3.1.20New PC LensThe image of my living room above is 9814 x 5690 pixels at a near-16 x 8 aspect ratio. The reason it’s so huge and oddly shaped is because it’s a 16-image HDR panorama using a Nikon Nikkor 35mm ƒ/2.8 PC manual focus lens. I got the old, used lens at Procam earlier today while I was in the shop buying a new speedlight (Godox V860). My favorite salesperson, Pete, caught me right on the way out the door and let me slap it on my Z6. Being someone who's always wanted a shift lens, the $175 price tag was a steal compared to the modern $2500 glass I was pricing months ago. After messing around with it, I’ve determined it’s probably my favorite lens to mess around with even though it’s more difficult and time-consuming to use because it’s not auto-focusing and a little wonky to adjust. Using it to create crisp panoramas like the one above is extremely fun; I relish the moment when I can use this for work to create something truly special. Also, Lightroom took about a half hour to preview and render this single image, so it will not be a process I rely on for every image I make using this method.

3.2.20PanoramaPlaying around with the shift lens, I created a three-photo pano of the street outside from my 4th-floor apartment. This was far less work to put together than the previous night’s image. I’m hoping to get out with my tripod this weekend to do more shift photography.

3.3.20Worsh 'EmI made a poster earlier, the style of which is inspired by British WWII-era propaganda I found online. I figured modernizing it would be a good way to get the message out about the current issue the world is facing together: coronavirus and how handwashing is a great way to slow its spread.

3.4.20The Traction BuildingI had to ask a Fifth Third guard if I could set up my tripod and take a photo of the Traction Building from the Skywalk. He said the Skywalk is a public walkway maintained by Fifth Third and that I’d normally need written permission, but this time was fine so long as I don’t photograph Fifth Third. The last time I set up a tripod on the Skywalk was before the shooting in 2018, so I suppose security measures have tightened. Understandably so.

3.5.20A Skee-Baller WaitsAaron and I went up to Holiday Spirits tonight to get falafel and ran into Ronny (of course) while there. Ronny manages a skee-ball league that plays out of that bar, which is essentially just a bunch of dudes who see who can hit the largest scores while recording them in a book with the words “fuck it” on the front. While paying the machine to release the nine balls required to play a round of skee-ball, he sat on the lane that’s out of order (which we played on for free until a mechanic came and ruined the run) and I snapped this photo on my phone.

3.6.20A KitchenDid a freelance shoot in Springdale today. Not really much else to say about it, to be honest.

3.7.20Big BisonWe went to Big Bone Lick this morning to hike and see the bison. Unfortunately, the bison were scattered behind a series of fences that ruined any possible clear line of sight, so I had to shoot extremely tight at the widest aperture possible to get around seeing the fuzz of an out-of-focus strand of metal lightening a section of each frame. This was one of the only photos where the fence wasn’t obstructing the middle of the shot. The bison looks mean, but they were very calm and surprisingly quiet for being so big.

3.8.20An Inexplicable LoveThe weather today was incredible; high 60s with clear skies and constant sunshine from sun up to sundown. We took a walk with the pup and while coming back to the apartment, we passed this scene on 8th Street. It’s just an ugly fence next to a wall bearing a two-tone paint job and yellow alphanumeric remnants. Due to its proximity to home, it’s nothing I haven’t seen a hundred times before, and for some reason, I’ve always noticed it when walking past. Today I decided I would take its photo. The sunlight and shadow and all the textures just make me feel good.

3.9.20Training DayWe live across the street from a firehouse, which often results in unique opportunities to see the men in action when they test equipment and practice…firemen stuff. Today, a few of them raised the ladder to their own rooftop. One man was in full firefighting gear and lugged a chainsaw up four stories. My office window looks directly onto 9th Street, so I always have my Nikon 1 J5 set up on a small tripod for quick capture should something happen.

3.10.20Don’t Be A-Freight of VibrancyKent Lofts in Bellevue, KY is a historic rehab of an old 26,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that will house 65 apartments and one hotel room (for residents’ guests). I toured it today for work and only took a few photos as it’s still under heavy construction. As most modern projects go, it’s a lot of white and grey to make the spaces neutral, but at the end of this hall was an incredibly colorful freight elevator door. The striking red on green caught my eye and I had to get a photo.

