f-stop etcetera

They don't make 'em like that anymore . .

2012-01-23T12:49:00.000-08:00

I'm not telling you anything you don't know here; big, old, beautiful churches all around downtown are sitting vacant. You have your favorites too, no doubt. "If only somebody would do something," you mumble as you drive by.

Well, last week I photographed just such a church for a pending National Register of Historic Places nomination. Now putting it on the NR won't prevent it from being demolished, but through Missouri's Historic Tax Credit program it becomes more feasible to restore it. And it seriously needs restoration!

Is it worth it? What do you think?

KCMOSD Part One

2012-01-16T12:43:00.000-08:00

For the last month and a half or so I've been out photographing Kansas City MO School District schools with Rosin Preservation for an adaptive reuse study.

Everybody knows the schools in their neighborhood, but when you set out to see them all it can be very enlightening, and surprising. First of all, there are a LOT of schools! We're focusing on only about 75. Secondly, the diversity of architecture is impressive. Some are beautiful, and some are purely utilitarian. Some are huge and some are tiny. Some are occupied, others have been vacant for a long time. They're all interesting, though.

Here are some examples from the first couple of days out. More to come . .

(The odds are really good that I can't remember where or what some of these schools are, so my apologies in advance if you're curious.)

More "Art of Decay"

2012-01-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

I was out of town this week doing pre-restoration photos for a client. The building in question had been vacant and boarded up since the 80's. 250 boards covering all windows and doors had just been removed on the day we arrived, and all were being put back the next day when we left. It was like opening a time capsule for for a quick look, and then burying it again.

Every time I get to do a project like this I'm awed by the patience and persistence of nature and the elements. Years of hot then cold, wet then dry, animals and insects coming and going, all wear on a building. In time, anything built by man will be reclaimed by nature, and sometimes the process is stunningly beautiful. And I get to photograph it!

I'll be back again to photograph it when everything is repaired and restored, and few will believe that it could have ever looked like this.

I LOVE my job!

How to re-use an old school . . (IMHO)

2011-12-15T13:28:00.000-08:00

I went out of town this week to photograph an old high school building that had been "re-purposed" into apartments. This kind of project is a LOT of work and can easily be done badly. Historic Tax Credits keep these projects going AND help to insure good results.

This one came out really nice! So here, in my humble opinion, is WHY this was done right.

From the outside, it still looks like a great old school building.

Inside, you'll find the original hallways and stairways. Why change them?

If existing doors were no longer needed, they were left in place and made inoperable. Where new doors were needed, they were made to match the existing ones. Which doors are new and which are original?

There isn't much use for a school auditorium in an apartment building, but it's such an important part of the building that the stage and some representation of the seating was saved. Image a neighborhood association meeting here!

In the apartment units, care was taken to step the walls and dropped ceilings back away from the windows (where necessary) so they wouldn't be seen from outside.

And what about the units themselves? After all, what good is all this if, in the end, nobody wants to live there?

The units are spacious and bright with lots of windows. Yeah, I'd live there.

Dangerous Buildings?

2011-07-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a lot more pre-rehab than post-rehab documentation these days. Personally, the pre-rehab documentation is more thrilling. What are you going to find? Nobody knows!

Earlier in the week we were going through a small, two story warehouse when, while going down the stairs to the basement I noticed an odd smell. Not a bad or foul smell, more metallic and acrid. Not a typical damp basement smell. Flashlights and my camera's flash revealed the source . . mold.

It shouldn't have been a surprise. Wet spring, hot summer, tightly closed building, dirt-floor basement. I got a few shots from the bottoms of the stairs and we left.

That same day we were headed for the roof of another building taking note of the damaged roof supports on the floor below so as to avoid those sections. I have to say that this is the worst I've ever seen. It's shored up by a temporary beam so it was not as dangerous as it looks, but that beam wasn't there the last time I was in this building!

It's always an adventure!

In the meantime . .

2011-07-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I can't share the things I photograph. Sometimes it's only a matter of time before I can. While I wait for the green light on a previous project, here's a couple from today's shoot.

While documenting a rooftop downtown I noticed the amazing patina on this door (who wouldn't?).

And this view of the new Performing Arts Center is one you will see nowhere else!

Inside Kansas City's Cosby Hotel

2011-06-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

Over the last year or so a lot of ink has been spilled concerning the possible fate of the Cosby Hotel at 9th & Baltimore. I've been hoping to get inside to photograph it for FAR longer than that, though! Well, that day came a few weeks ago. I was hired by Rosin Preservation to document it for a possible historic tax credit application. Yesterday the project was officially announced and I can now share what we found inside this incredible structure.

Built in 1881, the building was purchased by Joseph Cosby in 1899 and converted into a hotel. The first floor is all commercial storefronts, and although the spaces are in need of restoration there's nothing special or unexpected in there. One small doorway outside, however, leads upstairs to the most intact, unmolested, un-remodeled, 110-year-old hotel space I've ever seen!

The check-in booth, the staircase, the atrium . . all still there (albeit missing some pieces). The room sizes are original, as are the doors, moldings, trim, windows, etc.

As was typical in hotels of this era, there is one bathroom (multiple stalls) and one tub (located elsewhere) per floor. Your room had a sink and a closet (maybe).

Here's a typical room.

I can't stress enough how unusual it is to find an interior from 1881 THIS intact! Notice the old, exposed, nob-&-tube wiring on the ceiling of this bathroom. All the rooms still had this! The bathroom fixtures, although likely not original, are probably 100+ years old and are complete with old wooden toilet seats.

