Five String Banjo

Five String Banjo

I’m adding a five string banjo to the list of instruments I’ve shot for this project.  This one hangs on the wall at the Urban Ecology Center just down the road from our house where they have quite a collection of stringed instruments.  Hanging next to it is also a guitar, a mandolin, and ukulele all hanging around…… Continue reading Five String Banjo

The Tools of the Trade

The Tools of the Trade

“By a Carpenter mankind was made, and only by that Carpenter can mankind be remade.”  –Desiderius Erasmus Just a few of the tools of the trade for a carpenter.  I cannot help but be in awe of some of the things a woodworker can do will a saw and chisel and a piece of good wood.…… Continue reading The Tools of the Trade

The Way Out

The Way Out

“The best way out is always through.” –Robert Frost An important lesson I’ve learned through this photo a day project is when you are struggling to create and your muse has taken the day (or week) off, the best way to get past that block is to just keep going.  You may not produce your…… Continue reading The Way Out

Frowning Alien Head

Frowning Alien Head

There is at least one alien from outer space among us here on Earth.  He can be found living in an back alley in the East Side neighborhood of Milwaukee.  While he doesn’t seem to be dangerous, he does seem to be in a foul mood as evidenced by his perpetual frown.  Why is he sad or…… Continue reading Frowning Alien Head

Door Knob and Skeleton Key

Door Knob and Skeleton Key

It is a bit unsettling, when in the back corner of an old,  hot, dark , and dusty attic,  you find a locked door, complete with skeleton key, to a very small fully finished room.   With all of the scary movies, creepy stories, terrifying urban legends, and disturbing real life events, your imagination can’t help…… Continue reading Door Knob and Skeleton Key

The Armchair in the Attic

The Armchair in the Attic

“The past is an old armchair in the attic, the present an ominous ticking sound, and the future is anybody’s guess.” –James Thurber The two-flat in which we live has two units – one on the first floor and one on the second.  The third floor/attic, open to the rafters high above, is mostly a…… Continue reading The Armchair in the Attic

Alley Gas Pump

Alley Gas Pump

It’s a bit strange to find a diesel gas pump sitting in an alley in a residential city neighborhood.  It’s not something you see everyday for sure.  This one, however, belongs to the fine folks of Milwaukee Fire Department Station 27 – home of Engine 27 and Ladder Truck 5.  Situated near the Milwaukee River…… Continue reading Alley Gas Pump

No More Spark

No More Spark

This old Champion sticker rests in a window at Joe’s Super Service,  an abandoned service station along state highway 60 in Rubicon, Wisconsin.  By the look of the place, I venture a guess that there have been no plugs sold or vehicles serviced there in quite a long time. I shot this on a brief day trip…… Continue reading No More Spark

Kodak Brownie 8mm

Kodak Brownie 8mm

This is the Kodak Brownie 8mm Movie Camera II.  I found it at a second hand store a couple of years ago in Madison, Wisconsin.  I’ve never shot any film with with it but the mechanism seems to work and, while it is well worn with chipped paint, dents, and scratches on the outside, inside of…… Continue reading Kodak Brownie 8mm

Rivets and Rust

Rivets and Rust: A Dark Tower

Rivets and rust on the side of the North Point Lighthouse along the Lake Michigan shore in Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s Lake Park.   Now just so you know, this is my dark, moody, and steampunk-esque artistic version of the lighthouse. The actual structure is bright white and, although quite old,  very well maintained. (See the lighthouse here, here,…… Continue reading Rivets and Rust

Shards from the Past

Shards from the Past

Just north of the Locust Street bridge along the east side of the Milwaukee River, once stood the River Colony.  These shards of coffee cups, bottles, plates are some of the very few items left of this very unique neighborhood.  Someone else had already done the hard work of finding the broken pieces and arranging them nicely…… Continue reading Shards from the Past

Twelve Squares

Twelve Squares

Twelve squares in three rows of four across – close up detail of a worn and rusty metal drain cover in Riverside Park, on the East Side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  I was out playing with my son in the park when I spotted these cool geometric shapes on this steel sewer grate. The harsh shadows…… Continue reading Twelve Squares