3.11.20Corona Contingency PlanThe virus is spreading. People are panicking. Events are canceling, schools are vacating, and the Governor of Ohio is suggesting people do not congregate to help slow the spread. We are in a state of emergency as of today. My job, while internet-based, is contingent on people going out to experience the city. Because there will be people staying home, I thought I should put together a piece about things you can do at home—but with a local slant. I put together a list of three local history blogs I enjoy and made this image the header. The screen is Photoshopped with the daily photo from February 17th. Without this daily photo project, I doubt I would’ve had that image on file and ready to use.

3.12.20Inventory CheckNothing says “living in 2020” like taking inventory of all available medical supplies in the house along with their expiration dates and sending a photo to your spouse so they can get what we need from the store. This is an actual photo I took earlier this afternoon and sent to Ashley. It wasn’t meant to be my photo of the day, but I can’t think of another image that would better encapsulate the anxiety we all feel today surrounding the pandemic that’s occurring at the moment. I marked the expiration dates in post on an iPad. It’s been a long, weird, distracting day.

3.13.20Virus FoodI hate that today’s photo is the inside of my freezer. It’s boring and dumb, but it’s the only photo I took today. I took it at 11:56 PM. All of this is to say: it was a stressful day that lasted far too long. The news of the encroaching virus is giving me incredible anxiety. It’s an enemy I can’t see and can’t ensure I’ll avoid. It could be in me right now while I infect my wife and friends. None of us will know until next week. And we’re all expected to keep living life as normally as possible. I’m having trouble seeing what that should look like at this point. With every museum closure, event cancellation, and new breaking news story, my anxiety intensifies. Society is slowly shutting itself down to slow the spread of this thing. Our freezer will keep us fed for a little bit before we have to go back to the store—social distancing is crucial at this point. I hope tomorrow I feel more stable.

3.14.20Early VotingFriends, Ashley, and I all drove to the Board of Elections to vote early this afternoon. There, campaign volunteers are relegated to a small area to hold up signs and yell the names of the politicians they support. We walked past them and I turned around and took a quick photo. Everyone was nice. It was actually refreshing to see smiling faces surrounding an election instead of anger.

3.15.20Goodbye, US Playing Card Co.It's been a mental struggle to get through every day since the outbreak came to Ohio. Restaurants and bars are now closed. You can get carryout, but no one is allowed to congregate indoors at those places any longer. While this sounds like oppression, it's not—our local government is just trying to stop COVID from spreading, and I appreciate the drastic measures they're taking. Anyway, I got out for an hour with a friend today and that helped clear my head for a bit. We photographed two buildings that are slated for demolition. This one is the former home to US Playing Card Co. It's a damn shame it has to come down; the tower will remain, but everything else will go. Even though preservation efforts in Cincinnati seem like they're continually on the rise, we're reminded of how far we still need to go when you realize a beauty like this will soon be reduced to dust.

3.16.20The Emptiest Dog ParkKentucky followed suit and closed all bars and restaurants today to limit people from congregating. The Fed imposed a ban of 10 or more people in the same place. The city imposed a 6-foot distance law to keep people out of each other’s orbit. This whole thing is absolutely psychotic. I spent the entire day on calls trying to get content created for Refined because so much of our programming fell by the wayside. Finally got a chance to take Myrtle to the park in the evening and we saw three people the whole time. It was eerie and horrible. I want this nightmare to end.

3.17.20PooetryWhen you got-a-go on the go but there is no one to tow you to and fro

3.18.20WFHAshley is now working from home. Things are getting worse.

3.19.20Hard DayToday was a hard day. From the lingering horror of the spreading virus and mentally grappling with our new quality of life to a scare with a tornado warning tonight that forced my wife into a full-on panic in the basement garage, I am beyond drained in this moment. Add to the fact that I do not feel physically well, and you have one bad day. Maybe tomorrow will feel semi-normal again.