Transoms, hardware, floors . . all there! This place looks like it hasn't been remolded in 100 years! It's a huge time-capsule in the heart of Downtown. Sure, it's in really bad shape, but it's THERE!

And there's more! Hidden above a newer ceiling on the first floor, in a small crawl-space, is the original mezzanine ceiling complete with tin and painted canvas, with moldings of cattle skulls and bullseyes!

I wonder who she is?

What a place!

Demolition? Seriously???

2011-05-20T13:22:00.000-07:00

While I was in Iowa this week photographing a project for Kerry Davis of Preservation Solutions, Kerry was told of a beautiful Catholic church located about 10 miles outside of Le Mars that the Diocese wants to demolish. Naturally, we had to go have a look.

The St. Joseph Church, built in 1924, sits literally in the middle of thousands of acres of farmland. And, to put a fine point on it, this is really the only thing wrong with the building.

In the early half of the 20th century it took far more people to manage farmland than it does today. Many farms were only 100 acres, and many hands were needed to work them. Filling a rural church of this size was not a problem then. Today the congregation is nearly non-existant.

So the Diocese solution is to demolish the building, which seems to me to make a sad situation even worse, but what do I know? Can there be adaptive re-use if there is no use needed? Would it be better to sell it and roll the dice on a new owner caring for it? Or is demolition now preferable to the slow demolition of neglect? Or maybe it could be moved? It's a real challenge but alternatives to demolition need to be explored, IMHO. Hopefully there's still time.

Artistic influences of the largely German-immigrant population are front and center in the highly detailed woodwork of the Dais. Wood from cigar boxes and other sources make up the hundreds of individual pieces which comprise the whole.

Too many schools . .

2011-05-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

Who could have guessed that this would become a problem? With many school districts consolidating and "right-sizing," older school buildings are up for grabs while districts scramble to come up with "repurposing" plans. Over the years I've seen school buildings converting into apartments, senior living, technical training facilities, and even better schools! The buildings are often in great shape, considered landmarks in their respective communities, and highly worthy of the effort it takes to preserve and re-use them.

8th St. Tunnel - 9th St. Incline

2011-04-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

I had the chance today to see something not many people even know exists. A hundred-plus years ago when Kansas City's west bottoms was a more happenin' place than it is even today, getting in and out of it wasn't easy. That is, until the 9th Street Incline was opened in 1888. The idea was to build a tunnel beginning just west of Broadway and angle it down through the bluffs into the west bottoms, creating a direct rail link to downtown and Quality Hill. It worked quite well, albeit a bit scary for those first passengers, some of whom bailed off as the train began to descend.

(Below photos courtesy of the Kansas City Public Library's photo collection.)

You can see streetcars coming in and out of the tunnel in the lower center of this photo (above), and the track as it emerges from the bluffs. (below)

Fast forward to today . . About 100 yards of this tunnel still exists and is occasionally opened for private tours. For an architectural photographer and history buff like me, it was a REAL thrill!

Goodbye BMA

2011-03-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

It's been about ten years since I was first hired to photograph BMA Tower for a National Register of Historic Places nomination. Since then I've photographed the building for pre and post-rehab documentation for historic tax credits as often as several times each year. Last Monday, however, was my final trip to BMA, now One Park Place. A lot has changed with the building in that time, but it's still my favorite job and has produced some of my best work. I'm sad to be finished with it.

Here are a few shots done for the nomination ten years ago which are not on my main website.

Here's how it looks today:

The view from the 19th floor is spectacular, and can be yours for just under $1 million!

So long BMA.

Dreary day in the studio . .

2011-03-14T16:11:00.000-07:00

Nothing going on, no pressing projects, nasty weather. Perfect for experimenting in the lighting studio; something I don't do enough of.

Simple enough setup . . Three halogen lights, home-made soft box, heavy tripod, a black vinyl notebook for a background and my watch. Here goes . .

35 years ago . .

2011-02-15T08:17:00.000-08:00

While sorting through all of Dad's boxes in his basement, my brother and I found this! This is the camera I learned photography with 35 years ago. It's a c.1950 Voigtlander Bessa 1, 6x9cm (2.25x3.25 inches) format.

Dad was always into photography when he was younger but had pretty much given it up a few years after us kids came along. When I reached 14 years old I asked him to teach me. Dad had better cameras then this one, but he figured this was the perfect learning tool. Everything on it is manual. There is no built-in exposure meter and no range-finder for focusing. You have to estimate the distance from the camera to your subject and understand depth-of-field if you want sharp pictures. You have to know how to use a light meter and how to set the exposure. You only get eight shots per roll of film, too, so you better be sure what you're shooting is worth it. There's no double-exposure lock out either, so if you're not paying attention you'll end up with eight shots on the same frame.

Dad's axiom for good pictures was, sharp lenses, big negatives and smart photographers. This camera had two out of three with me, but I learned.

Here's one of the first images I made with it, processed and printed by me.

What material says "Plumbing"?

2011-02-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

Copper, of course!

Yesterday I photographed the newly remodeled Reeves-Wiedeman Company building ("Plumbing Supplies For Contractors and Industry") at 3635 Main, KCMO, for their tax credit application. Helix was the architecture firm involved, and I really like their work.

A spectacular feature is this skylight/atrium lined with copper located over the order counter.

The entire elevator bay is clad in copper as well.

The elevator bay is mirrored by a copper wall in the office lobby.

A stairway surrounds the elevator bay providing a dramatic blast of sleek copper color. Nice!

Real Estate? Sure, I do that.

