4.1.20April FoolerThis isn’t a Photoshopped image. This is, in fact, a digital double exposure. I was reading the April issue of Digital Photographer last night, and in it, there’s an interview with a guy who talks about doing digital double exposures fully in-camera without editing them in post. I thought it would be neat to give it a serious go (traditionally, I’ve never been interested), so I thought of this concept and planned to do it the next day. After seeing the final result, I felt better about myself creatively; yesterday I talked about the nasty creative rut I’ve been in due to the global pandemic. This little boost of excitement this afternoon was all I needed to remind me that it’s just a phase and it, too, shall pass.

4.2.20Do Not EnterScarcely a person was on the street this evening, save for a roving band of teens clearly unconcerned with social distancing. We walked the dog up 7th Street and took in the barrenness around us, stopping from time to time to read the closed signs on every business along our route. We came across this cleverly placed street sign next to the folded bowling alley. The purple and orange framed by the columns with the street sign accidentally prohibiting us from going into either alleys was irresistible.

4.3.20A Short StoryAnother in-camera double exposure, this time about the fact that I shaved my head this week. I never enjoy taking photos of myself because it’s such a pain in the ass, but I really like how this one turned out.

4.4.20O Fallon Avenue HillWe took the pup to Bellevue Beach Park today to get a little walking in and ended up wandering the neighborhood for a while, moving out of the way of others to ensure we didn’t infect them. I took the 35mm film camera with me and snapped nearly the whole roll without realizing it. After we got back in the car, we drove up O Fallon Avenue to see a house that was on the market (way out of our price range) and ended up climbing an incredible hill that had a fantastic view of the city at the top. On our way back down, I stopped the car, took my last photo on the roll, snapped one on digital (this one), and we drove home.

4.5.20Get LowTook Myrtle to Lytle Park and tossed ball with her for about 30 minutes. She had a blast. Captured a few of her moves. We still can’t see anyone or do anything because of the pandemic.

4.6.20ProductivitySpent nearly the whole day here. I am here now. Took a few hours to watch TV with Ashley earlier, but I am here otherwise. Just figured I should document my workspace. It’s cozier than it looks in this photo.

4.7.20Pink Supermoon From Price HillI planned to photograph tonight’s pink supermoon from the rooftop before someone I know suggested the Price Hill Incline District. It was a total “duh” moment. We drove up to the park, I planted my tripod in place and snapped a few frames as it slowly materialized from behind clouds on the horizon. As it rose, it increased in luminosity.

4.8.20Gotta See What’s HappeningAshley was trying to see what the street construction noise was all about. Myrtle looked on, confused.

4.9.20A Classic ViewWent to five overlooks today for a ‘Best Views of Cincinnati’ piece for work. This one is from Mt. Adams. I’ve always loved getting the Times-Star and City Hall in the same frame.

4.10.20Emptiness While taking a walk with Myrtle this afternoon (she’s struggling with not having anything to do), we went our usual route under the highway ramps and came upon this scene. It’s one I’ve seen many times before, and even more so lately, but something about it today just felt extra desolate. The world feels remarkably devoid of activity right now because of the pandemic. Like we’re all holding our breath for a second too long under water, wishing we could dowse the burning sensation building at the back of our throats with a cool gasp of air but having to hold it in for a little longer.

4.11.20Taft’s MessageOn an evening walk, we made our way past the Taft Theatre with its COVID-19-inspired message laid out across its backlit marquee. There was no one on the street but us and a few cars. I hate the stillness of Downtown right now. Even though the virus hasn’t infected me, this emptiness certainly has.

4.12.20Into Nature!We went to the Cincinnati Nature Center this morning to get a break from home. It was nice.

4.13.20Road WorkThey’re resurfacing Broadway from 4th to Eggleston since there aren’t cars on the road now. It’s loud, it’s nearly constant, and it’s right below our west-facing windows. We took a walk up and down Broadway to get a sense of what they’re doing. Tonight we’re going to pretend like we’re on vacation and sleep in the guest bedroom because it’s on the north side of the building away from Broadway. They’re still working out there as of 9:15 PM, so we don’t know how late it’s going to go.

