Looking for a last-minute holiday gift? Support local bookstores and purchase a copy of Abandoned Cincinnati.
With 140 pages of color photos and historical context, Loveland local Sam Smith’s book is a great gift for those interested in local history, photography, and urban decay. Abandoned Cincinnati is a perfect coffee table book or addition to any bookshelf.
Dust, shards of glass, gravel, and grit coat heavy vines that spiral down empty stairs. They’re more than concrete and steel–as nature takes over abandoned buildings, they come alive. Through journalistic and experimental photographs, Sam Smith aims to capture the unique architectural character, mood, and mind of Cincinnati’s dilapidated buildings.
Discover the rich history of Queen City’s vacant structures as they rose and fell. Step inside a 150-year-old ornate cathedral, a middle school auditorium, the skyscraper office of Cincinnati’s once largest employer, and a four-story furnace room that was used to manufacture ammunition for World War I. From an amusement park to a chemical research facility turned into a chop shop, disuse has brought brevity to these abandoned structures. Experience the ruins of Queen City as they find new life through decay.
Abandoned Cincinnati covers the following locations:
The U.S. Playing Card Factory
Now mostly demolished but preserved in photographs. Bicycle, Bee, and Hoyt cards scatter the factory.
Lincoln Heights Elementary School and YMCA
A basketball court, lockers, classrooms and a dark history are contained in these buildings.
First German Reformed Church
A 150-Year-Old church that has stood abandoned in the Clifton Heights area for 50 years.
Americana Amusement Park
Remains of an amusement park complete with a waterpark and rollercoasters.
Kennedy Heights Junior High School
Like archeology, remnants of student’s lives have been left behind. Crayons are piled under lockers. Auditorium curtains remain pulled and Erlenmeyer Flasks sit on teacher’s podiums.
Loveland Predestinarian Church
One of the oldest black congregations in the midwest was involved in creating this 107-year-old church. It now stands in ruins and remains an important piece of Loveland’s history.
Quantum Chemicals Research Division
A disused chemical research facility turned into a chop-shop.
The Crosley Building
This culturally important building built to resemble a radio set once held studios for what is still the strongest ever broadcast signal in American history.
Peter’s Cartridge Factory
Largely responsible for the existence of Kings Mills, the Peter’s Cartridge Factory initially manufactured ballistics for World War I.
All images belong to Sam Smith and are protected under copyright.
Prints are also available upon request. More information can be found here:
Inwood Park, Cincinnati OH – Sunday, March 31st, 2020
After a handful of changes in location, the Facebook-organized rally labeled as “Be Heard, Be Safe; Rally for Justice” kicked off at Inwood Park near the University of Cincinnati. What would ensue was a seven-mile peaceful protest march through Over The Rhine, past the Hamilton County Courthouse, City Hall and the District 1 Police Station.
The event followed in the wake of George Floyd’s death by asphyxiation after a Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd’s neck for eight minutes and forty-five seconds. However, as speakers and performers kicked off the event, it became clear the grievances that initiated the protest were much larger in scope.
A crowd begins to form at Inwood Park.
To a crowd estimated by most news outlets to be in the thousands, speakers including Mona Jenkins (Director of Development and Operations at the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition), and Cincinnati councilman Jeff Pastor spoke passionately about police treatment of black Americans and an unchecked police force. A Cincinnati Democratic Socialist organization, however, prodded deeper into the economic disparity that kept minorities in poverty. It was suggested that a lack of resources have kept economically disadvantaged black Americans oppressed in a way not dissimilar from racial profiling and law enforcement brutality. Without guaranteed healthcare, high-quality education, and high-quality affordable living, low-income families remain oppressed. Mona Jenkins argued that city-incentivized gentrification under mayor Cranley has taken a toll on the black community when money could instead be spent to improve their more beneficial public services.
George Floyd was a spark, but the kindling has been building for hundreds of years.
Rapper and activist Jay Hill performs for protestors. Hill led the Inwood Park opening program.
