11.1.24CAM Gala 2024While 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.

11.2.24HundredthsMy dad always talked about how he’d like to see time measured in metric. Instead of 24 hours in a day, he envisioned a day that would start at 0 and end at 100. Within that scale would be another 100 markers, like minutes to hours. He called them “ticks and tocks” long before the video app was devised. So something like 5:02 PM could be 65.14 or whatever.I get what he’s saying. Metric makes more sense to me, too, and while ticks and tocks made his children laugh at his nerdiness, at least one of them grew up to appreciate the vision.So when I came across this clock, I scarcely believed my eyes. Was this a prototype for ticks/tocks? After googling what I knew about it and coming up empty, I eventually asked an AI language model. Sometimes I find the conversational approach with ChatGPT to be a good launching point for how to research because it gives me key words to use in googling.All of this to say I learned the hundredths scale on this clock might have been used to accurately calculate payroll, possibly in a factory or office sometime in the middle of the century. It’s easier to calculate a worker’s shift if they clocked in at 7.01 and out at 15.68. No fractions, no hassle, easy hourly rate multiplication.

11.3.24Ashley Turns 36We went to MRBL for dinner and they brought her out a free dessert after the meal!

11.4.24ForgottenIt’s an increasingly rare sight to see these in the wild. I wonder when the last time this was turned on.

11.5.24Refinishing FloorsBrendan asked if I would help him refinish the floors of his rental property. With the impending election wrecking havoc on my nerves, I jumped at the chance to do something with my hands for the day. The less time I spent online worried about the outcome of this thing, the better my mental health.He already sanded the majority of it with a large rental sander, but we needed to remove the old finish from the perimeter and stain everything before the end of the day. The process went well for the most part. Aside from having to stop briefly so Duke could fix a natural gas leak in the basement, we got it all sanded and stained by 4:30 PM.The Big Mac bridge’s southbound lane closure caused a long, arduous drive home despite being so close to my house. My anxiety about the election returned, fully ratcheted up. I got home, showered, and went to CVS to get both a flu and COVID vaccine. I worry what I’ll wake up to tomorrow.

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11.8.24DNDThere’s really nothing to say that hasn’t already been said. Just know I’m ashamed of my country, ashamed to be American, and ashamed I live in a world where hate and idiocy and incompetence rule. I have little faith in the future at this point.Been offline and on DND for days and it’s keeping me sane. This is the last I’ll say about this topic because so much of my energy has been wasted on this catastrophe already.

11.9.24Dinner PartyThe biggest downside to our house is that it’s small and not overly conducive to hosting large groups. We’ve taken steps to better host, though, and I think we’ve solved a crucial part of it by making the dining room table twice as big. By getting a fold-up table the same size as our kitchen table and situating both side by side under tablecloths, the seating expanded from six to ten with enough room to comfortably place dishes around the table.Before everything happened this week, we scheduled a Friendsgiving with a few people and hosted it this evening. We agreed to keep the conversation light, which was probably the best thing we could’ve done. We got nine people together in our little dining room to eat a meal Ashley spent the day making. It was a big win for the week.

11.10.24Moon RoofWasn’t in a photographic mood today. Still offline and on DND mode, and loving it.

11.11.24Back To ItPhotographed a renovated building on 4th Street in Covington today. It’s been in the owner’s possession since January 1986 (the same month and year I was born). It was a law office for decades, but when COVID hit, most of the partners left, and he was left with a choice: keep going, sell it, or renovate it for residential use.He chose the latter.The inside looks fantastic. They did a truly outstanding job. I dare say it’s a dream house for someone like me. Google the listing (27 E 4th Street). You won’t regret it.

11.12.24Country DeskFrom an Airbnb photoshoot I did today in New Richmond.

11.13.24Expand For PanoDrove around Cincinnati today collecting images of specific murals for ArtWorks. This one on the side of Whole Foods in Rookwood Commons was a standout due to the good lighting. (Click or tap to see the full panorama)

11.14.24Galley KitchenFrom a photoshoot today for Orleans Development. Galley kitchen with lovely green cabinets and gold hardware.

11.15.24Timeless VenueI finally got to shoot an event in the rotunda at Union Terminal. It had been on my list for years, but I hadn’t gotten a chance to do it yet. Every image has a perfect background. It is truly a timeless space.

11.16.24Campus DedicationArtWorks held a dedication for its new campus in Walnut Hills this evening. The public was invited to check out the new digs in the renovated historic building. The place is as functional as it is beautiful, and I love that so much care was spent bringing a vacant space back online for a new purpose.The top floor has mural and photo studios, the second floor is primarily office space for ArtWorks employees, and the first floor is arranged in such a way that future art galleries and events will be easy to host. I’m looking forward to seeing what they do going forward with this unique and fresh new headquarters.

