10.1.25This Startled MeHalloween is upon us.

10.2.25Macy’s RookwoodAfter Bed Bath & Beyond shuttered and left Rookwood, Macy’s entered the space with a non-mall concept store. Perry Contracting, who I was introduced to earlier this year while doing images for their website refresh, hired me to photograph the work they did for the Macy’s buildout. The fitting rooms were one of the main things they made for the store, so we focused on that area of the store, among others.

10.3.25It’s Still Too HotGotta water the front garden lest it dries and shrivels up. We need rain! Guest appearance by rainbow.

10.4.25Little ArchieWe met up with friends at Liberty’s tonight for a few drinks. Justin and Annie brought little Archie with them, and to no one’s surprise, he was a huge hit. He didn’t fuss or seem bothered by the atmosphere at all, and since they’ve already flown him to Europe and back before his first full year, I imagine there won’t be many settings this little kid will find overwhelming thanks to routine exposure to the outside world. I’m genuinely proud of them for not isolating at home with him.

10.5.25VAE at Memorial HallThe Vocal Arts Ensemble performed at Memorial Hall this afternoon. I was hired by Fanfare Magazine to photograph the show. Shooting well-dressed people in perfect lighting on a striking stage in a jaw-dropping theater lends itself well to good images; so good, in fact, I couldn’t choose one from the show to share here. Instead, here’s a shot I didn’t send to the client that I just liked for my own archive.After all the Longworth-Anderson shows I shot in years past, I’ve walked back and forth through this little bit of Memorial Hall countless times, and it never fails to impress me with its beauty.

10.6.25Black & WhiteI’m into black and white at the moment, so I’m trying to capture things in monochrome while the mood strikes. This is a standard scene at our house, by the way.

10.7.25IVXFrom a shoot I did for a contractor today.

10.8.25Recall, Reframe, RespondIt was preview night at CAM for Recall, Reframe, Respond featuring artist Paul Scott. These types of events are so hard to choose from for this project because I rarely think one image encapsulates everything perfectly. There’s rarely a stand-out frame and it requires picking and choosing something general or interesting enough on its own.This was one of those nights. Do I pick a gallery shot? Speaker? Attendee looking intently at a piece behind glass?I chose this one because it was a nice moment between coworkers.

10.9.25Indigo OpeningCAM last night, Taft tonight. Shot the opening of Indigo and the Art of Quiltmaking. Referencing what I said yesterday about the difficulty in choosing just one image from these types of events, I thought this photo best represented my mission while there.It showcases the space—the design, color, layout, etc.—while showing how people move through and interact with those spaces all while maintaining their anonymity. It’s as close to a rendering as possible without being generated. A slower shutter speed and a steady hand manages to freeze the motion, illustrating the dynamic relationship between the living person and static place. I also find that changing aspect ratio to something standard but different to get rid of ceilings and floors with little to no information better focuses the eye to what matters.While event photography is all about finding active moments, something like this requires planning for what’s yet to come. You set up in the place and get what you want in frame, then visualize the upcoming moment when someone walks through the door. When that vision becomes reality, you hit the shutter and you have what you came for. That process of visualization and planning, then executing on that plan, is satisfying.

10.10.25Calm Corner KitDrove out to Amberley to pick up a box of products for Calm Caterpillar to photograph in my home studio. I’ve been working with Sarah on Calm Caterpillar’s product and lifestyle photography for a year and a half, and it’s been fun getting to stretch that creative muscle while seeing those very same shots end up in retail stores and online marketplaces.Because this one featured a variety of products ranging from 2D to 3D, I had to come up with a dynamic way to showcase everything. The plush products, after much fluffing, made sense to go in the back row. The booklets didn’t make sense to just place flat on the seamless, so I used a pane of glass to raise them up at an angle and preserve the natural shadows. I removed the edge of the glass in post.Overall, I’m pleased with how this turned out.

10.11.25River RootsI’m not choosing today. I refuse. Went down to the River Roots Festival about 2 hours before meeting up with friends. I shot much of it, concentrating on people and the scale of the boats. I may actually end up publishing the whole set to a blog post because it was such a photogenic afternoon.The other day I spoke about framing the shot and waiting for the right moment in the Taft Museum post. Visualizing what I wanted and waiting for that exact moment to happen instead of aiming toward something in progress. All three of these are examples of that. I waited for the boats to line up, the people to align, and motion to naturally happen.The kid, I think, spotted me with my camera and cheesed for it while running into frame. I love it because there’s little chance of identifying him, but you get that sense of childish fun regardless. I shot these in B&W on the Zf’s special setting; the late evening light made for perfect contrast.

10.12.25New PerspectiveStanding on the Levee Wall will, I suppose, get you ya nearly identical perspective with the right zoom lens, but I shot this from the top deck of the Natchez as it drifted away from the Landing at 40mm.

10.13.25Morning WalkI’m not happy with my body at the moment. I feel fat and gross despite knowing I am not currently obese. This weekend, as wonderful as it was, added to my growing size thanks to loads of delicious meals and many beers.The thought of going to the gym sickens me, so I’m doing what I do best: walking. It’s how I stayed thin years ago, and it’s how I will attempt to keep the pounds at bay. With my Apple Watch move goal updated, it’s a matter of making sure I burn more calories a day than I take in—which also means a diet change.Today’s coffee trip was on foot with camera in hand. If I’m going to drink and eat, I need to pay the movement tax.

