Something Different

And now for something Completely different!

This is probably my favorite image from a series I had hoped to complete of close-ups of neon signs. In concept it is quite intriguing... in practice, a giant pain in the a$$...

I spent countless hours seeking out interesting signs in shop windows, driving all over Cleveland... trying to get the perfect angles. I took nearly 200 total shots... I have 2 that I actually like (yeah 2, 1%, it's a little depressing)... I don't think this series is dead in the water yet... but I have put it on a hiatus for a while... with hopes of revisiting this summer.

Let me know what you think... is it worth resurrecting the series? Should I keep trying?

Something Different

"And now for something completely different"... I always loved that phrase...

Right now I am posting a 'greatest hits' collection... my abstracts are coming up next and I really hope you like them, as always I totally value all feedback.

On that note I am also taking requests... what would you like to see? Portraits? Landscapes? Abstracts? I am working on about 4 projects right now, god bless being ADD, working so many things at once would probably drive a normal person crazy.... but I can't seem to focus one thing, I have to run with every idea in my head all at once.

OK, Promise to bring my favorite abstracts to ya in the next couple days!

Playhouse Square

One more Downtown Picture for this little series so far, a different angle on Playhouse.

Ok so this is the last picture I have finished perfecting enough to post (I almost never consider an image 'done' and frequently go back to rework them) from my December downtown shoot... I am digging through the raw images this week and hope to post a few more this month... let me know what you think.

Lakeside Avenue

Now some images fall into your lap by accident... others take patience. The Justice Building on Lakeside Avenue. This took 20 minutes and about 16 similar shots that I discarded, just so I could get the angle and the lighting on the building just right... not to mention timing the stoplights to get them both green...

Totally worth it.

I have to smile, as I was preparing this image for posting, Kendall peaked over my shoulder, and said "wow... you make Cleveland look elegant". I will agree, I think elegant is the right word.

Playhouse Square

Continuing in the rain, at night, through cleveland... takes a lot of artistic drive... and courage.

Cleveland embarked on a very expensive project... the Euclid Corridor project... basically expanding the street and revamping the bus line in the hopes of bringing the people downtown and rejuvenating Cleveland... construction took over a year, businesses languished as people couldn't get to them through the barrels... mom and pop shops that had been here for 50 years closed down....

I think the Jury is still out of whether or not this was worth it...

But the new bus terminals are architecturally beautiful, and lit blue, in the rain... I find them to be stunning. This is a guerrilla style photograph, shot very carefully through my windshield while I was stopped for the briefest of seconds.

Here against the red and green lights of Playhouse Square old meets new.

Terminal Tower

On my first trip through downtown I had taken a similar picture... but on this night it was raining... the streets practically glowed, and off I went to reshoot everything... I am in love with the bronze cast overall.

Terminal Tower

I would like to take complete artistic credit for this composition... but its an extremely happy accident.

So, in december, I decided to begin work on a series featuring downtown Cleveland, show it off. As I was winding my way through downtown, with my window down, I would occasionally take a quick shot out the window. This I do to help remember a location once I park the car and head out on foot.

So I am there at a stop light in Public Square, which is lit up for the holidays, when I decided to take a quick pic... and of course the light turns green... shutter still open, I take the camera back down and begin to drive away... when I check my camera later, I found this image.

A happy accident... only needed a little tweaking in photoshop to adjust the contrast.