To love. To be loved. To never forget your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and understand. To never look away. And never, never, to forget.
—Arundhati Roy

Hi, I'm Brett Olaf Jelinek! I am an independent photographer using my camera to document social and political movements nationally, with a focus on the Midwest region. With years of experience in youth work, community organizing, and grassroots activism, my lens is trained to document the motion, struggles, and victories of America’s youth and working people. My photos regularly appear in the People’s Tribune and have been featured on Huffington Post, Chicagoist, and numerous other publications.

I also really like to take pretty pictures, even if they're not necessarily political :)

Originally from Seattle, I now calls Chicago home.

Please be sure to leave a note in my guestbook!

All photos are available in multiple currencies and ship world-wide.

Photo by Dave Carradine at Castle Hill, New Zealand