7.1.25Planning ProcessI am building something for someone outside my home. As such, I am taking measures to really plan this one out properly by rendering it in CAD software. The build is simple, but I’d rather have something fully designed on paper before I get into it.

7.2.25Freedom Center Exhibit PhotosI like that I’ve seemingly succeeded in becoming a go-to for exhibit photography for the local museums. Between the Art Museum, Taft, CMC, and Freedom Center, I’ve been fortunate to capture exhibits over the years whenever there’s a need.Today, I photographed the Freedom Center’s new traveling exhibit, Faith & (in)Justice, as well as In This Place.

7.3.25Our Disgusting GovernmentThere’s no reality in which I support this administration, its policies, or the people in governmental positions helping to make life worse for so many in favor of the rich few. I used to have hope for the future; that optimism is gone.

7.4.25Setting SunWe went out to the farm to celebrate Vince’s 40th birthday. He threw a big party with a band, catered food, and launched fireworks for about 50+ people. We set up a tent in the shade of the edge of the woods and camped over night. It was hot until the sun went down, but the portable fan I brought with me took the edge off. Honestly, I thought it would be a more uncomfortable day, but it was quite pleasant.While everyone else also celebrated the birth of our country, I couldn’t help but feel like everyone was missing the point. There’s no reason to celebrate this place right now. The behavior of our government is nothing to be proud of, and I’m embarrassed to call myself American at the moment.

7.5.25Setting SunThe building next to Allie and Travis’ place looks beautiful in evening light.

7.6.25Psst!Just a fun find in Camp Washington.

7.7.25The FrameI’m in construction mode, so I am neglecting photography at the moment. The only intentional image I made today is a shot of the progress on the frame of a structure I’m building.

7.8.25Surprise!A couple weeks ago, I got a DM from Surprise Surprise Studios inviting me to a pre-release screening of the new Superman movie at Union Terminal. My initial reaction was that it was a scam, but after looking into it a bit more, I realized it was a legitimate invite, and seeing the movie early in the Omnimax theatre was a real possibility. I still have no Earthly idea why I was invited as I’m not an influencer and not in the media any longer. Regardless, I went to the movie, collected a swag bag of promotional materials, and watched the movie on the weirdest, warp-iest screen in Cincinnati. (One of the reasons they held a screening at Union Terminal is because the building itself is prominently featured in one scene.) The movie itself was a lot of fun; not being a Superman fan before, I dig the whole vibe of this iteration. It was great to see it early and in that weird aspect ratio, but I think I’m going to go back and see it again on a normal screen sooner than later.

7.9.25Preservation DedicationThe Mercantile Building was dedicated today with a ribbon-cutting that included representatives from Model Group, the mayor and city officials, and John from the Mercantile Library among others. I photographed the event for Model Group.

7.10.25ProofsA pre-edited image I made today while up in Livonia, MI for Luminaut. I went up and back in one day, and while it was a tiring 8 hours on the road, I’m glad I took the job. When these are processed to their finished version, I think they’ll look nice.

7.11.25Paw PileZzzzzzz

7.12.25A Transformation For the AgesI shot 711 Scott Street 13 months ago (bottom), and then again today (top). The owners transformed a dilapidated, abandoned law firm into a gorgeous house that they intend to place on the market soon. To give you some idea of how vastly it’s changed, take a look at the before/after. It’s the same spot from the same angle.While I liked the previous ceiling, I also understand the desire to take it out and open it up a little better.

7.13.25The Frame (Part 2)Remember the frame I posted on the 7th? That was part one of a construction project. Part 2 is a frame for a vanity mirror that will be hung above it. This is the raw build lit up as seen in a bad iPhone photo (again, when in construction mode, I don’t have the capacity to do proper photography). I still need to sand and paint it, then install for Marlene. Once everything’s in place, I will post the finished product.This thing has been a bear to build, and I’ve had to construct it out at my parents’ house since they have more room. Without my dad lending a helping hand and me having a truck to bring it back to my place, I don’t know how I would’ve done this.

7.14.25Better LightingWhen I did the shoot at 711 Scott the other day, Rebecca didn’t like the overhead lighting, and there wasn’t a bulb in the floor lamp in the living room. I returned today in the evening to re-shoot it after the owner put a new bulb in the lamp. It makes the room feel so much more inviting, in my opinion.Overhead can lighting is the worst.

