So yeah, I have some hobbies, some unique skills, some trivial knowledge, whatever. I’ve never impressed any ladies with my yo-yo or my encyclopedic knowledge of pens, but I’m guess I’m that guy. I’m the guy that knows stuff, not important stuff, just stuff. Bonobos are a sub-species of chimpanzee who have lots of sex instead of fighting. Buckeye wood was used to make prosthetic limbs because it is hard to split. When sewing the size of the stitch is determined by the thread count and the material, but seams should never be stronger than the fabric. See, I have a thousand of those. Of course, photography is really my main passion, but there are few joys in life greater than mixing one of obscure skills with my favorite one. Tonight it happened.
I can ice skate. I can ice skate well. I can ice skate backward and take pictures at the same time. I’m sure it’s impressive to watch. Ok, well not at a figure skating tournament or anything, but on a rink with a bunch of amateurs. Anyway, I strapped on the skates tonight and got some good shots out of the ice. I think there may have been an Enquirer shooter milling around in SHOES, but I lost her in the blur as I whizzed around the rink like Wayne Gretzky. Anyway, here are some shots of a Cincinnati Christmas at the outdoor skating rink in the middle of downtown on Fountain Square. Hope you enjoy.
A little hat adjustment taking place on the rink.
The Christmas tree and city buildings made this shot for me.
Safety in numbers, otherwise known as “IF I GO DOWN, YOU’RE COMIN’ WITH ME!”
Life happening.
This wasn’t on the rink, but I still liked it.
The phrase “spot news” is a journalism term meaning an unplanned news event that happens with no warning. Spot news encompasses car crashes, fires, extreme weather and most other things that broadcasters term “breaking.” The phrase is a little weird, and I’ve always wondered where it came from. “Spot on” and “On the spot” have connotations similar to “spot news,” but not right on. Anyway, my first spot news situation involved chasing a firetruck. I am not an ambulance-chaser, I always chase firetrucks. I was pulling out of my neighborhood while I was still living with my parents. It was the summer after I graduated high school. A firetruck flew past me, and I followed it. I then saw the scene below. The plane had not plummetted into the ground, but rather the pilot was trying to make an emergency landing in the field when he hit a barbed wire fence. The sheep were disturbed to say the least. The pilot was fine. A photo from this scene was my very first front page photo.
