7.1.24Purple People PreventerThe Purple People Bridge, my personal favorite access to Downtown on bike and on foot, has been closed on the Cincinnati side for weeks due to debris that fell from one of the struts. This has happened before, and the bridge reopened fairly quickly last time, so I’m hoping for the same this time.Instead of taking this bridge, I have to use the Taylor-Southgate Bridge and hope it isn’t full of pedestrians when crossing. It’s much harder to navigate around people and dogs in a space like that than it is the wide deck of the PPB.

7.2.24Four YearsFour years ago today, we closed on our house. Besides the workshop I built before we moved in, my office was the first room I started putting together. There’s actually a photo of this room from almost the same exact perspective from August 19th, 2020 in the archive if you care to see how much it’s changed.My desk moved from the corner and sits on the left wall today. A lounge chair with a gallery wall backdrop (that I’m still building) now occupies that space. I just added to the collection a print of a painting of Deep Space Nine by Jenny Johnson, and a photo of a Saturn V rocket (photographer listed as NASA) on the launchpad at dawn from the late 1960s. There have been other changes, but they’re all out of frame and no one actually cares about this but me.Cheers to four years.

7.3.24Malt-MakersWe went to the wine night at Merchant’s Club and then to Vince and Chels’ house for homemade malts. This scene looks like it’s a staged stock photo, but it’s not. I love that.

7.4.24Sleeping GiantI took this photo of the AF-10 Twin that I’ve yet to load with film to send to a friend, but I never sent it. This Fourth of July feels scary and sad; I contemplated going to Northside for the parade but didn’t go. There is a parallel between intentions and lack of follow-through that I’m just now realizing as I type this.Later on in the day, we had an impromptu cookout with a few people and that felt nice. I only shot film, so I have nothing to show from that event.

7.5.24PracticeJustin and I have a shoot next Thursday for a children’s product line. Before we do the shoot, however, I needed to get a white seamless, two c-stands, and figure out how to light it. I brought everything over to his place and we practiced how we think it will go based on what we know of the product. The closest thing we could find in his house to the product we’d be shooting was this dog toy. He stood in as my model for the test shots.

7.6.24Good MomentAfter playing around with a large-format camera with the guys, we met up with our wives and proceeded to day drink at various places around Over-the-Rhine. It was a perfect day to be out and about. I caught this brief moment by chance and love how it feels. It’s also special to me because I was using a fully manual SLR 35mm PC lens strapped to my Zf with an adaptor, so the fact that I caught it in focus is a minor miracle.

7.7.24Bass IslandTo make up for being out of the house yesterday for an extended period, we spent the day playing and hanging out with Myrtle. She was extra antsy this morning after a weekend of less-than-usual activity, so to wear her out, we took her to do her favorite activity: swimming.Bass Island, the part of the Little Miami River behind 50 West, is always a good spot to toss a toy and let her paddle around. It’s good for me, too, because I can stay completely dry while watching her do her thing.Ashley said the water felt amazing.

7.8.24CityBlockWent out to the west side today. CityBlock, a Brooklyn-based outfit placing new clinics all over the US, brought their first location to Cincinnati.

7.9.24Muralin'A still from a scene on 12th Street where ArtWorks apprentices are painting an enormous Jerry Springer mural. I was about four or five stories up some scaffolding photographing the apprentices for the organization. It took some getting used to the height, and even though I overcame my sky-legs after about 10 minutes, I wasn’t ever fully comfortable being up that high.

7.10.24Interior DesigningWent out to a warehouse in Camp Washington today to document ArtWorks apprentices working on the early stages of an offsite mural. From what I understand, they will be doing this particular piece on a transferable surface, then it will be transported and installed at the site after it’s completed. They do this when the site is unsafe for muralists due to traffic, overhead power lines, or other unavoidable obstacles.