7.15.25Progress on Shahzia’s MuralWent out for fresh images of the mural Shahzia designed. ArtWorks apprentices are really getting a lot done!

7.16.25Screen PrintingArtWorks has me documenting their apprentices in various locations as they work on separate projects in remote spaces. Today’s trip took me out to Norwood where they were removing glazed works from kilns, carving small figures out of clay, and screen printing intricate designs.Despite being in art club when I was young, I wasn’t a cool art kid. And even at nearly 40 years old, I still look at young artists—the same type of people who I admired back in the late-90s and early-2000s—and think they’re some of the coolest people in the world.

7.17.25A Colorful Day at WorkDay 3 of documenting ArtWorks artists doing their thing. This time, I went out to Camp Washington to capture what I could. This room was especially colorful, and I really liked this composition specifically.Everything I said about cool art kids yesterday applies to the cool art kids I photographed today.

7.18.25Casa BonitaRob and Rachel signed up for a reservation for four to Casa Bonita in Denver over a year and a half ago. A few weeks back, they got the email that they could finally fulfill that reservation. Rob had mentioned it to Travis and I after he’d originally submitted their names, and we both said we were committed to joining when he received the green light.So, that’s what we did. We went to Denver for lunch at a Mexican restaurant that shares its DNA with Disneyland.Of course I watched the documentary about the place before we went. The history, the renovation, the new lease on life it received as a result of the two creators of South Park, etc. All of it was fascinating, and seeing two rich dudes dump an endless amount of money into a passion project they know will never be profitable was both satisfying and endearing.One major thing they improved with this new iteration of Casa Bonita was the food. I had the brisket nachos—they were exactly what I’d expect from a place like this. After we fulfilled our hour and fifteen minute dining spot, we wandered around the enormous space taking in all the decor and entertainment. It’s honestly too much to recount here, and I won’t do it justice anyway. It’s just a wild, wonderful place with cliff divers, singing puppets, warm and inviting caves, over-the-top live performances, and false streets that feel real among many other things. All of it stands in stark contrast to reality; leaving the safe, colorful, fantasy world of Casa Bonita and stepping back into an overcast afternoon on Colfax Street in Denver was lightly depressing.If you ever have the opportunity to visit Casa Bonita, please go. It’s an experience unlike many others.

7.19.25The MountainsAfter an exciting first day in Denver, we headed into the mountains to take advantage of Colorado’s defining feature. Rocky Mountain National Park ended up being an unusually busy spot, and we had to fight hard to find places to park the rental so we could get out and explore.We hiked around Sprague Lake, Bear Lake, Alberta Falls (pictured), and drove up to nearly 12,000 feet at one point to the alpine tundra. The views were understandably breathtaking (both literally and figuratively at that altitude). It was a treat to point a camera in any direction and nail the frame without much effort. I don’t think there’s anything more picturesque in nature than mountains.After a long day in the mountains, we ended up spending $5 to go into an over-100-year-old amusement park that looks like it hadn’t been updated in 60 years. They were weird about photography there, restricting us to only using our phones for images. At one point, I was told not to even use my phone. Luckily, I got what I wanted and they didn’t make me delete any of them. I’ll probably go through those at some point and put them online. It was a truly special place that I’m still in shock exists.

7.20.25The Long Trip BackWe ate at the highly-regarded Pete’s Kitchen for breakfast. Every time I’m in another city with a 24-hour greasy spoon diner in it, I am reminded of what we don’t have back home. It’s insane that this type of restaurant isn’t commonplace everywhere.We took it easier today. Travis went to the airport around 1 PM, and Rob and Rachel and I chilled on a rooftop with craft beer until leaving for the airport at 4 PM. Our flight was originally scheduled to leave at 8 PM, but it was delayed three times and ended up leaving around 1:30 AM. To say it was a long, frustrating day at DEN is an understatement.

7.21.25TechnicallyTechnically I took this after midnight in the airport while we were waiting for our plane to figure itself out, so it counts.

7.20.25CordovaA portrait of William Cordova in front of a mural he designed. Behind him is the ArtWorks team who helped realize the mural.

