10.1.24Barbershop BoysI’ve been getting my hair cut at the Bellevue Barbershop for years. There’s a reason they’re voted best shop in the region during CityBeat’s annual poll. Today, I had the pleasure of photographing these dudes for the first time. They’re the nicest, most talented crew in the biz.We did a variety of poses and portraits, and choosing just one for this project was challenging. I knew I had to go with a group shot, though. This one was my pick—a photo of them all on the stoop right before I let them know I was about to start snapping. They’re all naturally themselves, which I wanted to convey most.

10.2.24Corrected CorniceI waited months to photograph this building because the new cornice wasn’t installed. Today, though, I was able to wrap it up. It looks nice!

10.3.24Ribbon-CuttingThatcher Flats in Walnut Hills had its ribbon-cutting today after an hour-long speaker event. Photographed for Pennrose.

10.4.24Metal/WoodSingle Batch Designs made a really interesting metal and wood table recently. The table legs on either side are shaped like tree trunks with spindly branches that snake around the slab’s edges to hold it in place. The amount of artistry involved with this piece is something I haven’t seen them attempt before. The client’s room where this will live apparently matches the aesthetic well, so I can’t wait to see it in place.I just can’t get over the craftsmanship in a piece like this. It’s totally unique in the way it’s handcrafted.

10.5.24Streaming Things LIVEEarlier this year, Steve candidly told me his New Year resolution was to host a live show for his podcast. He wanted to take the thing he’d been making for years in his home studio and perform it live on stage for as big of an audience as possible, and tonight, he did just that.He spent ten months searching for a venue, scheduling everything, and preparing the show. When he announced it to his listener base, people from around the world started planning to visit Cincinnati to see him and his cohosts do their thing. And since the base had grown so strongly around the show, they also had the benefit of meeting all their online friends in a real space.I can’t adequately describe how good it feels to see your best bud succeed in a creative endeavor on this scale. I’d only met his listener base online. Still, when I saw their faces watching him on stage, laughing at his jokes, and smiling through the whole show, I realized what he’s made and the many connections he’s inadvertently responsible for are extremely important.After the show, I joined the fans for a night out in Cincinnati. I led them on the streetcar to Rhinegeist, and from there, we went to Oddfellows and closed down the bar. None of us said our goodbyes until 3 AM. I’ve never really felt like a genuine part of the community, but after tonight, maybe they’ve accepted me into their ranks.I hope he does this again.

10.6.24Red Door at Hotel CovingtonA photo of Gregory Freeman next to his photograph at Red Door Project in Hotel Covington this afternoon.

10.7.24Self PortraitI have a headshot job in Louisville tomorrow, so I needed to practice my lighting setup before I go down. I didn’t go the whole way with the setup because it would’ve been too much work, so I faked the otherwise pristing paper background with a wrinkly sheet that I had to edit out in post.

10.8.24Chicago DogsWhile in Louisville, I stopped at Lonnie’s for a hot dog. When I looked on the map and realized this place was a mile from my job location, I knew I had to hit it up.The inside is a sun-bleached shrine to Chicago sports and autographed headshots. The owners weren’t rude but also weren’t friendly. It was a no-nonsense place, and the low price I paid for a hot dog, cheese fries, chips, and a drink matched everything about the atmosphere.That is to say, it’s extremely my shit. I want less polished concepts and more authentic hole-in-the-wall joints like this. I wish Lonnie’s was local because I’d be here every other day for sure.

10.9.24Birthday PuppyShe turned seven today. I cannot believe this dog is SEVEN YEARS OLD. It feels like just yesterday that we brought her home. On her first birthday, I took a grainy iPhone photo of her sitting on the couch and wearing a birthday cap with a treat and candle in front of her. We were in the midst of a move, so half our stuff was packed, and she was confused about everything.I recreated that photo as best I could, sans confusion and move this time.

10.10.24Taft Museum OpeningPhotographed the latest exhibition opening at the Taft Museum of Art this evening. If you enjoy photography and fashion, Posing Beauty in African American Culture will be up your alley.Also, I found out this evening that Rick Sofranko reads this Daily Photo Project. Hi, Rich! It’s always so nice to run into you and Susan at these events.

