3.1.22HoopsFrom a quick trip over to Covington for a client. Thought the juxtaposition of the backboard and hoop with Covington’s and downtown’s tallest was nice.

3.2.22WeldingWe had to make some feet for the massive drum sander, so Joe and I gathered some scrap in the shop. Joe welded each piece together and I filmed/photographed it for Single Batch’s Instagram. Continually impressed with how the iPhone 12 Pro can shoot RAW images that actually look halfway decent.

3.3.22Impromptu Chris VisitI scheduled a job with a client in Dayton, so I told Chris I’d meet him for dinner that evening. As the date approached, however, the client ended up cancelling the shoot. I still went up (with Ashley) to have dinner and drinks with him, though.

3.4.22Bockfest ReturnsAfter skipping 2021, Bockfest made its return. We met up with friends at The Drinkery and took our bock beer-filled cups out to the sidewalk to watch the parade. It seemed like the parade this year was shorter than usual, but it wasn’t a problem—we just went back to drinking indoors as soon as we could. This was the first Bockfest I haven’t shot (that was actually held) since 2015 or so. It felt weird and liberating not to be working it. It ended up being a very fun night overall, which I didn’t know I truly needed after the insanely packed last two weeks I’d had with work.

3.5.22MCM Real EstateFighting a low-grade hangover from the evening before, I summoned all my strength and presentability and went to Clifton to shoot a beautiful MCM house that overlooked a bird sanctuary. While I generally do not find these homes especially comfortable or homey, this one stood out as the exception to the rule. I could understand why someone would want to live here beyond simply appreciating the Usonian design. It was more than the prestige of the architect—more than a photogenic talking point. It felt good in there. I still maintain that the mood of houses of this type are inherently dependent on the outside environment, and since we had a staggeringly warm and beautiful day today, I attribute at least half of that feeling to the weather. The double-edged sword hit right this time.

3.6.22A Bit OffFor the first time in weeks, I didn’t have to do a shoot, go to the shop, or have plans with anyone. Today, I finally had a day to catch up on the projects that’ve been waiting for me for what feels like forever. As an introvert, I relish these days because I get to be productive in ways that satisfy my soul. As a result, I only took one photo today: this frustratingly crooked little building in Dayton, KY while getting my Sunday coffee.

3.7.22Return to RawsonI returned to that lovely Usonian house to get photos of it lit up at night. As one would expect, the backyard had the best view.

3.8.22Statement PieceThe forecast was cloudy, and my 3 PM shoot was “95% sure to be cancelled” because of it. As such, I took to meeting friends for street hot dogs and a cup of coffee afterward. When I saw the sun peeking through the clouds around 1:30, I knew that 5% would come back into the fold, and sure enough, I got the call that we were back on—from 2 to 4 PM instead. Fleeing friends in a hurry, I managed to make it to the property relatively on time. We had about two hours of sun for the shoot, so I moved quickly. The 19th century house was large and full of photogenic details, one of which was this incredible stained glass window that straddled the landings on the central staircase. Though some would consider the wallpaper busy, I personally loved how unabashedly bold it was.

3.9.22Another Day, Another Night ShootReturned to yesterday’s house to get night shots for the listing. What stood out to me most was how visible the stars were during a minute long exposure.

3.10.22Pining for Z9Did a shoot this morning in [redacted] for [redacted], which offered up some new angles on old favorites. Specifically, I got to see the Provident Camera ad from eye level for the first time. The artist, Gus Holthaus, signed his work in the lower left of the ad if you look closely. I shoot with Nikon myself and have been quietly salivating over the new Nikon Z9 each day since it was announced. This ad did nothing to mitigate that persistence of thought. The camera is upwards of $5K, so it’s not something I can just go get without some serious saving first. My Z6 will have to do for now.

3.11.22WalknucklesYears ago, an arborist friend of mine, Vince, showed me a pair of wooden knuckle dusters he carved out of the remains of a felled tree. While I’m not predisposed to violence, I AM predisposed to appreciating complicated hand-made shapes, so the image of those knuckles burned itself into my brain. Since learning more about woodworking, I decided to try my hand at making my own set this even using some walnut scrap. They’ll never be used in the traditional sense, but I enjoyed figuring out how to shape them using a combination of power and hand tools.