2011-01-27T12:44:00.000-08:00

I was recently asked by a friend of a friend if I would be interested in shooting a home for a real estate listing. "Sure! " was my response. This is one of those things I wish I could do more of. Photos on real estate websites are generally pretty sad, and that's the point of first contact for any potential sale.

Anyway, are you in the market for a nice house in North KC? Contact Jeff Johnson and ask him about this beauty!

Cooool School

2011-01-17T13:19:00.000-08:00

WAY past due for a new post here . .

Last week I photographed an elementary school in southeast Kansas built in 1951 for a National Register of Historic Places nomination. Many would not consider a building of this vintage to be historic, but it qualifies in every respect. And, I like the style.

The job was fairly unremarkable, except for the fact that on this day it was 28 degrees outside and 32 degrees inside!

Dry Dock

2010-10-11T09:31:00.000-07:00

Pomme deTerre Lake in SW Missouri is not a big lake, even by Missouri standards. So when the Army Corps of Engineers announced that they would drop the water level by 6-12 feet below normal pool this fall/winter for dam maintenance, the ramifications were obvious to everyone. This is a flood-control lake and as such the water level can raise considerably. But it rarely drops by much, and never in the history of the lake has the water been this low.

It's not this dramatic everywhere, but some of the coves really took a hit!

On the other side of the dam it's a different picture. The increased and sustained flow from the spillway cleaned things up nicely.

Building Spelunking

2010-09-16T18:07:00.000-07:00

Spelunking is the technical term for cave exploration. Building spelunking is what I call picking through the dark recesses of old basements. Sometimes they're so dark you literally can't see your hand in front of your face. And other times there's just enough light to creep you out. Many times I don't know what I'm shooting until I see the image on the camera.

Yeah, it's fun!

Be there

2010-07-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

Was at Mount Moriah Cemetery this afternoon right after the rains for another project and HAD to stop and shoot their mausoleum. I've wanted to photograph this building for several years now but only spent a few minutes grabbing these shots. The stone work is amazing . . I'll be back; hopefully sooner than several years from now!

f-stop in New York City

2010-07-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

Last week I was hired by Rosin Preservation to photograph two buildings in Herald Square and parts of the Empire State Building. We were in NYC for a week and I took close to 2,000 shots, both for work and fun. I won't bore you with a lot of general tourist stuff, but here are some of my favorites from both categories.

We stayed on the 33rd floor of a condo on the upper west side, two blocks from Broadway and about 6 blocks from Central Park. Here are some views from our windows.

Rosin Preservation is preparing an application for Historic Tax Credits for the owner of the buildings and my photos were to show the completed rehab/restoration work.

Same story for the Empire State Building. Here's the restored main lobby.

OK, ONE touristy shot . .

I had a great time and very much hope to go back soon!

Sometimes . .

2010-06-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, despite your best efforts and intentions, a building can get away from you. The Atkins-Johnson Farm restoration project being undertaken by the city of Gladstone, Mo., is going fantastically well. The main house and root cellar are beautiful. However, in the time it took to complete the exterior of the house the smokehouse (which was in bad shape before) deteriorated beyond hope.

It's an interesting contrast. A few more years and the main house would likely have suffered the same fate.

Note the use of logs (now collapsed) as ceiling beams.

Ya never know what you're gonna find!

2010-04-29T12:07:00.000-07:00

Everybody who knows me knows I collect Tiki stuff . . artifacts from the Mid-Century-Modern, Polynesian Popular Movement (Poly-Pop for short) exemplified by restaurants and bars decorated in exotic island themes. Well, the movement didn't start with bars and restaurants. It started with home bars in WWII veterans' basements; with their desire to recreate the South Pacific they'd experienced during their military service.

At least, that's what I've been told. I'd never actually seen a vintage home Tiki bar.

Until today!

While photographing a house for pre-restoration documentation we found enlarged scrapbook pages taped on the wall of the living room for the new owners to enjoy. Among them were these:

I couldn't wait to see how much, if anything, was left of the Hawaiian Room! To my surprise, there was more then I expected!

How cool is this!! THEY DO EXIST!

Keep looking . .

2010-04-21T07:10:00.000-07:00

DISCALIMER: The following is simply my personal opinion based on years of observation and is directed at NO ONE in particular.

I have some advice for those of you with means who are considering purchasing a historic home; keep looking.

In my experience, I rarely if ever see historic houses and/or buildings horribly remodeled by the poor. Neglected, often yes, but the structure and it's details usually remain intact. It takes people with money to replace windows, rearrange interior walls, "update" kitchens and bathrooms, build additions, etc.

Now things like insulation, high efficiency heating and cooling systems, plumbing and electrical updates obviously make sense in today's world, and those things can be done with minimal intrusion. I'm talking about esthetics here.

So here's a short, non-comprehensive list of things you may want to consider before buying a historic home:

Sure, it's YOUR house and you can do anything you want with it. But if you follow these simple guidelines the odds of future owners cursing your name long after you're gone will be greatly reduced.

I lived here . .

2010-04-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I had the opportunity to photograph my old apartment building for pending historic tax credit restoration work. It had been twenty or so years since I'd lived at Clyde Manor on the corner of Armour Rd. and Gilhman, so I was really interested to see what it looked like. Well, it hadn't changed much, just gotten a bit more run down.

Today I got to go back and shoot it after all the work has been completed. What a difference! The units, in general, are larger and everything is clean and fresh looking. Nice!

