Sandra Steinbrecher is a Chicago documentary photographer working on long-term assignments about education, the arts, and community development. Her work supports and promotes those who are invested in transforming their communities and preserving history. 

Over the last few years, she has photographed the Salt Shed, chronicling the transformation of the former Morton Salt Factory along the Chicago River; documented the four seasons at the historic Garden of the Phoenix, a Japanese Garden in Chicago’s Jackson Park; and worked with numerous artists, documenting their public art pieces in the Wabash Arts Corridor and the Burnham Wildlife Corridor.

Sandra was a silver gelatin master printer for over 20 years and along with colleague Ron Gordon, made the exhibition prints from original negatives from a collection of Vivian Maier’s acclaimed, historic images, seen around the world. 

Sandra’s work was featured in the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s exhibition, The Outwin 2019, American Portraiture Today, a highly competitive national exhibition. Her photographs have been on view at several galleries, including the Chicago Cultural Center, and were featured in the CNN docuseries, Chicagoland. Her images have been seen in several publications including on Patagonia’s blog The Cleanest Line, in the New York Times, New City, Smithsonian Magazine, and The Economist.

IG: @sandysteinbrecherphotography

Author photo by Beth Rooney