My latest architectural photography assignment for one of my architectural photography clients, recently led me to Merrillville, IN where I photographed the swimming pool and exteriors as well as interiors of the clubhouse and model apartment units. The property, Prairie Point, is a new apartment community that offers serene, scenic living in Merrillville, IN which is just a short commute to Chicago and historic downtown Crown Point, IN.

For the past 10 years or so that I have had the pleasure and privilege of working with RMK Management, a Chicago based real estate company which proudly manages 23 rental properties, totaling over 8,000 units throughout the Midwest. It has been awesome to witness my client’s expansion into the luxury rental community market. With a deep commitment to superior customer service, RMK is a nationally recognized leader in innovation, high standards and overall excellence in the apartment management industry…and this for the past 34 years. Truly an admirable accomplishment, especially in the chaotic world we live in today.

And as also I continually use high quality and professional standards at Marian Kraus Photography, in the above photos and on their website you can get a sense that all of RMK’s properties have a distinctly luxurious, professional and high standard feel to them. If you are looking for an apartment or change in lifestyle, check out one of the RMK properties nearest you. And if you would like to find out more about various forms of current living trends go here.

For the longest time a jump out of an airplane has been on my bucket list. Last year for my big “0” birthday it did not work out because “prevailing adverse circumstances” somewhat prevented it. This year however I said to my friend Richard, x%$@#&x**! it, let’s do it.

Click here to view the embedded video.

And so it was that on my recent birthday we went to Skydiving Chicago in Ottawa, IL to face our inner demons. And face them we did.

Honestly though, the week-long anticipatory anxiety preceding the jump was probably more nerve-racking than the actual experience. Why? Because without a reference point I really did not know what to expect, all left to the imagination. Yes, one can somewhat picture what it might be like, but actually and physically, I really had nothing to go by.

Once you sign all the waivers about not pursuing legal action in case of malfunction of the equipment, including the airplane, or the mistake of your instructor who is a subcontractor to the firm…somebody actually said to me: “Imagine your instructor passes out in flight…” (honestly, that was the last thought on my mind) …the reality of what one is about to do starts to come in. And that is a gradual process as you inch your way to the door over the course of the next several hour wait (if you jump, go during the week…).

I left the instruction class behind thinking, they really want ME to pull the cord at 6000 ft? Well of course. Would YOU entrust your life to a stranger…? Hhmmm, yes, actually in this case I would, because if we go down, we go together…

People say “statistically, you have a better chance of being killed driving to the dropzone than being killed in a skydiving incident”. How true is that?

Well, in 670,707 tandem jumps between ’91 – ’96 there were 8 fatalities (one for every 83,838 jumps). Between 1999-2002 worldwide, less than one fatality for every 420,000 jumps made, and in the U.S. only, one fatality for every 540,000 tandem jumps. So what are the odds? Truly. In comparison, in a recent year over 140 people died scuba diving, 856 bicycling, over 7,000 drowned, 1154 died of bee stings, and 80 by lightning. In 1982, 43,990 people were killed in highway accidents, 1,171 boating fatalities, 235 airline deaths, and 1,164 light aircraft general aviation fatalities.

So I guess you make the calculation. To me it seemed that the benefit of the experience, coupled with an opportunity to overcoming some pretty real and steep fears on different levels within my psyche, not to mention the symbolism of the occasion, in view of recent life events, made it clear to me: I need and want to do this.

My brain and body went into complete system overdrive when I knelt in the twin otter’s door opening, having just seen my dear friend fall into thin air, looking down 13,500 feet, feeling the 30 or so degree difference in temperature. Shellie the photographer climbed outside and before I knew what was happening, Jacob my instructor counted off: one, two and… three became a blur. I remember seeing the plane above me as we were falling on our backs looking up, thinking wtf…? And then over the next few seconds I just let go, completely go. That was an incredible feeling and sensation that is not comparable to anything else I had experienced. Yes, windsurfing in 60 mph gusts on Padre Island, flying in a stunt plane or going 120 mph on my motorcycle come close, but only close.

