2.1.20A Quick NipI covered the Polar Plunge in Bellevue this morning. People jumped into a freezing cold pool of brown water to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Special Olympics. One team was dressed as Harry Potter characters; their Hermione was an older dude in a wig. I was keeping an eye on him because I knew he was bound to do something hilarious at some point, and that constant surveillance proved worthwile at this specific point.

2.2.20Shillito Lofts ExteriorI photographed Shillito Lofts back in December but haven’t had a chance to get a proper exterior due to the weather. Luckily, today was the most gorgeous day we’ve had in what feels like a year. Getting out early, I caught some mid-morning sunlight and pieced together 10 different images to create this composite with people, buses, and a car to make it feel like a livelier corner than it typically is.

2.3.20CornerstoneI spent a lot of my day on 4th Street. Worked at a free coworking space during the morning and early afternoon, had lunch at Saigon Subs & Rolls, then continued working at the Mercantile Library before walking home. It felt great to put headphones in, wear a light jacket in 60ºF weather, and go about my business. I felt like I did when I first moved to the city back in 2013; those were some extraordinary times. I took photos of the 4th and Race development, but I didn’t end up liking them as much as this photo of the cornerstone of The Reserve. The font (specifically the ‘9’) is excellent.

2.4.20That Tricky Fountain Square Smoking GrateFor years, I’ve wanted to capture a bus blowing through the smoking grate across from Fountain Square. When I see it happen, I’m never ready for it. Today, I was passing the Square during rush hour and the grate was puffing like smokestack working overtime. I shot this moment when the Southbank Shuttle breached the wall of smoke, and while I think it’s fine, it’s not the exact image I was going for. If it were going faster, the effect would’ve been better, but this was when it was slowly accelerating from a complete stop. Maybe one day I’ll properly post up and get the shot I really want.

2.5.20Sharp AlleyFound myself inside 57 E. McMicken this afternoon for work, and enjoyed this view straight up Sharp Alley.

2.6.20Pig and BradFrom a lifestyle shoot I did earlier this evening for Towne Properties. Pig is the French Bulldog. Her little cute self didn’t want to stay put for very long.

2.7.20Taft MuseumI had a job at the Taft Museum today and took its photo before I left because the lighting was good. That’s it, that’s the description.

2.8.20Wintry RioWe visited my parents today because we haven’t seen them in about 3 weeks. I am not feeling well, so one of the only photos I took today was this one of Rio staring out the window. She was quietly low-growling during this because she thought I was trying to tell her there was a deer outside.

2.9.20Yearning to Be OutsideDon’t worry, she got her time at the park (and got sufficiently muddy, too).

2.10.20Night CompositeI wanted to make this photo but waiting for a bus, a car, and positioning myself correctly in frame was all but impossible, so I did them all individually and brought it into Photoshop to piece it all together.

2.11.20USPS at Crane FactoryMost of my creative energy went towards creating and refining a logo for a friend’s upcoming side gig, then creating a Valentine’s Day eCard for social media for work. As such, this was the only interesting photo I made all day. I liked this moment because everything was so perfectly aligned without much effort.

2.12.20Smug Ronny DiscoI used my Lume Cube in the Bay Horse to light this portrait of Ronny, who was once referred to as Smug Ronny Disco on Twitter by some guy who didn’t like him. We enjoy having schooners here and I wanted to capture that feeling at least once.

2.13.20Mini MeAs I was driving back from interviewing the Graeter family (yes, that Graeter family) about their Victorian house in EWH, I passed this house on the corner with a miniature version of itself at the sidewalk. I turned the car around, parked, and went to photograph the two side by side because I thought it was amusing. The miniature house is a Little Free Library.

2.14.20Valentine’s DaylightTHE SUN CAME OUT TODAY. THE SUN CAME OUT TODAY. LOOK AT THE BEAUTIFUL LIGHT FROM THE SUN. IT HAS BEEN SO GREY HERE FOR SO LONG. MY KITCHEN LOOKED BEAUTIFUL SO I HAD TO CAPTURE MY FAVORITE CORNER OF IT.

2.15.20Bob BrumbergA candid portrait of Bob Brumberg at 3 Points Urban Brewery. Only natural light bouncing off the windows from Alumni Lofts across 13th was used to light his face.

