Lifeguards

Having lived for much of my life on the Third Coast, as Lake Michigan is often referred to by Chicagoans, have always had a deep admiration for the tradition of those that choose to spend their summers covering the 26 miles of lakefront. In particular, Chicago lifeguards watch over the lives of swimmers, tourists, surfers and waders in pools and along the lake every summer from May through September. The young people who row a boat in the lake, watch over a neighborhood pool or sit in a tower above a crowded beach have trained for this job and are proud to be lifeguards. Their portraits, taken in many locations across the City, document of their individual personalities as embrace their watery environment.