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12.1.25
12.1.25Holiday Lights Mini-BlinkThe Art Museum is open late every Thursday and Friday until the end of the year. To help with attendance, a custom projection-mapped show is playing on the north wall of the courtyard. The show is about 4 minutes long and plays every 15 minutes with a full soundtrack synced to the visuals.I photographed it for the museum’s marketing team this evening.
12.2.25
12.2.25Coming Soon8K are finishing up an apartment renovation in Evanston and needed to start listing as many apartments as possible. These are rent-controlled units that I think are quite nice, especially for the price and size. While the building is still under a lot of construction, I was able to shoot two apartments without much trouble. The rest will need to be done next month when construction has wrapped and the floors have been cleaned.Also, it snowed again. I like this type of snowfall because it’s light, doesn’t sit atop an inch of ice, and minimally impacts the roads. It’s good coverage, but we’re not all trapped in our homes. It’s beautifully fun and devoid of the worst traits of a heavier storm.
12.3.25
12.3.25Unearthing GameboyThe sketchbook I used to have was missing. I’d looked in the art cabinet in the living room, my workshop, and on the bookcase. The only other hiding place it could’ve been was my office closet, but sorting through that mess was a can of worms I wanted kept shut. Alas, the sketchbook was important, and I knew it wouldn’t resurface on its own.I got a fresh can of Coke Zero from the fridge as a salve to soothe the pain in the ass that was to come. Taking a long, refreshing drink, I slammed the quarter-empty can down on my desk, flung open the office door, and cracked my knuckles.After a sweaty 10 minutes of lifting tote after tote, I finally found the sketchbook. Mission accomplished. Cue fireworks and Blue Angels fly-over. The worst part was yet to come, though: putting all this shit back. As I started undoing the progress I’d made, I stopped to look in a couple of totes; every Enquirer on my birthday from 1986 until 2000 my grandmother collected and gave to me, a box of tchotchkes and framed photos, and my surviving collection of retro video games from my childhood. Atop the pile in that last box was my old original Gameboy with Tetris wedged in the slot.I took it out, turned it over in my hands a few times, ran a finger over the screen, and tapped the buttons a few times. The way it felt in hand was immediately recognizable. You don’t forget the shape of a Gameboy like this. It felt lighter, though, so I checked the battery compartment: empty, thankfully. I thanked my past self for not ruining an irreplaceable object like this by carelessly leaving corroded batteries in it for decades.After putting all the totes back in the closet with one less Gameboy in them, I slapped fresh Duracells in the unit and fired it up. The familiar descending Nintendo logo sank from the top frame of the screen and settled in the middle with that iconic “coin” chime. Tetris’ theme began playing shortly thereafter, and it brought me back to sitting in the back room of my grandmother’s house—the one with the ancient TV on the rolling stand and the pull-out couch that would later have a computer in it within a few more years. She gave it to me for Christmas and I remember it being a helluva gift.I knew it was going to be my photo of the day.
12.4.25
12.4.25Myrtle Christmas 2025This is the ninth year in a row that I’ve made a Christmas photo of Myrtle to send out in holiday cards. And, to be honest, I think this one is the best we’ve ever done.Christmas 2017 she was an otherworldly cute puppy. Christmas 2020 had the best classic staging and lighting. 2023 melded my interest in woodworking into the mix by having her sit in the toy box I made for her among all her toys. 2024 was a fresh departure from tradition with a paired-down white backdrop for a more minimal approach.This year, I wanted to get creative with it. I wanted a challenge—something that would stand out and make the recipient stop and actually look at it for more than a couple seconds.I took a box, made a wooden frame out of scrap to put around it so it would keep its shape, and stapled a black piece of cloth with a slit in it to the back. Myrtle stuck her head through the slit and out of the front of the “gift box”, and the goal was to decorate each box with something different. Ashley devised a lot of the art direction within each box while I added small stuff around her work. I moved the camera around four times to achieve the different perspective per quadrant.Even though she’s a very well-trained dog, she has her limits and decided when she was done. We felt like these were the best four options of the many we tried, and I stitched everything together in Photoshop. There was absolutely no AI used for any of this; just good old-fashioned Ps. There is only one object that I added in post from a generic Google image search that wasn’t actually in any of the photos. If you email me your guess, I’ll tell you whether or not you got it right.