Mona Jenkins, Director of Development and Operations at the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition, speaks.
“We are sick of tired of having to beg for affordable housing. We are sick and tired of [Mayor Cranley] not listening to professional educators and saying that we don’t have any money to give to them when you can give to a goddamn developer who doesn’t give a shit about us. We want our money back. And ya’ll can vote, but let me tell you what moves more than that: all of us getting together collectively, organizing and demanding what we need, what we won’t accept. So cranley, when you are ready to hear the demands of the people, we will give it to you. And until then, you will continue to have us in these streets.”
-Mona Jenkins
Attendees at Inwood Park hold one fist up (a black pride/power symbol) in solidarity.
Organizers and speakers made it very clear that the march was intended to be a peaceful protest. However, after 150 individuals were arrested the night before when dumpsters were set on fire and businesses were damaged, tensions were high. The risk of police using pepper spray, tear gas and rubber bullets was addressed by organizers as a possibility. Reports of sound cannons had circulated on social media earlier in the day. The route of the march was not made public due to security/safety purposes.
Taylor, a protestor, holds a sign at Inwood park in Mt. Auburn.
“I am not a native of Cincinnati but I’ve been here about six years. I’m out here because I can be. Somebody gave up their life. Somebody gave up their breath so that I could be here. And that’s why I’m here, and that’s why I’m going to continue to fight.”
-Taylor
Reverend Paula Jackson at Inwood Park before the march. Jackson and The Church of Our Savior/La Iglesia De Nuestro Salvador strive to create an accepting community for individuals of all sexualities, races and ages.
“I’m the rector of the bilingual, multiracial Church of Our Savior/Iglesia De Nuestro Salvador. And it’s my people who are at risk and I have to march with them.”
-Rev. Paula Jackson
As the march began down Vine Street, protestors filed out of Mount Auburn and entered downtown Cincinnati. The masked, multi-ethnic crowd distributed cheeseburgers, granola bars and water bottles. Volunteer medics/EMTs identified with hard hats bearing a red cross tended to individuals with heatstroke and were ready to help treat those affected by a potential skirmish.
Emily and Heidi stand with bicycles on Vine Street Moments later, the march began.
“I’m here, like it says on the sign. to check my privlege.”
-Emily
“I think that the world is going to become a more compassionate place and to do so we have to be aware of each other’s experiences. That’s why I’m here”
-Heidi
Despite looming risks, the crowd continued to grow. Onlookers shouted words of support from top-story windows while motorists honked and cheered. Tensions rose as marchers neared their destinations.
Yah, hanging out of the window of her car, whoops in support. In the background, marchers begin down Vine street.
Heya and her friend, Alyssa, hand out water bottles and granola bars.
Brandon watches the protests from his car.
A volunteer medic. She chose to remain anonymous.
Johnny Angel hands out cheeseburgers. Angel and his friends distributed boxes of burgers to protestors and observers.
Two police officers with riot helmets block a street.
According to protestors, a police officer drove a motorcycle into the crowd on 12th St. Events are still somewhat unclear. According to WVXU, A SWAT car and highway patrol entered the area and loud pops were reported.
Protestors wait while the march is halted due to potential danger. Faces have been obscured to protect identities.
As the protest continued along Central Avenue towards City Hall, the group stopped. Elderly and heath-compromised individuals were diverted. Earplugs were given out to protestors to protect against sirens that were being used as a form of intimidation.
Police officers in riot gear keep marchers on Central Avenue.
Police officers in front of City Hall.
Rian Washington, Christina Packer and Chant Jordan kneel in front of a barricade of police.
“Trayvon Martin is what really turned me because I was seventeen when he was murdered by George Zimmerman. and growing up in not such a diverse community– I grew up in an all-white community– I didn’t actually have the outlet to be proud of being black or just be able to speak my truth. So going off to HBCU, Historical Black College, I was able to speak my truth, to learn about my history and to know that this isn’t okay. We have to do something about this. It’s not going to take just one person or two people. We need allies. We need people working the streets. Because just protesting is not going to do it. We have to vote. We have to get people in office”
-Rian Washington
Police stand in front of St. Peter In Chains Cathedral on Central Ave.
