Long-Form Projects

Dec. 7, 2022 - After The Buses: Meet The Migrants At The Center Of Texas’ Manufactured Crisis

“Block Club Chicago and Borderless Magazine followed 10 of the thousands of Venezuelan migrants sent to Chicago as part of Texas Gov. Abbott’s political stunt this year.”

For this project, I spent a months making portraits of migrants who were brought to Chicago from the border while coordinating with Block Club Chicago reporters Madison Savedra and Alex Hernandez. We spent multiple days sitting outside Union Station waiting for the buses of migrants to arrive in the late summer and worked earnestly to connect with our new neighbors to learn and share their stories. The project took months of WhatsApp messaging, interviews, meeting migrants at their spaces and more.

I spent hours interviewing Jesus David Lucena Castillo, who left his family, daughter and dreams of being a baseball star in Venezuela to find work in Chicago. Here, a chance friendship opened the doors for his newfound passion for photography. My reporting and interviewing was done in Spanish, which we then translated into English.

Nolram, who migrated from Venezuela, poses for a portrait at Kells Park in Humboldt Park on Oct. 24, 2022. | Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Juliana Isaza embraces her family from Colombia after they disembarked the bus from Texas at Union Station on Sept. 7, 2022. | Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Nolram, who migrated from Venezuela, shows the paint that remains on his hands from his job as a fence painter in Humboldt Park on Oct. 24, 2022.

Migrants disembark a bus at Union Station after a 25-hour-long ride from Texas on Sept. 9, 2022.

Yorvi Sánchez warms his hands as he posed for a portrait in West Ridge on Nov. 1, 2022. | Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Jesus David Lucena Castillo poses for a portrait in the South Loop on a snowy day on Nov. 19, 2022. | Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Migrants ride a shuttle after disembarking a bus at Union Station after a 25-hour-long ride from Texas on Sept. 9, 2022. | Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

A CTA bus shuttle reads “My Kind of Town Chicago Is” as migrants disembark a bus at Union Station after a 25-hour-long ride from Texas on Sept. 9, 2022. | Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

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Nov. 29, 2022 - Life And Death In Chicago’s Most Dangerous Bike Lane

For this project, I spent a month making portraits of cyclists who were hit by drivers along Chicago’s Milwaukee Ave., filmed my bike ride up and down the entire road with a GoPro (where I recorded 46 bike lane obstructions), documented infrastructural change and photographed ghost bikes in honor of cyclists who had been killed on the road. I also was tasked with editing and placing the images in the story, as well as coordinating the portraits with each source.

Bike courier Angel Avado poses for a photo at the intersection of Milwaukee and Central Park avenues on Oct. 26, 2022, near where he was doored by a driver. | Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago

Construction along the Milwaukee Avenue bike lane at Division Street in West Town on Nov. 2, 2022.

Cyclist Mark Langenderfer poses on his bicycle on Oct. 28, 2022 at the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue and Francis Place, where he was hit by a turning car.

A person walks across the Milwaukee Avenue bike lane at North Deplanes Street in West Town on Nov. 2, 2022.

Cyclist Gevork Chubaryan poses with his damaged bike frame and front wheel on Oct. 28, 2022 at the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue and Division Street, where he was hit by a turning car.

A ghost bike is adorned with flowers in the 3800 block of North Milwaukee Avenue in Irving Park, as seen on Nov. 10, 2022.

Cyclist Grace Hebert poses with her bicycle near Milwaukee and Sacramento avenues in Logan Square on Nov. 1, 2022.

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Jan. 25, 2021 - Coronavirus in Chicago: A Year of Loss

I spent weeks coordinating with 18 families in every corner of Chicago to make portraits and short videos in honor of their loved ones who died from COVID-19 in the first year of the pandemic. Each portrait session was incredibly moving as the families shared their favorite memories of their loved ones, spoke with me about life and reflected. Tackling the visuals of this project was incredibly moving as it was heartbreaking. There were multiple moments were I found myself consoling families as we talked.