In the video you see Shellie the photographer and videographer of this video clip giving us a good spin…holy cow, as if enough wasn’t enough… And then, after dropping at 120 mph for about 25 seconds (you fall about 1000 ft. every 4 seconds) the swoooossh of the parachute is a very, very welcome sound. Jacob said: “Well, thank God that opened…”Amen, second that.

We circled for about 3 minutes or so which gave me somewhat of an opportunity to take in what I was in the process of actually doing before landing safely on the ground. It took me a good 15 minutes or so to integrate what we had accomplished.

In closing I can say that if this is something that has been on your list of things to do, you ought to do it. It is one of those incredible experiences in life that one needs to feel, words and pictures come only remotely close.

If you want to know anything and then some about skydiving, please follow here http://parachutestatistics.com/sites/parachute/resources/statistics.cfm

For those of you who may not be so familiar with the international professional soccer scene…Mr. Bakary Soumare, is a Malian born professional soccer player, who played as a defender for the Chicago Fire during the 2008 and 2009 seasons and currently plays in Europe for the US Boulogne in France’s Ligue 1.

Bakary called me the other day and was wondering whether I would photograph his condominium that has been in the making for the past year in Chicago’s Wicker Park area. My eyes started clicking as he described it to me and his dwelling turned out be a very slick, functional space with a very contemporary design. Despite the rain and dreary looking conditions outside, representative of the rainy spring we have had this year in Chicago, the space shows very nicely and the rooftop terrace is absolutely phenomenal. A very nice place for a very nice person.

So without further ado, here is a multimedia show from the shoot, stills are below. Enjoy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Stills from the shoot can be seen in the Interior Photography gallery.

Some of what many would consider to be my best shots of the world class matches held at the Pritzker Pavillion at Millenium Park in downtown Chicago, IL during the 2010 U.S. Open Squash Championships benefiting METROsquash, played in the all glass McWil court.

Among the top world class squash players depicted in this gallery are Mohammed Abbas, Thierry Lincou, Oli Touminen, Wael El Hindi, Vanessa Atkinson, Lauren Jans Anjema, Omar Mosaad Abouzid, Amanda Sobhy, Isabelle Stoehr, Line Hansen, Manuela Manetta, Latasha Khan and Nicolas Mueller.

If you are interested in reading more about the event, please follow me to this article, this one, this one or this one about the finals. And if you want so see some of the people follow me here please.

These are photos of the spectators, players, volunteers, sponsors and honored guests photographed during the 4 days of the 2010 U.S. Open Squash Championships benefiting METROsquash as well as Saturday’s evening Gala of this world class squash event.

The Gala evening was catered by world renown Chef Rick Bayless and author Henry Louis Gates Jr.was present for a book signing.

As the evening crowned the week long event it was yet another unforgettable night of this awesome venue. A heartfelt Thank You to all players, volunteers, organizers, sponsors and spectators. We look forward to hosting the 2011 U.S. Open Squash Championships in Chicago again!

To find out more about the efforts and achievements of the urban academic and squash program provided by METROsquash please follow me here.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Fortune favors the bold–El Hindi and Atkinson are crowned as U.S. Open Champions during a rainy yet fantastic evening at the Pritzker Pavillion in Chicago, IL.