7.11.24BloomieI did a proper studio shoot today. A friend of friend owns The Calm Caterpillar, a brand that offers products and techniques to help calm children at home and school. Some of their products include Calmee, a large plush caterpillar that’s designed to stretch while a child breathes in and out, and the upcoming Bloomie, a handheld plush that also helps with breathing techniques to assist with overcoming big emotions.This was the first time I’d ever worked on product with young models. Aside from a few technical hiccups, I think the session went really well, and I hope I get to do this again for them.

7.12.24Kroger MuralA new mural inside Kroger HQ. Photographed for ArtWorks.

7.13.24Short PershingI had to photograph a house in Covington, but I thought it would show better at night than during the day because of all the unique lamps throughout the house. The owner agreed, so I went over to the house around 10 PM and spent two and a half hours on it. The house was staged and unoccupied.

7.14.24Miniature ThingsChelsea and Vince are out of town. They asked if we would come over and feed their cats once a day. I forgot about this miniature squirrel and basket they have on their windowsill, and it made me laugh.

7.15.24Morning on FourthAssisting in the studio this week. I won’t be working on anything for my portfolio, but I will try to keep the daily photo thing interesting regardless. Then again, it’s debatable whether or not I’ve achieved seven days of good posting outside a vacation in years.I went into the studio this morning an hour early by accident. Holding a rapidly emptying cup of iced latte, it made sense to go get another one from Deeper Roots on Fourth Street. I love this particular block specifically because, if you look to the south side of the street, I don’t imagine it looks markedly different than it did half a century ago.

7.16.24FloraFound this large mushroom while on a walk. I had a 35mm Zuiko strapped to my Z f using an adaptor that converts OM lenses to the Z mount. It’s fully manual, but with focus peaking turned on, I can get a pretty decent image if I spend extra time fussing with it. It is not practical compared to using a regular autofocus lens, but it does force slower, more deliberate frames, and that exercise is enjoyable from time to time. Plus, the lens itself is physically heavy and beautiful, so I like how it feels in hand despite having inferior efficiency.

7.17.24Art of TransitionsI’ve had work down on this block on and off for years, and even though the steps always reek of urine, I love how they offer a nice transition between two differently elevated streets. The artwork that’s popped up there is a bonus.

7.18.24Central Parkway Bike LaneSome people hate how the bike lane ramps up on the sidewalk along this stretch of Central Parkway, but I think it’s the most enjoyable part of the ride. I wish they would find a way to do this more often; it’s not fun riding in traffic, and if it doesn’t impede pedestrians, that’s a win-win. Being off the street, away from cars, and on a bike path separate from the sidewalk is optimal, in my opinion.

7.19.24End-of-Week CorndogNeither of us felt like making the meal kit in the fridge, so we went down to the Silver Grove Dari Bar, counted our coins, and bought what we could with the money we had. I am pleased to say the corndogs were delicious.

7.20.24Easy WorkPhotographed a house for a listing this morning, and the owners staged it beautifully. It was so perfect, I didn’t move anything in any of the rooms to make them look better. They just had it all sorted before I showed up. That attention to detail and considerate preparation was greatly appreciated.

7.21.24Bellevue Farmer's MarketFirst market of the year.

7.22.24Dayton OfficeDrove up to Dayton for a photoshoot in a freshly renovated office for an interior designer.

7.23.24World Famous Tower TreeOn the drive back from a job in Indy, I saw a VISIT GREENSBURG billboard that advertised the “world famous tower tree.” Small town oddities are among my favorite things, so I detoured. Back in 1870, residents noticed a tree growing out of the roof of the courthouse tower. That tree was removed, but another one started growing on the southwest side. The city apparently leaned into the weird charm of the situation, and made it a thing.It’s a Mulberry tree that’s been there for a century now. I love the iconography they’ve chosen for their signage.

