9.1.23Bustin’: It Makes Me Feel GoodI cannot begin to describe how much good shit I saw today. From climbing the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty to eating pizza in the East Village, walking the mammoth streets of SOHO to eating one of the finest cannoli I’ve ever had in Little Italy, it was a very full day. Manhattan’s Chinatown is one of the most fun and photogenic places I’ve ever photographed, and walking the Highline to the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere made for one helluva night.But the thing I adored most today was checking off something I’ve had pinned for awhile in Tribeca: Hook & Ladder 8, otherwise known as the Ghostbusters firehouse.Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Ghostbusters were two of my earliest childhood fascinations. While both were centered in New York, the Ghostbusters’ firehouse was something I really wanted to see. Today, I got that chance. Not only did I get to see and photograph it from all sides, but I also bought a shirt and a sticker from a firefighter who tends to a merch board under a small Ghostbusters shrine within the first 10 feet of the entrance.

9.2.23Entertaining TouristsAfter Chris, Aaron, and Ashley decided to get a second massage in Manhattan’s Chinatown, we headed to Union Square before walking through the Flatiron District and Gramercy Park, then up 5th Avenue. We saw 30 Rock, I flipped off Trump Tower, ate some mediocre street food, and we found our way to Central Park before Ashley needed to lay down in the grass to rest her aching back from the previous two days of walking a total of nearly 30 miles. The plan was to walk the park to Harlem, but it wasn’t in the cards for Ashley.While in the park, I saw a boatload of activity from bubble blowers to rollerbladers, musicians, photoshoots, and more. Despite everyone doing borderline crazy activities in public, they remained practically invisible and oblivious to everyone around them. This woman was riding a Segway around the Bethesda Fountain plaza trying to put this snake over people’s shoulders. I never saw her take any money from anyone, so I really don’t know what the end goal was for this.People-watching in New York is unparalleled.

9.3.23Subterranean RetailWe’d spent enough time in Manhattan on this trip already, so we checked out Williamsburg before heading east toward Queens. Jackson Heights, which has been dubbed “the most culturally diverse neighborhood in New York, if not on the planet” by the NYT, was incredible to visit due primarily to how different it felt from the other areas we’d visited thus far. It was all street vendors, local markets, textile dealers, fruit stands, and I didn’t hear a word of English from anyone outside our group the entire time I was walking around. It was truly awesome.One of the things I like about Queens is how much of it boasts elevated railroad tracks. The subway is great, but it’s fun to get to look out at the neighborhood below when riding. However, we stumbled upon these subterranean shops within one of the stations (I forget which one) and I thought it was extraordinarily cool that retail like this survives and thrives despite being totally invisible from street level.After leaving Jackson Heights, we ended up meeting Paul and Kristen in the quiet, almost suburban neighborhood of Forest Hills before heading to Flushing for dinner and then Kew Gardens to see Paul’s house. The subway trip back to Brooklyn was a little bit of a hot, disgusting nightmare, and I’ve never felt more relieved to take a shower.

9.4.23Departing LaGuardiaOur trip to NYC came to an end this morning. Chris flew home around noon, so Aaron and Ashley and I went to a cafe for a little bit before Ubering to LaGuardia for a 2:30 PM return flight to Cincinnati.As the plane took off, I was delighted to see that the city could be seen from my side of the plane. Though shooting through greasy thick glass doesn’t make for the best image, I’m happy I got to see the city one last time from the air.This was an incredibly fun and fulfilling trip. Counting down the days I get to go back and dig deeper into more of the city.

9.5.23An OddityWe went to Fresh Thyme to do the big shop and I noticed the carts have a little cup holder at the ‘nose’ of the cart. I’m guessing this is so you can enjoy a beverage while shopping, but it makes me think the design assumes you’ll be towing the cart instead of pushing it? Why else would the cup holder be at the opposite end of the vessel from where the driver is supposed to propel it? Is this even a cup holder or something else?

9.6.23Lifestyle PhotographyBack to work today. Did a photoshoot with a local architect this morning at UC. The task was to capture the food court in action with students doing their thing in different spaces. While this is largely unedited and needs a load of additional touching up, it’s indicative of the goal of this project.I have a lot of work ahead of me with this shoot. Since almost no one in the food court was aware of what we were trying to do, it was difficult to get it perfect.

9.7.23Can’t Win Them AllMet up with Travis at Binski’s for a little happy hour hang that turned into an 11 PM Camp Washington Chili run. We discussed NYC and the greatness of Chris Glass (hello if you’re reading this, Chris). Rob and Jake (Dust Village) joined later on. It was a good time in a good bar.Also, I recently learned a guy I’ve hung out with in group settings over the years doesn’t like me! I don’t see him much anymore due to past drama with mutual friends, and I’m 99% certain I haven’t done anything personally to earn his ire, but it was interesting to know there is someone out there with this feeling. I’ve been told it’s more of a him-problem than it is a me-problem. You can’t win them all. I suppose I will do my best to avoid contact going forward since it’s unwanted.

