You might remember Joe Weber, one of Aurora’s biggest fans.
He’s the young photographer and pilot – born and raised in the area – who last year chronicled the sky-high repair of the Star of Bethlehem that sits atop the 22-story Leland Tower Apartments.
From the time he was a kid, Weber has been intently focused on the beauty of downtown Aurora, which is why he began capturing the area with a camera whenever possible.
“We just have a very unique skyline. We have the beautiful river valley and the architecture and the diversity of people,” said 26-year-old Weber. “There are a lot of opportunities in this hidden gem to portray to the public.”
Turns out, Weber is far from alone. In fact, there are so many talented photographers like him that a group of them recently formed the City of Lights Camera Club.
“Aurora is such a photogenic city,” insisted the club’s founder, 58-year-old Garrick Gillette, who like Weber has been capturing these scenes “even as a kid,” and in his case, “long before digital” came around.
Because his mom worked at the YMCA, Gillette, who now lives in Yorkville, grew up in and around that recently razed landmark structure, fully appreciating downtown Aurora’s European-style buildings set against Mother Nature’s flowing river. But it was only within the last three or four years that he “really got into” the streetscape element.
Gillette told me he likes to hit the streets early in the morning or in late afternoon to capture those long shadows.
“Honestly, I just park on one of the bridges and walk around the city,” he said. “First, I’m drawn to the light, then I look for good texture,” such as the brick, stone, metal or glass on buildings. And finally, if a person “makes sense for the image,” he waits for “the right subject” to step into the scene.
Gillette, who majored in cinema and photography at Southern Illinois University and views photography as part profession and part hobby, came up with the idea for the club “coming out of COVID and not being around people for a long time,” he said. “I felt a void or a need to get together with like-minded creative people of high character to share our passion for photography.”
That’s exactly why Weber, who follows other well-regarded local photographers on Facebook, decided to join.
“It’s just a great group of people looking to hang out, share tips and tricks of the trade, as well as images,” he said.
And one more tenet of the new club also caught Weber’s attention.
“From the very first, our mission has been to give back to the community,” insisted Gillette, whether it be free headshots for college kids going into the workforce or photography classes for at-risk kids or working with the Aurora Historical Society or “maybe do a book or calendar with proceeds going back to the community.”
The City of Lights Camera Club currently consists of a dozen members who meet once a month to share ideas, critiques and support, but also “go out as a group to shoot” from time to time, he said.
And in coordination with the First Fridays event in downtown Aurora on Aug. 2, the club will hold its first exhibition – complete with wine and hors d’oeuvres – from 6 to 9 p.m. at Artesan Lofts Gallery, directly across from the Leland Tower which, as Gillette pointed out, “gets in a lot of our pictures.”
Titled “Open Interpretation of Aurora,” the exhibit will showcase the work of seven club members throughout the month of August.
“We have seen Aurora through so much, including its dark years, and it’s cool to capture this revitalization,” noted Gillette, adding that, “there’s so much going on in Aurora now … but not just in the downtown area.”
And what better way than a picture – which has been known to be worth a thousand words, after all – to showcase it?
“Unfortunately, even too many local people don’t realize how much we have to offer here,” said Weber. “We want to say come check us out. We have a beautiful city.”
dcrosby@tribpub.com