Matt Maldre

Plastic treasure chest on construction scaffolding The faded diagonal paint on the construction wood drew me to this particular shot. The graffiti on the side was an additional plus. I have other shots that feature the graffiti more prominently, but this composition is about the treasure chest first, the graffiti second. Inside this treasure chest is a note that says "What is your treasure?"

Plastic treasure chest on light pole Chicago has these great light poles with decorative leaves that are just asking for a treasure chest. Inside this treasure chest is a note saying "What is your treasure?" I like how the pole serves as a dark background for the brightly colored treasure chest. Plus the beige background was intentional as it's the upper Wacker Drive with classic Tribune Tower behind. The beige gives a nice color complement to the pink.

Plastic treasure chest in arms of baby (Lombard Lamp in Giddings Plaza) Every day I walk by Lombard Lamp in Lincoln Square. Often I will put a treasure chest in the baby's arms.

What is your treasure? (on Wabash Ave light pole) This is the first times that I photographed the "what is your treasure" message outside the treasure chest. For the past eight years I've been writing "what is your treasure" on a piece of paper, folding it, putting it inside a plastic treasure chest, and then taking a photo of the closed treasure chest. It wasn't until November 2010 that I finally realized that it might be interesting to photograph the treasure chest with the message on the outside of the treasure chest. I will explore doing this more in this series.

Plastic treasure chest at Southeast Tower of Michigan Avenue Bridge in Chicago Another treasure chest left in Chicago. This one starts me shooting with my Nikon DX AF-S NIKKOR 35mm 1:1.8 G lens. In other words, has a 1.8 aperture so the object is in focus while the background gets fuzzed out. Photos like this looks more artistic and personal, so I'm gonna start shooting my public artwork more with this lens.