Over the years I had the pleasure and privilege of being able to call many of Chicago’s finest photographers as my friends. They appreciated my photographic knowledge and rewarded me with many invitations to visit their studios. Being an only child, I felt that I was blessed to now have many brothers and sisters that shared my love of photography. After my four decade journey in the photo industry ended on New Years Eve, 2011, I found myself again returning back to my photo roots. For a couple of weeks I never thought if I could ever be able to find my wonderful  family of photographers. Out of the blue, one of my first LinkedIn connections emailed me, Marc Hauser wanted to know if he could do anything for me, and he was sorry to hear that I was no longer at Calumet Photographic, and it was pretty crappy to be fired on New Years Eve.
     What a blast from my photo past. For those who never heard of Marc Hauser, he certainly has earned the title of being one Chicago’s finest Celebrity Portraitlists. Just ask John Cougar Mellancamp, David Copperfield, Woody Allen, Arnold Palmer, Phil Jackson, Mike Ditka,
Dennis  Rodman, Dolly Parton, Walter Payton, The Blues Brothers, Phil Jackson, Sophia Loren,
Dennis Rodman, Julia Roberts, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, Bill Gates, Carly Simon and of course our Chicago Legend,  Michael Jordon. I can see why his photo collection comprised of over 1.7 million negatives have been appraised for eleven million dollars. However whatt someone says its worth is not going to put food on the table until the bank clears the check.    
     No matter how successful of a photographer you are, if do not have good health all the Nikons, Deardorfs, and Hasselblads cannot cure diabetes, and in my friend Marc Hauser case,
give him another leg to stand on. I encourage all of my photographer friends to reach out to Marc, a true Chicago Photographic Legend. Marc has raised many of thousands of dollars through his Groupon photo fund raiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, a a disease he is now fighting. Marc, you are one are an inspiration, and makes me proud to say.
**************************I am proud to say I am a Photographer.************************************