I remember the first time I clicked on the name Adi Etuc, just to take a quick peek at what sort of photos went with the icon that was popping up next to amiable comments in my photostream. An hour or so later, I was still browsing (and faving) Adi's photos. It was like a great book that I just couldn't put down… Since… Read more

I remember the first time I clicked on the name Adi Etuc, just to take a quick peek at what sort of photos went with the icon that was popping up next to amiable comments in my photostream. An hour or so later, I was still browsing (and faving) Adi's photos. It was like a great book that I just couldn't put down… Since then, a daily stop at Adi's place has been a vital part of my routine. It's not uncommon to see someone new to Adi's photostream mistaking her for an accomplished professional photographer. Such is her eye for the beautiful things around her that might go unnoticed by most people in the frantic pace of urban Chicago. She's made the city her palette, bending and forging its architecture and infrastructure into her own unique perspectives. There are some thematic consistencies to Adi's work, as with any artist of note (she will not claim that title either, but I say it's apt). Her compositions are recognizable, but always distinct. Geometry comes alive therein, sometimes with a meticulous perfection, other times with a chaotic tilt. . Symmetry is a tool that is easy to abuse, yet Adi wields it with a mastery that belies her two short years of camera ownership. Where there is no symmetry, there is balance, or light, or motion, or humor, or something else, carefully crafted and delightful to behold. I have discovered many talented people while roaming the halls of flickr, but no others have had the influence on my own photography that Adi has. Initially, I thought I had discovered someone else who liked to compose things as I do. Then I started noticing myself cropping things square (an Adi trademark) a little more often. Symmetry crept into more and more of my shots. I've been around cameras for all of my life, but this relative newcomer has opened my eyes, broadened my horizons, and changed the way I look through the viewfinder. Oh… and besides all that, Adi (Naida, when properly introduced) is just a great person to have as a friend! With 2009 under her belt, I can't wait to see what Naida does next!

Naida will tell you she’s not a “photographer”, not artistic, not anything more than an amateur with a second-hand camera. Conversely, I have been a pro, worked in many studios, had my own photography business and have an art school degree, yet she can do what I can not: take a consistently great photograph every day,… Read more

Naida will tell you she’s not a “photographer”, not artistic, not anything more than an amateur with a second-hand camera. Conversely, I have been a pro, worked in many studios, had my own photography business and have an art school degree, yet she can do what I can not: take a consistently great photograph every day, usually of only one worthwhile subject, from one creatively reasoned point of view, and probably with just one exposure. Adi knows what she’s doing when she lines up a shot, and she certainly knows how to get what her amazingly artistic eye has envisioned. Not only can this amazing artist find at least one visually interesting scene to shoot with every turn of the calendar page, she can also string together three or four day long themes, often leaving her rabid followers waiting with gleeful anticipation to see what she’s going to come up with next. And, Naida is the queen of the Guess Where Chicago group! Her fans are always rewarded with some tasty treat, be it a complex, poignant, funny or just so darn well-crafted image that they can’t help but check Adi’s stream on a daily basis. She’s addictive! Congratulations on completing your year of wonderful pictures Naida!