Cincinnati

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Black Lives Matter – Cincinnati Street Mural

BACKGROUND: During the third week of June, 17 Cincinnati-based Black artists and 60+ assistants and volunteers of all ages and races worked together over several days to plan and create a Black Lives Matter mural on Plum Street directly in front of City Hall. A poem written by Alandes Powell, who spearheaded the effort, was a source of inspiration behind each letter’s design. All of the artists were assigned one letter (including the exclamation point) and tasked with painting their own vision. Cincinnati City Council approved an ordinance permitting the mural, and it was funded by the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio, ArtsWave, ArtWorks, and private donors, and will be in place on Plum Street for the next five years. The mural was unveiled on June 19th – Juneteenth.

Sources – highlighted in bold

I don’t have a drone, which is really necessary to show the mural in all it’s glory (either that or a Batman-like viewpoint from atop City Hall). So I did my best to capture the theme of each letter using my Nikon D750.

The Cincinnati Black Lives Matter mural is a beautiful work of art by a collective of talented artists. It’s humbling, challenging, educational, and inspirational and I encourage everyone to go and spend some time studying each letter. Let this motivate you to learn, listen, and take action.

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Parker & Grandma Mini-Session at Eden Park

Here are some of my favorites from a recent mini-portrait session at Eden Park! I’ve had the honor of photographing Ashley & Kevin’s wedding; newborn photos of their daughter, Parker; 1-year photos of Parker; and now a Parker & Grandma session! Parker is friendly, goofy, curious, and adorable! I’m so glad to be able to capture moments like these!

(click the thumbnails to enlarge and swipe through!)

Eden Park Engagement Session with Tess & Mo

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Tess and Mo had their engagement session in Eden Park (my favorite Cincinnati park!) on a not-too-humid August evening. They got to know each other through a running club in Rochester, NY, and soon realized their friendship was more than that; the spark between them was mutual. When we met Tess at Coffee Emporium (Mo was busy in Rochester finishing up his residency), we bonded over running stories and a shared appreciation for coffee! Kyle and I are looking forward to capturing their upcoming January wedding - we're hoping for some picturesque snow!

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Cincinnati Centenarian: Artist Anne Wainscott

Living life to the fullest is a mantra that many ascribe to, with varying degrees of conviction. Wrapped in faux fur and sporting on-trend aviators, a charm bracelet full of mementos lovingly curated by her close friend Michelle, and a smile framed by vibrant red lipstick, Anne Wainscott is someone who epitomizes this. At 100 years young, she has lived a storied life. Born to immigrants, a seamstress mother and a father who was a tailor, she grew up in Cincinnati and early on had a strong interest in fashion. She dreamed of moving to New York to pursue this, but remained in Cincinnati. She funneled this passion into a long career of making illustrations for the Cincinnati department store Shillito's. Elegant women with striking eyes were her trademark, and they almost always bloomed from her imagination. She rarely used models. Being witness to the latest women's trends, she infused this into her innate sense of style and altered or created many of her own clothes. At a time when photographs had not yet replaced paintings and illustrations in advertising, Anne's artistic visions undoubtedly drew customers to Shillito's, who hoped to be as chic as the women in the newspaper ads. 

I spent an afternoon with Anne and Michelle in the Riverside Historic District of Covington, KY. I observed this tiny, lovely woman gazing across the Ohio River at the Queen City, where she made a career for herself while married to a fellow artist and raised a family (two sons who also happen to be artists). Her home is decorated with many of her original paintings, drawings, and other artwork. She painted her entire Frigidaire pink. Fresh flowers adorn every table.

Over the course of a century, Anne has seen an unbelievable amount of change. She and her husband contributed their artistic skills to WWII pamphlets distributed to African-American soldiers. She remarked that her husband made the bold decision to depict the soldiers and their families true to life, not Caucasian, as was the standard. She knows in her heart that relatives who did not make it to America perished in the Holocaust. 

Born in the U.S. before women could vote, she cast her vote for a woman presidential candidate for the first time this past fall. I met Anne and Michelle at the Women's March in January. Exuding 100 years of wisdom (but looking much younger than her age), Anne captivated me, and that's what inspired me to capture her in these portraits, which of course do not do justice for her beauty and her strong yet gentle spirit. 

Cincinnati Pride Parade!

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People of all walks of life came to the Cincinnati Pride Parade to show their support for the LGBTQ community in Cincinnati (and worldwide). I tried to capture the energy of the parade participants and crowd, while also enjoying the event (as in, taking in the experience and purposefully putting my camera down here and there). Every year, I've been either out of town or busy during the Cincinnati Pride parade weekend and this year I was finally was able to attend. It was especially moving to see participants carrying signs honoring each individual who perished in the horrific Orlando nightclub shooting. It was a very thoughtful way to honor these victims. 

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Family photos in Ault Park!

Getting to know you…

I recently purchased a Fujifilm x100s  to be my "fun" camera for short trips and just exploring. It was truly love at first sight! The camera looks gorgeous - it harkens back to the glory days of film photography although it's digital. The lack of a detachable lens has been simultaneously challenging and exhilarating – I'm so accustomed to switching lenses based on the situation, that I have to slow down and really think creatively about composing the image. So far I've been tinkering with the different settings, including options that imitate the look of color and B&W film. These are my best photos, so far, taken at the Cincinnati Museum Center.

The photos of me were taken by my sidekick/husband. Also, none of these have been retouched, except for the image of the flag, which I adjusted very slightly in Photoshop.  


Gravity of Light

Gravity of Light was a 2012 installation created by artists and twin brothers Doug and Mike Starn, using a carbon arc lamp as the central and singular light source to highlight several large prints symbolizing light and dark, life and death. Presented by the Cincinnati Art Museum within the Holy Cross Church in the Mt. Adams Monastery, the crumbling brick, smattering of broken floorboards, and chilly air provided a perfectly eerie setting. The lamp was an adaptation of the 1804 creation by British physicist Humphry Davy (and was the first practical electric light). It provided a crackling light which would occasionally flicker out completely and had to be tediously re-ignited by an attendant. Viewers were required to wear protective glasses since the brightness was a similar intensity to the sun. Please enjoy – I hope you're as mesmerized as I was.

BEWARE creepy bats and giant skulls!

Walter the warthog and other curiosities.

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Pictured below: Walter the warthog is taken for a walk through the Cincinnati Zoo on a warm day in March. During the stroll, he abruptly dropped to the ground to roll around – I'm guessing he had to scratch an itch on his back! 

Not sure if this is the same peacock every time, or if there are multiple peacocks roaming the zoo… regardless, he's a lovely fellow, and this kid just reaaallly wanted to catch him and touch his colorful feathers!

Did you know that a group of flamingos is called a flamboyance? Well, I also witnessed a flamboyance of flamingos on a recent zoo visit. Quite a noisy bunch! "They have small brains," explained one of the zookeepers, as the birds appeared easily distracted and had to keep being redirected.   

Source: http://cincinnatizoo.org

Glencoe-Auburn Rowhouses, pre-demolition

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These photos of the graffiti-covered, abandoned Glencoe-Auburn Row Houses in Cincinnati have been on my computer for almost a year, and I regret that I'm just now posting them. They were in the process of being demolished when I ventured down Glencoe Avenue to take photos. I have an affinity for all sorts of historic and abandoned buildings. They tend to be full of character, whether that character lies in their architecture, colorful paint, rotting ceilings, crumbling bricks, or the occasional (or rampant) graffiti. Some buildings make you wonder who used to live there and what their lives were like, and sometimes you can find clues left behind.

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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glencoe-Aubur...