A police officer in riot gear with a gas mask and shield stands on the steps of St. Peter In Chains Cathedral.
The protest continued peacefully as protestors knelt in front of the Hamilton County Courthouse, City Hall and the District 1 Police Station.
Protestors kneel and chant “hands up, don’t shoot”.
Laura And Tiffany kneel in front of the police station.
Throughout the protest, a handful of chants were repeated. They included “Black lives matter”, “I can’t breathe”, “No justice, no peace”, “Who do you protect? Who you serve?” and “Hands up, don’t shoot” (in which protestors put their hands in the air and faced police officers).
One mantra stood out.
A protestor would yell “Say his/her name” followed by a victim of police brutality. The audience echoed the name. For example:
“Say his name. George Floyd”
“George Floyd.”
“Say his name. Samuel Dubose.”
“Samuel Dubose.”
“Say her name. Breonna Taylor”
“Breonna Taylor.”
A woman holds a burning bushel of sage. Burning sage is said to help heal and cleanse a space. She chose to remain anonymous.
Protestor Javon plays guitar in the street.
“All these people are here for a reason. And that reason is that we face injustice. And I think that we will always face injustice as humans on this earth so long as we are controlled by other humans”
-Javon
Germany, a protestor, holds a sign that reads “I’m doing this for my little brother, Isaiah. I love you”.
A woman in a tallit, a Jewish prayer shawl, marches with friends. She chose to remain anonymous.
As the protest returned up the Vine Street hill towards Inwood Park, a protest marshal with a megaphone asked the crowd how they were doing. He was met with cheers and whoops. They had walked nearly seven miles.
Upon arrival at Inwood Park, protestors took a knee. For the next nine minutes, the silence was broken only by a circling police helicopter.
Protestors kneel for nine minutes, symbolic of the nine minutes that officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck.
A police helicopter circles Inwood Park.
Participants were informed that there would be another protest taking place between the Courthouse and City Hall. A leader claimed that the curfew, set to take place at 9 PM, was a form of censorship and that they expected to stay after. In addition, it was reiterated that this was to be a peaceful protest. Anybody looking to start trouble was to be reported to a leader and would be removed.
Protestors PJ and Paris sit on a picnic table after the march.
“It shows a lot of people care. A lot more than we think, because we feel alone in this situation a lot. So to see everyone gathered like this and for a lot of people to be white, it feels nice that everyone is taking responsibility as a collective to solving this problem.”
-PJ
“Keep spreading joy, keep spreading love, keep a positive mindset. Make sure these rallies are peaceful and safe.”
-paris
According to first-person accounts, the police and SWAT teams began to gas the protestors at 8:50 PM and corralled and cornered smaller groups. At 9 PM, the time of curfew, police are said to have zip-tied the hands of 307 people including protestors, individuals experiencing homelessness, and a USPS worker on her way home from work. Detainees were searched and loaded onto Metrobuses and were eventually placed in a barbed-wire surrounded parking lot in the Justice Center. Detainees were held for 12 hours with no blankets or access to medicine. Detainees were not given food or water for 10 hours and were never allowed a phone call. One individual had a seizure. They remained handcuffed. Officers reportedly attempted to censor photographs and videos of the situation, taking phones from detainees. According to detainees, those arrested were processed by the police at a rate of one or two people an hour.
Under the Cincinnati City Charter, violating curfew is considered a Nuisance or Nuisance Activity (other nuisances include the ownership of a loud/violent dog and loud cars/stereos). The majority of individuals were arrested under the charge of misconduct during an emergency, which is a fourth-degree misdemeanor. That is comparable to a traffic violation and entails a maximum fine of $250.
