Mark Marano

it was beautiful to wake up in the middle of the night to nothing but the continuous sound of the waves of the atlantic ocean crashing into the beach

i thought of driving to lake geneva on the weekend though the forecast called for rain, so i decided to take a break from work and go for a ride while it was still partly sunny..

biked over to kenyon farm forest preserve..

biking to the bank to deposit the check carmax gave me for my civic

biking over at poplar creek forest preserve..

It feels great to be alive. I just feel this beautiful energy running in me. It’s a little excitement, it’s a little love, it’s a little indescribable. It’s from an amazing weekend! Friday night went to the Kirtan concert, Saturday went to a Bodhi then hung out with Matt, Meredith, Maggie, and Amira, and then rode my bike to shoot this time-lapse at a spot Maggie suggested at the end of North Avenue Beach (somehow I never knew about this [...]

Here are a couple shots off the roof of Joe’s building..    

Driving back to Elgin after staying at my friend Matt’s in Chicago for the weekend.. We attended the Bodhi Spiritual Center over in Lincoln Park.

another day working at joe’s.. this is what it looks like out the front door, next to my computer desk here..

Here’s a view of the late afternoon / sunset during my cousin Stephen’s wedding.. After a couple/few overcast and rainy days, the skies opened up earlier in the day..

Driving over to see my friends Kevin and Jon in Logan Square..

another time-lapse riding with Joe..

clouds passing by and sunset from Joe’s roof..

decided to head north from where I slept at Lake Apopka to the Ocala National Forest and Palatka.. leaving the parking lot at Ravine State Gardens where I worked, and heading toward Crescent Beach on the east coast.. drove a little south to a spot just south of Marineland:

went for drive in the country in my new truck.. ended up past rockford!

riding the metra from chicago back to elgin

biking up the trail from joe’s [turning around at a fallen tree]

clouds passing by above my car at kenyon farm forest preserve..

out the window at Kevin’s apartment in Logan Square..

I drove over to Kenyon Farms County Forest Preserve today.. here’s a short shot riding with Joe over to Al’s Cafe in downtown Elgin.. We learned a little history about Elgin from our waiter.. apparently there are underground tunnels downtown with the old storefronts from before the road was raised..

An infrared shot out Matt’s office window..

I was ready early so took a drive through the country on the way to St. Petersburg / Clearwater airport.. I was gonna go to a park right near Rockford airport after I arrived back though didn’t find it easily so decided to take the country roads back to Elgin.. the land is nice and open just a couple miles west of Elgin.. (yes, the camera battery died in the middle of this shot)

Clouds passing over the pool deck while working..

riding with Joe to another business meeting..

view of clouds passing by from Joe’s balcony and then going for a ride with Joe..

riding with Joe to a meeting..

driving to the ‘large green patch’ on Google Maps..

..and first time-lapse shot from the roof:

went for a drive north, ended up in Buffalo Park Forest Preserve.. at first it seemed just like an ordinary park, though after relaxing a bit, I began to feel connected to nature and the energy there. I spent a good little bit of time photographing and exploring [will process and upload these images sometime soon].. then decided to drive up to the top of one of the garages in Elgin afterwards [which was a little nerve-racking as despite the [...]

biked to the garage across from the townhome development here

had a feeling there’d be some interesting light out.. and I almost didn’t go out to experience it! by the time I went out to see it, I felt it was too late to set up a ‘normal’ time-lapse and I had gotten a little tired of shooting so many of those lately.. I grabbed the 12mm lens and started shooting.. after experiencing the beautiful light for a while and taking shots in many directions, I felt inspired to put [...]

went to read at the park across the street from joe’s..

Gina had a luau party for Cory and Aly.. here’s a camera I set up on the roof..

My friend Matt Naskrent’s office..

Had dinner with my friend Bethany at Frenchy’s Salt Water Cafe..

Going to Rockford Airport.. I love the feel of a small airport that you can easily park and get to to terminal in practically no time.. Also being in a more rural area is so nice to feel nature around you.. this was much more relaxing than going to O’Hare or Midway.. Here’s the ride back from St. Peterburg / Clearwater Airport.. there was such a great energy in the air.. it felt like it had just rained and all [...]

sunset from Joe’s roof deck..

riding with Joe..

I drove into the city to see my friend Erin who I hadn’t seen in years.. Decided to take Chicago Street / Irving Park Road the whole way down to the lake to create the first part of this fisheye time-lapse shot.. the second part of the shot is driving downtown to find a spot for a 360 degree time-lapse (that I still have to process) and the drive back to Elgin on the interstate (where the camera/clamp fell off [...]