4.1.26ParallelsThis is not a before and after. Two different properties, in two different cities, about 3 miles apart. Both were built long before any of us were here, but they’re both in transition at present.Top: a historic house in Covington freshly stripped nearly to the studs that’s looking for a preservation-minded owner to purchase it. Bottom: a historic firehouse in Over-the-Rhine freshly renovated for life as a short term rental. I photographed them within hours of each other and was struck by their parallels despite their differences.This is partially why I love my job. I get to see both ends of the spectrum of something like this within the same hour. Tomorrow, I’ll do something different. The next day, something else. And then if I’m lucky, I’ll get to do this again at some point. That ever-changing schedule keeps me engaged despite the drawbacks that come with working for yourself. Every day being totally unique is a quality I can scarcely imagine giving up. If I get to do this the rest of my life, I don’t think I’ll ever choose to fully retire.

4.2.26Cat NapI received this text from Ashley: “Cat in fort.”She was on a work call and couldn’t break away, but she knew I needed to see this. Her office looks out onto the alley and back with a prime view of the fort in our neighbor’s back yard. Avoiding her laptop camera, I silently squeezed in and aimed the J5 with the longest lens I have for it and snapped the photo.It’s not even lunch time and I know nothing else will be better than this. As I write this, the cat is currently on his side snoozing in the fort with one paw stretched over the edge of the platform.

4.3.26Blind LemonBlind Lemon’s patio is one of the better places to have a drink on a warm evening.

4.4.26GreenhousingWe’ve been itching to clean up the yard and plant our annuals. It’s too early for much of it, but we needed SOMETHING to satisfy the urge. While many hate yard work, we find it meditative and genuinely relaxing when there’s a chance to dig around in the Earth and add to the ecosystem for the bees and butterflies.Our yearly Baeten’s run happened this morning. With the threat of April frost on our minds, we only bought stuff for the moveable pots. If it gets too cold again, we’ll simply move them into the garage.As always, Myrtle had a good time snooting around the planters and accompanying Ashley into every corner of the nursery.

4.5.26Glad I’m Not a MouseThis friendly cat galloped over to me when I bent down to PSPSPSPS at her.

4.6.26Ultra-Protected Bike LaneWhen half-broken bollards aren’t enough, a canvas of a flood wall will do. As seen along Route 8 leading from Covington to Ludlow.

4.7.26Sunning the BeansIt’s been a weirdly cat-heavy photo month so far. This one is sunning her toe beans in the front window of this tiny little green house.

4.8.26Ball?While I watched the 1994 classic Angels in the Outfield on the couch, Myrtle brought me her ball to throw. Also, sidetone: I remember Christopher Lloyd being in that movie in way more scenes than he actually was.

4.10.26Memory BoxWent in to find some ticket stubs I saved from 20 years ago to send to a friend. Ended up going through all the artifacts and photos I have saved in there.I’ve kept this unorganized mess of memories in this box for as long as I can remember.

4.9.26Medieval LivingWent up to Dayton for work today and passed by an apartment complex with these outlandish circular towers on every stand-alone building. I know nothing about this place, but I would imagine it was built during the mid-70s when Midcentury Medieval Revival was a winding-down trend. It all feels very Kings Island to me.

4.11.26Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2Violinist James Ehnes beholds the crowd in Springer Auditorium after his solo.

4.12.26Bye BoyWent out to Bethel for a funeral. Probably the last time I’ll ever see this.

4.13.26On the Road to 107I’ve been debating for months whether or not I wanted to get into droning. For years, I resisted the urge to learn the laws surrounding registration and piloting unmanned aircraft for commercial use. It always seemed like more of a headache than it was worth. Plus, very few people ever asked me if I offered that service, so I wrote it off as a non-essential wormhole. But I finally decided that, in order to stay competitive, I should probably bite the bullet and just do the damned thing.I’m flying recreationally right now while I study for my Part 107 exam. I decided to give myself less than a week to prepare because I wanted to push myself to learn the material and get what I need. That urgency, while motivating, has been a source of stress, too.We live within Class D airspace thanks to Lunken, but with the ease of using LAANC to automate FAA approval up to an altitude of 400 feet, I’ve been enjoying checking out the skies from above. Hopefully I pass my test this Thursday.

4.14.26Eye On CrosleyI’ve always wanted to get a closer look at Crosley. Now with the drone at my disposal, I can.

4.15.26Archaeological FindAshley was trying to plant bulbs across the street in the empty lot, and while digging around in the dirt, she struck rock in several places. She started clearing what was there and discovered these massive stones with gaps between them laid out beneath the soil.I was studying for my Part 107 exam tomorrow and took a break to go check out the archaeological find. I got a flashlight and aimed it into the largest section of the gap. Once illuminated, I could see a stone wall leading down about 10 feet deep. The stones she uncovered seemingly cover a massive pit of some sort.Kevin up the street was walking his dogs and stopped to check it out with us. We dug around a little more and found the edge of stones on the northeast side of the section. As far as we could tell, it was probably a well or cistern that had been covered up at some point in the past, before the advent of Google Street View. The railroad owns the property, but I wonder if I can find proof of it on Sanborn maps.We’re not going to dig any further. A massive pit doesn’t need to be uncovered for no reason. We will more than likely just cover it back up with the soil and pine needles that were there already.

