I am reflecting on some of my work from the first half of 2026 after the Associated Press laid me off from my job as a staff photojournalist.

Winter in Chicago was very snowy this year, and I found myself photographing several chilly football games, as the Los Angeles Rams dashed the hopes of the Bears in January.

I also followed Morgan McLuckie of the Orange Tent Project as she and her crew provided heat, tents and other supplies to the unhoused population of the city.

The 12th annual Chicago Botanic Garden Orchid Show provided some reprieve from the cold weather.

The Obama Presidential Center opens on Juneteenth.

I played a small part in a celebration of the 100th anniversary of historic Route 66.

Spring baseball felt even earlier this year, as the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox started their seasons in late March.

It is beyond frustrating to be let go from a company that claims to place such high value on visual journalism, while signalling that it does not value its visual journalists in so many ways. I am committed to continuing the work I love, and I am hopeful I will find new ways to do it soon.