Here's the main lobby:

Old School

2010-03-29T15:55:00.000-07:00

Last week I shot a project that required film photography. Now, I haven't shot film for anything in over four years. And although I still have most of my old equipment I was a little nervous about revisiting "the dark art" for an important project.

If it's not large format, my go-to camera has always been the Nikon F3 and the Nikkor 28mm PC lens for architecture. It doesn't get any better than this.

The F3 was the top of the line Nikon in 1980. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, this camera had all the up-to-date bells and whistles you could want. And, if you had to, you could drive nails with it. By today's standards it's pretty basic, but it works fantastically well with the Nikkor PC (perspective correction) lens. You were not an architectural photographer if you didn't have this combination. My variant has the HP (high point) veiwfinder, great for people who wear glasses like me, and the motor drive.

Using it was like shaking hands with an old friend. I'll try not to let so much time pass before I use it again.

I love my job.

2010-03-17T20:13:00.000-07:00

Honestly, if you had seen this building before you would never believe this was possible. Not that the building was in bad shape. No, rather there was no indication that this was waiting to come out of it. I like surprises, this kind especially.

Hi Ya Watha!

2010-02-25T07:49:00.000-08:00

Everybody's heard of Hiawatha, Kansas, right? But how many of us have ever been there? Well, I got the chance Tuesday to photograph a project for one of my favorite, long-time clients, Rosin Preservation.

The project was the old bank building on the town square. As I understand it, a life-long resident of the town wanted to promote the area's history, so she donated money to the city to be used for the restoration of the building and it's use, in part, as a local history museum. Now competed, the bank building will also house some city government offices.

World of Wheels 2010

2010-02-14T19:28:00.000-08:00

Just got back from the biggest annual indoor custom car and bike show in Kansas City! Along with the usual spotless, candy coated goodness was a greater number of old school, garage-built hot rods than last year and some fine new works from our local Anchor Motorcycle Shop.

Good stuff.

The Future(?) of Flash Photography

2010-02-05T06:26:00.000-08:00

I often have to photograph interiors of boarded-up buildings with little or no lighting, so using a flash is essential, right? Well, it used to be; now, maybe not. Digital cameras are made with more light-sensitive sensors than ever before, so you can now literally take a shot in the dark with confidence. This would be a moot point if the results weren't significantly better than using a flash. Unfortunaltely for the flash, it's range is limited and it's strength is relative to the distance it has to cover; great for smaller spaces, not so great for big open spaces.

Here are two examples:

With flash . .

Without flash . .

And this building was lit only by an open door and a few frosted-glass windows:

With flash . .

Without flash . .

Thank you for your support.

2010-02-01T14:39:00.000-08:00

This morning I was photographing a couple very nice apartment buildings that had suffered from very poor maintenance over the last, oh, 100 years or so. Here in the basement of one of the buildings we found a section of the 1st floor supported by an unusually decorative carved limestone column, and another area supported by an old sewer pipe. A case of, things that don't belong but you're glad they're there just the same.

Stuff found by accident . .

2010-01-19T20:01:00.000-08:00

When your job is wandering around in old buildings you get used to surprises. Just don't fail to enjoy them.

Foundation Architectural Reclamation

2010-01-10T09:04:00.000-08:00

If you thought an architectural photographer would have a big interest in architectural salvage, you'd be dead-on right! My favorite haunt is FOUNDATION located in the West Bottoms of KCMO. My friend Patrick Ottesen runs the place and you won't find a more knowledgeable person when it comes to reclaimed materials.

I enjoy photographing the shop for his website and covering events when I can. It's a perfect match for me!

More brutality . .

2009-11-25T06:19:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of my favorites.

Raymond Nichols Hall at KU in Lawrence.

Spencer Chemistry Building at UMKC.

Brutalism, love it or hate it?

2009-11-21T19:21:00.000-08:00

Personally, I love it. If you don't know what Brutalism is, here's a pretty simple definition found on archiseek:

A short-lived architectural movement of the 1960s that set itself in opposition to the picturesque Scandinavian-influenced mainstream of the period, and instead advocated the brutally frank expression of the nature of modern materials, characterized by unadorned concrete and the blunt detailing of joints and openings.

While the architectural movement may have been "short-lived," for obvious reasons buildings in this style tend to last. There are several Brutalist buildings in Kansas City and surrounding communities. Many are university or government buildings.

While this example is not my favorite, I jumped on the chance to shoot it. For me, this style of architecture is pure sculpture with no apologies. It is crustacean-like in form and feeling.

Honest, too. Brutally.

New Coffee Bar?

2009-11-03T19:18:00.000-08:00

Is this a new coffee house in south Kansas City? Maybe a new Starbucks?

Nope. It's inside a church.

The remodeled Evangel Temple on 103rd Street as a matter of fact. There seems to be a trend toward this kind of thing in churches. In my day (and I'm not THAT old) people went out to a restaurant after church. These days people are looking for easier access to after-church fellowship and the coffee bar seems to be the most popular option.

This beautiful room is part of a major addition built by Harmon Construction, Inc. for whom I do a lot of post-construction documentary work. They alway do a fantastic job!

20 years ago . .

2009-08-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

The Renaissance Festival starts again this weekend. If you were going to the Festival during the mid-80's you know who this is. For the rest of you, this is Lord Lionfire, the grand wizard of Ren-Fest. He wowed the crowds with his "magical" substances such as early gunpowder and ground metals tossed into a fire. And his show was historically accurate, too!

