Daily Photos

< August 2024 >

August 1, 2024
The bumblebee starts work earlier than I do. A quiet morning scene at Smith Garden in Oakwood. The best of many pictures I took of this little guy. Patience and persistence resulted in my best rabbit photo ever. Some birds are quiet and hard to find, but not the Carolina Wren.

August 2, 2024
I found this rain-soaked notebook underneath a tree. I admire anyone who uses mnemonics when studying. This is how they built Notre Dame (see July 9, 2024). It`s raining, and I`m pointing my camera up. Flowers have appeared by the steel sculpture (see July 25, 2024). Not an American Beauty, but it`s beautiful in America.

August 3, 2024
Dayton Association of Chinese Americans Dance Group. Dayton Dance Initiative. Dayton Ballet School Ensemble. Dayton Dance Conservatory Company. Miami Valley Dance Company.

August 4, 2024
Next time I see Kelley`s mom and dad, I will thank them. Unlike others I`ve photographed, she wasn`t afraid of bees. It was hot and sunny, but I kept her in the shade. I`ve seen so many bad photos taken at this same spot. Of her three outfits, I guess I liked the yellow the best.

August 5, 2024
Rushing to the rescue. Butterflies are attracted to brightly colored . . . flowers. East Second Street. New marble entryway? This will be fun when it snows. East Fifth Street.

August 6, 2024
Time to call Goodyear. At 92 degrees, you better believe I walked in the shade. With the lights flashing, I thought there was an emergency. But no, she just stopped for Starbucks. We have a nice library in downtown Dayton. This encounter was a lot closer than it looks.

August 7, 2024
Stoicism and fluffy feathers. Beware the rocks. `The world needs ditch-diggers too.` JUDGE SMAILS in `Caddyshack.` The work continues (see July 31, 2024). Pointless destruction.

August 8, 2024
I walked to work every day this week, and haven`t put gas in my car for more than a month. The most dangerous crosswalk in downtown Dayton (see May 21, 2024). The Courthouse Square fountain as we know it is gone. Somewhere in America. Whenever I see `The King and I` (see July 18, 2024) I`m reminded that I`ve never read this. I`ll try it this time.

August 9, 2024
It`s Germanfest weekend again! This festival just gets bigger every year. Germanfest is actually a multicultural festival. People wait in long, long, long lines for food like this. He also dresses up like St. Patrick for Celtic Festival.

August 10, 2024
Everybody polka! Vier deutsche Madchen (see August 10, 2018). The guy she was drawing really did look like that. And then the Pope`s bodyguards showed up. This makes me hungry for the Hispanic Heritage Festival next month.

August 11, 2024
This is harder than it looks. So many cars of my childhood were on display. This photo may be on next year`s promotional materials. Germanfest is a family friendly event. `Everybody`s German for the weekend!`

August 12, 2024
I was walking to work and late for a meeting, but I had to stop and take a photo of this artist (see July 2, 2024). So it`s not a bald eagle, but it`s still a good photo. Making a splash at the Great Miami River. Taking care of one of the gems of the Gem City. A common hazard in the Oregon District: walking into the background of someone`s photo shoot.

August 13, 2024
I took many, many pictures of this green heron. And I took just a few of this house finch. Beauty is fleeting. I had an extremely satisfying morning on the prairie. We could use fewer people and more bees.

August 14, 2024
I don`t think I`ve ever taken this shot before, but I could be wrong (I`ve walked by this building for 20 years). Brutalist architecture in Dayton, Ohio. He bought it new off the lot in 1910. Functional, but not beautiful. Our Lady of Wilkinson Street.

August 15, 2024
As I was walking to work, I heard her sharp `CHICK! CHICK!` and then suddenly she was right in front of me. Some ambitious ants were lining up to take advantage. As I was walking home from work, it looked like it might rain, but I went out of my way to get this shot. Why so many gulls in the air? Because Tom and Huck walked in the river to scare them.

August 16, 2024
Are you missing something? Time for the Levitt Pavilion t-shirt toss. Triumph at the t-shirt toss. I`m not sure what that instrument is, but I liked it. Sit and listen passively to the music, or get up and move.

August 17, 2024
It was another hot and sunny Porchfest in St. Anne`s Hill (see August 21, 2021). Scoom Squad can stop traffic -- on East Fifth Street. As soon as I got to the neighborhood, I could hear Visitor playing. They were plugged in and amped up. Visitor`s drummer was his normal energetic self (see August 26, 2023). I heard my favorite singer-songwriter on a quieter porch.

August 18, 2024
The University of Dayton has a stunning new concert hall. Same old Bosendorfer, though (see September 15, 2010). I wandered around the new arts center unsupervised. Better than rows of fluorescent lights. A performing arts center has been a dream for decades.

August 19, 2024
There`s a church steeple in there somewhere (see August 2 above). Never point your camera at the sun. Every photograph is a slice of time. Some slices are thicker than others. Another squirrel with special dietary needs (see October 2, 2017).

August 20, 2024
I found the world`s tiniest caterpillar. Bumblebees get a little crazy when they land on a flower. Michael Bashaw built a sculpture that`s a giant musical instrument (see August 27, 2009). A tiny preview of fall. Even in late August, I found a fresh and flawless daisy.

August 21, 2024
First home game excitement. The rookie scored in the 22nd minute. She scored again 4 minutes later. The visiting goalie looked straight into the sun for the first half. Dayton had a lot to celebrate.

August 22, 2024
A near miss at the t-shirt toss (see August 16 above). Performing for my camera is strongly encouraged. He was playing a keyboard with his left hand. Keeping the beat. This band was Cool Cool Cool.

August 23, 2024
I used to buy music books, but I got over it. A colorful recorder. I`m thinking of Paul Desmond right now. Wishful thinking. What is the sound of one drumstick tapping?

August 24, 2024
Roller derby is all about keeping up forward momentum. Well, yeah, there`s some of this too. The team members with stars upon thars are the jammers, and they`re the most interesting to watch. When they go low, go high. Win or lose, everybody has a good time at roller derby.

August 25, 2024
Best friends and cousins. They`re dancers, not singers, but this is an album cover. We`ve been looking forward to this shoot for weeks. Shortly before we got kicked out by the security guard. We did a lot of spontaneous sidewalk choreography.

August 26, 2024
Once I brushed off the ants, it tasted just fine. Always the rebel. Convergence. Walking home when it`s above 90 degrees feels good after being in an overly air conditioned office all day. Nope, not gonna happen.

August 27, 2024
Remembering Russell Malone. The Seed of Life memorial has been completed. A team of four artists led the project. But more than 5,000 people took part in the construction. One of my Oregon District neighbors.

August 28, 2024
I was about a mile away from this hummingbird. I took about 30 pictures of this hungry goldfinch. Nothing ever made in a factory is as impressive as this. This skipper was in a big hurry. I was about a mile away from this heron.

August 29, 2024
Squirrels on my porch drive me nuts. I drove fast to see if it went up to three digits. Poofy. Going places. It`s hot and sunny outside. Let`s dance around!

August 30, 2024
Teams from Florida and Iowa came to Dayton to play in a gym that was nearly empty and had no air conditioning. I dropped in to take pictures of the game, planning to go to work afterwards. But it was so hot, I couldn`t stay for the whole game. And instead of going straight to work, I went home and changed my shirt. Built in 1950, the Frericks Center really needs AC.

August 31, 2024
Next week I`m teaching a photography workshop about `golden hour.` So this week I went to the park during sunset. I saw some familiar faces at Carriage Hill MetroPark. Along with some faces that were new to me. I`m looking forward to a good class next week.

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