12.5.25
12.5.25Drafting TableI’m getting back into illustration so much that I went ahead and added a drafting table on the other side of the office. Having a dedicated space to draw, pin up works in progress, and come back to them when I’m able is so much better than clearing my computer desk every time.
12.6.25
12.6.25Let There Be LightAdded under-the-shelf lighting to these shelves a couple months ago. I had every intention of photographing friends at a gathering that we had at our place today, but I was too busy living in the moment and forgot to take a single photo, so this is what I am submitting for today.
12.7.25
12.7.25InspirationSince I’m drawing more, I’m finding it’s easier to get in the headspace of what I want to do by revisiting the works of artists whose styles I emulate closest. That’s not to say I want to copy directly their styles, but their illustrations are closest to how I prefer drawing. Since I’m still refining my approach and process, it’s nice to refresh myself on what they’ve done so I can have a more cohesive vision for what I want to do.Locally, I really love the way Caroline William drew her scenes. Barbara and David Day are also hugely influential. Additionally, old architectural drawings by Samuel Hannaford and his contemporaries are always worth looking back on.I got this book from the Ohio Bookstore years ago. It’s a collection of floorplans and sketches by George Woodward, originally printed in the late 1800s. I find them among the most beautiful sketches of houses and Victorian-era buildings I’ve seen. They’re so technical and precise. While that’s not how I prefer to work (I like Williams’ more loose approach), I can’t get over the shading in his drawings. They add so much dimension and beautifully highlight the many shapes and corners of each building.
12.8.25
12.8.25UpgradedI posted about our bedroom projector on November 30th and talked about how I had an upgrade on order from B&H. Well, that projector was damaged in transit, so I had to send it back. They replaced it with another one that actually works, though. It’s a ViewSonic LX60HD. I set it up on the shelf, manually adjusted the keystones because the auto-correct feature didn’t work, and now Ashley can comfortably watch TV on the biggest “screen” in the house without needing to have anything bigger than this little box on a shelf in the room.Also, I've not had work outside the house for five days, so if this last week of images hasn’t been overly interesting, it’s because I’ve just been puttering around my house doing all my stupid little hobbies.
12.9.25
12.9.25Tiny Planet WorkshopThought I might throw the 360 camera in the workshop and make a tiny planet image to see how it looked.
12.10.25
12.10.25Hit the LightsPhotographed my final event of the year at the Art Museum this evening. Attendance was great, remarks were short, and spirits were both high and flowing. As swing dancers kept the energy up, everyone was in an excellent mood sipping mixed drinks and making plates catered by the museum.I’m a bit bummed that this is the final event of the year. Every time I get to work one of these shindigs, I leave feeling really good. Maybe I’ve come to rely on it as a bit of healthy forced extroversion? Whatever I’m mentally grappling with that day is pushed to the distant background when I’m there. Since I’ve been alone a lot lately, I’ve felt disconnected and lonely to a degree I normally don’t, but when I get to go here, it fills up my tank.I’m not due back until the end of January for Art After Dark. By that point, I’ll have left my Thirties and entered a new decade. Feels weird to know this was the final event of the first half of the 2020s, and the last of an era for me personally. I shot this photo because it felt spiritually relevant; the door isn’t fully closed and locked, lights are off just beyond them, but it’s all still visible. I realized this was the last one before a couple of milestones, and that awareness felt much like the door in this scene—not quite ready to be locked, but nearly there.
