Who Is This Man Photographing Lingerie-Clad Women on the CTA?

If Jonathan Fin doesn’t start making some money soon on his new business venture, he says he’ll need to move back in with his mother.

Mom, however, disapproves of his latest work.

After 10 years as an advertising copywriter, Fin gave up his day job six months ago to pursue his passion. He photographs women in their underwear on CTA platforms and trains. Since 2012, the 39-year-old Chicagoan and comic has posted his images to a Facebook page called CT&A. And he plans a website called SexySubwayGirls.com.

On Tuesday, DNAinfo Chicago reporter Mina Bloom gave him a boost of publicity with a feature story about his half-nudes on the El, titled “CT and A Founder Says Pics of Half-Naked Models on CTA Empower Women.” To this point, the only attention Fin’s pervy pics had received came via a snapshot in 2014’s Best People of the CTA, a website dedicated to random weird scenes on the El.

screenshot via PeopleoftheCTA.com

And how do CTA riders react when they encounter a blonde in hot-pink lingerie and a photographer snapping away?

“Some people don’t care. They’re reading and this half-naked girl is in their face and they’re on the phone like it’s another day,” Fin, who grew up in south suburban Calumet City, told Bloom. “To me, that’s the most interesting part.”

At least he’s fascinated by his “edgy” art. Commenters responded to the feature, in which Fin compares himself to Hugh Hefner, with a collective yawn.

“Wow ... nobody has ever done the ‘women nude in public’ thing. How original,” wrote Littleton Arts Uptown. “You know (you’re) a serious artist at 39 when your mom comes up twice in an article about you.”

screenshots via CT&A Facebook page

Fin thought DNAinfo dissed him in its piece, blasting Bloom on Facebook as “one of the jelly’s” who hates on him and his models. As he puts it: “It’s all because women want to look like that model or they want to be at least as confident as she is to be able to let it go and do a photo shoot in their lingerie. ... People are jealous that they aren’t confident enough and attractive enough. It’s a shame.”

Anna Merlan at Jezebel.com analyzes Fin’s work, and rises to Bloom’s defense, in a sarcastic take down.

Until DNAinfo’s story, Fin’s work on the El trains had gone unnoticed by the CTA and apparently everyone else in Chicago. (His CT&A Facebook page had 230 fans as of this writing.)

“We object to the use of CTA property to film without authorization and will investigate this matter,” a CTA spokeswoman said.

If Fin looks a bit familiar, you may be one of the women on the streets of Chicago the comic randomly snuck up on and licked for a YouTube video in 2013.

Better get the spare bedroom ready, Mom. Your boy might be coming home real soon.

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