Others were charged with other small-time charges such as disorderly conduct, obstructing police justice, and criminal trespassing. There were a handful of more serious charges such as arson, breaking and entering, and assault on a police officer.
Fires and broken windows make for a popular news story. “Riots and looting” make a good headline. This aspect of the movement cannot be overlooked. It has garnered the movement media attention and proven a level of frustration in a country where capital matters more than human life.
The protest I photographed was not a war zone.
The protest I photographed was a gathering of thousands of community members vying for racial equality and denouncing a racist police force. I saw individuals fighting for justice for their neighbors and their siblings. I saw individuals putting themselves in potential harm’s way to push for social change. I saw Cincinnatians unite to fight a system of cruelty.
George Floyd was a spark.
But the kindling has been building for hundreds of years.
George Floyd — Minneapolis– killed on May 25th after being accused of using a fake $20 bill.
Breonna Taylor— Louisville– shot at least eight times after police forcefully entered and began to search the wrong house.
David McAtee — Louisville– shot and killed by police during a protest last weekend.
Samuel Dubose— Cincinnati– shot at a traffic stop for a suspended license and expired license plate. The case was ruled a mistrial and officer Ray Tensing was never charged.
Timothy Thomas— Cincinnati– shot in the chest and killed while running on foot from a police officer. Thomas was unarmed. Officer acquitted.
Roger Owensby Jr.— Cincinnati– choked to death during an arrest. Died in the backseat of a police car. Officers involved were never charged.
John Crawford III— Cincinnati– Shot and killed after picking up a BB gun in the sporting section of Walmart. Officers were not charged.
Tamir Rice— Cleveland– 12-year boy killed in a public park outside a recreation center in Cleveland, Ohio. No charges were filed.
Quandavier Hicks— Cincinnati — police entered the house without a warrant or knocking and found Hicks with a shotgun. Police shot and killed Hicks. Officers were not charged.
Nathaniel Jones— Cincinnati– police were called after Jones appeared to be having a drug-induced medical emergency. Bludgeoned him to death after being hit 40 times by police batons. His death was ruled a result of drug use and obesity. Officers not charged.
Gary Roell Jr— Cincinnati– Roell was known to the Cincinnati Police department to be diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Naked from the waist down, he broke a window and charged at police. Police tasered him to death. No charges were brought against officers.
Doug Boucher— Cincinnati– Mentally ill man wrestled with police as they tried to handcuff him. Died after being tasered 6 times in 75 seconds and then beaten while he was facedown, immobile on concrete. Officers cleared of charges.
Tyree King— Columbus– 13-year-old boy shot and killed after he pulled a BB gun out of his waistband. Officers not charged.
Roger Ramundo— Cincinnati– A man diagnosed with bipolar disorder was holding a gun. He fired a shot away from officers, raised his gun and was then shot and killed. Officers were not charged.
James Clay— Cincinnati– Police entered Clay’s apartment at the Talbert House, a home for individuals with mental illness or struggling with addiction. He was holding a pellet gun. Police fired 16 shots and killed James Clay. Officers were not charged.
James Carney III— Cincinnati– Carney was robbing a woman. Police Tased him in the chest (against CPS guidelines) twice, causing him to die. Officers were not charged.
…and the list goes on many hundreds of names too long.
Say their names.
Demands released by protest organizers
All photographs with discernable identities were taken either of public speakers/performers or with permission.
I am a white man, and thus have only ever seen the world through the eyes of a white man. If any BIPOC sees something in this article that they object to, please email me at samwsmith33@gmail.com to discuss.
All photographs were taken on 35mm and medium format black and white film.
Xavier Cintas Center- Cincinnati, OH- Sunday, May 26th: a day students and parents alike anticipated for thirteen years. 12:30pm: a canopy of 365 black caps and orange tassels filed into rows along the floor of the Xavier University Cintas Center. As the Loveland class of 2019 slipped into their alphabetical-order seats, students shared glances of equal glee and nervous anticipation.
Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse and Principal Peggy Johnson
Students begin to file into their alphabetical seats
Abie Baker and her dog walk to their seat
Katie Symmons is met with the Cintas Center ambience
Now-alumni file past the Loveland full-orchestra band. Family and friends cheered as they watched for this graduate to enter the stadium
Class vice-president Jace Nivens talks with a peer
Students and parents were greeted by a full string/brass orchestra of Loveland non-seniors, a multi-class performance unusual in years past. Band teacher Geoff Miller conducted a many-minute rendition of Pomp and Circumstance.
Conductor Geoff Miller seen from behind stage
Loveland band teacher and marching band conductor Geoff Miller leads the band in Pomp and Circumstance. The band played the piece for around fifteen minutes.
Jacob Aldrich plays clarinet
A student plays tuba
Soon after the Loveland class of 2019 was seated, class representative Jordan Morrison offered a welcome. Class representative Meghan Lolli introduced guests and lead The National Anthem, followed by class president Jackson Tyler Popp’s presidential address.
Between speeches, Loveland’s 2019 choral Senior Ensemble sang Irish Blessing, a long-running tradition. Hannah Ackley followed the performance with her salutatory address.
Meghan Lolli, class representative, introduces guests.
Students stand for the national anthem.
Meghan Lolli stands with her hand over her heart
Class President Jackson Tyler Popp addresses the Cintas Center
The class of 2019 Senior Ensemble continues the tradition of singing “Irish Blessing”
Isaac Harden watches The Senior Ensemble
Choir teacher Shawn Miller leads the singers
Hannah Ackley delivers the salutatory address
A sea of caps and tassels fill the Cintas Center floor
Valedictorian Seung-Min Ko addresses peers and parents
Cameron Berry, Lillian DeMillia, Ceina Fuhrman, Amanda Hains, Laura Hayes, Merrick Hummer, Jacob Kiley, Sophia Muir, Jace Niven, Megan Pedicini, Grace Powell, Kyleigh Schweitzer and Demi Sperelakis sing One Republic’s “I Lived”
Kyleigh Schweitzer singing “I Lived”
Demi Sperelakis sings with her peers
Daniel Eilert plays Cajo along with a string quartet. Laura Hayes played cello, Jacob Kiley violin, Jace Niven guitar and Megan Pedicini violin.
Individuals soon to enter the Military service stand for recognition
Principal Peggy Johnson delivers an Ernest speech
Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse speaks to the class of 2019
A sea of graduation caps listen to the Class of 2019 faculty speeches
Board of Education vice-president Kathryn Lorenz delivers the presentation of diplomas speech
Teacher Jennifer Chast hugs a student
Graphic arts teacher Megan Burns hugs a new graduate
Principal Peggy Johnson shakes a student’s hand
Ethan Diver steps off the stage. Diver will be studying jazz at CCM.
Caspar Zierden exits the stage after walking for his diploma
Isabella Huelsman shakes hands with vice principal Matthew Buis. Huelsman will be studying photojournalism at Ohio University
Cam Louder shortly after posing for his diploma photograph
Principal Peggy takes a photo for her ever-active Twitter account.
Class representatives Elanor Cronin, Frances Cornett and Kyle Fassler initiate the changing of the tassels.
Students move their tassels to signify their graduation
Post- Loveland Students throw their caps as confetti rains down
Daniel Eilert stands in a cloud of confetti
Confetti rains on Cooper Bach
Cam Louder watches his peers begin to leave
Zach Jacobs celebrates his graduation
Cooper Back enjoys his moment of triumph
Brittany Chapman poses in a hand-made necklace of money
Vincent Proctor’s family member toys with his tassel
Ian Feilds and Abby Savage pose with a cigar
Joe Timmerman smiles outside the Cintas Center. Timmerman will be studying photojournalism at Ohio University
Jarvis Global is an investment advisory firm in Symmes Township, Ohio which offers private portfolio management and retirement services to high net worth individuals.