For a couple of years his was the most popular of the traveling acts. Then, like the burst of fire in his magic, he was gone. We never heard why or where he might have gone. You can't really look up "Lord Lionfire" in the phone book, so if anybody knows what happened to him, please, do tell.

c. 1923 High School Building

2009-08-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

I traveled out of town last week to photograph this beautiful junior high school building for a National Register of Historic Places nomination. Soon after I took this shot I was met at the front door by the school maintenance supervisor. I commented on how great the building looked and its fantastic condition. He told me he thought the building was old and obsolete and should be torn down and replaced with a new building. I was a bit dumbstruck. Maybe from his perspective it was a lot to handle, but that solution seemed extreme.

Most people don't see the value of old buildings, I guess,

WTF?

2009-07-19T17:18:00.000-07:00

The first in a continuing WTF series, no doubt. Please note that these shots were taken TODAY, July 19.

Where (in Kansas City) was I?

2009-07-16T14:56:00.001-07:00

This should be pretty easy . .

Tiki culture in KC

2009-07-05T18:38:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not talking about the junk that passes for "Tiki" today. I'm talking about the mid-century-modern, polynesian popular movement that was born out of WWII veterans' desire to re-create the ideal of a South Seas paradise here at home. A time when themed restaurants and bars featured exotic and powerful rum concoctions served in beautiful and sometimes frightening drinking vessels, all in an environment filled with wondrous decor from primitive islands. And, if you were lucky, it was brought to you by beautiful Hula Girl waitresses.

Kansas City had more than a few such places, all gone now. Trader Vic's in Crown Center, the Kona Kai on the Plaza and at KCI, Brenton's Bali Hai downtown, and the Kon Tiki in midtown, just to name a few.

One that lasted but a short time was the Castaways at 4334 Main. This 12.5-inch matchbook is all that has yet been found from that interesting place. City Directories indicated that it may have opened in late 1959, and was open for business in 1960. Owned/founded by Frank Dunn and his wife Eve, the place featured "Authentic South Sea Island Enchantment"!

30 years ago . . BANG!

2009-07-04T18:01:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to post this today!

I learned how to photograph fireworks over thirty years ago. The trick is not in the selection of shutter speed, but in the selection of which f-stop to use. Using a slow shutter speed (one second or more) and varying the f-stop gives you more or less of the flash burst. Photography is about light, after all.

The shot above is of a firecracker just before it bursts!

Happy 4th everybody!

50 years old, or older . .

2009-07-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

That's the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Most people migrate to the "or older" part of that requirement, but the fact is that as of right now, anything built before July 1st, 1959 is potentially eligible. Before you freak out, consider all the great buildings this could include. Like it or not (and I LOVE it) little houses like this one will soon be listed in the NR. Yea!

30 years ago . .

2009-06-25T05:57:00.000-07:00

Actually, it was much more than 30 years ago when I built my first bike from junk I found in the trash. And I was barely a teenager when I first went to a neighborhood welding shop to have some parts made. No matter how old I get, I still want to do this. Now I'm itching for another project, even though I still have the mini-bike to finish.

30 years ago . .

2009-06-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

Hot summer nights at the Rolling Magic Skateboard Park in Johnson County. Even though I was an avid rider, I don't recall ever skating here. I was always too busy taking pictures!

Two wheels are calling again.

2009-06-17T19:22:00.000-07:00

Old school all the way. Brown leather rifle case and a big white general's star and I'm there!

More on the benefits of State Historic Tax Credits

2009-06-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

With Kansas all but eliminating their historic tax credit program and Missouri beginning to scale theirs back, it's difficult to say whether buildings in this condition would be saved in the future.

If all goes as planned, this Midtown apartment building will be restored to its former glory. While still far from the worst pre-rehab conditions I've ever seen (The Hotel President retains that honor), this building offered a very unusual mix of extreme decay and interesting artwork. Scary AND fun, like a roller-coaster ride through the Guggenheim!

30 years ago . .

2009-06-12T05:19:00.000-07:00

From 1970 to 1980, this is where I lived. Located just off Ward Parkway and built by local developer N. W. Dible in the mid-1920's, I consider this to be the house I grew up in.

Finally!

2009-06-10T07:02:00.000-07:00

This has been buggin' me for weeks. Finally somebody had the guts to say something about it . . and it was MSNBC of all people!

Here we go now! Keep your eyes at 10:00 . . now 2:00 . . now 10:00 . . now 2:00 . .

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Mini-Bike progress

2009-06-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

This really belongs on my bike blog, but nobody reads that (nobody reads this either, so whatever).

Chopped some parts off the frame that I didn't need or want and ground off the crappy welds (to be replaced by my own crappy welds). I still need to weld on a new foot peg mount and then the frame will be ready for paint. I'm making a new seat myself.

I really miss the Harley, but this bike will be cheaper to work on. Besides, the mini bike isn't finished yet, so it still holds my interest.

30 years ago . .

2009-06-04T19:27:00.000-07:00

This could also be titled "The arrogance of youth."

I knew it all. I was the best. I was indestructible, infallible, The greatest photographer ever.

Delusional, yes. But still and all, good times.

Fidelity Building Penthouse

2009-06-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

This morning I had the pleasure of photographing the finished results of many months of work on 911 Walnut, AKA the Fidelity Building. With permission from the owners, we're going to get a little tour of the Penthouse.

In case you're not familiar with the building, it's the tall one in the background.

And here is the focus of our tour:

The tower section houses the bar and game room.

There are a total of four levels. On the second level, this spiral staircase leads up to the terrace.

From the master bedroom on the second level, you can see the spiral staircase, and all the daylight that washes through from the skylight above.