12.11.25
12.11.25ScannedThis may be a first for the Daily Photo Project: a screenshot of over 20 scans stitched together using Matterport for a real estate listing. Technically, this a photo of a bunch of photos I made, so I’m counting it.It looks bad from the “dollhouse” view, but the scans are fine. While I do not think scanning a home room by room is an equal substitute for good stills, I think it’s worth acknowledging as a decent way to convey the layout of a space without needing to personally visit it. These walkthroughs are nice for people who want to tour places without needing to spend the time to physically go there.
12.12.25
12.12.25Jackson StreetJust a photo I took on a walk this evening.
12.13.25
12.13.25The Great Snow TrekA winter storm rolled through the city this afternoon and evening. All in all, we figure we got about 5 inches within a few hours. The roads were treacherous to navigate, but we weren’t satisfied staying in on a Saturday night.Our insistence on living in a walkable neighborhood proved, yet again, that car-based suburban life isn’t for us.We strapped on our boots, threw on our heaviest coats and hats, and hit the streets on foot to support a few bars and restaurants that we enjoy. We trudged through the snow to Darkness Brewing first, met up with Chelsea there, then marched through falling snow to Wayfarer Tavern. After a pizza and a few drinks, we continued on to Tuba where we were the only customers at the end of the evening.I took a load of photos throughout our journey. Picking one wasn’t easy, but I think this one sums up the vibe rather well. Snowy, deserted streets, a lighted snowflake decoration illuminating the storm, cozy houses blanketed after hours of accumulation, and just a couple of friends navigating it with the promise of pizza and beer at the next stop.10/10, great night.
12.14.25
12.14.25Scammed!“Did you get stood up?” A stranger asked me as he passed.“Actually, yeah. I think I did,” I replied bewildered and shivering in the light coat I regretted wearing instead of my big winter option. Back at home, I reasoned that I was only walking from my truck to the venue for half a block–it didn’t seem worth it to bulk up for temporary discomfort.A client reached out to me back in early November about shooting their class reunion at The Transept at 6 PM on today’s date. By 6:20PM, I found myself photographing both my watch and the venue as proof of integrity. The inside was dark. No sign of life. Had it been canceled due to snow? Had it moved and no one told me? I wanted to give it 20 minutes before giving up and going home, and this photo was evidence that I was, indeed, there at the date and time if they later accused me of no-showing.With numb fingers, I hammered out an email explaining that I was here despite there being no event, and that I’d given it a reasonable amount of time before leaving. Deep down, I wanted to give them a piece of my mind for ruining my Sunday night this way, but I kept it professional. Cincinnati is a small market, and burning any bridge can lead to disaster.After I got home, I sent a text to the friend who referred the client to me. Long story short, I’d been scammed. There never was an event or real client. After reviewing the email exchange, it became obvious. I felt incredibly stupid for a few hours, but I was overall thankful that I hadn’t lost any money in the process. It was the least painful hard lesson that I could’ve learned. I was also relieved that it wasn’t just a bad person who canceled an event and didn’t tell me.I didn’t give them my bank information for a deposit like they requested, I didn’t pass up other work to do this, and the only real loss involved paying to park and standing outside for a half hour in a light jacket in 10ºF weather. Now that I know I can be scammed, I will be more vigilant in the future.
12.15.25
12.15.25Brilliant Sunset on a Bad DayWe had to take Ashley’s grandfather to the hospital this morning. He’s been suffering with some stuff for a couple months now, and it’s gotten to the point where he needs professional help.Ashley was in the ER with him all day until he was given a hospital bed upstairs. I had a couple of work obligations I couldn’t miss, but I joined them afterward. We’re hoping he can get answers and treatment for his issues so he can go back home. His son gets back tomorrow, which will alleviate Ashley of sole management of his care. He’s 83 and in poor health, but we’re remaining optimistic at the moment.While on my way back to the hospital, I caught this incredible sunset in the most mundane of places.
