The Art of the Personal Project is a crucial element to let potential buyers see how you think creatively on your own. I am drawn to personal projects that have an interesting vision or that show something I have never seen before. In this new revised thread, I’ll include a link to each personal project with the artist statement so you can see more of the project. Please note: This thread is not affiliated with any company; I’m just featuring projects that I find. Please DO NOT send me your work. I do not take submissions.
Today’s featured artist: Callie Lipkin
After first discovering one of Chicago’s oldest and longest-running smokehouses, I immediately knew I wanted to create a project about it. Established on the South Side in 1928, Calumet Fisheries is one of only two smokehouses in the city still allowed to smoke fish and seafood over an open flame. The history of the place is something that can be felt the minute you begin walking up to the rather unassuming red and white hut. Their smokehouse is right on site, beside the Calumet River and the 95th Street bridge. And it’s a beautiful thing — covered in layers upon layers of char from decades of smoking fish and seafood. We’ve created both stills and a motion piece, including interviews with the current manager and their most experienced smoker. This cash-only, take-out restaurant is a James Beard award-winning cultural icon, and something not to miss.
Callie Lipkin is a commercial and editorial photographer specializing in creating beautiful lifestyle narratives. She started her career as a newspaper photojournalist shooting everything from state fairs to celebrities. She lives just North of Chicago with her husband and three sons.
To see more of this project, click here.
APE contributor Suzanne Sease currently works as a consultant for photographers and illustrators around the world. She has been involved in the photography and illustration industry since the mid 80s. After establishing the art buying department at The Martin Agency, then working for Kaplan-Thaler, Capital One, Best Buy and numerous smaller agencies and companies, she decided to be a consultant in 1999. She has a new Twitter feed with helpful marketing information because she believes that marketing should be driven by brand and not by specialty. Follow her at @SuzanneSease.