A portion of the first floor area:

On the north end of the first level is a spacious but cozy home-office.

All very nice, you say. But what about the views??

Spectacular!

30 years ago . .

2009-05-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

This girl was more of an acquaintance than a friend, really, but agreed to go with me to Loose Park one afternoon for some pictures. She could have easily gone on to become a famous model, but the rumor soon after High School was that she'd become a Vegas show-girl. Who knows, though.

Where am I?

2009-05-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, Walgreen's. But where am I in this photo?

In case you're wondering why I would take a shot of a Walgreen's pharmacy, it's another project for Harmon Construction, Inc. They built it, I shoot it.

30 years ago . .

2009-05-22T19:36:00.000-07:00

I can't remember if the Southwest High School fair/carnival was held at the end of the school year or at the beginning. Doesn't matter, I guess. I took this for the school newspaper c. 1978.

I will miss it

2009-05-21T19:04:00.001-07:00

The Stimulus . . too little, too late?

2009-05-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

Nobody could make this stuff up . .

30 years ago . .

2009-05-15T19:09:00.000-07:00

There was a sports car shop just north of Shawnee Mission Parkway in Kansas that I used to visit from time to time. These guys worked on Maseratis, Ferraris, Lotus, and any other exotic european hot rod there was. Despite their somewhat hillbilly appearance, they could balance a V-12 motor so that you could rest a nickel on it's edge while the motor was idling.

If I remember right, the car pictured is a Ferrari 350 Can Am, mid-engine V-12. Hot car, then and now!

The art of decay

2009-05-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

Old, abandoned buildings just before rehabilitation can be somewhat scary and often a little dangerous. But sometimes they can be truly beautiful, too.

Your caption here

2009-05-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

I saw this on an antique mall barn outside of Collins, Mo. I know there's a joke here, but . .

30 years ago . .

2009-05-07T18:33:00.001-07:00

Southwest High School photography class, c. 1979.

I'd already been processing and printing my own shots for a couple of years at this point, but I still couldn't resist taking the course. Pictured here is a good friend of mine at that time. In case you're wondering what she's doing, we all had to keep our developing tanks in or over a tub to prevent nasty chemical messes. (They happened anyway.)

Good times.

The Anchor Motorcycle Shop

2009-05-05T17:48:00.000-07:00

A little plug for my friend Ricky and the Anchor. Located at 5508 Troost (816-694-3685), Ricky can build or modify whatever you might want, whole bikes or just parts. His motto, "Destroy and Rebuild."

Anchor Motorcycle Shop

FOR SALE

2009-04-30T16:55:00.001-07:00

$3000

They build 'em, I shoot 'em.

2009-04-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

I'm not always ankle-deep in ugly buildings. I get to shoot clean, new construction sometimes! Harmon Construction hires me to document their completed projects about twice a year. Sometimes it's a small remodeling job, sometimes it's a HUGE new shopping mall.

This church in Olathe had a massive addition built, including a new entryway complete with coffee bar, new auditorium and large kitchen facilities. I'd guess the addition is about three times larger than the original church!

It's fishin' season!

2009-04-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

Don't worry, they get a LOT bigger than this! Cooler temps this spring and now with all the rain, the season has been pushed back a bit, but it looks like this is going to be a good one. Caught two little bass in our cove (where we NEVER catch anything) a couple weeks ago. That was then. I'll bet the bass and crappie are on a tear right now! Wish I was there.

Hot Rods

2009-04-25T18:18:00.000-07:00

Gotta love 'em!

30 years ago . .

2009-04-24T06:45:00.000-07:00

Self portrait; in my room, c.1978.

Pre-restoration

2009-04-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

One of the things I wanted to do with this blog was show people what's possible through Federal and State Historic Tax Credit programs. Without the incentive these programs provide, MANY historic structures would be demolished.

I went out of town yesterday to photograph the existing conditions of a group of apartment buildings that will be renovated using these tax credits. It's hard to imagine, but soon these will be buildings I'd bet you would like to live in.

Gail's Swap Meet

2009-04-20T15:25:00.000-07:00

(I have my Mac back, so we now return you to your regularly scheduled programing.)

April 11th Gail's Harley Davidson hosted a motorcycle swap meet open to all makes and models, not just HDs. Sadly there really wasn't much to look at. Most of the bikes were late model Harley's with the standard bolt-on custom parts, like this one shown below:

What the hell is that, anyway? I mean, sure it's an air cleaner, but what's the point of the double-filter when you only have ONE carb??

Anyway, here are my favorites from the meet:

Tea at The Liberty Memorial

2009-04-15T18:37:00.000-07:00

My fears of this thing turning into a shouting match between pro-tax pro-government counter protestors and the tea partyers were unfounded. The event when off without a hitch. I neither saw nor heard anything that could be construed as hateful and I saw no covert operators trying to stir up trouble. It was a fun, worthwhile time.

Will it make a difference? Not yet, but this is only the first play of the game. And it's going to be a very long game.

It has begun . .

2009-04-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

The Wall Street Journal has a fair story about how all this started and why. Check it out:
Tax Day Becomes Protest Day

And now, a little history lesson . .

2009-04-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

How far has film fallen?

2009-04-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

Everybody knows that digital photography is rapidly replacing film, but just how far out of favor has film fallen? Here's a clue: I recently bought these items at an auction along with other less notable cameras, all thrown into one box. I paid $15 for them all.

Canon TX, manual SLR camera with 50mm f 1.8 lens. After putting a $3 battery into it for the light meter, it works perfectly.

