The cover for the August issue features a colorful image of famous Chicago architectural landmarks. At first glance, it looks like a collage of photos or illustrations of the buildings. Little do you know, that's a set of miniature paper models made from the Build Your Own Chicago postcards, by local designer Matt Bergstrom.

For those of us who don't read the cover photo credits (on page 10 of the August issue), this...

Just when you thought Snap had died a quiet, lonely death, we come back with the vengeance of a fat kid in line for ice cream on a hot day at Lollapalooza.

Brittney, the other half of Snap, is off on some beach in Mexico for her honeymoon, after a lovely (and genuinely fun) wedding two weekends ago. Me, sullen and lonely for my blogging partner, I trolled Grant Park for three days in the heat with heavy equipment on my shoulders, all to bring you photos from Lollapalooza...

Many photo editors get to travel to the likes of Paris and Milan for glamorous fashion shoots. Given the local nature of this magazine, I find that most of my travels for work often are decidedly unglamorous. In early April, I donned pigtails, galoshes, and my "I Support Organic Farmers" T-shirt and headed out to a farm near LaGrange, Indiana. Photographer Kevin Banna, his assistants Bjorn Kavanaugh and Stevie Rischow, and I spent a day with farmer Greg Gunthorp and his pigs (See "Hello, Beautiful!" from our June issue)...

Spring! Sunshine! Tulips! All three are so fleeting around these parts, so we take time to appreciate these two sweet photos that capture recent lovely moments in our downtown. Check out the vibrant colors in the shot by Flickr's kellyhafermann, and admire the amazing angle and lighting captured by jeanneg...

Photographer Lisa Predko shot our April cover story, "Who Makes What," in early February. There was snow on the ground, frozen nosehairs in our nostrils, and bitterness in our hearts. Winter seems like like a distant memory now, but we feel we must share these photos with you.

Check out our behind-the-scenes look at the photoshoot for Miss Maya Sinstress, a fetish diva whom we interviewed for the salaries article. She brought with her several latex costumes, various fierce whips, and a bottle of lube (you'll see why in the photos)...