3.12.22Chisholm For PresidentNetflix are shooting a TV show based on Shirley Chisholm in Cincinnati. As such, period-specific vehicles and signage are scattered around town. Today, they were setting up to film on Court Street near Vine.

3.13.22Birthday BoyDad turned another year older on Friday, so we had a small get together for him at his house. His cake had blue frosting and fish-shaped sprinkles. This will be the last birthday of his that we’ll celebrate in Milford as they’re planning to move house to Morrow this summer.

3.14.22Cat.Cat. I’m a kitty cat. And I meow, meow, meow.And I meow, meow, meow.

3.15.22The Best DayOddly had the entire day off. No photo jobs, no shop work, nothing to catch up on. Nothing. So, instead of staying inside all day, I hopped on my bike and rode around town. I left my house in Bellevue and went down Riverside Drive to Columbia Tusculum. From there, I went up into Hyde Park and hopped on Wasson Way, then rode the path from end to end. I hit up Xavier University, East Walnut Hills, Eden Park, rode to Over-the-Rhine, went Downtown, then headed back over the Purple People Bridge before going home. I couldn’t decide on which photo from the day I wanted to post here, so I made a little collage.

3.16.22Perfect LightIncoming spring has given me perfect weather, and DST has given me perfect light in the living room. I just love the way the sun comes into this room at this time of day. The whole corner glows. The clock’s wrong in the photo; it’s actually 7:10 PM.

3.17.22EmptyHad a job down in Williamstown, Kentucky this morning. About 45 minutes south of home, it’s a small town with a blink-and-you-miss-it retail corridor, some quaint homes, and this seemingly abandoned church. I’m certain there is more to it than that, though—I only saw a brief sliver before heading back to Cincinnati after my job was finished. On the way out of Williamstown, I stopped at a gas station to purchase a drink for the road and fill up my tank. Since I was going to have to go inside to get the drink, I chose the “pay inside” option at the pump, but the attendant didn’t turn it on for me. Confused about what was happening at the pump, I went in and got the drink from the cooler then headed to the counter to pre-pay instead. The attendant looked me dead in the eyes and said, “I’m not turning on that pump for you. I don’t know who you are and I can’t be too careful these days.” He eventually turned it on for me after I put $20 on the pump.

3.18.221986 AvionWe went up to Hocking Hills for a weekend away. We’re staying in this updated 1986 Avion trailer on someone’s property. They rent it out through Airbnb, and it was considerably cheaper than nearby cabins (and, quite frankly, more fun). Sadly, we learned the pipes burst on the way up, so we don’t have running water. It’s not a big deal, though. We brought a five-gallon container. Hopefully the rain stays away.

3.19.22Trails New and OldWe hiked Hocking Hills’ trails and saw several sights familiar to us from our last trip up, as well as a few others that were new to us. The rained stayed away in the morning, but started up around mid-afternoon. It continued through to the evening, ruining our plans to make a bonfire, cook our dinner over it, and roast s’mores. Instead, we managed with the help of the Avion’s stovetop. It always seems to do this when we come here.

3.20.22Ash CaveAsh Cave was the last hike we did before returning to Cincinnati the last time we came to Hocking Hills. Repeating that itinerary, we’ve unintentionally made it tradition.

3.21.22EqualizingWoke up and felt strange before realizing we didn’t get to Unataza yesterday, as our Sunday routine dictates, because we were traveling back from Hocking Hills. This morning, I stopped in for a cup before going into the shop. Felt better after having it. It’s all psychological and I recognize it as such.

3.22.22Strike a PoseFormer Senator Eric Kearney mimicked the pose in the portrait during tonight’s Cincinnati Art Museum event. I got a photo of Jan Michele, the current Vice Mayor of Cincinnati to whom he’s also married, in a separate photo right after this one.