Nikon MD-11 power winder for Nikon FM series cameras. Excellent working condition.

And the most amazing of the bunch, a Mamiya RB67 body with back and prism finder. Admittedly, the body is in rough, non-working condition and is missing a dark-slide. But the back and especially the prism finder are in excellent condition. Even the body is still good for parts.

On to eBay they go. There we'll find out what all this is REALLY worth.

What next?

2009-04-11T07:06:00.000-07:00

Anybody that knows me knows that our house was once the home of famous local Ragtime composer and bandleader, E. Harry Kelly. His first and biggest hit was "Peaceful Henry" (click the title to hear it) published in 1901.

About 20 years later an industrious fellow thought he could use the popularity of the tune in marketing his line of cigars. Thus the "Peaceful Henry" brand was created by M.H. Smaltz & Son, in Stouchsburg, PA and produced for several years. The box labels show up on eBay quite often but a complete box is RARE. I found one last week on eBay and jumped on it.

Cool? Yes! But that's not the end of the story. Once again piggybacking on a name and popularity, this time the cigars, a small tobacconist in South Carolina opened a shop called "Peaceful Henry"!

I wonder what will come next?

30 years ago . .

2009-04-09T19:23:00.000-07:00

Then as now, the only time I was interested in photographing people was when I could create something instead of just documenting; the complete opposite of how I view architectural photography. I had, and still have, a great appreciation for the great Hollywood photographers of the 20's through the 50's. So, with a good friend of mine in High School, we set out to re-create that same Hollywood portrait feeling.

Tea, anyone?

2009-04-08T05:53:00.000-07:00

Next Wednesday, April 15th, from 4:00 until who knows when, Liberty Memorial will be THE place to be. If you're alarmed by the staggering speed at which our national debt has doubled (and possibly soon triple) in just the last six months with no end in sight, join thousands of other concerned citizens across the country in a Tax Day Tea Party. Kansas City's party will likely be among the largest and has already garnered national media attention.

Learn more at:
TaxDayTeaParty.com

Taxed
Enough
Already!

Our 3 Hours at Garozzo's

2009-04-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

Tonight was Garozzo's twentieth anniversary and to celebrate they were offering everything at their 1989 prices. Could we pass that up? No!

No surprises, there were HUGE crowds and long lines. We waited two hours just to get in, but after that it was heaven. The usual great food and great service. All well worth the wait!

Global Warming . . promises, promises

2009-04-05T13:52:00.000-07:00

Nestor Miranda Cigars

2009-04-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

If you weren't at The Outlaw Cigar Co. party Saturday afternoon, I'm afraid you may have missed out. Nestor Miranda of Miami Cigar was there to promote his special 20th Anniversary, Don Pepin Garcia-made offering. To be honest I wasn't really expecting much. No beer, no 300 lb. roast pig, no live music, etc. Turns out, nobody needed any of that this time around. It was all about the cigar! And they were FANTASTIC!

These cigars have a pre-light aroma of fine chocolates. They smoke with subtile spiciness, a creamy smooth finish and produce clouds of fragrant smoke. I enjoyed mine until my fingers could no longer hold it due to the heat. And it was every bit as good right down to the nub. I had to re-light it a few times but at NO point was there a bitter "re-light" taste.

Some cigars give you full flavor but make you pay for it in the knees (smoke a La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero on an empty stomach and you'll know what I mean). Others leave you feeling fine but have very little (or bad) flavors. These Nestor Midanda Special Selections are delicious, and you won't need a wheelchair afterwards!

I had a great time, sampled some really nice rum, sat with Nestor Miranda and watched basketball for a while, and went home with an armload of very fine cigars!

30 years ago . .

2009-04-03T06:54:00.000-07:00

I covered all the football games in High School from the time I was a Sophomore, both for the school newspaper and the yearbook. Most of these kids were seniors in this 1979 shot.

Outlaw Cigar Mini-Party for Nestor Miranda Saturday

2009-04-02T06:12:00.000-07:00

Not a big shindig this time, but a big deal nonetheless. The Outlaw Cigar Co. is receiving a shipment of a very limited run of Nestor Miranda's cigars. The following, from Gary's Cigar Blog on About.com, explains it all better than I could:

"Pepin Garcia, of Tabacalera Garcia, and Nestor Miranda, of Miami Cigar & Company, have combined forces to produce a special limited edition Twentieth Anniversary cigar under the Nestor Miranda Special Selection label. On April 1, 2009, Miami Cigar & Company will begin shipping these cigars to one hundred select tobacconists throughout the country. The cigar is available in one size measuring 7 x 56, and is packed in boxes of twenty. It will be available in two different wrappers, Habano Rosado (medium) and Habano Oscuro (full bodied). The cigars are made in Esteli, Nicaragua, and only 1,000 boxes of each type will be available."

The party starts at 11:00!

It's APRIL!

2009-04-01T05:53:00.000-07:00

Time to license those bikes! (And/or buy another one!)

Fine art

2009-03-31T05:42:00.000-07:00

There are at least three ways something can become valuable over time.

1) Desirable and plentiful in it's day, scarce today.
2) Misunderstood (or undesirable) in it's day, therefore scarce, and desirable today.
3) Desirable, but scarce, then and now.

Which is this? I don't know, but good black velvet paintings by popular artists are now bringing close to five figures in the "art" market. This one by noted painter Tang Lao, dated '69, is probably not in that category, but well worth the $20 I spent for it.

The world's largest . .

