The past can enjoy a long life if someone takes care to archive it, and photographs are a primary vehicle for that preservation. Photographers have the unique opportunity of freezing a moment that could otherwise be lost among a vast number of other moments in life. A committed documentarian, Matt Schademann just opened Schademann Studios (Schademann.com), a full-service photography studio, at 6729 W Roosevelt Rd in Berwyn. A ribbon cutting celebration was hosted in partnership with the City of Berwyn and the Berwyn Development Corporation (BDC) on December 12.
The new studio is a convergence of his passions – historic preservation, fine art and cultural expression. The studio itself stands as a vestige of the past, restored painstakingly for five months by Schademann to reflect the original structure built in 1918 and occupied by Bohemian born Joseph Vocelka’s jewelry store. Involved in the Berwyn Historical Society and the Berwyn Bungalow Preservation Initiative, Schademann attributes his fondness for meticulous craftsmanship to his father, a professional painter with skill in detailed architectural decorative work, and his grandmother, who covered globes by hand with great attention to detail. Schademann credits his mother, a former school teacher, with encouragement and practice in the arts of perceptiveness and communication. The studio stands as a success story for forgotten spaces that can be resurrected from a photograph. The restoration can be watched at http://bit.ly/18DAXdy.
A new Berwyn bungalow owner, Schademann recently relocated his studio to Berwyn’s Roosevelt Road to take embrace his new city and to take part in Berwyn’s positive momentum. Prior studio locations have included Jefferson Park and Roscoe Village. Matt’s specialties include fine art portraits, professional head shots, special events, live performances, and interior/exterior building viewpoints. He also has a focus on pet photography, and to that end, his Border Collie, Brodie, has become the unofficial mascot and face of the studio. With over 200 weddings under his belt and a bevy of experience, Schademann’s philosophy is to provide hands-on, small batch, personal art production with an eye for spontaneous, fun expression. Schademann uses only the highest quality papers, inks and lenses at each shoot with the intent of producing heirloom photographs.
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Mayor Robert Lovero stated, “Matt is an active resident in our community, which is great to see. A lot of our residents, myself included, have opened up their businesses in Berwyn because we love the community. We welcome you to Berwyn and to Roosevelt Road.” Matt continued, “To say that Berwyn is business-friendly is an understatement. The kinds of things that have developed in this town in the last six years that I’ve been here are unbelievable. I think the arts surge on Roosevelt Road has been amazing, and I’m proud to be a part of it. My story is greater than just setting up shop. This has been a labor of love and a show of appreciation for those that have gone before us. I aspire to uphold the old-fashioned values of service and attention.”