The 2010 METROsquash U.S. Open finals featured a battle of textbook squash against the famous Egyptian attacking style. An emotional player, Wael El Hindi is known to have his on and off days. However, from the glowing smile as Wael entered the court, it was clear his heart and mind were going to be in this match.  The first game began with several irretrievable soft drops to the front court by Wael, which quickly took him to a 6-1 lead. The dutch Laurens Jan Anjema, LJ, looked nervous as he tried to establish his groove of fast paced length. A remarkable effort by Wael brought the score to 8-4. Wael showed no signs of giving up on balls that seemed impossible to retrieve. His diligence paid off as he won the first game 11-8 and clenched his fist in a show of emotion. The second game was dominated by LJ’s textbook length.  It appeared that Wael was conserving his energy for the third game. An acrobatic dive by Wael brought the score to 4-6. However , it was not enough as LJ quickly won the remaining points to take the second game 11-5. The critical third game saw both players trading points. As the playesrs began to tire the number of lets increased. However, the calls did not seem to unsettle either player and they kept their composure. Wael attacked with several soft volley drops for outright winners. LJ tried to drop more, but Wael was able  to retrieve most with his immense determination. Wael simply would not give up and won the close third game 11-7. The final game seemed to have taken its toll on LJ who appeared slightly slower. Wael took advantage of this by bringing out more of his front court game. Soft volley drops and incredible retrieving gave Wael a lead at 6-3. LJ made a small run but was always trailing. A tinned volley drop gave the match to Wael at 11-7. It was a hard fought victory for Wael. Today was certainly his day and the packed crowd that stayed up close to midnight gave him a well deserved standing ovation.

The 2010 METROsquash U.S. Open featured the classic match-up of youth against experience. The up and coming Amanda Sobhy had the packed home crowd on her side as she was the youngest U.S. born squash player to ever reach a US open final.

Game one began nervously with short rallies ending with unforced errors from both players. Former world open champion Vanessa  Atkinson used a slower paced game to work Sobhy around the court. The chilly conditions favored Atkinson who played many working boasts and soft drops. Sobhy’s hard drives that got by her opponents in the earlier rounds were cut off by Atkinson’s cat-like reflexes. The experienced Atkinson kept her cool and fully extended Amanda with her accurate short game.  The second and third games had several unforced errors from Sobhy and Atkinson led throughout the match and won comfortably 3-0.

During this past week 96 of the world’s top men and women squash professionals were playing 4 days on an all-glass court on the Jay Pritzker Pavilion stage. The University Club of Chicago hosted the early rounds in its new Cardio and Squash Center. Attending and serving as honorary co-chairs are Mayor Richard Daley and Henry Louis Gates, Jr., W.E.B. Du Bois Professor of the Humanities at Harvard University. Clare Muñana, Vice President of the Chicago Board of Education, is serving as event chair and Chicago’s own Top Chef Masters winner Rick Bayless who catered the gala reception before the women’s and men’s U.S. Open squash finals on Saturday. “It is my pleasure to co-chair the 2010 U.S. Open in Millenniuim Park, along with the Education Expo that METROsquash is hosting during this historic event,” said Daley. “Athletic activities instill the discipline and perseverance in our youth that help them attain their personal and academic best.” “The support METROsquash offers is key to the future success of young people and I am certain that through continued hard work, motivation, and determination, these students will become leaders in their communities,” added Gates.

All proceeds of the event support METROsquash, a 501(c)(3) non-profit after school program serving Chicago Public School students through the combination of academic enrichment and squash instruction. METROsquash also hosted an educational exposition for 2,000 Chicago Public School students and their families, during the course of the week which gave students a unique opportunity to learn about the ways in which squash, academics, life skills, culture, and community service interact to build confidence and capabilities of Chicago’s youth.

“METROsquash is a leader in combining academics and athletics to provide Chicago’s students with excellent enrichment opportunities,” said Muñana. “This transformational program ensures that its students are fully engaged and supported in all of their endeavors – on and off the court!”

In addition, hundreds of local, out-of-state and international squash players – and METROsquash students – had the opportunity to compete in one of the country’s largest and hotly contested skill level events.

Friday October 1, 2010

By Phil Yarrow

Another packed house at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park in downtown Chicago witnessed some amazing squash in the semi-final matches of the Metrosquash US Open.  The setting could not be more perfect; a beautiful fall evening for this unique outside squash event.