2009-03-29T18:56:00.000-07:00

I visited a friend who works in a Federal building in South KC last week. They have fairly strict security there; metal detectors and bright florescent "VISITOR" badges; etc. As I was leaving I handed the badge over to the front desk guard who slapped it onto this big ball of badges. "Tell me there's a soccer ball under all those." I said. "No," he said. "We've been saving them for a little over two years now." He let me pick it up, and it's HEAVY!

Like I said at the start of this blog, adventure is where you find it!

30 years ago . .

2009-03-27T06:21:00.000-07:00

I shot this at the Rolling Magic Skate Park in Overland Park soon after it opened c.1979. I sold this image to the park and they used it in their print advertising. The management had me provide a liability waiver before they would allow me to shoot inside the park. I was there every week that summer.

Rolling Magic lasted only a couple of years before insurance costs forced it to close. There's nothing left of it today.

Arturo FuenteGran Reserva Natural Sungrown

2009-03-26T06:01:00.000-07:00

Although I was a regular cigar smoker many years ago, I am admittedly a novice once again. But novices buy cigars, too, right? So here goes . .

A. Fuente is the featured producer for the next Outlaw Cigar Co. Party April 25, so I figured a mid-level offering from Fuente would be a good baseline sample.

Contents: Dominican binder and filler
Wrapper: Natural Ecuadorian Sungrown
Size: Impereial Corona 6.5 x 46
Purchased From: Outlaw Cigar Co.
Price: $6.00
Smoke Time: 1.5 hours

Pre-light
Nice appearance, although the wrapper was a little course and veiny. Solidly packed and uniform. Encouraging, pungent scent. Cold draw was tight, but imparted sweet, aged tobacco flavors.

First Third
Smooth, creamy and mild. Voluminous smoke! Uneven burn developed. Ash fell off at one inch. No spiciness or identifiable flavor profile to speak of. Mild body.

Second Third
Started a bit bitter. Uneven burn persisted requiring a touch-up. One-inch ash length also persisted. Aroma is sweet and pungent, but flavor is still largely non-existant with only occasional hints of moist cardboard. By the end of this third the burn started to self-correct and a bit of spiciness began to come forward. The ash began to hang on longer. May have been a plug in the middle. Progressed to medium body.

Final Third
No surprises; still not much in terms of flavor, still voluminous smoke. Spice makes a retreat and bitterness increases. I find late in this third that the band was actually holding the wrapper together (not good).

Conclusion
A fairly uninteresting cigar. Mostly smooth, tons of smoke with nice aroma but certainly not twice as good as some sticks half the price.

Time for a beer.

Is this the face of a "Dangerous Building"??

2009-03-25T12:37:00.000-07:00

According to news reports (begin skepticism now) this building, known to locals as "The Chateau" at Brooklyn and Minnie in the Pendleton Heights neighborhood of Northeast KCMO, was in grave danger of collapse. So THE CITY issued a demo order, and demo began yesterday. Reports said that the inner floors had fallen through leaving unsupported walls to hold up the roof.

I don't know. Do you see floors, inner walls and a staircase, or is it just me? Personally, I've been inside far worse.

And if this National-Register-listed building was SOO dangerous, why is it that only ONE worker is wearing a hardhat?

To see what this building looked like just before demolition started, visit Hyperblogal's Blog.

Round 'em up!

2009-03-24T10:08:00.001-07:00

A Walk in the Park

2009-03-23T08:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went for my first walk of the season in Mount Washington Cemetery. I do this as often as I can. I have a route that is roughly 3.8 miles and takes me about an hour. It's not for the inexperienced! There are altitude changes of several hundred feet; long, slow climbs and steep decents, and vice versa. Good, and good for you, though.

It's not quite as beautiful now as it will be later in the Spring, so start walking now and you'll be ready when it is!

What R U Lookin' At?

2009-03-22T17:46:00.001-07:00

I really like the wax security guard in the lobby of the newly-renovated Missouri Bank downtown. And they now have a "green room" for meetings!

Rocky Patel at The Outlaw Cigar Co.

2009-03-21T18:56:00.000-07:00

Today my wife and I, and our friend Hyperblogal, went to the The Outlaw Cigar Co. party featuring cigar-maker Rocky Patel. There I am above with the man himself! (Photo by Hyperblogal.)

The event was also a benefit for the Wounded Warrior Project featuring a motorcycle ride from three different locations, all converging on The Outlaw Cigar Co.

Easily hundreds, possibly thousands of people turned out for the event and were treated to a 300lb roast pig, BBQ sausages, free beer (and other beverages) and snacks.

And of course, Rocky signed the pig!

Wonderful cigars, good people (even ran into some friends we hadn't seen in a while) and a GREAT cause!

30 years ago . .

2009-03-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

I hope to make this a weekly feature; proof that given enough time, any clear photo can become interesting if not historically significant.

I've been doing this for a LONG time, it seems. This is SW High School, Kansas City, MO, c. 1979. I do know who the kid is in the distance. Do you?

Opportunities . .

2009-03-19T05:53:00.001-07:00

We were dog-sitting for my Dad and Step-Mom for the last couple of days. Nuf said.

This is also a good opportunity to remind everybody of the upcoming Outlaw Cigar party with Rocky Patel this Saturday. It's going to be HUGE!

You opened it!

2009-03-18T07:26:00.000-07:00

How's this for an opening post? I have a rule when I'm photographing existing conditions in an old building; I must open ONE refrigerator. You never know what you'll find! Rust, mold, bugs and mice, severed head? (Still waiting for the severed head.)

Adventure is where you find it!

Welcome to my blog.