12.16.25
12.16.25Bad PrognosisThe prognosis for Ashley’s grandfather isn’t good. There are still more tests and procedures to be done, but as of this writing, it’s not good. I took a candid of her feeding him tonight, but I don’t want to share that image here.I also can’t get over just how cluttered this hospital is. The nurses’ desk at the center of the floor is covered in everything from computer wires and Christmas decor to oversized Stanley thermoses and more. The ceiling in this place is also noticeably lower than others, making the whole place feel suffocating to a tall person like me. Oversized rolling chairs and equipment stands litter the hallways. There always seems to be lights out no matter where you look. It feels like there’s nowhere to stand without being in someone’s way.If I ever end up in the hospital, I hope it’s never in one like this. I will not heal in a place so brimful of bad lighting and both necessary and unnecessary junk.
12.17.25
12.17.25HelplessnessFeeling very helpless at the moment. I’m in studio all week with Marlene, and Ashley is essentially living at the hospital with her grandpa whenever she can get away from work. I want to be there, too, but I can’t due to work. I’m not sure what I would be able to do there, but it feels bad not being present.Anyway, here’s another very good winter sunset.
12.18.25
12.18.25Wing Night DistractionThe boys have had a wing night planned since before all this stuff with grandpa cropped up. After a long week of going back and forth to the hospital and working in the studio, I needed a couple hours of distraction to feel something other than dread and stress.We returned to the worst-named wing joint, Knuk-N-Futz, in Taylor Mill. If you’re looking for good and greasy, this place is it. I didn’t feel like dealing with the mess that comes with eating wings, so I went with boneless this time. No, I don’t feel bad about that decision.
12.19.25
12.19.25SprinklesMy sister asked me to draw my niece’s dog, Sprinkles, for her for Christmas.
12.20.25
12.20.25Hospital Gift ShopOne more reason I really don’t like this hospital: it has…a gift shop?I’ve been very fortunate to spend very little time in hospitals during my lifetime. As such, I don’t feel like I have a strong sense of the vibe of a place like this. Right now, Ashley’s grandfather is essentially slowly dying in this building, and this cheery gift shop at the elevator bank is a harsh tonal shift I don’t appreciate. My impression of hospitals is that they are a place of serious worry despite their intention to rehabilitate. The inclusion of this shop trying to make more money off of the stressed friends and relatives who are coming to see their loved ones feels gross to me.Also, it illustrates more of that signature clutter that I can’t stand about this place.
12.21.25
12.21.25Pigeon ForgeAshley and I had a mini-vacation planned for December 21-24. With everything going on with her grandfather this week, we considered canceling it and staying home. But she needed a break from the routine, there were more people up here now to visit with him every day, and there’s honestly little we can do for him now. She decided we should stick with the original plan and go on the trip.Our final destination is a cabin in the woods just outside of Asheville, NC overlooking the French Broad River. Along the way, though, we’re stopping for a night in Pigeon Forge to both break up the drive and see a place we’ve never been to before.Pigeon Forge is honestly better than I expected. With the mountains in the distance and the overwhelming amount of tourist kitsch, it feels like bargain Vegas. I also haven’t looked this up, but I’d be willing to bet there are more go-kart tracks per capita here than anywhere else in the world.
12.22.25
12.22.25GatlinburgI misspoke in my last entry—I have been to Pigeon Forge. When I wrote that last night, I’d forgotten and it later came back to me. Back then, we also went to Gatlinburg since it was in close proximity. We did the same thing today.From what I remember, not a whole lot has changed since the late-90s; putt-putt golf is still a major presence, there are loads of trinket and fried food shops, and it’s still just as crowded along the main drag. I liked the The Village Shops for its walkable, European-inspired architecture and winding alleyways. Though they were too expensive to ride, I thought the ski lifts looked fun, too. I was surprised by the number of ice cream shops open in winter, but I guess there’s still a demand for it. A Trump “superstore” conveniently shares a building with an adult sex shop, effectively sequestering Gatlinburg’s center of depravity while sandwiched between a “family fun parlor” and something called “Chocolate Monkey.” Even in cold, grey December, Gatliburg’s cup still runneths over with color and an undeniable vibrancy (for better or worse).To a child, the arcades and attractions must be incredible. To an adult, it felt a sliver of Orlando on a budget with National Parks nearby. I won’t say it was great or terrible. It just is what it is.