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First on court  former world number one and Dutch champion Vanessa Atkinson.  Her opponent was the Danish number one, Line Hansen.  Atkinson came out focused and put on a clinical display.  Hansen tried to stay with her in the first game, but Atkinson was too strong and took the game comfortable 11-5.  Atkinson continued to dominate in the second game.  Hansen showed some promise rattling off four points to gain an early 4-3 advantage.  But it was a temporary spell of momentum for the Danish woman as Atkinson ran off the next seven points and closed out the second game 11-5.  Atkinson was now in complete control and Hansen became dispirited.  In the third game, Atkinson’s deep drives were causing Hansen all sorts of problems.  She was making errors in the back corners or being forced to offer up weak boasts.  Atkinson won the game 11-0 to complete a comfortable victory. After the match Atkinson said that she wasn’t sure whether she won so easily because of her strong play or because Line had had a bad day.  Regardless of whether the Danish woman was a little overawed by the occasion, it was a solid performance by Vanessa.

The second match was the first men’s semi-final between Omar Masaad and Laurens Jan Anjema.  Masaad was coming off his massive win against Thierry Lincou last night.  But he was up against another tall strong player who would battled him every inch of the way for control of the T.  The rallies were highly entertaining in the first game, but Masaad was prone to a few too many tins.  Anjema on the other hand was disciplined throughout.  He built up a 9-2 lead and then closed out the game 11-4. Masaad started off much better in the second game.  He built a 6-2 lead with some amazing squash.  But Anjema continued with his steady play and the mistakes again start to come off the young Egyptian’s racket.  Maybe last night’s marathon match was taking a bit of a mental toll on Masaad, but there was no doubt that the Dutchman was causing many of the errors and Anjema rattled off eight points in a row to take a 10-6 lead.  Masaad steadied himself and fought off the first two game balls.  Up until this point in the game, both players had been able to play through much of the interference and there was surprisingly few lets.  But that would start to change.  There were five lets at 8-10, before Masaad hit a winner to save a third game ball.  Three let balls followed, before Anjema finally managed to capture the game with a wonderful combination of drop shots that had Masaad scrambling around the front court.

In the third game, Masaad again built a 6-2 lead.  This time though he would push on and he started to force some rare unforced errors from the Dutchman.  He advanced to 10-4 game ball, and then despite a couple of badly mishit shots that followed, he was able to win the game 11-6 when Anjema tinned a backhand boast.

In the fourth game, the lets started to come in thick and fast as neither player wanted to give up the advantage.  It was tough going to win a point.  But again it was the Dutchman who seemed to be just a little bit more focused and he built a 5-2 lead.  The game had seemed such a battle to that point, but in an instant thereafter Anjema would open up a 10-2 advantage.  Masaad had one last stand though and he fought back to 6-10 before a tight drive by Anjema that died in the back corner gave the Dutchman the win.

Masaad had played such great squash in the match but the bottom line is he simply hit too many tins compared to his opponent whose unforced errors in the whole match could be counted on one hand.  After the match Anjema said that it is never easy to play Omar as he is such a dangerous player and with two tall players on the court it always makes for a hard physical battle.

Next up was the 17 year American sensation Amanda Sobhy against Italian Manuella Manetta.  Sobhy has been in incredible form of late.  She strikes the ball with power and accuracy keeping her opponent constantly on the back foot.  In the first two games against Manetta she delighted the packed crowd by simply ripping through her Italian opponent with the confidence that suggests she will soon to be testing all the top women players in the world.  She won the first two games 11-3, 11-5.  To her credit though, Manetta, who had been totally outplayed to this point, seemed to get to grips with the situation in the third game.  She slowed the pace of the game and used more of a lob drop approach to good effect.  She negated Sobhy’s power and the American began to find the tin with increasing frequency.  Manetta won the third game 11-5 and the fourth game was close throughout.  To the great pleasure of the huge crowd though it would be Sobhy who would find the winning touch just at the right time and she would win the game 11-9 to close out the match.

