11 Thursday Nov 2021
Posted in Columbus OH, friends, Veterans Day
Morning breakfast after a meeting where we gather again to break bread and solve the world’s problems.
Today, Veterans Day, and as talk, joke and share fellowship it’s the way American should be. A Jordanian ex airforce, an Israel ex artillery officer, 2 US military- Navy and Army, plus those that serve in a different way. Peace
10 Wednesday Nov 2021
Posted in Columbus OH, Exploring Ohio, Photo shoot, photography
Day trip to Prairie Oats to find some fall color was a bit colorless. Seems the late October heat kept the trees thinking it was still summer. The chemistry of going from green to brilliant orange, red, yellow and even a pretty brown all depend on carotenoids.
And to explain that, won’t be me… Appalachian State University Biology professor, Howard Neufeld – the ‘fall guy’ – is the man. Check out this article on how it happens. What Causes Leaves To Change Color?
Meanwhile we went mostly colorless and just lost leaves. So here is my ‘fall color’ from Prairie Oaks this week. Enjoy!
22 Tuesday Dec 2020
Posted in Christmas, Columbus OH, Events, family, Ohio, personal, photography
Tags
Columbus, Corona, decorations, holiday, Holidays, Jesus, light, lighting, lights, Merry Christmas, Ohio, Santa, virus
HI All, with no explanation needed, it’s been a long year.
It began great with a trip to Cuba in January via Global Volunteers.
That was the tip of the iceberg that is still working it’s way around the world.
While visiting Hemmingway’s house I became enveloped in a group of tourist from… China. A day or so later the virus announcement happened and we wondered about getting back to the States. Last day in Cuba and we had a new housemate from… Italy. Cuban airport packed, Miami International packed. First of February and still very clueless, and… lucky!
March came the great flood. 1500 sqft under 2 ft of water in the lower basement turned production area. And it was ‘black’ water. The new house is the first on the sewer line :-] Turns out the replacement powerline pole ended up in the sewer chamber in the corner of the yard. Sewer chamber filled with dirt washed from around the pole. The basement was convenient so it filled. Lost 3/4 of a decade of BW images from the 70’s and about 10k color images. Yep, up off the floor on racks out of the way. Water was so high and forceful that it took the containers – heavy containers – off the racks and turned them over. :-[ By the time I got the water pumped out and had a chance to start looking around it was too late to save. Everything had be so violently pushed around it was hard to what was where, plus everything was covered in crap water, literally.
Now back to that virus thing. A crew showed up to help cleanup, which was great. Could not have done it myself. Had 10ish people at anyone moment in the basement with and without masks for a couple of days. Then 2 weeks of repair and replace people in and out. Might have dodged a virus bullet there.
Spent the rest of the year seeing a few friends and keeping to the house, plus reworking that flood thing. Had to start from scratch, again. Very depressing every time I looked at the containers with the lost images.
It’s been a long year for everyone, much longer for some. To those that have lost a loved one a heartfelt hug.
So we come to the end… of this endless year. Time to brighten up, think positive, make new plans, get shot and hopefully move on. To that end a little something to cheery to look at. Within minutes of the house a little light at the end of the tunnel.
Enjoy the Holiday’s and look forward to a new New Year.
All images © 2020 Ed Zirkle
24 Sunday Jun 2018
Posted in Columbus OH, Photojournalism, Special Olympics, sports
Tags
athlete, competetion, life, Ohio, photography, powerlifting, Special Olympics, sports, state games
Saturday I was reminded why I like photographing Special Olympic games. Couple of years ago National Games were in New Jersey and Ohio had a special swim team in competition. Special as in good hard workers, not Special Olympics even though that is why they were there. While waiting on one of the teams to compete I notice a gentleman on the swim floor in a wheelchair. He got up and using a metal cane approached the pool lane. It became obvious that he had the use of just one arm and leg, but jumped into the pool to compete. Swam a freestyle competition and did very well.
Yesterday at the powerlift competition held in the Thurber Theatre at the Drake Union on campus – The Ohio State University – I was witness to another ‘special’ moment.
Young man approached the weights to be lifted with his coach and as the coach was getting the athlete set as I’ve seen the other coaches do I thought he was placing the athletes hand in the right position for the lift. As the coach left I saw this young man using just one hand to do the powerlift! And lift he did!
The athletes of Special Olympics are a constant reminder that most anything can be accomplished if you are willing to try and the outcome is secondary.
Let me win, but if I cannot win let me be brave in the attempt.
28 Saturday Oct 2017
Posted in Bars, Columbus OH, HighBall17, Uncategorized
Tags
bar, cocktails, dancing, drinking, food, friendly, fun, gay, High St, hip, music, restaurant, straight
Last week was fun running from Roscoe Village Apple Butter festival to Circleville Pumpkin Show and in the evenings attending my first HighBall. At the end of each evening after running up and down High street finished and home bound I passed 2 completely different worlds from what was running the streets. A reverse zoo sort of thing with people in restaurants watching the crazies passing by and then inside the bars a whole other party cranked up from a Frat/sorority mixer at Granero Lounge to the HighBall moving inside at the Union Cafe.
So depending on who you think is upscale or not and where to go for the ‘most’ fun, well that’s something fun for you to find out. But for me… well let the pictures speak… first Friday then Saturday.
Martini Modern Italian inside looking out…
stolen moment
Stolen moment at the Union Cafe
watching HighBall 17 from The Eagle
And a tip of the hat to the ‘guys’ for their help at Union Cafe
17 Thursday Jul 2014
Posted in Columbus OH, Family Photography
Family life cycle photography can be a wonderful thing assuming A. you stay friends with the family and B. you live long enough to do the cycle. I’ve know this family before now Grandma and Grandpa got married, did their wedding and all 3 of the girls. Now doing the grand kids. Fun to see everything come full circle and in someways be a part of the family.
23 Friday May 2014
Posted in Columbus OH, Events, photography
After using SLR’s and DSLR’s over the years you get use to the instantaneous-ness of pushing a button and getting – most of the time – the image you thought/wanted. Point and shoots have such a delay and now that smart/cell phones are taking over the process of taking a picture is not quite the compact moment we might want.
I got lucky today. Field of Hero’s in Westerville put on by the Westerville Sunrise Rotary group is up and running. This is their 6 year of this display. I don’t know the count on how many flags placed. Will get that info later when they have finished everything.
I’ve been shooting fun stuff on my Nokia 1020 and I have a class I’m teaching in a couple of weeks at the Orange Library on smart/cell phone photography so all of the flags make for a very powerful, colorful and graphic moment. Knelt down and tried to frame for a decent shot. Bright sun on any phone screen is a killer and today is a gorgeous sunny day with just the right clouds. Press the button and waited for the image to process – Nokia 1020 makes 2 files from the one image – and the result was enough to not want to shoot for the rest of the day.
Just the right moment…
copyright 2014
Ed Zirkle
Ed Zirkle 