10.11.24Goodbye, Millennial GreyWhen we bought the house, the flippers painted everything grey and white—a neutral combo that’s safe when trying to appeal to unknown buyers. We lived with it for four and a half years before we finally did anything about it. We hired professionals who could do it all in a single day because of the scope of what we wanted done (the entire first floor, staircase wall, and fence).(I’m sorry, but I’m going to talk about watching paint dry in the following entry. You’ve been warned.)We weren’t prepared for how difficult it would be to see the house change colors, though. We were so used to the color scheme (or lack thereof) that seeing bright colors on the walls initially was jarring. Did we pick the wrong colors? Are we that bad at this? Or are we just not used to seeing a very familiar place visually change so drastically? At one point, as the men were painting the wall on the staircase, I quietly regretted making the decision to change any of it, burying my face in my hands and hoping it wouldn’t be as bad tomorrow as it did today.Wet paint looks worse than dried paint, I’ve learned.After a rollercoaster of emotions, I’ve settled on loving our new color scheme. It does look better dried. Our instincts were right; the bold colors we chose made the house feel more like a home. It has more personality and flavor. It feels intentionally decorated in a way I didn’t realize it didn’t before.The dining room (pictured) is my favorite. The greenish-grey we chose is a mood-setter. Since it also serves as the plant room, it feels more vibrant and alive. The living room is now ancestral gold, which for some reason photographs more green than it actually is. And the staircase, which I haven’t photographed yet, is a lovely burnt orange color that enlivens that whole side of the house.Pick bold colors and paint your walls. It absolutely rules.

10.12.24Darkness BrewingThe little river town brewery that I like so much.

10.13.24Purple, People, and BridgeI had a job at the Taft Museum and the weather was wonderful, so I decided to walk over instead of drive. Image from that walk.

10.14.24On Republic StreetPhotographed an Airbnb in Mt. Auburn, then went to Over-the-Rhine to photograph a condo for sale in this building on Republic Street.

10.15.24Hospital StuffLexington was my destination today. GBBN recently completed a renovation at a hospital on the UK campus. They wanted images for their portfolio, and since I’ve seemingly become their go-to guy for hospital stuff, they asked me to come down and capture it.We staged architects in scrubs and put them in the scene as usual. What you don’t get a sense of from this image is just how messy the floor was when we showed up. It’s still in the punchlist phase of construction, and we had to move a hefty amount of stuff out of every shot to get little slices like this clean and looking photo-ready. Honestly, though, this wasn’t even remotely the hardest instance of working around construction I’ve had to do before. It looked worse than it ended up being, thankfully.

10.16.24PhronesisBlink starts tomorrow, so everyone’s gearing up. The Library, in partnership with ArtWorks, held a dedication event for the new, permanent, light-based sculpture ‘Phronesis’ by Jen Lewin Studio out of Brooklyn, NY. The sculpture consists of eight columns that light up in non-repeating, unique patterns. Check it out next time you go to the library. They look nice.

10.17.24Blink 2024Thursday night Blink is always my favorite. It’s new again, it’s exciting to run around and see all the new and returning artwork, there’s loads of people walking the streets, and the city’s more alive than usual. While I had criticisms about the previous Blink festival, I think this one is making up for it already. One big thing they’ve done this year is close off whole streets to pedestrians and lining many of them with food trucks. It’s such a simple change, but it makes a huge difference.Bringing projection mapping back to Music Hall for the first time since Lumenocity is a highlight of this year’s festival. I love seeing it all lit up again. It brings back fond memories of standing on Race Street and looking over the fence years ago. When it moved inside Taft, everyone knew something had to change.Also, the skate park just up Pleasant Street. Pleasant Street at Liberty is probably the most alive and unique block (in Cincinnati) this year. It feels fresh compared to other Blinks. Yard & Co. has a really cool alcove to pop into there. (They’re not paying me to say this, it’s just genuinely cool.)There are some great new and returning light installations this year, too, including Crescendo in Lytle Park. It’s a mainstay every year and it rules.

10.18.24Blinking TwiceI went out with Allie, Travis, Rob, and Rachel to see everything again tonight. We stayed Downtown but also hit up a few places in OTR. Music Hall and Cincinnatus aside, I think the projections in past years were stronger, but they’re still all very cool.I mentioned this yesterday, but one of my favorite things about Blink is how the streets are closed and pedestrians can just walk up to food trucks. Court Street had a mini-Asian Food Fest happening on the Kroger block, but across Vine Street, there were plenty of other places to grab a bite and a drink. As the sun was setting, this block looked particularly Sesame Street with all the happy people, dogs, and color lining either side of the street. Sadly, there were no muppets.