After the match Sobhy said it was amazing to be in the US Squash Open final.  She had been pumped up by the large crowd support.  She will face a tough test against Vanessa Atkinson in tomorrow’s final.  But she certainly will have the crowd cheering her on.

The final match was between Olli Tuominen from Finland and another Egyptian Wael El Hindi.  Tuominen has been a frequent visitor to Chicago tournaments over the past 15 years, but he may never have been playing as well here as he has been this week.  He was simply sensational in his victory over Mohamed El Shorbagy in the quarter-finals on Wednesday night and he would continue that good form at the beginning of tonight’s match.  The Finn dominated the early going.  He was quick on to the ball and his shots were crisp.  El Hindi is an awkward opponent who fights hard and doesn’t give an inch in the middle of the court.  But Tuominen had him off balance and the Egyptian was struggling for a response.  Tuominen won the first game 11-4 and raced to a 6-1 lead in the second game.  Perhaps predictably though, the game started to become much more physical as El Hindi fought back.  Both players were frustrated with the referees’ decisions, but it was tough for the three officials as both players fought for position on the court.  El Hindi got within one at 7-8 and then again at 8-9.  The play was choppy but entertaining.  A no let call brought El Hindi level and a forehand boast in the tin gave the Egyptian game ball.  He would level the match with a tight backhand drive that Tuominen could not retrieve.

The let appeals continued to come in the third game and both players argued a lot with the referees.  The excited crowd was more than willing to voice their opinion to add to the atmosphere.  The game was close throughout.  El Hindi opened up an 8-5 lead but it was soon back on level terms at 9-9.  A backhand drop winner would give the Egyptian game ball and he would take a two game to one lead when Tuominen put a backhand boast in the tin on the next rally.

El Hindi is also a frequent visitor to Chicago and is a favorite with the fans.  They roared their approval as he fought back from such a bad position. The Egyptian was now growing with confidence.  His racket skills are awfully good and he started to punish Tuominen with great shots to the front court and disguised crosscourts that would wrong foot his opponent.  He opened up a 5-0 lead.  But Tuominem did not give up and he battled back to 5-6 as the Finn’s fans in the crowd started to find their voices.  But the Egyptian would regain the initiative and pulled away again and to his great delight at the end won the final game 11-6.

El Hindi said afterwards that he was not feeling good during the second game as Tuominen was putting everything away.  But he just tried to stay calm and play his way back into the match.  That he did and he sets up what should be a very interesting final tomorrow against LJ Anjema.

Quarterfinals day at the 2010 U.S. Open Squash Championships in downtown Chicago, IL. Once again some phenomenal squash matches by the world’s best squash players. Awesome turnout, sponsors and crowd loved it.

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contributed by squashwriter Phil Yarrow

Tonight saw the continuation of the quarter-finals matches of the MetroSquash US Open.  First on court was 11-time French national champion, Isabelle Stoehr, versus the Danish number one, Line Hansen.  Conditions were perfect as it was another beautiful evening in Chicago.  And a large crowd in the Pritzker pavilion at Millennium Park was treated to a highly entertaining opening match.

Stoehr made a solid start and won the first game 11-8.  She continued to have the edge in the second game as well, although Hansen battled hard to keep it close.  A couple of fabulous backhand volley drops gave Stoehr an 8-5 advantage, but Hansen hit back to tie the game at 8-8.  A couple more backhand winners gave Stoehr a 10-9 advantage.  But a delicate backhand volley drop from Hansen took the game to a tie-break.  A tense tie-break saw both players miss opportunities to close the game out before a couple of errors from Stoehr allowed Hansen to take the 15-minute game 15-13 and level the match at a game a piece. The lower ranked Hansen’s confidence seemed to be growing and she was striking the ball solidly with her drives and boasts on both sides of the court.  She built a 6-3 lead in the third game.  A couple of penalty points gave Hansen game ball at 10-5 and she closed the game out with a beautifully executed forehand drop in the next rally. Stoehr came out more determined in the fourth game.  She seemed determined to wrestle back the momentum and she drove Hansen deeper into the back corners and built up a 6-2 lead.  Hansen gradually reeled her back though and her height enabled her to reach into the front corners to retrieve Stoehr’s boasts.  She got back on level terms at 8-8 and then won the next three points to take the fourth game 11-8 and book her spot in the semi-finals. A clearly delight Hansen said afterwards that the second game was absolutely crucial and that head to head she had now beaten Stoehr twice versus many losses!