10.14.25AvondaleWhile shooting a bunch of exteriors around town for work, I photographed this old house near the corner of Reading Road and Glenwood Avenue in Avondale. I don’t remember this one being vacant when I explored the neighborhood back in the mid-2010s. After looking at it on Google Streetview, it looks like it may have been emptied out in the early 2020s.It’s sad. This house is beautiful, and I hope its boarded up windows are temporary.

10.15.25Getting Out ThereDay 3 of this diet and exercise thing, and I’m walking more than I have in months. In addition to doing the treadmill in the basement right when I wake up in the morning, I’ve been sprinkling in walks with Myrtle.We did East Newport this evening.

10.17.25Fountain of LovePhoto of the new mural on Mercer Street for ArtWorks. I covered the dedication today for them. Quite a few people showed up, and everyone was in good spirits.

10.17.25The Children’s Theatre OpeningThis is about 10 different images composited into one for GBBN. The Children’s Theatre, located in the newly renovated Emery building, had its opening for the families of the contractors and architects who worked on the space.I had an hour to capture as many of these types of scenes as possible. To be honest, I didn’t feel great about it while I was doing it. Too many people standing around, no control over who walks where, and no ability to direct the scene. After a lot of post work, though, I sent the finished photos to GBBN and they were a lot happier with them than I was. That’s a better outcome than the inverse, I suppose.

10.18.25CAM GalaFourth year in a row covering the CAM Gala. I had Ronny working the step-and-repeat on the red carpet while I shot the rest of the event. It was a really good night overall, and the museum was happy with the work we did.I hope I can get to 10 years covering this event for them. Working for CAM is so satisfying.

10.19.25Reduced to DataAfter shooting a bunch of stuff last night at the CAM Gala, I took the two cards I filled and Ronny’s card and laid them on my desk to load them into the computer. It was at this point that I really stopped to look at the fruits of our labor: three little electronic chips with a bunch of ones and zeros embedded into them.It’s kind of strange when you think about how much effort you put into something and these are the physical manifestations of that work. All the years of experience and knowledge coupled with the hours of physical and mental labor you put into an evening, and it’s all represented on these three little objects.Strange.

10.20.25Invisible CameraPhotographed a medical office for a contractor. The bathroom had an attractive sink and backlit mirror. It ended up being one of the better invisible camera photos I’ve made lately.

10.21.25Peak VanI don’t know what model this van is, but I do know it rules. Not sure vans got any better than this.

10.22.25Carl’s DeliStopped into the market for some stuff, and managed to make it to Carl’s Deli. First time there. Came away happy with a great sandwich. Definitely worth returning to.

10.23.25A Long WalkAs I continue to work on losing weight and getting back into some sort of shape, I decided to take Myrtle on a long walk on my day off. I needed to meet up with Amy at the Mercantile Library to go over the details of the event they were holding on the 25th, so Myrtle and I took a leisurely walk from our doorstep to 4th Street. Since the building was recently converted to apartments that allow pets, Myrtle was able to visit the library for the first time.On our way back, she seemed to want to go into the park instead of back on the Purple People Bridge. We walked Sawyer Point, Yeatman’s Cove, and 95% of Friendship Park before beginning the trek back home. By the time we were passing under the autumnal canopy of East Row Newport, I could tell she was slowing down. When I looked at my watch upon arriving back home, we’d walked 10 miles over about four hours. She rested on the couch for the remainder of the evening.

10.24.25Commons DedicationShahzia Sikander’s ‘Commons’ mural, designed by her and painted by ArtWorks apprentices, was formally dedicated this afternoon. This is a photo of all the artists involved in bringing it to life. The mural is located on the back of an old 9th Street church (the mural is visible from Court Street between Vine and Race Streets.

10.25.25Niehoff XXXVINovelist Colson Whitehead speaks to a packed ballroom during the Mercantile Library’s annual Niehoff event at the Hyatt Regency.

10.26.25Family PhotosI don’t normally do family portraits, but the Habibs are wonderful people.

10.27.25Gold Leaf PaintA close-up of the new gold leaf paint ArtWorks used for Commons. It’s the first mural they’ve done with this type of paint.

10.28.25New ViewWhile photographing a house on Van Voast for a listing, I snapped a photo of Mt. Adams from the second floor west-facing window.

10.29.25Insta360Oh no. I got a 360º camera for work. You know I’m going to play with it, though. This was the first image I snapped after setting it up.

10.30.25RelicsI helped Marlene clean up and organize her studio today. Part of my task list included getting rid of some old shelves in order to put up new hooks for diffusers. When I pulled down this one, I liked the old label enough to snap a quick photo.I’ve never heard of “Melatex finish,” but it seemingly held up rather well considering the copyright date listed on the sticker is 1995. I love the stack of CDs and the Sony Walkman with headphones in the image.

10.31.25Halloween Hot DogsSince Halloween was on a Friday this year, we wanted to do it right. We invited friends over, I bought an inflatable hot dog costume, and I grilled hot dogs on the sidewalk for anyone who wanted one. My neighbor, Brad, works for Perfetti, so he supplied us with an enormous case of AirHeads for all the kids.While the turnout was lower than ever this year, I don’t think I’ve had this much fun on Halloween in years. Grilling hot dogs on the street with a beer in hand, seeing neighbors, and laughing with friends while Myrtle wandered around in a little bee costume absolutely ruled.Halloween is on a Saturday next year. I think we’re going to go even bigger with it by throwing a block party and blocking off the end of our street. Stay tuned!