3.23.22Spring is TryingSpring is desperately trying to happen. Today was beautiful.

3.24.22CourtParked in the garage for my afternoon shoot.

3.25.22First Thing’s FirstI bought a new camera for work. Having been a fan of my Nikon Z6 for a couple years now, I wanted to stick with the Z series, so I added the Nikon Z fc to my lineup. It gallivants as a fusion of retro style with modern capabilities and runs on the proprietary Nikon software I’ve gotten very used to learning over the course of the last ten years. I chose this model because I thought it would be helpful to have a second mirrorless I could rely on without breaking the bank. It’ll allow me to avoid running my Z6 workhorse to death when possible, and will fit well on my other side when dual wielding at events. It’s smaller than my Z6 (cropped sensor), it’ll take the glass I already have in my case, it’s extremely lightweight, and fits into a small bag better than almost every other camera I own. One of the first proper photos I made with it is this one.

3.26.22Spring is Still TryingIt’s 40 degrees in late March. For some reason, it feels much, much colder. Perhaps it’s because we had a few extremely nice days prior to now and got into the mindset of warm weather as the default. We were wrong. I sincerely hope our flowers and all the blooms around town don’t die from freeze.

3.27.22Where Careers Went to DieAfter a northern-suburb food tour with some friends concluded, we schlepped over to the nearly abandoned Forest Fair Mall. Inside, we stealthily took photos despite the security guard’s warnings. While it was never my first mall of choice due to its proximity to Milford, it was a place I went to fairly often in its heyday and on into its slow decline. I think the last time I went there for actual shopping was around 2008 or so. The mall had a Showcase Cinemas inside that was infamous within the company for being the place where management careers went to die. Having been part of the management structure of that company for a time, I remember the camaraderie shared between the local cinema managers—with the exception of Forest Fair. I could name the managers at all other local theaters, but not this one. It was a social abyss. Before Rave Cinemas bought Showcase, I was told the only reason Forest Fair was still an active theater was simply because they weren’t paying rent. It was presumably able to break even only because the mall so desperately didn’t wish to see another tenant leave. It’s my understanding that the final days of that cinema occurred before the Rave acquisition took place, and it makes sense seeing as how nothing inside has the Rave branding.

3.28.22Saturation +100We oiled some butcher boards at the shop today, and I liked this one the best. It’s a collection of different tree species glued together. After applying the oil, the colors come alive as if you just artificially upped the color saturation in Photoshop. The strip of purple heart on the left edge is the most striking species in this board.

3.29.22SPUN’s New HomeJudi at SPUN asked if I’d photograph their new shop for their website, so I went over to Northside to check it out. It looks amazing. Visual overload in the best way imaginable; there are no muted colors or minimalist sensibilities here. Dominic had a vision for the space and absolutely knocked it out of the park. You’d be hard pressed to find a bolder bike shop from an aesthetic perspective than this place. I spent hours photographing little details such as the Day of the Dead skull within the gear above.

3.30.22A Perfect Evening on the AveAfter Ashley got off work, we walked down to the Avenue with Myrtle because the weather was so nice. While we don’t drink during the week very often, we popped into Darkness for a pint and a plate and ran into some friends sitting outside. We joined them and had a really good impromptu hang-out that lasted until the sun went down.

3.31.22TimesinkThis morning I photographed a house in Covington for a listing. Because the skies were grey and unattractive, it made photographing the home particularly challenging. Some people think overcast is best for indoor photography, but I disagree completely. My favorite sessions include loads of sunlight streaming through the windows to make rooms feel warm and inviting. This image of the staircase, despite having no windows in frame, was heavily affected by the light from outside. So much so, I had to manually repaint the walls and desaturate the spindles to make it look true to form. It took probably 40 minutes from start to finish to finalize this one photo—which will likely be passed by quickly as people scroll through the gallery—but I enjoy spending time on images that aren’t usually in those standard galleries. In my mind, the oddball photos few would take time to shoot and edit are the ones that make prospective buyers subconsciously flag the home as unique.