The next match was the first of this evening’s men’s quarter-final’s between Egyptian Mohammed Abbas and Dutch number one Laurens Jan Anjema.  Anjema has a strong, steady game.  His, deep, hard hit drives kept Abbas under pressure and didn’t allow the Egyptian to play his normally attacking squash.  Anjema built a 9-3 lead and soon after took the game 11-5 as Abbas tined out an attempted forehand crosscourt drop shot from the back of the court.

The second game started off with more of the same and the world number 12 was now really working over the Egyptian.  Abbas called on all his years of experience to hang in there and keep the game close and he was able to get back on level terms at 4-4 and then at 8-8.  Two incredible tight backhand drops shots gave Abbas a couple of game balls. The first was wasted with a loose forehand crosscourt drop that Anjema gladly put away and the second was lost when the referees adjudged that an Anjema backhand drive had died in the back corner, refusing Abbas a let.  Another forehand crosscourt tin from Abbas gave Anjema game ball and he closed it out 12-10 with a solid backhand volley kill. Despite an increasing number of let calls as both players jockeyed to control the T, both players continued to play highly entertaining squash.  Anjema remained on top throughout though and eventually triumphed 11-6 to complete a 55-minute victory. LJ said afterwards that despite the 3-0 score line, the match was far from easy and he really had to play close to his best to beat the experienced Egyptian.

The third match continued to show case top Dutch squash professionals.  This was time it was former world number one Vanessa Atkinson who was up against the rapidly improving English woman Emma Beddoes.  Atkinson looked in control as she built a 10-6 lead in the first game.  But some uncharacteristic errors allowed Beddoes to force a tie break.  Atkinson regained her composure though to win the game 12-10.  Beddoes battled hard in the next two games, but Atkinson seemed just a little quicker and stronger.  Atkinson won the second game 11-8 and led 10-8 in the third.  But Beddoes dug in.  She won the next two points to force another tie break.  Atkinson could not convert on another two match balls in the tie break as her young English opponent scrambled to stay in the match.  Finally at the fifth attempt Atkinson hit the winner which would take her into the semi-finals.

Atkinson highlighted after the match how important it is to take the ball early on the glass court as it tends to die in the back corners.  She felt she attacked just a little bit more than her young opponent and that was the difference in what was a tight 3-0 victory.  Atkinson said that she is enjoying her squash as much as ever and that she feels more relaxed on court as she nears the end of her career knowing that she has achieved everything that she set out to do in the game.

Last on court was a mouthwatering match-up between another former world number one Frenchman Thierry Lincou and the young Egyptian Omar Mosaad.  The first game was a tight affair.  Lincou built a 9-6 lead, but was by no means controlling the play.  A couple of errors from the Frenchman brought the score back to 8-9, but a backhand drop from Omar that clipped the top of tin set up game ball and Lincou closed out the game with a beautiful backhand volley kill. The second game though was all Mosaad.  He took the ball early putting Lincou under substantial pressure.  Midway through the game Lincou seemed at a loss with how to deal with this attack and Mosaad ran out an easy 11-3 winner to tie up the match.

The third game started with some nervy errors from both players but then the game settled into a pattern of play similar to the first game, with tight, well contested rallies.  Both players began to grow a little testy with each other and the referees as they struggled to take control of the match.   Neither player could find that little advantage they needed though and the lead yo-yoed throughout.  It was fascinating stuff; the vastly experienced Frenchman who will battle to the end versus the young and powerful Egyptian who is clearly a rising star.  At 9-9, Mosaad won a fantastic rally with a reflex backhand volley to the open court after Lincou had recovered half a dozen seemingly winning shots at the front court.  But a no let followed that took the game into a tie break.  It appeared a critical moment in the match and it would be Masaad who would eventually come out on top 12-10 as Linocu failed to get a ball out of the back forehand court and then saw a shot from the Egyptian stick to the backhand sidewall.

