Kelly talks to Venezuelan-born, Chicago-based photographer Daniel Moreno about his new book of photographs of Chicago’s legendary Holiday Train. 

What brought you to Chicago all the way from your home in Venezuela? 

“Well, actually, t’s funny – and I was thinking about it because this is the Second City podcast – and actually I ended up in Chicago because my older brother came to Chicago to study in Second City a couple years prior to that. So, once I finished college, I was looking for a place to move and my brother was already living here. So, I just came here and I was thinking about the connection; it comes all the way from Second City.” 

Photo Credit: Trope Publishing

Chicago is such a pretty city, what was your experience coming here as a photographer? 

“No, it was amazing, it really was very captivating. It’s like the feeling of being in a movie and everything that you see around you feels very photogenic. You feel inspired to go and take photos. That was one of the biggest appeals when living here in Chicago, even though I was doing photography in Venezuela. Here I feel like it opened up a new, different world to explore and expand the possibilities to make photography. So, I really felt the photography potential that I could make and it exploded after that. So yeah, I’m still fascinated and I’m still going out and finding frames all around the city because it’s an everchanging city. It’s always evolving and it’s never the same. It never looks the same. There’s something always new to photograph.” 

I think the Holiday Train is special because the winters can be so dark in Chicago. 

“Yeah, definitely, definitely. I think that part of me used this as a way to overcome the winter, to fight against that coldness and keeps you from getting buried down or sad. I turned it around to make it actually the moment to cut through this thing and this light. I always think that the Holiday Train is a train of light and it brings life and warmth to me and to the whole city.”