11.17.24Taking a StandI just really appreciated ETC’s stand at the Market today. 10/10 presentation. I bet this was fun to figure out and set up.

11.18.24Paint Your WallsAfter the massive success of getting rid of the Millennial grey by having the first floor painted, I’ve been thinking about how the rest of the house could improve visually. I did an accent wall in the basement that warmed up a corner considerably and added a little more fun to that space, but I felt like there was more to do. Then Ashley suggested I paint one of our bedroom walls a dark charcoal.An accent wall's ability to change a room's feel cannot be overstated. It was perfectly fine before, but it was boring. A remnant of the flippers we bought the house from years ago. Now, it’s an eye-catcher and energizes the space. Or at least I think it does.Painting a wall a dark color is always a little dicey, but this one never receives direct sunlight, so I don’t feel like it’s eating too much of the natural light during the day.Paint your walls. It rules.

One-of-a-KindPhotographed a house for a listing today, and the owner is into custom tile. They did a whole bunch of colorful and unique tiling indoors, especially around the fireplace and in the kitchen, but I especially liked this address marker on the outside of their house.

11.20.24WhatchudoinI lay down for a moment and she decided it was a good time to seek attention.

11.21.24Late Night LodgingUnataza invited us to their annual Friendsgiving party again, and I actually managed to make it this year (previous years I had to work). It was held at The Lodge down the street from the coffee shop. I’d actually only ever been inside once, and just on the first floor, so it was neat to see the rest of it during Johnny’s tour.I didn’t take many photos today, but I did snap this moment upstairs.

11.22.24RevelanceWorked with MA Design today to make some polished architectural photos of a project they worked on out in Mason, right by Sonder Brewing. Named Revelance, the two-story building was transformed from a simple gym to a mixed-use property with office space, an event space, a commercial kitchen and dining room, a first-floor bar, a bourbon and cigar room, and a virtual golf room.Oh, and there’s a robot barista right by the front door.

11.23.24Hanging ArtworkTravis and Allie got a photo for framed for their dining room, so I helped him hang it this evening.

11.24.24Very NeedyI’m feeling somewhat uninspired lately. For some reason, picking up my camera is a chore at the moment. This happens occasionally, and I know it’ll pass, but it’s frustrating dealing with it. This was the only one I took all day; she always has to be touching Ashley if Ashley sits down on the couch.

11.25.24Happy Being BackI'm back in the studio assisting Marlene this week. I haven’t worked with the crew in a while, so it’s nice to see everyone and continue learning through observation.

11.26.24Little Bit of LightThe days feel noticeably shorter now. Since the sun goes down around 5:30 PM, enjoying a little natural light while working inside a photo studio all day feels like a triumph. I know I’ve taken this photo (and probably posted this same perspective) before, but it’s the only semi-interesting frame from the day.Also, it took me an hour and fifteen minutes to go the four miles home this evening due to the bridge being out. They say it’ll take until March of next year before using the southbound lane is an option again. I think I will need to start experimenting with alternate routes...

11.27.24HISS!Gary wasn’t actually hissing; he was meowing loudly. Vince was patting his butt, and Gary could’ve easily moved off his lap if he wanted. Instead, he acted like a tough guy who secretly wanted more attention.

11.28.24Weird ThanksgivingWe didn’t feel like doing family Thanksgiving this year. Instead, we let the day unfold without a plan. Around 4 PM, we hopped in the car and searched nearly empty streets for an open restaurant. I had a feeling the Chinese place in Fort Thomas that I liked (New Garden) would be open. To our delight, it was.Instead of turkey, we ate sweet and sour chicken, crab rangoon, spring rolls, and rolled our eyes at uninspired fortune cookies for dessert. We tipped way more than usual, and headed back out on the road to find an open bar.The Lytle Park Hotel was open and willing to make us cocktails, so we met Travis and Allie there for a couple of rounds before heading north to Liberty’s on Main Street to end the evening.I think the freshness and impromptu nature of this Thanksgiving stands out as one of my favorites since childhood.

11.29.24Leaning Into ItAshley bought this Christmas light dog back in August to put on the porch during the Christmas season. I’ve known for years we were crazy-about-our-dog people, but this takes it to a whole new level.

11.30.24Ronny Hates ChristmasFor the last few years, we’ve gone to Overlook Lodge in Pleasant Ridge for their Christmas-themed drink event. Our group of friends finds a date that works for all of us, and we make a reservation to seat all of us together. It’s about an hour long, the drinks are good, and the whole thing ends up pushing me over the line for getting into the Christmas spirit.This year, Ronny and Sydney came with us. Ronny hates Christmas, but he primarily wanted to join because the rest of us went. At the end of our time slot, and to cap the event with a grand finale, a Christmas montage played on the TVs behind the bar, and light foam “snowed” from the ceiling. This frame is from that moment.