12.23.25
12.23.25Cabin Along the RiverAshley found an isolated cabin on a hill along the French Broad River in North Carolina for us to stay in for two nights. After we left Gatlinburg, we drove to a farm in the mountains where a family had built the cabin and rented it out on Airbnb. It isn’t very big, but the large outdoor wrap-around porch is nice considering it’s about 20 degrees warmer down here than it is back home.Our host dropped by to give us fresh eggs, goat milk, and she baked us a loaf of garlic bread in the shape of a heart. The furniture in this place photographs far better than it is to sit on, sadly, but at least the bed is comfortable. Overall, it’s a nice place, and I’m excited to sit and do nothing for a whole day.After her grandfather’s condition worsened, we considered canceling this trip. That was back when she and I were the only two in town who were able to take care of him and her grandmother. Since then, other family members have arrived from Florida and it’s taken the pressure off Ashley. She needed a couple days away from the hospital to de-stress. While the looming fear of him passing away hangs over everyone, there’s little we can do besides wait and hope for the best.
12.24.25
12.24.25RecoveryAfter saying goodbye to our cabin, packing up the truck, and setting the GPS for home, we realized we needed coffee. With it being Christmas Eve, our options in rural Madison County were limited. A small town called Marshall was set along our route, though, and we figured that would be our best option.The winding mountain roads snaked alongside the French Broad River for miles until Marshall peeked into view on the other side of a bridge. Once downtown, it became clear our luck was running out. Most everything was closed or shuttered, save for a little mercantile beside an old-timey gas station near the opposite side of the business district.This place was devastated by hurricane Helene last year. Evidence of its recovery is obvious if you’re looking for it. For example. the house pictured was boarded up with debris strewn around it. I imagine it was a casualty of the storm and still isn’t inhabited. With the town sitting so low in the valley and directly on the river, it’s no wonder they suffered when the French Broad rose following record-breaking rainfall.We continued home through rural parts of NC and TN until finally reaching the highway. From there, it was a straight shot home. With everything going on, I had a minor existential crisis concerning mortality somewhere along the way. I finally snapped out of it when Ashley applied lotion to her hands and it made a hilariously cartoonish slathering sound that made me die laughing.
12.25.25
12.25.25ChristmasWe visited Grandpa in the hospital this morning. It was horrible. His condition has deteriorated so severely that they’re stopping meds and moving him to hospice within the next day. Ashley is a wreck and I feel largely helpless on what to do besides be present for the family. Personally, I didn’t feel like going up to my sister’s for Christmas considering how awful we felt about all of this, but it offered us a distraction nonetheless.The kids enjoyed their gifts. It was nice seeing them open their presents and be carefree for a few hours. It temporarily got my mind off mortality, but it also unfortunately cooked up some new fears and worries unrelated to the Grandpa situation.I don’t know. This is honestly the worst Christmas I’ve ever experienced, and though it could always be worse, I’ve never had one this bad in my life.