“We are truly happy to have had you share in and capture our wedding. We are grateful you shared your talent and kindness with us. Both in person and from behind the lens you are going to capture the world and make an indelible impact”
Looking for a photographer or videographer to capture priceless memories at a more-than-fair price this summer? Consider Sam Smith.
“These are amazing! We totally love them. Thank you so much. I will definitely use you again for my upcoming senior.”
Significantly lower-priced, more flexible and with a quicker turnaround than any studio in the area, Smith provides 50+ personal and professional quality senior photographs in as many locations and outfits as you can fit in an evening. Unlike many local senior portrait photographers and studios, editing is minimal and realistic. Commonly, students complain about overly-airbrushed and retouched portraits. Sam Smith aims to capture a true personality over false glamour. Editing is not trendy or overly-stylized, therefore withstanding the test of time.
It’s not too early for class of 2020 students and parents to start thinking about senior photos. Summer will be here before you know it, and studios book up quickly. Students often find the deadline creeping up with no good option for portraits. Photos are then edited and delivered within a few days depending on schedule and backlog.
Senior portrait standard pricing is as follows:
June- $125
July- $140
August- $160
All prices are negotiable depending on special situations (twins, referrals, financial circumstances, needs, etc). Local studios charge $300+ for similar services.
“Thank you!!! We both like them a lot, they’re awesome”
Hold onto your special day from Sam Smith’s unobtrusive, authentic angle. With a background in both journalism and narrative filmmaking, images are the real moment captured in the best light. Edit turnaround time for both photo and video is exceptionally quick. Wedding videos come with an optional, short “wedding highlights” in addition to a full video of the wedding.
Wedding photography and videography pricing is negotiable depending on package and needs. Photography starts at only $500 and a fully edited video starts at $1100– prices unheard of for equivalent quality of work.
Bookings are available between May and late August.
Loveland, Ohio – On Friday, May 24th, Loveland High School seniors participated in the long-running annual senior parade. In their final hurrah, the budding adults hauled a number of inspired floats ranging from a dad-themed grill-out in the back of a pickup truck to a large boat to a moving string quartet.
The McAnich Twins ride in the back of a police car
Loveland High School Teachers lead the parade
Shelby Whittaker, Matt Wesley, Kyle Beesley, Marie Plitt and Kyle Whittaker on a Hawaiian themed float
Josh Elfers hangs loose
Demi Sperilakis and Luke Rholing on a Phinneas and Ferb themed float
A firetruck bearing students pulls into the lot, as is tradition. It was later used to spray water for the senior slip-and-slide in the front lawn of the school.
Cooper Baumgarth, Abbie Docter, Nick Rasmussen
Mary Glossop on a shark-themed float
Olivia Buell, Lucy Johnson, Abby Wright and Isabella Huelsman ride a 60’s themed float
Isabella Huelsman blows bubbles in a vintage get-up
Logan Sartain, Greg Ballman, Shazeb Ahmed, Ryan Fasig, Jacob Danner and Ryan Palino on a frat-themed float
Rave/Festival themed float
Fitz Dwyer, Sam Collier, Tripp Willis and Ethan Toms on a redneck themed truckbed
Ideal dads Joey Hickey,
Emma Vogt, alien, poses with her float
Sydney Miller on a horses in the back themed float
Dylan Tuttle blesses Loveland High School as Jesus
Ben Meckey and Dylan Tuttle
An elder themed float
A safari themed float driven by Sydney Miller
Bella Paddock blows bubbles
Merrick Hummer and Lillian Demillia
2019 winners of the annual senior Nerf War
Jaylin Greiser Shane Chrusniak, Remi George, Gabe Rubio and Joe Timmerman ride the Nerf War Champion float
Megan Pedicini, Jace Nivens and Jacob Kiley play a string quintet
Erin Albert, Jacob Kiley and Jace Nivens
Ben Molloy, President of The United States
The parade winds down at Loveland High School
The senior parade moved via blocked road and police escort from Castle Skateland to Loveland High School at 8:45 AM. Upon arrival, seniors were awarded in superlatives and enjoyed burgers and hot dogs at the annual cookout. Firefighters sprayed water on a slip-and-slide down the front lawn as 2019 Seniors enjoyed their final day at Loveland High School.
