Almost five years ago to the date, something happened that wasn’t that big of a deal at the time, but changed my life forever. I had my first ever photo published. I was sent on a feature hunting assignment for the Northern Star, the student newspaper of Northern Illinois University. I was trying to, I guess, prove myself worthy to be on the staff because I had no portfolio and didn't even know how to use a DSLR, but they had some open spots on the staff and the editor at the time, Ryan Strong, took a chance on me after I brought back the photo. 

The photo is nothing amazing. It was a really simple photo of two girls laying on a hill catching a little tan before classes got in full swing, but it catapulted me into the world of photojournalism which I haven’t looked back since. It wasn’t a good photo by any means, but what it means to me is something that can never be fully understood.

-B. Lewis

So for the second in the series of my Throw Back Thursday, which is another way to keep me weekly blogging, is one of my favorite shoots for the Chicago Tribune.

I have to get the back story first,which makes this story even better.

So I was driving along with Jasmine, my fiancé, when she asks the question that will usually come up every now and then when watching TV or listening to music. “If there was any famous person you would leave me for who would it be?” In the past it was like Joan from Mad Men or Rosario Dawson, but this one threw her off extremely. “Rashida Jones!”

She pondered for a slight minute, then another minute and I said, “The wife from I Love You Man or Parks and Rec.” All she said was “REALLY?!”

Skip two days ahead and I get a phone call from the assignment editor at the Trib about some a hotel session with some actors making a indie movie. It’s money and I have nothing to do so why not. I get the assignment, look through it and who the hell am I photographing? None other than Rashida Jones and Will McCormack for their new movie “Celeste and Jesse Forever.”

I hopped in the shower, cut my hair and floored it downtown. I walk into the hotel room for the shoot, start setting up and then they arrived. At this point, I have only done two or three of these shoots so far, but this was probably the most comfortable I have ever been when doing portraits of almost anyone. By the end, we were all just laughing and they were even giving me relationship advice, plus I think I milked like an extra 5 minutes before Lenny Gilmore decided to show up.

All an all this was one of my favorite shoots ever. Rashida Jones is no longer that hot girl from the movies to me, but instead that girl you met at a club, thought was really hot, got her number and then two days later you see her again at your family reunion. Great person on every level, but you just don't look at her the same way. It's kind of like that cousin or big sister vibe. And not to leave Will out because he is amazing too!

-B. Lewis

Alright, I would like to welcome you to the first of hopefully many of my Throw Back Thursday blog posts. This is a way to keep me blogging at least weekly and show off a mix between some really really old stuff and some of my favorite assignments over the past 5 years. So I am going to start it off with the one that I thought I was surely going to win CPOY. 

When you are younger and just starting off in this field, you think that the big moments are the ones that will get you the job and keep you growing, but then you actually sit down with someone years after you have shot press conferences and news events just to find out that those are really just crap. Welp this was at least one of those big moments that I will always remember and can say that I was at. It's my generations Million Man March. It was the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. 

After a lucky last minute media credential, a mother willing to do the 16hr drive and a college newspaper that was gun ho, I got to Washington D.C. without a clue of what I was doing or idea to do something different than everyone else(which I didn't know was a thing to do yet). But it was a wild three days of coverage and got my real first chance to rub elbows with real professional photojournalist. All and all it was an experience and one that I won't forget anytime soon. Also it taught me a couple of things. A. Do something different because no one cares that you have the same photo from every other person next to you. B. Washington D.C. really needs to change their streets to a grid system because that s**t is confusing C. As a photojournalist, you have a front sit to history, so never take it for granted. 

Also, I redid this edit because I saw a slight common theme that I didn't know I was going for and it was really the unseen Barack Obama. I mean I ran into the guy twice, but these are kind of a different take on the whole thing. Enjoy and I have at least 3 more of these ready to go for the rest of the month.

-B.Lewis