9.1.26En RouteTravis, Justin, and I kicked off a trip up Route 66. We’ll be gone for a week. Driving from Las Vegas to Oklahoma City.

9.2.26Rusted and BustedWe went through a variety of old, quiet towns full of abandoned buildings, old signs, and rusting remnants of the decades before I-40 killed America’s Main Street.

9.3.26There’s no shortage of old stuff to photograph along Route 66. A lot of it advertises long-shuttered businesses, and I worry that this ephemera will disappear completely in the coming years. It’s a shame there’s little to no effort to preserve these structures, especially with it being the hundred year anniversary of the road. Many are wallowing in overgrown parking lots in towns that have seen better days.

9.4.26Neon Along the RouteThough there are many abandoned places and artifacts along Route 66, there are also places still kicking it. The Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari is one of them.

9.5.26AmarilloNorth Texas is about as ugly as it gets, but we managed to see some neat stuff along the route today. My favorite photo, however, is this one simply because it’s so difficult to capture lightning properly. The storm was off in the distance across a parking lot, so I framed it with the steer head to give it a little more Texas flavor.

9.6.26Multiple MemorialsTravis graciously planned our stops for the week along the route, but today I added a couple of stops: memorials in both El Reno and OKC. The El Reno memorial is for the storm chasers who died in during the world’s widest tornado ever recorded in 2013, and the OKC memorial was for the victims of the bombing of their federal building in 1995. While El Reno’s memorial is a small, undesigned, DIY compilation of artifacts people have placed over the years, the OKC memorial is the complete opposite. Both were powerful in how they remembered the victims of nature and terrorism independently.

9.7.26Travel DayI’m glad to be back with my girls. Myrtle was over the moon when she saw me in the airport.

9.8.26Production PhotographyI had the honor of doing production photos for Cincy Shakes’ newest feature ‘Network.’ It was a blast photographing the actors as they kept the audience on the edge of their seats (and me on my toes).‘Network’, set in 1970s America, is a stage adaptation of the Oscar-winning film about veteran anchorman Howard Beale’s public breakdown on live TV that becomes a ratings sensation. When executives realize outrage sells and boosts the network’s nightly views, Beale’s unraveling turns him into an unlikely prophet with explosive consequences.

9.9.26DonationPhotographed the Keep Cincinnati Beautiful as a donation to the non-profit. Standing in the median after dusk on Gilbert Avenue isn’t for the faint of heart.

9.10.26I Said I Wouldn’t Do ItAshley needed a new phone, and I didn’t. When we went to the store to see about upgrading, I ended up trading mine in for a new 17 Pro while the value of my 15 Pro was still good. I’m thrilled to have access to that significantly better camera from last year’s model. I fired off a quick shot in the store while we waited to transfer everything, and it accurately captured how bored Ashley was.

9.11.26Putting the AI in AirbnbI know there is a much larger historic anniversary to talk about today, but I didn’t photograph anything related to that. It was just a normal workday. I shot an Airbnb with some of the most awful AI “art” I’ve seen on the walls (not pictured). This is likely going to get worse as the years wear on with everyone trying to cheaply furnish short-term rentals.

9.12.26FCC’s SpeakeasyI had no idea they had a speakeasy in TQL Stadium. Apparently they turned a massive storage area into a hidden, rentable space last August, and tonight was my first time photographing an event inside.

9.13.26Alley Clean UpThe area behind my neighbors’ fence was a mess, so I cleaned it up for them.

9.14.26Observatory ProgressThis used to be a kitchen area. Now it’s a dirty hole. Soon it will look a lot nicer.

9.15.26Decent ViewPhotographed a boring condo in Villa Hills. The clubhouse has a decent view, though.

9.16.26ArrangementJust a floral arrangement from an event I photographed at the Art Museum tonight. I always test my lighting and settings on something inanimate when I get there, and this was today’s test. I ended up really liking the way it looked overall, though.

9.17.26Dog WalkMyrtle and I took a walk in the heat as the sun was going down. I thought this moment was particularly cozy and nice.

9.18.26Final Home Game of the YearWell, not for the Reds, but for us. My hopes of October baseball are dashed, but they managed a win against the Cubs, and afterward we went out to Oktoberfest for a pint.

9.19.26Oktoberfest 2026Met up with friends and drank beer in the sun all day. This new construct around the ruins at Sawyer Point was a nice addition. I thought Oktoberfest hit rock bottom when it moved to 2nd and 3rd Streets a few years ago, but the move to the park has totally reinvigorated my interest (and seemingly that of many others, too).

9.20.26Iconic ForeheadEven if you don’t like his music, you recognize Phil Collins’ forehead.

9.21.26Gary Wants OUTToo bad, Gary. Your parents are in Florida and we’re taking care of you for the week. They said not to let you out, so you must stay indoors for now!

9.22.26Winstead Chamber ConcertWell this was a first. I’ve never shot the CSO in the ballroom upstairs before, but tonight I did. The performance was way more intimate than usual, and I found it far easier to photograph than when there’s a big show in Springer. Moving around is less challenging thanks to not having to change floors, but the floor creaks. Being wary of when to move and when to stay still is the biggest hurdle.

9.23.26Art Within ArtShot an event tonight for the Art Museum and they had this incredible display at the buffet table. They made this dress entirely of edible greens and flowers. Everyone, including me, was impressed.

9.24.26Quiet MorningAshley left for Florida this morning before 5 AM. I couldn’t sleep, so I got up with her, made coffee, and enjoyed the stillness of the porch at an unusual hour. Took a photo of the open kitchen window because I loved the whole feeling of coziness within contrasted against the darkness beyond.

9.25.26JMR Through a HoleWhenever Music Hall has a Pops concert, they expand seating and push the orchestra toward the back wall. My usual north and south profile views of the conductor don’t work with this configuration, so I go back stage to get shots of them instead. There are peepholes back there that look out onto the stage, and I’m able to get those profile shots if I put the end of my lens right up to them. Sometimes, though, I like to use the shape of the hole to frame them in this oval vignette for fun. I think it kind of looks like an old photo you’d see in the locket around someone’s neck, or one of those gaudy oval pieces that hang on a wall in an old Victorian home.

9.26.26SillinessMy sister wanted a nice photo of my niece, so I brought my gear over and we got it done. We did a silly one, too.

9.27.26Random Car ShowI took Myrtle over to Trailhead for coffee and there was a full-on vintage car show happening on Monmouth Street. The entire street was closed down and all of these old cars were parked along either side.

9.28.26Night in Over-the-RhinePhotographed a rental in OTR today and went back at night to get a few additional shots. While there, I snapped a couple from the rooftop and really liked how this one turned out.

9.29.26The RidgeDrone shot of the back of The Ridge in Pleasant Ridge for MA Design.

9.30.26Biennial Kick-OffFotoFocus is throwing four days of events starting today. The Biennial kicked off at The Carnegie in Covington and will continue through Saturday night. I’m on the hook to cover all of them, thankfully.