4.16.26Passed!After less than a week of owning a drone and cramming for the exam, I went out to Flamingo Air Flight Academy to take my test. I purposefully didn’t give myself a bunch of time because I know I would keep putting it off if I didn’t just commit to doing it. Luckily for me, I passed with an 85% and will receive my temporary license to fly commercially within the week. My physical card will come in the mail within the next few months, they said.I’m really happy I did this. This will undoubtedly open doors for me that were previously shut, and I’m looking forward to making additional income using technology in ways I haven’t previously.

4.17.26Crazy DogMyrtle instinctively stuck her head through her peep hole to see what I was doing behind the fence despite the fact that the gate was wide open.

4.18.26WetJust the pattern of droplets on the moon roof while I waited for Ashley to come out of the mall.

4.19.26Day at NURFCPhotographed people and exhibits at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center during Fifth Third Community Day.

4.20.26All’s QuietView from my office window. I find the glow from the neighbors’ curtained windows relaxing. I also still can’t believe a phone can take a long exposure like this, even if it is run through an algorithm to enhance it.

4.21.26The Observatory Had some photos to make at the Cincinnati Observatory this morning. They’re performing a big renovation in the basement to make it useable for exhibits, so they needed shots to document what’s there as well as some artifacts and telescopes they had on display.At the end of the day, I flew the drone to get some eye-level shots of the dome as well as some fun top-down aerials. While I was flying, some random guy yelled at me for “following him” with it. In his mind, it was apparently more likely that I’d be filming a random man on the grounds of the Observatory than making images of the beautiful historic building in front of him. I wish he understood how quickly I would remove him in post for a clean shot.

4.22.26Jill & LizShort session with Jill and her daughter, Liz, in Tower Park this evening.

4.23.26Floral ArtistryArtist Sue McLeary puts the finishing touches on a wearable floral arrangement that will later be worn by a model for tomorrow’s fashion show.

4.24.26Fashion ShowDesigner Asha Ama put together a fashion show featuring models wearing a variety of floral-enhanced looks. The runway kicked off at the back of the Great Hall and turned around in the accompanying gallery. The models came out one at a time, giving myself and the other photographers time to grab a few shots before they moved on.This presented a challenging technical task when it came to getting the right shots. My background was undesirable, and nothing would change that, so I did the best I could with the situation. Having shot in the Great Hall a hundred times, I know how tricky it is to get the right shot with decent lighting, so I improvised. Before the show started, I put my speed light on some feet, took it upstairs to the second floor, placed it on the ledge and aimed it at the wall, and used my trigger to fire it remotely during the show. This provided consistent lighting every time, and I wasn’t blinding those who were physically nearby me.The choice to throw the light up on the second floor was ultimately a good one. While I wish I had more to work with background-wise, the shots turned out well, and I’m happy with them overall.

4.26.26AIB Final DayFinal day of Art In Bloom featured a well-attended drag show, workshops, and much more. I’m exhausted from working hard the last four days and can’t wait to have a day in the office tomorrow.

4.27.26Off DayI decided to take some time off today and enjoy the outdoors on two wheels. Since I didn’t have the weekend free, a half day would do.Last week I received a mount for my 360 camera that straps to my bike. Took it out for a spin and recorded the ride.Tonight I start a drawing class at Manifest over near Northside, too.

4.28.26Still LifeLast night’s class was great. It was nice carving time out of my schedule to go draw in a new setting. It was my first time visiting Manifest after years of hearing about it from friends and other artists.After the class, one of the artists took me upstairs to show off the photo lab and other areas of the building. All of it was genuinely impressive. I can see how this place serves as both a functional space for artists as well as inspiration for creativity.After getting a few things done this morning, I took another half day and finished the still life drawing I’d started the evening prior.

4.29.26Cold DrinksI went to a number of hardware stores today looking for a very specific adapter that would connect a utility sink faucet to a hair washing sprayer for Marlene’s studio. The two needed to be connected in order to make the hair wash station operable, and while replacing both the sink and the faucet were an option, I figured a small adapter that works with what she already had would be cheapest and easiest.Well, I got the ‘cheapest’ part right…Finding something with two different diameters and two different styles of threads proved too specific for a general hardware store. I ended up having to go to a plumbing specialty store where they connect two pieces together to create the ultra-specific, magic part I needed. It took me about 4 hours to find the right part, but for $17, I solved the sink issue for her without spending more money on it.Nothing about the day was photogenic, but I did find this retro vending machine in the plumbing store amusing.

4.30.26Inaugural FlightShot a series of STRs downtown in the Thomas Morrow building on Ninth Street. I took this opportunity to fly the drone and get some aerial shots to showcase the mural on its side. This was the first time I’ve flown the drone in the core, and I’m eager to do more soon.