7.24.24The OlympicsBellevue hosted a relay race for neighborhood kids at the beach park this evening to kick off the Paris Olympics. I’ve been working with the city to get them new images for the website, so I joined to document the occasion. Unfortunately, about halfway through the event, the sky opened up and drenched everyone who wasn’t under the awning or gazebo.It’s funny because I think the adults were the only people irritated by the weather. All the kids were out running around with their friends in the rain without hesitation. Despite everything we teach them about how to exist and behave in our society, kids can still teach us a thing or two about living.

7.25.24One HighlandI’m working for the architect of One Highland in Fort Thomas. They wanted an image of this building at Golden Hour for their portfolio but haven’t found someone to do it how they wanted.The above image is a composite of seven frames to get all the elements in place. While none of these people were together simultaneously, they’re genuine in their placement and movements. All I did was incorporate them all into the same image to present a curated sense of liveliness. I like it because even though every element in the image is real, it has the polish of a rendering.The sky in the image was added, as well. The actual sky, while the same color and tone, was featureless and devoid of any texture. It didn’t have the drama I wished it had. To fix this, I scoured my archive and found an image I took at a Florida beach in 2017, copied it, and replaced the featureless sky with these wispy clouds. I chose this sky specifically because the angle of light was the same between them. Overall, I think it turned out well, and I really enjoy making these types of images despite the technical challenge of doing so.

7.26.24Cheers!We went to see a comedy show in Dayton, KY and ended up drinking with friends and the owners of Tuba afterward. We did shots of Underberg—a post-drink digestif bitter—after our beer, and I memorialized the occasion.

7.27.24Tiki NiteTravis and Allie hosted a tiki drink night at their place. We had a fantastic evening with good food, drinks (of course), and laughs aplenty. I recorded much of the night on VHS and snapped photos throughout. It was difficult to choose just one image, but I think this one sums up the silliness well. Jonas the cat is very much in love with the taste of coconut creme, so everyone with a drink in their hand became a temporary curiosity to him.

7.28.24MoltingOn our walk to Unataza this morning, I stopped to check out this cicada mid-molting process that landed on our stoop. I guess it was originally stuck to the brick above and had come loose at some point during the shifting weight of the bug.I’ve found discarded exoskeletons over the years, but I’ve never been able to photograph a cicada during its transformation before. Oddly enough, the day before I found some old Zeikos macro diopters hidden away in my cabinet that screw perfectly onto my 28mm lens, so I was able to get really close to this thing to capture finer details. Had I not found them beforehand, I couldn’t have taken this image the same way. The whole thing seemed like the universe planned this.

7.29.24CY-ZI picked up a $14 CY-Z mount converter so I could slap this Carl Zeiss 45mm on my Zf, and wanted to document it. 45mm is a fantastic focal length for street photography. I think this will be a regular combo in my bag every day despite it being a fully manual lens. The physical size of the lens coupled with the optics make for a great Zf load out.I photographed it on a white backdrop while it sat on a clear acrylic platform. I intentionally blew out the highlights to make the texture of the background and platform disappear into the background. It has an unintentional Photoshopped look to it, though. I think seeing a soft shadow on the surface would’ve added something to this.

7.30.24Oregon Trail?While working a job in Mt. Washington, I passed this covered wagon on the side of the road that had a FOR SALE sign on it. Unable to let go of the idea of stopping to document it, I parked in the apartment complex across the street and walked over to snap a few frames. There’s no information about why it exists and only lists a phone number. It’s not every day you see something like this.

7.31.24RexySteve finally moved in with Erica! They are renting a cute little house over in Fairfax. I’m thrilled to see them join houses and cohabitate after living apart for as long as they did. I sweatily helped them move stuff into the house, dispose of a couch, and return the U-Haul this afternoon.Among the many things moved was Rexy, Steve’s heavy dinosaur lawn ornament. It’s followed him from home to home over the years, usually outfitted in a wardrobe of rotating seasonal attire like Christmas lights on a house. Rexy even once served as a hostile message board after Steve moved into his last apartment, and a jilted ex-girlfriend, who assumed the previous resident still lived there, would leave threatening messages taped to its face.