10.19.24Blinked ThriceThe primary approach I’m taking to documenting Blink this year is different than previous festivals. During the first two years, and again for the third, I focused heavily on capturing projections and the artwork itself. This time, I’m trying to capture people and the general feeling of being there in addition to casually shooting the festival. I got my shots in past years, and I’m happy with those. Now, I want to do something different; something unique. Something I can’t recreate if I tried.This was one of those moments. I actually snapped this without looking, from the hip. This group of friends in the Pike Street Arcade set their phone up on the ground against a purse and took a selfie together. I wish I could see their shot because I loved their energy from this angle. If you know any of them, please send them this image.It represents the vibe of Blink: people having fun. No drama. No politics. No anger or fear or resentment. Just everyone walking around, eating food, waving light-up balloons, and having fun. It’s been a hearty breath of fresh air the last three days.

10.20.24Blinked OutFor the first time, I didn’t go to Blink all four nights. My social battery was spent. I couldn’t do it for a fourth night in a row. With the exception of seeing Newport briefly from the car, I saw every attraction in the 2024 lineup on foot, and got to hang out with Travis and Rob for three nights straight. It was the best time, but I needed a quiet day to myself to reenergize after being in enormous crowds the last three days. Ashley only went the first night and bailed on the rest, so I didn’t feel too bad about not attending the final evening.Instead, I spent a few hours building a TV stand for the living room. I used the legs from a coffee table I was previously using to prop up the TV and added a custom box to the top of them, raising the whole thing about 7 inches total. Stained the box the same color as the legs. I think the TV will now stand at the optimal height for viewing when sitting on the couch.

10.21.24Foggy MorningHad to take Ashley downtown for work this morning, and stopped by the water on the way back to get a photo because the fog was so picturesque. I didn’t mean for this to be the image of the day, but thanks to the juxtaposition, it had to be the one.

10.22.24Cincinnati Open Mural DedicationThe scene from the Cincinnati Open mural dedication this afternoon.

10.23.24AutumnalIt’s beginning to feel properly autumnal outside. Normally I’m all about this time of year, and I still am, but I’m also not looking forward to winter this year. Something about it seems like it’s going to be a long one.

10.24.24Challenging LightingPhotographed an event inside the Digital Futures buidling in Avondale early in the morning. I wasn’t prepared for how challenging the lighting would be in this space, though. Between the low can lighting in the ceiling, dark areas inbetween, and the rising sun directly behind the speaker’s podium, it was a constant battle with settings to get exposures between extremes so I had the latitude to adjust them later in Lightroom.

10.25.24Costume PartyThe final Art After Dark of the year was held this evening. While it wasn’t as crowded as last month’s, the museum still had a stellar showing with many attendees in creative costumes. I saw Casey (pictured) and mistook his garb for The Crow (he is actually a black and white photo).I saw the twins from The Shining, David S. Pumpkins, Mothman, the Swedish Chef, a Bob Ross with his date wearing a painting around her face, someone dressed in Starfleet command red, a guy in a hot dog suit, pirates, cowboys, one Cousin It, Cruella DeVille with dalmation, and I even found a Waldo.

10.26.24Tiki Tiki Bang BangWe wandered into a costume contest at Tike Tiki Bang Bang tonight. It was very crowded, so getting a decent shot was tricky. But I did manage to snag a slice of life while waiting for a dole whip painkiller.

10.27.24Coffee Festival ShenanigansAfter not going for quite a few years, I decided to go to the annual coffee festival at Music Hall this weekend. It’s held in the ballroom on the second floor every year and features a boatload of coffee and coffee-adjacent vendors worldwide. Some are local, some are from other states, and some even come from abroad to give out little samples of their brews hoping people will fall in love and buy bags of beans.There are a fair number of artists who fill in the gaps with their wares, such as pottery and apparel. This is an image from one of the cheekier tables.

10.28.24HanfieldPhotographed a sun-filled apartment on the second story of a cute building on Hanfield in Northside this morning. The autumn leaves outside the window warmed up the room in a comforting way.

10.31.24Almond Joys and Blanton’sWhile passing out candy tonight to trick or treaters, my neighbor, Shawn, sat with me and graciously shared his bottle of Blanton’s. It’s smooth, sweet, and syrupy in the best ways. Maybe one of the best bourbon’s I’ve had. It’s going to be a pain to go back to my budget options after two glasses of this fine stuff. It paired exceptionally well with all the Almond Joys I pretended were for the kids but conveniently stole from the bucket before passing them out.Though the rain kept many away, we still had about 30 kids show up to collect, including one who said she used to live in my house.