Photos by Loveland Magazine writer/editor David Miller showcase the parade from the vantage point of the Loveland Primary/Elementary Campus on Loveland Madeira Road. Enthusiastic Elementary students gathered on the sidewalk to congratulate the graduating Class of 2019.
Students graduated on Sunday, May 26th in the Xavier Cintas Center.
Jarvis Global is an investment advisory firm in Symmes Township, Ohio which offers private portfolio management and retirement services to high net worth individuals.
“We are truly happy to have had you share in and capture our wedding. We are grateful you shared your talent and kindness with us. Both in person and from behind the lens you are going to capture the world and make an indelible impact”
Looking for a photographer or videographer to capture priceless memories at a more-than-fair price this summer? Consider Sam Smith.
“These are amazing! We totally love them. Thank you so much. I will definitely use you again for my upcoming senior.”
Significantly lower-priced, more flexible and with a quicker turnaround than any studio in the area, Smith provides 50+ personal and professional quality senior photographs in as many locations and outfits as you can fit in an evening. Unlike many local senior portrait photographers and studios, editing is minimal and realistic. Commonly, students complain about overly-airbrushed and retouched portraits. Sam Smith aims to capture a true personality over false glamour. Editing is not trendy or overly-stylized, therefore withstanding the test of time.
It’s not too early for class of 2020 students and parents to start thinking about senior photos. Summer will be here before you know it, and studios book up quickly. Students often find the deadline creeping up with no good option for portraits. Photos are then edited and delivered within a few days depending on schedule and backlog.
Senior portrait standard pricing is as follows:
June- $125
July- $140
August- $160
All prices are negotiable depending on special situations (twins, referrals, financial circumstances, needs, etc). Local studios charge $300+ for similar services.
“Thank you!!! We both like them a lot, they’re awesome”
Hold onto your special day from Sam Smith’s unobtrusive, authentic angle. With a background in both journalism and narrative filmmaking, images are the real moment captured in the best light. Edit turnaround time for both photo and video is exceptionally quick. Wedding videos come with an optional, short “wedding highlights” in addition to a full video of the wedding.
Wedding photography and videography pricing is negotiable depending on package and needs. Photography starts at only $500 and a fully edited video starts at $1100– prices unheard of for equivalent quality of work.
Bookings are available between May and late August.
“To have these goals and achieve that goal– it’s a really special time and a feeling like no other to stand on top of Antarctica”
by Sam Smith
One of the most desolate and unforgiving places on earth, Mt. Vinson towers an imposing 16,050 feet above ice, snow, wind and cold so harsh that nothing can survive. It is truly one of the most inhospitable places on the planet, with the nearest penguin seven hundred miles away. Mt. Vinson, also known as Vinson Massif, is the tallest peak in Antarctica and has only been summited by 1,200 climbers. It threatens mind and body alike.
For Loveland resident Matt Brennan, Vinson is now in the rearview. After 30 days in Antarctica fraught with delays, struggles and ultimately triumphs, he reached the tallest point in Antarctica on December 10. Brennan has returned to Ohio with all ten fingers (mostly intact) in time to prepare for his return to Everest in only a few months.
Located 660 nautical miles from the South Pole, Mt. Vinson is the highest peak in Antarctica and one of the renowned Seven Summits— the tallest mountains on each continent. Less than 500 people have completed the Seven Summits challenge, and less than 150 Americans have summited all seven. Loveland resident, philanthropist and businessman Matt Brennan has now climbed five of the famed Seven Summits, with the tallest, Everest ahead. His last peak will be Mount Kosciuszko, a day-hike in Australia which he plans to surmount with his family. He has tackled some of the most dangerous and grueling summits in the world.
