Cleveland, OH

Next stop was Cleveland, Ohio. We arrived around 11:00 and began to scope out the best place for our night shots. We eventually found our way down into the Flats - a section of Cleveland that lies down by a canal and looks back at the city.

I was instantly hooked. There is an awesome, huge white bridge that I could tell lit up at night and led your eye right into the city. I made up my mind that I was going to shoot from there tonight. Dave and Shelley decided to head out near the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame while I headed back to the Flats.

Upon arriving in the Flats, I realized that I was slightly lacking in an ideal shooting environment. First, there were literally thousands upon thousands of seagulls swarming the sky between me and the city. Another onlooker remarked that it felt like we were at the scene of a National Geographic film. This, of course, worried me a bit as there were streaks of white flying all over the sky.

The second challenge came in the form of the ice. The ice had moved down the canal from earlier in the day and was floating directly in front of me. This messed with the reflections in the water but did make the shot a bit more interesting.

The final challenge was a cloudy sky. The clouds were thin but they were a bit grey. This generally prevents you from getting a good deep blue sky. They came in and out so I just kept shooting hoping to nail a shot when the clouds were not so thick.

On the safety front, in this case I was actually pleasantly surprised. Our waiter at lunch today (Hard Rock Cafe) said he wouldn't recommend going down in the Flats at night. He said the buildings are largely abandoned and a lot of people go there to get in trouble. Before heading out, I asked the desk attendent at the hotel and she told me there was nothing to worry about (yes, I probably would have gone either way - I know, I know, mom). Sure enough, the "abandoned buildings" were actually condos (albeit, definitely not high end condos). There were people walking their dogs and an older lady and gentleman taking pictures. Definitely not a dangerous environment.

Here is Cleveland:



Tomorrow morning will afford another shooting opportunity in Cleveland. After we come back and get cleaned up, it is off to Detroit, Michigan. The weather in Detroit looks a little iffy so our streak of great shooting conditions might come to an end. Keep praying!

On the personal front, I added a new ailment to my aching feet and legs. My lower back is now in agony. Add in my cold and I am a mess. We stopped at a gas station today and I bought Dayquil, Nyquil, and Advil. The lady at the counter looked at me with concern in her face and exclaimed "you must feel absolutely awful!". Yep! So the glamorous lifestyle of a professional photographer current entails leaving at 5 AM, returning at 8 PM, and lots and lots of pain. I love it!