7.23.25The Firehouse2028 Russell Street was built as a firehouse many years ago. While I don’t have time to fully research it at the moment, I read that it also served as a corner store, a beauty salon, and a residence prior to its current state. And by current state, I mean it’s filled with raccoon crap and enough graffiti to keep you busy reading for hours.There’s no power, so it’s completely dark inside. I had to use a flashlight to shoot this for the listing. Some of the walls are missing, you can see through the floor to the basement in a couple spots, and I’m positive I took a few lungfuls of black mold by accident. I got in before the heat really rocketed to its peak, but that didn’t stop it from being a furnace in there. It wasn’t a comfortable shoot at all.It’s going on the market for a low price with the understanding that this will require a lot of work to get it ready for habitation. I just hope whoever buys it can fix it up the way it should be.

7.24.25The PointAn unfinished composite from a shoot I did with GBBN today at The Point in CUF.

7.25.25Cancan DancersFor Art After Dark this month, the museum brought down dancers from Dayton for a show. They did about five routines that included a mix of one-on-one pairings to the full troupe. One routine was a tounge-in-cheek act in which either lady was visibly trying to one-up the other. While one would dance, the other would scowl and be dismissive. The crowd ate it up.

7.26.25The Falls Doing the Heavy LiftToday we embarked upon a road trip that will ultimately lead us to New England with several stops along the way. Unlike last year when we went to Maine, we’re bringing along Myrtle for the ride.Our first stop is Buffalo and Niagara Falls. I’ve only ever read about and seen photos of the Falls, so this was a good opportunity to scratch it off my list. As a fan of parks and the natural beauty of the country around me, I was very excited to see them for myself.I knew the States’ side wasn’t optimal for viewing the Falls before we went, but I was still excited to see what I could from the park in New York. I also knew it would be crowded, but I wasn’t really prepared for how crowded it ended up being. To say there were a lot of people at Niagara Falls is an understatement. If you’re looking for a personal, quiet moment in nature, that ship sailed from Niagara long ago.While we had a good time walking through the park with Myrtle and dodging crowds of tourists to see what we could of the Falls, the city itself was a low-key bummer. Rundown buildings, dirty sidewalks and pedestrian infrastructure, cheap attractions you’d find at a county fairground, and an amount of loud, obnoxious cars a National Park should never experience.I’m positive there’s something in the city that’s worth experiencing outside the Falls, but I’d have to dig for it. I didn’t have that much time there to look for something worthwhile outside the Falls, and since I had Myrtle and Ashley with me it wasn’t going to happen anyway. We were there for probably 2 hours tops before we went to Buffalo to find our hotel.It’s wild that a city like Niagara—a place with so much potential to be incredible—has chosen to be a sad Vegas. Then again, maybe it’s just self-aware. It doesn’t need to be anything but what it currently is; the Falls themselves are such a grand attraction, people will come from around the world to experience it regardless of the state of the city around it.

7.27.25Into the Hudson ValleyAfter an early departure from Buffalo, we drove toward our next rest spot in Hudson, NY. Along the way, however, I made three stops to photograph oddities on top of things: a large statue of a man sitting atop a five and dime in East Aurora, a tiny house on top of a factory building in Syracuse, and a large dog statue that once sat atop a factory owned by RCA (now defunct) called Nipper.We got to our Airbnb in the woods by mid-afternoon. The place was tucked into woods right next to a very active Amtrak line that saw at least one train per hour. It was a perfect spot to post up between trips up the hill to the city proper, and had room for Myrtle to run around with her ball.Hudson itself is very picturesque. Warren Street appears to be its main thoroughfare with the most shops and restaurants the city had to offer. After reading up on it a bit, it’s apparently referred to as “Williamsburg in the woods” due to all the NYCers who’ve come up and (unfortunately) gentrified Hudson. If you go off of Warren to any of the neighboring streets, you’ll see abandoned houses and boarded up buildings right next to fully renovated and well-maintained ones. It’s very clearly a city that’s been undergoing change for a time. The wealth gap is palpable in a place like this, sadly.Despite the exorbitant prices for everything, we had a good time wandering around and taking in the sights as the sun began going down. Choosing just one image from today was difficult, but I’ve landed on this one because it’s representative of my favorite block of architecture I saw in Hudson.

