Archive for the ‘Churches’ Category

A few weeks back I drove up to Mount Vernon, Ohio to visit the mission trip team from First Christian Church in Fort Thomas. My son, two sisters, three nephews and a niece were on the trip so I thought I’d go up and help put on a picnic for them after a hard days work at a Habitat for Humanity house they were working on.

I decided that I’d take the “long way” and see if I could find some stuff to shoot. Good choice as I found a few Mail Pouch Barns, a covered bridge, an Ohio Bicentennial Barn, and a very cool old church at Bethany College. At one point I drove a half an hour off my route to shoot a Mail Pouch Barn, only to discover it had been “taken” by hurricane Ike. That would be the photo that looks like a pile of lumber!

All in all, it was a great day. Got to visit my hard working and dedicated family members and the rest of the mission team, as well as adding to my Mail Pouch collection.

Here’s the entire gallery. Enjoy!

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I try to take my “Photo Trips” on Saturdays as to not miss church, but this trip was a last minute decision after church on May 16th. It had been a while since I went shooting and was itching to get out, so I decided to head north towards Preble County Ohio to find a couple of covered bridges. The Brubaker covered bridge and the Roberts covered bridge.

As usual, I found much more to shoot along the way to my final “target”. For one, I ran across the partially abandoned Crystal Tissue Company’s factory just south of Middletown, Ohio. I seriously considered jumping the fence and shooting the inside, but Betsy has scared me into re-thinking trespassing with her threats of not coming to get me out of jail. I had to settle for shooting the water tower from outside the fence. Maybe I’ll go back one day!

I also ran across a couple of very cool abandoned farm house. One of which at the time it was abandoned was occupied by a retired U.S. Air Force officer. It was rather eerie walking into one of the upper bedrooms and seeing his uniform hanging on the closet door. I also found a box with his discharge papers and his military records in it. Sad to think of it, but all my uniforms and paperwork are in my attic. I’m hopeful that no one finds it when shooting photographs of an abandoned house in Fort Thomas in the future!

I also ran across a previously “undiscovered” Mail Pouch barn, although it’s more of a garage, and new, but all the same a Mail Pouch sign. And the last shot of the day was a rather sarcastic political statement of a local pizza parlor’s owner.

Here’s the entire gallery from my Preble County trip. Enjoy!

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Again, I’m awake way before the rest of the family and since it’s Easter morning I thought I’d take a minute and share some shots of a couple of local Easter traditions. One of which I’ve experienced many times in my life and one that’s new to me.

I’ve attended First Christian Church in Fort Thomas, Kentucky my entire life so I’ve seen their “Living Portrayal of DaVinci’s Last Supper” many times. The day is called Maundy Thursday. The word ‘Maundy’, most scholars agree is derived from the Latin word mandatu which means mandate. On that night Jesus gave his disciples a new mandate or a new commandment, “That ye love one another; as I have loved you.” Here’s the entire gallery. Enjoy!

The second tradition I shot this year is more of a regional tradition to the Cincinnati area. The Good Friday pilgrimage to the church is known as the “Praying of the Steps”. It is the only pilgrimage of its kind in the world and remembers Christ’s walk to Calvary. Every year 8,000 to 10,000 pilgrims make the journey on Good Friday and say a prayer on each step as they move to the top of the hill. The tradition has been passed down through generations of Cincinnati Catholics and people of faith.

I’ve thought about shooting this many times in the past but this year I decided it was time after a friend asked that I shoot it for her. Thanks Nancy! I’m not very happy with these shots as the lighting was not the best and I wasn’t really prepared to shoot in such bad back lighting. Next year I’ll be trudging up the hill with my tripod! Here’s the entire gallery. Enjoy!

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