4.14.20History UncoveredAll of yesterday’s roadwork on Broadway uncovered the history of the street beneath it.

4.15.20Working From HomeAshley needed to record herself talking about her gym for a video, so I set up some fun lighting (there may have been a toaster oven grate involved) and went to great lengths to make it look and sound professional. While the audio needed some work, I am super pleased with how the visuals turned out. This is a test still from the production. I honestly looked forward to doing this all day and it was incredibly fun to have a vision in my head come to life after figuring out how to do it.

4.16.20DIYTonight I made a custom honeycomb grid to fit over my cheap studio lights. Using black duct tape, I cobbled together a series of sticky loops and tried my best to form them to the size of the light. It’s not pretty, but it does a fairly good job considering A) I’ve never made one before, and B) it’s just a bunch of tape stuck together.

4.17.20Migraine PartyAshley had a migraine so we made her a little tent that cut the light, and Myrtle wanted in. I stuck my phone under the covers and got this sweet scene. Ashley knew what I was doing when I was doing it, she just had her eyes closed.

4.18.20We Went CampingWe wanted to switch things up, so we put up the tent in the living room, surrounded it with houseplants, and did a little photo shoot. It’s been a long quarantine.

4.19.20A Good SunsetIt was a rainy, grey day today, but the sunset was really nice. I’ve found my mood is an almost 1:1 match with the weather now since there’s little to do indoors that we haven’t already done. Being outside, even if we’re away from others, is still better than sitting around inside.

4.20.20Spring on SpringTook the dog on a walk through Pendleton this morning. This is Spring Street.

4.21.20The GirlsI realize this month has been mainly photos of Ashley and Myrtle, but there’s not a LOT happening during this quarantine except the occasional walk through a largely empty city.

4.22.20Standing With MyselfFive exposures Photoshopped together.

4.23.20 Flower ShootToday was an exceptionally grey, wet day, so I set up some lights and made colorful photos of flowers. This is one of the photos.

4.24.20Findlay VacantLunchtime at Findlay Market on a Friday during a pandemic. Saw about 35 people in the whole place, not including workers. About half had masks.

4.25.20Not My ArtWe packed a picnic basket and went to Lytle Park to eat under a tree and enjoy the weather while it was sunny. While there, Ashley made this little organic configuration and I thought it was cute. It was the only photo I made the whole day.

4.26.20 Sniffing Around New TrailsDisregarding the forecast, we all put on rain jackets and drove to Tower Park in Fort Thomas. It was a first for Myrtle and I. The three of us walked along muddy trails without seeing a single person the whole time. As it turns out, rain is the ultimate social distancing agent.

4.27.20Thick Fog Around the Art MuseumWhen we woke up this morning, a thick fog had totally shrouded the basin and limited visibility. You could barely see past Main Street from the living room. As the sun rose, the fog began to burn off, revealing landmarks that had been hidden moments earlier. As the Cincinnati Art Museum crept into view, I got a photo of its tower just above the tree line with a zoom lens.

4.28.20Trailer ArtWent to Florence, KY to do a shoot this afternoon and this trailer was nearby. While they were making the food for the shoot, I went over and got a photo of it. It’s a trailer they’ve painted to advertise another business associated with the restaurant.

4.29.20Lavender ShadeIt was 5 PM. My work day had officially hit the time at which a beer was acceptable. After pulling a Shade out of the fridge, I turned to set it on the counter and snap the tab back. As I swiveled to place the can, a vase of these purple and yellow flowers caught my eye. I held the can up to the arrangement and realized they’d make a good couple. Grabbing my Lume Cube and flash with a purple gel, I set everything in the other room together on a marble slab. The flash shot upward behind the can and flowers and the Lume Cube provided soft white light that I swept back and forth during the 2-second exposure to eliminate aggressive shadowing. This was the result. After spending so much time last week on a flower shot, this one’s brevity really made the whole process so much more fun.

4.30.20The Bike RoomI spent too much of the day working on Refined and wrapping up loose ends on personal projects, and I forgot to make a photo of the day until the very end. While taking the dog outside for her last trip of the night, I photographed the bike room that faces Eggleston Avenue.