, friend-making and bonding.  This year the event took place in San Antonio, Texas.  The energy from the thousands of attendees, great speakers and the incredible gear from the Expo vendors makes for a truly spectacular conference. As with most years, Canon threw a fantastic welcoming party on Sunday night in the Grand Ballroom at The Marriott Rivercenter Hotel.  The party was open to anyone with an Imaging USA badge.

During the party I was able to get several Canon Explorers of Light to agree to pose for me for a few group shots.  Images were shot with a Canon 5D Mark IV and the new Canon 24-105mm IS f4 lens.

The Explorers of Light concept came out of Canon USA in the mid 1990s as a broad-ranging initiative for photographic education and inspiration. Today, the group is comprised of dozens of the most influential photographers and cinematographers in the world, each a master of their creative specialty.

Millennium Park Music Video

I recently received a call from a Brazilian songwriter about a new song he just wrote.  It seems he was inspired by his visit to Chicago last year.  He hired me to shoot some shots of Cloud Gate, commonly known as "The Bean" for a music video he's working on. He also needed some shots of the totem pole in front of the Field Museum.Can't wait to see the video.  It's titled "Cloud Gate Dream".  Meanwhile, here are some of the photos I sent him.

Cloud Gate, Millenium Park, Chicago

Cloud Gate, Millenium Park, Chicago

Women's March on Chicago

Tens of thousands of people gathered in Grant Park Saturday for the Women's March on Chicago,.  Attendance for the Chicago event more than tripled initial expectations, organizers said, to the point where city streets were so flooded, the march itself was canceled. Event organizers estimated that 250,000 attended the rally, but city officials did not immediately release a crowd estimate. Attendance was three times what was expected and was among the largest outside the marquee Women's March on Washington event.

A march to Federal Plaza in the Loop was canceled as the streets were filled with people. Despite the cancellation of the official march, many made their way to Federal Plaza anyway while the rally was going on.

Women's March on Chicago Photos January 21, 2017

Women's March on Chicago Photos January 21, 2017

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