7.28.25Amtrak, Olana, and MoreAfter getting coffee and breakfast, we checked out the Amtrak station in Hudson. A train bound for NYC arrived to pick up passengers while we were there. I lamented the fact Amtrak barely services Cincinnati, and when it does, only once a week at 2 AM. These trains were scheduled for NYC and Toronto among other destinations every hour this morning. It would be a dream to live in the Valley and take a 2-hour ride to Penn Station whenever desired.Hudson hadn’t fully opened up for the day, so we wandered over to Catskill for a bit, but everything was closed there, too. After seeing some wild turkey with their babies, we drove up to Olana—a historic site with an ornate, one-of-a-kind mansion designed by an artist who was part of the Hudson River School of landscape painting in the 19th century (pictured).Once we’d had our fill of Olana, we headed back into town to check out the shops that were now open. We grabbed a drink, bought a few items, then went back to the Airbnb to rest up and get out of the oppressive heat. Later on, we got pizza and ate it in Hudson’s riverfront park on a picnic table. It was a nice way to spend our final evening in the quiet, expensive little city on the river.

7.29.25Return to CamdenLast year, we were unexpectedly charmed by a town in Maine called Camden. So charmed, in fact, that we made it the centerpiece of our roadtrip this year because we wanted Myrtle to experience it with us. After leaving Hudson, we drove straight to Camden without stopping so we could have the maximum amount of time there with her.We rented a room at the same motel we did last year because it looks straight out onto Penobscot Bay. The motel was built in the 1930s—back when laws didn’t prohibit lodging from being that close to the shoreline—making it one of the only places you can rent that close to the sea. The room last year was perfect, and this year was no different.Myrtle seemed entranced by the birds and ships on the water when she sat out on the balcony overlooking the water. It was cute to watch her enjoy it in her own way. I took her outside and up on the large rocks for a bit for a closer look (pictured).We eventually went into town and shopped/ate a lobster roll/drank a blueberry beer. The town is small and quaint in a way that, while touristy, doesn’t feel trashy and cheap. Myrtle got into the bay at one point and laid down to cool off. I’m so glad she gets to enjoy Camden with us this year.

7.30.25The Sunrise We Didn’t See Last YearWhen we went to Camden last year, it was foggy the morning we woke up in our motel room. As such, we didn’t get to enjoy the sunrise on the bay the way we wished we could’ve. This year, however, the weather was clear. We set an alarm for 5:20 AM, rolled out of bed, made coffee in the room, and sat in our chairs on the balcony overlooking the water with Myrtle. I shot a few photos as the sun rose. It was everything I’d hoped it would be.After getting breakfast and letting Myrtle swim at Laite Memorial Beach, we headed up to Camden Hills State Park for a view of the city. Afterward, we met a retired couple who (I think) live on their boat and bop around from port to port along the New England coast with friends. If that’s not the dream, I don’t know what is.Later on, we took Myrtle to a place called Duck Trap River where she could launch off a rocky beach into deep water to fetch her toy. We wore her out to the point where she could barely keep her eyes open in the back of the truck on the ride back to the motel.It was our final evening in Camden, so we went back to the motel room to sit on the balcony and enjoy the time we had left (and let Myrtle rest). A storm inched its way into the bay, so we sat in the dark sipping wine as it lit up the water with flashes of lightning.

7.31.25Onward to Rhode IslandAs we tearfully said goodbye to Camden, we pressed onward to Newport, Rhode Island. The drive took about 5 hours total.The rain from last night spread a thick blanket of clouds across New England such that, when we got to Newport, the skies were still flat and dull. Having bookmarked a bunch of stuff for us to see and do on the map, we started by getting hot dogs at Wally’s Wieners on Thames Street.Thames was packed with tourists like us. Unlike Camden, though, I didn’t think it was especially nice. All the shops we saw were some version of beach t-shirt you’d find along a boardwalk in Florida, and because the city was so old, the street was tight and cramped with too many cars running through it.Justin recommended a coffee spot that we stopped to check out. It was good, but way too crowded for comfort. Finding ourselves not enjoying the experience, we sought out some other place on the island to check out.I’d read before we went that the Cliff Walk was a must-do for first time visitors. After parking the car and wandering down to the cliffside, it was immediately clear that this was what we were meant to enjoy in Newport. The Cliff Walk is exactly what it sounds like; a cliff overlooking the sea that the public can enjoy. Old mansions that once housed Vanderbilts and other old-school wealthy Americans lined the walk, providing an interesting architectural element to complement the natural beauty of the cliff.We drove Ocean Avenue, went around Brenton Point State Park, failed to visit Fort Adams State Park because a jazz festival was happening, and ended up going to Newport Craft Brewing & Distilling for dinner.The sky, which had been overcast and threatening rain all afternoon, was beginning to worsen. Exhausted from traveling and being out all day, we decided to call it an early evening and checked into the hotel room where we watched a documentary and fell asleep before 10 PM.