Lincou started well in the fourth opening 4-1 and 6-3 leads.  He would eventually advance to 10-8, but successive forehand and backhand kills from Mossad took it to a tie break.  This time though it would be Lincou who would hold his nerve and he shouted with joy as Mosaad tinned out to give the Frenchman the game 12-10.

The deciding game was as hard fought a battle as you can get on a squash court.  Neither player giving an inch as the game became increasingly physical.  There was nothing in it to 5-5.  Two fine volley drops though helped Mosaad open up an 8-5 lead.  But Lincou came right back with the most delicate of backhand drop shots and a tin from the Egyptian brought him back within a point.  Two fantastic crosscourt kills from Mosaad gave him three match balls.  Lincou would save the first but a backhand into the nick just after midnight gave him the victory.

Mosaad was very happy after the match with his first win ever over Lincou.  It capped a fantastic evening of squash in the park!

The first night with the McWil glass court on stage at Millenium Park’s Pritzker Pavillion in downtown Chicago, IL. WOW!

What a spectacle. High energy, awesome rallies, the worlds best squash players, top athletes coming together to benefit and celebrate METROsquash‘s five year anniversary to service Chicago’s Public School students. METROsquash offers an after school enrichment program pairing instruction in squash with academic tutoring and adult mentoring to create an unyielding focus on excellence for its students.

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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Contributed by Phil Yarrow

The Pritzker Pavillion known to be the centerpiece of the Millenium park in Chicago, is normally used by the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra and Chorus as well as the Grant Park Music festival, featuring classical music played in the amazing backdrop of the Chicago sky line. Tonight’s orchestra however was in some ways different and in some ways similar to the other nights. Tonight the top squash players played on the stage show-casing their talent well into the late hours of the evening. The squash court itself was erected in the middle of the stage and the grand stand was constructed on a raised platform above the audience’s viewing area. The squash tempo in the matches was perhaps similar to a symphony with its climax and its lows, triumph and agony surrounding a dance of movement, strength and skill. All of this display befitted the cause associated with the US Open: Metrosquash. Metrosquash is an organization that uses squash, community service and mentoring to build confidence in urban Chicago Public School students. In addition to the amazing success of hosting the US Open in such an awe inspiring location, Metrosquash organizers experienced further gratification when Metro Squash, one of five organizations short listed for the United Airlines Chicago Impact Award, actually won the $50,000 award in a ceremony held at the United Center while the matches had just begun. Congratulations to David Kay and the rest of the metro squash team! David Kay was present to announce his group’s win after the first match.

Manuela Manetta (ITA) def.Latasha Khan (US) 6-11, 11-3, 6-11, 11-4, 12-10. The match seemed to go back and forth, while the fifth game was the highlight of the match with both players showing determination but the Italian got the better of Khan and prevailed despite Khan saving match ball.

We are very excited to share the first photographs of our new 2000 sq. ft. interior design showroom in Downtown Chicago, located in the hip and hot Grand Avenue Design District http://www.grandavenuedesigndistrict.com/index.html at 2248 West Grand Ave.

Kevin, Steve and I have been working on creating this new showroom to be an inviting and pleasant space where one can find unique and hip vintage and re-purposed furniture, architectural and nature fine art photography and other cool home accessories. We are planning on having a grand opening party later this fall.

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As you can see there are great finds here and should you not be local to the Chicago area, we invite you to visit http://statestreetsalvage.com/index.html to browse our various items.

To read our corresponding press release, please follow http://www.mariankrausphotography.com/news/. Stay tuned for more to come.

To view more of my fine art photography please view this gallery

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