12.26.25
12.26.25Tear-DownThis being the worst Christmas on record, we took down all the decor tonight. We’re sick of seeing it. We lack the Christmas spirit, and we’re sick of our home pretending to be this sugary-sweet holiday thing that it’s just not this year.We didn’t exchange gifts, either. That was also a first for me. As Myrtle tore into her gift (a bag of treats), we packed everything else away and hoped for something better in 202
12.27.25
12.27.25At PeaceAshley’s grandfather, David Buttelwerth, passed away just after noon today. We’d gone over to hospice to sit with him, her grandmother, and her uncle when we very gently and quietly slipped away. To say it was emotional would be an understatement.The last couple of days, he was medicated into comfort and remained unconscious. He suffered for months with back pain that eventually led us to take him to the hospital where we learned he had more going on than previously believed. Without going into details, it was an uphill battle that he couldn’t win. The only solace I take from this whole thing is that he was without pain in his final moments. Dave was with his beloved wife, son, and granddaughter when he passed, and he’s at peace now.I had the honor of knowing him for his final decade. Seeing his relationship with Ashley, it was clear he was a good man, husband, father, and grandfather. Among many things about him, I always admired how he was so focused on his hobbies—birding, puzzling, golf scorecard and stamp collecting, and when he was younger, photography. His family would sometimes give him a hard time about what he was into, but his curiosity and drive to keep his mind active and love what he loved is aspirational to me. He was quietly content and comfortable with himself in a way I hope to learn one day.I’ll miss his smirk when he’d say something sarcastic to someone in the room. I’ll think of him every time I have a Little Debbie or Hostess snack cake. Nary a puzzle will be put together without Dave on my mind. The next time I photograph a bird, I’ll think of him.Following his passing, we took her grandmother back to her condo in Florence. She was quiet and subdued in a way I’ve never seen her before. Time will tell if she’ll be alright or not. We hope she feels supported despite losing him; she has many people around to lean on should she need it.Nothing today felt appropriate for Daily Photo. The only thing I came up with was documenting Dave’s chair—the recliner that no one will dare sit in out of respect for their patriarch. It’s going to be a very hard couple of weeks while we figure out what’s next for Dave’s funeral, Grandma, and everyone who loved him.
12.28.25
12.28.25How to Follow?How do you follow an entry like yesterday's? I don’t have a good answer, honestly.Here’s an image of my phone in the smartphone slot of a grocery cart.
12.29.25
12.29.25The Wendy’s SunroomFound a Wendy’s that still has one of the old sunrooms. The restaurant’s been updated with new decor and such, but it still maintains this architectural feature. It lacks all of the warmth I remember it having from visiting Wendy’s in my youth, but I guess it gets points for still existing.
12.30.25
12.30.25Forgotten Love NotesI think it was before I got laid off at the website when I found this book of love notes at a boutique in the suburbs. Each page has a different design with everything from a sincere quote (my least favorite) to something cheeky, often with a stupid pun (obviously my favorite). All of the pages are perforated so you can detach them from the book and give them to someone. I used to give them to Ashley around the time we bought the house. It’s kind of fun flipping through it again.
12.31.25
12.31.25End to 2025Overall, 2025 was a better year than others. Of course, with the end of it being so top of mind and awful, I really have to dig deep and analyze it without just the recency bias coloring my perspective of it.I made more money in 2025 than I ever have before. We went on a really good road trip with Myrtle. We met new people and maintained our strong relationships with those closest to us. I got to see my best friend bring people from around the world together for a live show he designed and then marry one of my other best friends in front of everyone. I shot so many events that I think I might be less of an architectural photographer and more of an event photographer now. I worked with a globally-recognized artist and traveled for work for her. I bought a truck that I genuinely love to drive and realized I am a small truck guy. I got to eat at Casa Bonita in Denver with my friends, and a trip to Chicago in September was a blast.It’s wild how the death of one person in your family, though, really nullifies how you feel about the year overall. I won’t keep harping on this because we still have a lot to do for it, and I know I will speak on it again within the next few days, but all I’ll say is after seeing a man die, I’ve really started seriously thinking about mortality in ways I haven’t before. Nothing is certain, we never truly know how much time we have left, and having a clear vision of what’s to come is optimistically foolish at best.So, as I leave 2025 in the past, I have to remember that I can only guess at what’s to come in 2026 and plan for it accordingly. Hopefully the next year will be as good as the last minus a repeat of that thing at the end.
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