About me

I live in Chicago and work full-time in consumer protection.  I am grateful to work at an agency with terrific people who are passionate about public service.  I am constantly inspired by our mission to make the financial markets work for consumers, responsible providers, and the economy as a whole.  Although I am based in Chicago, my job provides opportunity to travel the Midwest most weeks.  

My professional and educational background is highly technical (finance, accounting, and law).  Highly goal-oriented, my focus tends default to the destination, always seeking the shortest distance between two points.  Photography helps me slow down, reflect, and really enjoy the journey. 

I am an instructor at Richard Stromberg’s Chicago Photography Classes (CPC), a privately-owned photography school that has built a community centered on photography.  I have taught Photo 1, Photo 2, and instructed the Photo 1 Lightroom Lab.  I have taken a wide-range of classes at CPC (Photo 1, 2, and 3; Lightroom Basic and Advanced; Photoshop; Advanced Printing; Architectural Abstract Photography; Art of Composition; Building Websites with Squarespace).  If you are interested in photography, I highly recommend both the curriculum and the instructors at CPC.  Please reach out with any questions regarding CPC (bill.wmpa@icloud.com), and see what it is all about at www.chicagophotoclasses.com.  

I serve on the board of directors for FreshLens Chicago.  Our mission is to provide educational arts programing to students from under-resourced areas in Chicago, to give students opportunity to develop skills and gain confidence through the vehicle of photography. We promote individual growth, team building, good work habits, and responsibility in our student photographers.  Please reach out with any questions regarding FreshLens Chicago (BillS@freshlenschicago.org), and see what it is all about at www.freshlenschicago.org. 

Connect with me on Instagram so I can follow your journey.

@bill.wmpa

 
View fullsize Christine Rojek’s sculpture “Fruition” is located at the site of the former Chicago Municipal Tuberculosis Sanitarium (1915-1974). It commemorates the patients in isolation and celebrates hard-fought victory over illness.
View fullsize The Panthéon (from Greek temple to all the gods) is located in the Latin Quarter in Paris, France. It was originally built as a church dedicated to St. Genevieve and to house the reliquary châsse containing her relics but, after many cha
View fullsize The Arab World Institute was founded in Paris in 1980 by 18 Arab countries and France to research and disseminate information about the Arab world and its cultural and spiritual values. The strikingly modern building was designed by French architect
View fullsize "The panes of balcony railings are dichroic. That is to say that according to the orientation, the angle of view, a color will appear from blue to yellow, through green. The peculiarity of this glazing also helps to intimidate the interior of th
View fullsize Interior details of Notre Dame Cathedral. #france #paris #parisfrance #notredamedeparis #notredamecathedral
View fullsize Notre-Dame Cathedral is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. The cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. I’m grat
View fullsize The tower was designed as the centerpiece of the 1889 World's Fair in Paris and was meant to commemorate the centennial of the French Revolution and show off France’s modern mechanical prowess on a world stage. The tower was built by Gustave Ei
View fullsize Having fun reviewing photos from my first few photography trips. Thanks to Angie and Michael @photographyunfolded for a great trip to Paris! #france #paris #parisfrance #louvre #louvremuseum #louvrepyramid
View fullsize These “toadstools,” or hoodoos, form because Dakota Sandstone boulders perch atop pedestals of softer Entrada Sandstone. As the Entrada erodes away, the harder Dakota forms a cap, and leaves a rock column sheltered from water and wind. #
View fullsize My first night shoot on my first photography trip. We all have that first time where we realize we have no idea how to operate our camera in the dark. This was that time for me. You do what you can! #arizona #pageaz #pagearizona #horseshoebend
View fullsize Horseshoe Bend is a horseshoe-shaped incised meander of the Colorado River located near the town of Page, Arizona. #arizona #pageaz #pagearizona #horseshoebend
View fullsize Having fun playing around with black and white abstracts of the sandstone walls of Rattlesnake Canyon. #arizona #pageaz #pagearizona #rattlesnakecanyon #abstractnature
View fullsize With narrow, twisted pathways that weave through the towering canyon like a snake, these colorful walls make Rattlesnake canyon geologically similar to Lower Antelope Canyon. #arizona #pageaz #pagearizona #rattlesnakecanyon
View fullsize Black and white abstracts of the interior features of Upper Antelope Canyon. #arizona #pageaz #pagearizona #upperantelopecanyon #antelopecanyon #abstractnature
View fullsize Gently carved from the Navajo sandstone over the course of countless millennia, Upper Antelope Canyon is one of the most breathtaking places on earth. Over thousands of years, wind and water scoured a narrow crevice in the mesa to form a slot canyon.
View fullsize Light painting at Antelope Canyon. Thanks to @hwessol for being the model/guinea pig. #arizona #pageaz #antelopecanyon #lightpainting #lightpaintingphotography
View fullsize Some black and white abstracts of the geometry in the sandstone walls of Owl Canyon. #arizona #pageaz #pagearizona #owlcanyon #slotcanyon #slotcanyons
View fullsize This dramatic winding canyon gets its name from the owls that occasionally roost in the slot canyon. #arizona #pageaz #pagearizona #owlcanyon #slotcanyon #slotcanyons
View fullsize In the 1930s, a small group of local citizens became interested in conserving the fragile desert environment. One was Swedish botanist Gustaf Starck, who found like-minded residents by posting a sign, “Save the desert,” with an arrow poin
View fullsize Reviewing old photos from my first photography trip. Thanks for a great trip @chicagophotoclasses. This is Browns Ranch trail, located outside of Scottsdale, AZ. An easy hike and great opportunity to take in the Sonoran desert flora and fauna. #ari