©2018 Michael Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
Here’s a couple of color photos from the same session with my cousin Chris. The closeup shot could’ve been on the back cover of an LP or the cover of a magazine back in the 70’s.
The Metal One
©2018 Michael Priorie.  All Rights Reserved.
My cousin Chris had been asking me for a while if I could take some photos of him. I finally gave in around the end of this past summer. We approached this as a pseudo band photo shoot. I tried to bring out the “metal” in him while also implying some of the dark humor that he’s known for away from the serious persona that the metal bassist brings.
Simon’s Tavern
© 2018 Mike Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
Simon’s Tavern has been in existence since 1934. It is iconic in the Andersonville neighborhood. Located on North Clark Street, it has endured gentrification. While places have come and gone, this old school hangout remains open. The lighted Swedish flag is proudly represented.
Pay Phone, Harlem Station
© 2018 Mike Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
Remember these? Once upon a time your parents would always tell you to keep some change on you in case you needed to call home. In the days before cell phones, this was the only way to make a call while not at home. Pay phones have been disappearing for years and I was surprised to still see one at the Harlem blue line station while waiting for my bus. Â It was the perfect set up of lighting and nostalgia.
Logan Square L Platform
© 2018 Mike Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
The Logan Square blue line station has two entrances; the main one at Kedzie, and one a block north at Spaulding. Entering at Spaulding, there’s a block long platform walk to get to where the train stops. This was taken on a Saturday morning. The fluorescent lights dominated the scene. It was unusually quiet for all of five minutes until the next train arrived and people went about their daily routine.
Philadelphia Church, 1996
© 2018 Michael Priorie.  All Rights Reserved.
In the mid nineties, I continued to venture into different neighborhoods as a resource to continue my ongoing project on photographing Chicago. The area north of Foster Avenue and Clark Street is known as Andersonville. In 1996, this area was experiencing a revival when new coffee shops and galleries opened. It also became a new hub for the LGBTQ, specifically the Lesbian community. The area maintains its Swedish American heritage and certain icons remain untouched. This is one of them. A former bank, this church has been in the same location since 1940–that sign included!
Squelch, Evanston 1997
© 2014 Mike Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
This was the first of many photoshoots I did for the band Squelch. They were a very experimental, psychedelic noise rock band. It’s definitely hard to categorize. Probably close to Sonic Youth. We did these photos at Lighthouse beach in Evanston, IL after several failed attempts in other locations. I saw this band grow and eventually disband due to the restraints of everyday life. I befriended a few of them, namely Tim ,Chris, and Tim’s brother Patrick who was not in the band at this point. I’ve also collaborated with them on different musical projects over the years. Unfortunately, Tim passed away a couple years ago. It’s a loss that is still a hard pill for me to swallow.
Shades, 2013
©2014 Mike Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
A close up shot of Olivia taken in beautiful late afternoon winter light . She is truly a natural.
Sleeve #1 and #2
©2014 Mike Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
Scott endured the freezing cold in order to show off his tattoos. Once the weather gets better, I will be calling him back for another shoot. He has far more work done on him than is seen here– and it’s constantly evolving.
Looking Up, Looking Down, 2013
©2014 Mike Priorie. All Rights Reserved.
This is from my first official portrait shoot. Olivia is on the left, and Natalie is on the right. Both women are really good friends and got lost in conversation while we hung out at New Wave Coffee in Logan Square. For me this was great because a) I was allowed to become invisible, b) the lighting was great, and c) both are very natural in this shot.
MICHAEL A. PRIORIE 