Photographer has eye for a giant eye

A photographer without a camera can only capture an image in the mind's eye.

Luckily, Robert Lundin had his Nikon D60 with him when he chanced upon the image that won the Daily Herald's June Photo Finish contest, enabling him to preserve it and share it.

"I brought my camera to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. I went with a couple friends," the Glen Ellyn resident said.

He was on the museum's third floor when he peered down and viewed an optical effect that was hard not to stare at - an effect that made the staircase resemble a giant eye. At the base is a small, fish-filled pond, he said.

"Any photographer with a good eye who goes to that museum is going to see that shot," Lundin said, modestly.

"It's such a beautiful stairway. It's so striking," he said.

Daily Herald Assistant Photo Editor Bev Horne agreed.

"Interesting design. Almost looks like an eye," Horne said.

Lundin said he took the photo without benefit of filters or special lenses. The only adjustment he made, he said, was trading color for black-and-white via Photoshop.

Lundin is a former professional photojournalist who currently works for the DuPage County Health Department.

"I'm a mental health instructor," he said.

He remembers exactly how he developed an interest in creating pictures.

"I started with photography when I was in high school. It was 1972 when I started, when I was a sophomore. I was the yearbook photographer," he said.

He was vacationing in the Caribbean when he bought his first camera, a SP500 Pentax.

"I bought the camera with my own money. It was a big purchase for me back then," he said. "I was really into it."

He took a break from his craft while in college. Then, in 1991, he got a job taking photos.

"I worked for the Glen Ellyn News. I worked professionally for a couple of years for them," he said.

He also did some freelance writing for the Daily Herald and the Chicago Tribune.

Later, as he became more involved in the mental health field, he remained an avid photographer as a hobbyist.

"I'm self taught. I never took a course in it," he said.

Lundin said he likes to shoot with his Nikon D60 because he can count on it to produce good results.

"It's a good camera," he said. "The light meter is extremely good on it."

The Daily Herald's monthly Photo Finish contest gives photographers a chance to compete for recognition and a $50 gift certificate from PJ's Camera in Glen Ellyn.

Lundin, a Glen Ellyn resident for 25 years and a repeat customer at PJ's, already knows how he wants to spend his winnings.

"I want to get a little device that digitizes slides," he said.

About our contest

If you'd like to submit a photo to our contest, email it in .jpg format with at least 300 dpi resolution to dupagecontest@dailyherald.com.

Be sure to include your name, address and a phone number, plus a description of where you took the photo, why you like it and what challenges you faced.

The winner will receive a $50 gift certificate from PJ's Camera, Pickwick Place Plaza, 662 Roosevelt Road, Glen Ellyn.