9.8.23That Bad Arcade Game You Always PlayAshley, Travis, Ronny, and I went out to a few bars and one restaurant in Over-the-Rhine before landing at Level 1—the barcade that replaced 16-Bit. We landed at the Turtles arcade game that I’ve played many times for the last 30+ years and always forget is not good.Nostalgia is a helluva drug. We liked this game as kids, but it isn't very good. The last few times I’ve run into it in arcades, I merrily take the controls, ready to relive childhood only to quickly remember how bad it actually is. On coin operation, I rarely made it to scene 2 before my turtle died, and, quarter-less, I was forced to walk away. These machines were programmed to eat coins with floppy hitboxes and confusion-inducing overcrowding of enemies on screen. Since Level 1 has it on free play mode, we kept smashing the credit button for lives and it didn’t matter.After 30 minutes of slapping two buttons and moving a joystick around, dying 300 times, and walking away to get a beer only to return to discover our turtles were still alive, we beat the game. The ending was wholly unsatisfying, of course.But that cityscape on the controller panel is so good.

9.9.231820 VineI led friends from La Ofrenda to Somerset and stopped at the corner of McMicken and Vine. I’ve always admired this flatiron building but haven’t been able to get a photo I really like of it before. When the firetruck started inching closer into frame, I knew this was my chance. The oddly shaped sign jutting from the side of the building used to say “GROCERY” at the top and “OHIO LOTTERY” at the bottom with a bottle of Coca-Cola in between.

9.10.23Stark StreetThe weather was exceptional for a bike ride this evening. Having added new stickers to my bike that I’d acquired over the last couple of months, I wanted to get out and enjoy the exercise before the doc cuts me open next week. I initially felt discomfort while riding in that leg, but after about 15 minutes of pedaling, it quieted down enough.With the Zfc in my bag, I set out across NKY and eventually found my way to Cincinnati. Took a circuitous route fueled entirely by whichever direction had the least amount of traffic and best scenery in that moment. Saw three classic cars parked on three different streets. Before heading home, I made a stop at the Square to refill my water bottle and marvel at how good I felt physically and mentally. I think this is why dogs like to play so hard; when you physically exercise, you feel so much better in every way.

9.11.23Sit DownWhat a day.Let me get the less-than-good news out of the way first. My main client owes me a considerable amount of money from unpaid invoices from the last several months and it's causing me some financial stress as a result. Then, I managed to muck up my shoot schedule for another client today and showed up at the wrong property at the wrong time, causing a level of professional embarrassment I didn’t expect to endure this afternoon. Finally, after stressing about money and looking the fool, some rude teens on the street mocked my bald spot—a physical issue I have no control over and about which I’m very insecure—while I was walking into the post office and minding my own business.I do not get emotional often, but today’s onslaught of stresses and insecurities really managed to pry open something I wasn’t expecting to confront.

9.12.23Yard & Company’s New DigsKevin asked me to photograph Yard & Company’s new home base on Pleasant Street. It has some neat features their designer included, like this ‘portal’ between rooms. The colorful, industrial space is versatile in utility with loads of room to spread out and work or convene for meetings. There’s also a flex space with a garage door that opens up to the street behind the muralized sliding barn doors in the background of this image.

9.13.23That Feeling When……you’re an orange ball and a big grizzly bear is about to chomp on you.

9.14.23Shut ‘Er DownThis week has been an unusually difficult one—money stresses, incorrect schedules, hurt feelings, and two divorce announcements in the family (not Ashley and I). To top it off, a pipe burst in my basement this morning! Hopefully that’s the encore to the shit show.Here’s the artist formerly known as The Chong bathed in Golden Hour light.

9.15.21Pizza HuntingAshley, a work-from-home employee, was sitting on the porch doing the aforementioned work from the comfort of the porch when I heard her say, “Oh yeah, that’s the one I want. Dr. Dre.” Thinking she was celebrating the end of the workweek early with a classic hip-hop album or playlist, I looked up to see which she was about to play.Neither. She was researching which Dewey’s pizza she wanted that evening…

9.16.23Final Bike Ride For a Little BitErica retrieved her bike from her previous household last week and posted about wanting to ride. We made a plan to convince our significant others, Steve and Ashley, to join us and scheduled a ride along the bike trail starting at Lunken Airport. From there, we’d ride straight to Fifty West for burgers and drinks before returning to Lunken and never touching a city street with car traffic.It was SO FUN. They are not avid riders, so we took it slow and steady. Steve rented an electric Red Bike as he was the only one who didn’t own a bike. The path wound through the woods, over the glistening river, and I used the Beechmont connector for the first time since it was built (pictured). The trail had minimal bicycle and pedestrian traffic along the way. I’m used to having to watch my back for cars and had forgotten how peaceful a trail ride could be.I also forgot how soon the sun has begun to set as summer winds down. We ended up having to ride through the night back to Lunken. My lights were bright enough to lead the way, and Steve’s Red Bike also did a decent job of illuminating our path, so it wasn’t difficult. We probably weren’t supposed to be on the trail after dark, but it was still a load of fun riding with three people I genuinely love to pieces. (Riding bikes with Steve specifically was an unofficial bucket list item for me.)