2.16.20Pre-Yoga Sit-‘N-SoakBefore walking to yoga, she sat in the chair soaking up the sun. I had an umbrella set up to the right of her and took a photo. The warm light from the west and the white light from the east through the glass table and transparent chairs combined to give the scene an ethereal look. Something about it reminds me of a painting.

2.17.20A Foray Into FauxEarlier today, the weather was unseasonably lovely. So lovely, in fact, I made the correct choice to walk to Mt. Auburn instead of drive so I could enjoy the city at my own pace. If I need to go to the office, I might as well enjoy the journey when it’s warm enough. On the way back, clouds had overtaken the sky, foiling whatever late-evening plans I had to take photos of key components along the skyline. The Monastery was one of my subjects as I walked along the length of Liberty Hill, just before making it to the City Steps. After I got it into my computer, I didn’t like how flat and dull the light was. In color, it just wasn’t doing it for me. I took it into Photoshop and did a little filtering/layering with creative effects to produce a false vintage look with randomized specks and faux-scratches on the “film.” Because there is very little in the way of modernity in the original photo, the edit worked well.

2.18.20GYROSDixie Chili in Newport has my favorite poster for any food in the entire world. Yes, that’s an oddly specific category for a “favorite” thing, but it’s true. I would love to have a copy of this for my office. It reminds me of a background image in a movie that’s meant to subconsciously invoke sentiment without directly advertising for a specific brand.

2.19.20Modern ManJustin has this great little MCM-styled home in White Oak, so tonight I went out with all my equipment to try my hand at some serious lifestyle portraiture. We both had a fun time creating a 1960s feel for this shoot. I’m really happy with how these turned out.

2.20.20The Beast Awaits Her TreatHow does one follow a successful, hours-long vintage lifestyle photoshoot? By taking a moody iPhone photo of their dog awaiting a treat in the kitchen because the light was dramatic and good, of course. I’m still very proud of yesterday’s photo, so whatever I made today was inevitably going to fall short of it. But creating every day means sometimes failing upward—which, in my opinion, is just the scenic route to success.

2.21.20The HomiesBreakfast for dinner on MainStrasse courtesy of Cody. The crew for the evening.

2.22.20Awaitin’ the BaconWe haven’t been to B&A since BLINK last year, so we took the pup on a walk and stopped by for a bite. As is custom for B&A visits, Myrtle gets a piece of bacon from the window after we order. If a place involves a treat of some sort, she’s forever obsessed with it, so B&A is one of her favorite spots. This was actually taken after she got her piece of bacon; she just knew there was more of it behind the glass.

2.23.2012th and Main Streets, OTRCrappy light out today. This striking yellow sportsmobile stood out against the dark blue paint job of Platform. The person who owns this car was probably eating at Louvino behind me when I took the photo. I wonder if they saw me stop to capture it.

2.24.20Haunted ArtifactI have an old camera sitting on the shelf that I cannot use, so I sat it upright and used a little pendant light that goes on Myrtle’s collar on the end of a bungee cord to create the “electricity” effect. I lit the right side with 4% light from a Lumecube and the other side was lit by my iPad on a stand several feet away. 30-second shutter at f/6.3. There’s really no point to this; I just wanted to play around with a long exposure and got a Ghostbuster-y result.

2.25.20Rainy Evening on BroadwayThe rain cast this wonderful fog all over the city tonight, bouncing all that light back onto the streets and buildings below. I went up to the roof with my J5 and caught this vertical sliver of Broadway and Sycamore.

2.26.20Procreate ProjectI’ve been spending more time recently drawing and painting in Procreate, which ultimately leaves me less time to be behind the lens. Today I had a little time and wanted to paint a photo I made last night for the sole purpose of painting it later. This is a photo of the finished product on my desk.

2.27.20Raise the RoofA building I photograph every month is growing upward. This month, a temporary staircase was added, so I was able to get up on the (original) roof to photograph the progress. As I lined up this shot, the sun poked through the clouds.

2.28.20Cincinnati is GoodHere is a photo of a car that someone graffiti’d. Happy Bockfest!

2.29.20Formerly Bremen StreetAs we walked to Bockfest Hall from the Race/Liberty streetcar station, we passed Republic Street. I’ve always liked how Macy’s sort of ends Republic in the distance.