Having Lunch with Nana and Papa
“I tell ya, I’m old. I wear a mask, but I’m not like you,” she says with a New York accent that has persisted longer than her desire for me to have children. “If I get it, I get it. If I die, I die.” This isn’t morbid. This is just Nana.
The House I Grew Up In
There have been a lot of abandoned places over the years. For awhile, the subject of "urban exploration" was the main focus of my photographic and written work. Since I was 17, I’ve had the opportunity to document many captivating subjects in both the historic and visual sense. Sometimes I was with a guide or showing up with an invitation—other times it was more of an “adventure,” if you will. From “ghost ships” to subway tunnels to stadiums and amusement parks—the types of places have varied, but there are two distinct categories in which I’ve viewed these derelict locales: the ones I knew and the ones I didn’t.
Demonstrations in Cincinnati on May 30, June 1, June 3, and June 8, 2020.
As demonstrations against racism and police brutality took place across the world following the death of George Floyd, I documented some of the local protests for Cincinnati Public Radio/91.7 WVXU. The following photographs were made on May 30, June 1, June 3, and June 8, 2020.
Death of The Dennison
The Dennison Hotel building once stood on the eastern side of Downtown Cincinnati's Main St. between 7th and 8th Streets. The building was part of the "Cincinnati East Manufacturing and Warehouse District," an area officially cataloged with the National Register of Historic Places.
From the Archives: the Cincinnati Skywalk in December 2008
I recently posed a question on Twitter: “If you could time travel to any location/point in history, where and when would you travel to?” The answers ranged from the first moon landing to meeting Jesus Christ, the Wright Brothers’ first flight, killing Hitler, the Treaty of Versailles, and sports championships. Among the thoughtful responses, though, not a single soul (despite my hint) said that they’d travel to the Cincinnati Skywalk system in December of 2008.
The Sidelined Delta Fleet in Wilmington, Ohio
In 1996, my dad took me to the Dayton Air Show for the first time. 24 years later, we went to another air show of sorts.
Coffee (and Love) in the Time of Corona
Photographs and thoughts made between March 12, 2020 and March 30, 2020.
Camden Park - May 18, 2008
During a recent trip through West Virginia, Ryan and I stopped to make a few photographs of Camden Park. Already closed for the season, the quick detour got me thinking about some older images from a visit to the park over ten years ago and how this place intersected with several other QC/D stories/elements of my work over the years.
Coney Island as It Was in September 2019
Water has always played a part in Coney’s destiny.
Postcards
I don’t know how best to describe my relationship with or affinity for postcards. On one hand, they’re a unique gesture—an expressive medium that occasionally exemplifies good photography. On the other, they’re simply a means of communicating sentiment. They also serve as historic footnotes—representations of certain places, documentation of when those locales were held dear/promoted, how a physical space appeared at a certain time.
Checking in on an Old Friend
In a way, the pseudo-abandoned mall north of Cincinnati encapsulates many of this website's themes from over the years: crumbling consumerism, abandonment/urban exploration, history, fading advertisements, nostalgia, and personal connection. I grew up going here, I’ve written about it twice, and I still find myself coming back on occasion to see how things are. It's like checking in on an old friend who lives in an incredibly unique time and place.
The Long Lines - Part 2
Part 1 was a photographic series featuring Cold-War era communications towers once referred to as "Vintage Skynet." Here in Part 2: the towers' backstory and history.
The Long Lines - Part 1
In an article by 99% Invisible’s Kurt Kohlstedt, the author refers to ‘Long Lines’ towers as “Vintage Skynet.” While I very much appreciate the ‘Terminator’ reference, the towers’ purpose was (probably) less sinister, even with their military and technological implications.
"They" Are Alive In The World
And “they” are “we,” as in: “wearealiveintheworld,” the street artists who's instagram bio states “we are no one you are everyone.”
The Quest For McDonald's Pizza
Have you ever seen “Crossroads” with Britney Spears (and Dan Aykroyd, apparently)?
The Arena
I was wrapping up photographs of the Showboat Majestic nearby, trying to get a clear shot of the boat from above. As I finished the day's assignment, I found myself walking around where the arena's plaza meets the bridge, making photographs of the ‘venue formerly known as the Riverfront Coliseum.’