9.17.23Garden SpiderAfter volunteering to hold a 5-foot python over my shoulder at the farmer’s market in the park this morning, we visited Mom and Dad’s house. Myrtle swam in their community pool as it was the final day of the season, and was open to dogs, too. While in their backyard, I saw this wicked garden spider perched in the middle of a web it made between two bushes. Getting close enough to take a macro photo of it required a level of bravery I’m unaccustomed to having.

9.18.23Incapacitated For a Bit“It’ll be either a quick recovery or you’ll be off your feet for six weeks,” the doc told me in July when he set up my surgery date. “It depends on what procedure we need to do, and we can’t know that until we get in there."Thankfully, I will be back on my feet within probably a week due to it being the “easy” procedure.Glad this is over. I haven’t had surgery since 1995. It was strange getting undressed, putting on surgical clothing, and having my knee shaved. Getting the IV placed and having to quietly (re: anxiously) wait to be wheeled into operating room #9 was uncomfortable, too. It was strange being physically strapped to the bed, my arms spread, and watching masked strangers stare down into my eyes as they administered the anesthesia, waiting for me to fade. Unlike the first time I was put under, it didn’t happen in the blink of an eye; I felt a minor passage of time while in that state.Despite it all, it went as smoothly as possible, and I’m thankful to be over this hump. I’ll be on my couch trying not to be extremely online if you need me.

9.19.23Creative SolutionsNever underestimate the usefulness of a high-quality shirt with a breast pocket, especially when you do not have available hands to transport items between rooms.

9.20.23My NemesisI lived in mid-rise buildings with elevators for years. Would’ve been nice to have this procedure done then and not now when everything is separated by these pesky things.

9.21.23PlaytimeAshley left for Key West today, so it’s me and Myrt for the rest of the week and weekend. As I’m still couch-ridden and largely immobile, Myrtle has become extra stir crazy. I put a blanket over her and she got up, turned around, and started blindly trying to bite my hand. As you can tell from her expression, she was in a silly mood.

9.22.23SorryI apologize for the dip in quality of this project over the last week. Very little is happening right now. My family came down today, but I forgot to take a photo. I could talk about the unusual-for-me amount of TV shows and movies I’m watching, but that’s probably not worth reading. This project will likely be boring over the next couple weeks unless recovery speeds up a bit.

9.23.23The PorchThe porch is effortlessly zen during comfortable sunset evenings. With the beautiful weather today, it wasn't easy to want to stay inside.

9.24.23GeodeEsme, my niece, had her first birthday party today. Steve drove me up to my sister’s house in Washington Courthouse to celebrate. While there, Kiran, my other niece, cracked open some fresh geodes and wanted to show me. She is so sweet.

9.25.23The CulpritDoc took pictures while inside my knee last week and assures me this little piece of the meniscus was the culprit. He trimmed it off, allowing the rest of the meniscus to avoid tearing further. I think this is the most intimate image of myself I’ve ever put on the internet.Yes, I spot-lit the printout and took a photo of it.No, I have nothing more interesting to photograph at the moment.Yes, I did spend a few minutes fussing over the blown-out portions of this image thinking I had my camera settings wrong when, in fact, the original image featured peaked highlights already.

9.26.23Ellie the PodcasterSteve wanted to podcast about No One Will Save You, and since the WGA is finished striking, we are apparently allowed to talk about it on-air. Ellie joined us for the majority of the show. It made the whole experience 200% cuter.

9.27.23Cat WalkMyrtle has been extremely bored lately. We toss ball in the backyard, but it’s not enough. She wants to explore, sniff, and walk around the neighborhood. After a few PT sessions and some ibuprofen, I felt strong enough to try walking down to the Avenue and back with her.Of course, it’s not a selfless act; I really wanted to get out of the house and hopefully photograph something other than a box of cereal. Along the walk, this cat came out of the bushes and meowed for pets.

9.28.23Good BurlAfter PT this morning, I stopped by the shop to photograph a table John and the boys finished. This walnut burl “cookie” has been in the shop since last summer, so it’s kind of wild that it’s finally finished. It was for a client who was in no rush, apparently. They had some difficulty finishing it but finally figured it out.I think they said this will be an entry table for a foyer in someone’s house. Imagine: a foyer with enough space for a bespoke piece of furniture like this. Ah, to be wealthy…

9.29.23Night On VineWent and checked out Bee’s OTR—the new BBQ spot from Madisonville that went into the former Pontiac space on Vine Street. My expectations were somewhere in the middle range as I expected it to be good but not blow my mind. I was pleased to discover it exceeded my expectations.Afterward, we wandered over to Lost & Found. Along the way, I took a photo of the Cincinnati Color Building which I’ve found ironically named since it was painted beige after being white for as long as I remember it.

9.30.23September 30thIt’s my favorite month of the year. We put up decorations the day before. Also, I rode an electric RedBike home tonight from downtown and it was perfectly fine. I think I’m successfully good to ride now.