Xtrasmall vs Xtrabig

I've know Mark Byron a couple years now, first met him when he was shooting pictures at the Gateway Quater Summer Celebration in OTR. I've been a big fan of his ever since, his photos always inspire me to be a better photographer. Do you remember back in October on Rhonda's blog, My Life at Arnold's ran a story about Mark and his his Great Great Great Grandfather's pictures of the S.S. Normandie shot in the 1930's I thought, wow how incredible would it be to see those pictures!
I was super excited to get invited to a gallery show in Mark's studio to view them, blown up and projected onto the wall the old pictures were stunning. Amazing even.
And if you've never seen Mark's work before check out his website.
Between that and Lisa Phillips Beysiegel on the floor below showing her work Mark told me the art on the second floor is from a group of Miami Oxford University students.
Their show;

Mark's father's camera. What passed for a pocket camera back then? A Voigtlander Vitessa, the cool thing about this camera is that the film advance and shutter cocking are operated with a plunger rod.

The pictures of the Normandy, shot on its maiden voyager with a large format camera on glass plate negatives.


Strolling around the space and KA-POW!!!!



The man himself, Mark Byron
[where: 45202]best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati
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Holiday Condo Tour

Six different condo's downtown were open for tours last night and the take away from the three we went through was bricks and views. If we ever move a brick wall will be one of our must haves. After that what really stuck out were window treatments. I'm not in the business but cloth curtains? Didn't feel right to me. And since it was a holiday tour I was expecting holiday decorations. None unless you count Christmas cookies, I've eaten my body weight in Christmas cookies this week.
Fountain Square Lofts

The Fort Washington




The Graydon Lofts

AHHH there's a tree!!

On a side note, if you don't have a contract on a Parker Flats condo as of yesterday forget it you're s#!t out of luck, they're all gone.[where: 45202]best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati
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NYC miss me like Earl

More than anything when we visited NYCI wanted to see the Highline, the elevated rail line that after years of political infighting produced a spectacular park on the east west side of Manhattan. When we got there it didn't disappoint, I almost forgot being in a huge city while floating a couple stories above it. The designers did an incredible job with the greenery juxtaposed against the steel and concrete.
And of course the developments that have sprung are super cool too.

I was itching to smoke a cigar, it was a very pleasant afternoon but I suppose if I were to fire up a cigar on the Highline in NYC it would have been an affront to nature and surely prove absolutely my lack of any claim to belong to a civilized society. Or any kind of society for that matter
I imagine people being embarrassed for me, but too dignified to abuse me by listing my short comings as a human being.
So I didn't.





[where: 45202]best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati
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all access

Long story short I ended up with an all access pass for the Bearcats game Saturday. I was imagining a beer fountain and gold leaf lobster tail but the reality ended up being a little less fantastic than that.

I need some of this to shoot sports. If I cared that much about shooting sports.







looks like Techmo Bowl


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Sid Saturday

[where: 45202]best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati
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Republic and 15th

With rentals getting snapped up seemingly as fast as they're available I think this development in OTR is really cool, we got a tour of it on the Spirit of Christmas Tour last weekend to show what could be done with an abandoned church. The ground level is currently used as a fab shop but the top of the church has been turned into two airy light filled apartments.
At the time this church was built churches all had a large community room on ground level and you went up steps to the level where services were held.
And they aren't that expensive, at least by downtown standards for something this large and cool, they're talking $900 - 1000 range. I know I'll get blasted for calling a grand a month affordable but that's where we're headed like it of not.
The two apartments should be available around April 2012.

[where: 45202]best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati
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Christmas time is here again..

Not everyone can get a Jane Seymour open-heart pendant for Christmas.
But everyone can walk around downtown and look in windows decorated for Christmas.
My favorite time of the year downtown is Christmas time, almost like living in one of those old movies where everyone walks around wide eyed.
And lucky for us Landor is helping Race St get that Christmas feeling going already.

And if you turn the corner onto Shillito Place they have an interactive window using Windows Kinect. I think.
[where: 45202]best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati
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