3.20.20An Empty PlaceI had a better day today because I didn’t read the news. The dull ache at the base of my heart that pulled up through the base of my back was reduced significantly. I know it’s because of stress; I’ve never felt a physical reaction quite like that from stress before. I finished work at 3 PM and walked to the hardware store to buy 200 disposable latex gloves. My anxiety was high walking in there because it’s a small shop and the staff are generally older. Had to maneuver the aisles to make sure I didn’t get too close to anyone. As I passed the hardware store on the lonely walk home, I peered into the Goodyear at the corner of 9th and Sycamore. Usually there are mechanics working in the garage, but today it was totally empty.

3.21.20The PublicTo get my mind off what’s happening in the world, I watched The Public tonight. I know I’m several years late to the party, but I enjoyed it. Several scenes took place under the skywalk and I needed only look out my living room window to see where it was filmed.

3.22.20The OutsideThe threat of COVID-19 has us sheltering in place every day. We do not hang out with others because it is not recommended to do so. However, we are allowed to go outside so long as we keep our distance from others. Myrtle has been taking it especially hard because we are not going to the dog park as often. Today, though, we went to P&G’s east lawn and played ball for about 20 minutes. She was incredibly happy to get out and run around for awhile.

3.23.20Man in the Yellow JacketI went to the store earlier and it was extremely stressful. Almost no one seemed concerned about keeping their distance, save for the two people in the store who had masks on. I held my breath so much, I felt dizzy by the end of the trip. After I put away all my groceries in the back of the car, I took a moment to breathe in the fresh air from the edge of the parking garage. A man in a yellow jacket was walking down the alley all alone across the street; yellow, the color of caution, was a reminder that I need to stay safe during this whole ordeal lest I contract the sickness and become hospitalized. Losing that much time and money, not to mention endangering my family and my own health, isn’t something I want or need.

3.24.20Urban LifeI spent the evening watching TV to relax. Had a little bit of a meltdown earlier this morning over the whole virus situation. Decided to treat the rest of the day with kid gloves and get back to doing stuff that relaxes me. Made this photo moments ago from the window behind my desk. I like that little corner so much.

3.25.20Hard BoiledJust a closeup on some hard boiled eggs because the sunlight was coming straight into the kitchen and lit them up in a way I thought looked pretty. There’s not a whole lot going on day to day here, guys.

3.26.20NeighborsWe do not have neighbors across the hall. It’s an Airbnb. Tonight we heard someone go through the door and I instinctively went over to look through the peephole to see if I could catch a glimpse. Then I realized that I’m just very eager to have an interaction with a neighbor. It’s been over a week since I’ve seen anyone in our building besides one person who was taking their dog out at the same time I was outside with Myrtle.

3.27.20Standing in the SliverMyrtle and I took a walk this afternoon to stretch our legs in the nice weather. As we came home, we passed under the overpass. The light was nice, so I aligned myself in the sliver of sunlight and took a photo. No one was around.

3.28.20LayoverI was trying to take a photo of the plane when a bird perfectly crossed its path. Unfortunately, the bird was out of focus for the photo.

3.29.20Bicentennial CornerThe weather was beautiful, so we took a long walk through Mt. Adams and Bicentennial Commons this morning. Lots of people were out, but we managed to cross the street and avoid coming into contact with everyone we could. I liked this particular spot in the park because of the yellow/blue combination.

3.30.20Barnard’s LincolnWalked down to Lytle Park this afternoon and took every possible photograph imaginable of the Abe Lincoln statue for a history piece I’m doing for Refined. This is one of the frames I liked.

3.31.20I Had the MeatsIf you’re reading this, I hope you understand that I am in a creative funk at the moment. It’s not something I’m proud of, and, quite frankly, I’m having trouble getting a grip on it. Since Coronavirus took over the world, I haven’t felt like playing with lights and coming up with unique content. I haven’t wanted to go out and photograph the city. I don’t want to do anything but sit on my ass and eat bad foods to temporarily feel better. I won’t say I’m depressed because I know what that feels like, and this isn’t quite to that level, but I am without a doubt struggling creatively. I feel like I’m rummaging for hard, barely warm curly fry dandruff at the bottom of the sleeve.