Photography

Our garden flourishes- herbs, lettuces, tomatoes, kale, spinach, and arugula. I truly did not know, when we began this backyard project a couple of years ago, that there would be so much bounty and pleasure garnered from the small plot.

“To me, pictures are like blintzes – ya gotta get ‘em while they’re hot.” - Weegee

Happy Fourth of July!

BT

“The greatest thing a human soul ever does in this world is to SEE something, and tell what it SAW in a plain way… To see clearly is poetry, prophecy, and religion, all in one.” - John Ruskin

Clarion River Series. 6.14.2010

The Clarion River- once the most polluted river in Pennsylvania!

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Congratulations to Chef Jonathon Sawyer and all at The Greenhouse Tavern for being named Cleveland’s Best New Restaurant by Cleveland Magazine! This award is especially heartwarming, not only because of the fabulous locally sourced food that GHT serves up every day and the incredible ambiance of the tavern, but because the place is Ohio’s first certified green restaurant.

We had a great time recently photographing Jonathon’s food for the cover and the tavern for the inside spread for the Silver Spoon issue of CM. This is so timely, since I just posted about Jonathon and the accolades from Food and Wine Magazine last week.

Additional congrats to Jennifer Kessen, art director, and Cleveland Magazine on their first redesign in almost ten years. Looks awesome!

“If the photographer is interested in the people in front of his lens, and if he is compassionate, it’s already a lot. The instrument is not the camera but the photographer.” - Eve Arnold

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“…the pepper is beginning to show signs of strain, and tonight should grace a salad. It has been suggested that I am a cannibal to eat my models. (referring to his famous photo “Pepper #30″)” - Edward Weston

Recently photographed (and eaten) at Chef Jonathan Sawyer’s Greenhouse Tavern… Congratulations Chef for being named one of America’s Best New Chefs for 2010 by Food & Wine Magazine!

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“Many an object is not seen, though it falls within the range of our visual ray, because it does not come within the range of our intellectual ray, i.e. we are not looking for it. So, in the largest sense, we find only the world we look for.” - Henry David Thoreau

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“The camera seems to me, next to unassisted and weaponless consciousness, the central instrument of our time.” - James Agee, [1909 – 1955] American novelist, screenwriter, journalist, poet, and film critic
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the change in season brings warmth to heart

…and thrill to the soul

hanging on each breath pleasant breeze

survivors of the freeze hibernation near completion

step carefully fully into the present

as light bares gifts.

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“Photography is a strong tool, a propaganda device, and a weapon for the defense of the environment…and therefore for the fostering of a healthy human race and even very likely for its survival.” - Eliot Porter, 1962

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The 8th Edition of Laura Taxel’s Cleveland Ethnic Eats has hit the bookstores. What a great way to celebrate over 15 years of culinary adventures in and around Cleveland, Ohio. Laura’s dedication and talent (and I’m not saying this because she happens to also be my soul mate and wife) keeps shining in this volume that lights the way for eaters of distinction. Blending passion for culture and the highest journalistic standards, Laura entices us to explore and enjoy the rich resources at our doorstep.

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What better way to sum up 2008 than to celebrate a great project.

The calendar entitled ‘Caring Spaces’ was made for The Cleveland Clinic. Photography began in July and wrapped up in October. Graphic designer and art director Irwin Krieger requested that I create images based on the Clinic’s art and architecture throughout the system.

This fun and challenging assignment kept us on the move for several weeks. As we would scout each location- Euclid, Hillcrest, Huron, South Pointe, Marymount, Fairview, Lakewood, Lutheran, Children’s, and the main campus, the themes developed- many of them very surprising, such as the award winning sustainability program at Huron Hospital.

I would have never imagined that this neighborhood institution would be a leader, under the direction of Gus Kious, in practices that

promote the reuse of what is normally considered to be waste and of neighborhood responsibility, including a community garden and CSA (community supported agriculture).

The facade of the new Miller Pavilion provides huge opportunities to view the July Cleveland sunset in reflection. The curved curtain wall presents a symphony of color each evening this time of year.

The reflecting pool and fountain in the adjacent grand entry to The Clinic tells a similar story- light of color, shimmering. These rich impressions are quite a contrast to the starkness of the Miller interiors. Pallets of white and grey are used exclusively inside giving few way-finding clues. The exterior park-like public space leading from Chester Avenue to the Euclid Avenue entrance, however, creates a sense of place, scale, color, and texture.

Hillcrest Hospital’s newest addition has barely been started. We found, though, that there was a lot to offer here in Mayfield Heights, especially towards dusk, on this chilly autumn afternoon. This hospital, in the news recently as the place where a middle aged surrogate mom gave birth to multiples for her daughter and son-in-law, is constantly changing- renovations and additions going in faster than can be followed!

Finally, Euclid Hospital was an awesome destination- the views of Lake Erie, including the park bench on the title page (see above) are both comforting and energizing. The hospital, well know for it’s rehab services, is a north-shore institution with a rich history of community service.

All of the other hospitals we visited and photographed- Children’s, Lutheran, Fairview, South Pointe, Marymount, and Lakewood provided more wonderful impressions to feast upon. Let me know if you want one of the calendars and I’ll make sure you get it!

We are, of course, grateful to all of our clients and for all of the opportunities in 2008. We’re looking forward to a healthy and prosperous 2009 for everyone!

BT

Chipotle is revolutionizing the national restaurant scene by committing to buy locally produced fresh food. Chipotle’s Food With Integrity statement says, in part, “The hallmarks of Food With Integrity include things like unprocessed, seasonal, family-farmed, sustainable, nutritious, naturally raised, added hormone free, organic, and artisanal.”

We recently visited Holthouse Farms in Willard, Ohio, about 80 miles southwest of Cleveland. Holthouse Farms is growing green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, and romaine lettuce for Chipotle restaurants in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Kentucky and Michigan.

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