Guide David Hahn (left) and Loveland Resident Matt Brennan (right) pose for a selfie in Antartica
Lead by one of the world’s most renowned climbers, David Hahn, Brennan and a team of climbers (including famed explorer and author Eric Larson and record-holding fastest solo trekker to from the last degree to the South Pole) set off in November of 2018. It was Hahn’s thirty-eighth summit of Mt. Vinson. The climbers flew from port city, Punta Arenas, to Union Glacier where harsh weather kept them anxious and at bay. Eventually, by Twin Otter bush plane, the climbers approached Mt. Vinson.
Matt Brennan at the Union Glacier camp
Extreme winds, an average temperature of -20°F and constant sunlight through the night forced Brennan and peers to adapt. Water froze quickly and climbers were forced to keep bottles warm with body heat, and manage once they inevitably became ice. The first two hours of each day consisted of rotating everything that had frozen (food, sunscreen, water, toothpaste, climbing gear etc.) until they thawed. The total whiteness, fog and lack of features warped and erased all depth perception, making distances challenging to judge. One night, winds knocked over thirteen tents forcing climbers to cram into tents together until they could set up replacements. Brennan said that the wind and frigid temperatures on Vinson Massif were so extreme it could cause frostbite in seconds. One climber had to turn back upon the first summit attempt, costing an entire day of climbing for the whole team. Due to weather setbacks, the seven-to-ten day climb became a fourteen-day climb.
“On all these big mountains the mental aspect plays a huge part. If you don’t deal with it, it’ll eat you alive,” Brennan explained in a phone interview with Loveland Magazine.
Matt Brennan in his tent
However, on the eleventh day, the team eventually overcame the extreme conditions and summitted on December 10th after a ten-hour round-trip hike. Brennan described an intense feeling of accomplishment and an outburst of emotion:
“There’s so much that goes into summiting, from the training to the logistics to just getting there to the physical aspect to staying healthy and everything else that gets you to the top and when you summit, it’s the culmination of all those things. To have these goals and achieve that goal– it’s a really special time and a feeling like no other to stand on top of Antartica. You’ve dreamed about it, you’ve read about it, you’ve talked about it and here you are. It’s an amazing feeling.”
At the tallest point in Antarctica in the -35°F cold with a panoramic view of stone and snow, Matt Brennan had made it– he had seen the dream and conquered it. The only task left was return and sixteen days in tents at Union Glacier waiting for a plane due to inclement weather.
Matt Brennan stands on top of Mt. Vinson
Everyone on the climb descended with frostbite– Brennan ended up with nerve damage in seven fingers. He sustained permanent damage and will have to cope with an injured left hand for the rest of his life. At Union Glacier, frostbite experts waited for the climbers. Brennan recounted a conversation with one of the medical experts:
Brennan: I’ve got to get this fixed, I’m going to Everest.
Doctor: Uh, I don’t know.
Brennan: Well, I don’t have a choice. I’m going to Everest.
Doctor: I’m going to ask you a question: are you willing to lose a finger on Everest?
Brennan:Well, will I make it or not? Because I’m willing to give one up if I make it, but I don’t want to give one up and fail.
Matt Brennan takes a very cold selfie
In just three months, Brennan will attempt Everest again. Last March the Cincinnati adventurer was forced to turn back during his first stab at the Canopy of the World due to an injury. However, it has only given him a stronger resolve to reach for new heights. Through funding by a local investment firm, Horter Investments, he will continue to chase the ultimate goal of the Seven Summits.
Unquestionable and unknowable challenges are yet to come, but Matt Brennan is on his way to reaching a goal few imagine and many less achieve. According to Brennan, after he finished the Seven Summits challenge, he plans to scale back his expeditions and focus on motivational speaking and sharing with children what it takes to overcome even the most insurmountable of challenges.
“It was a great trip. I probably wouldn’t do it again,” Brennan concluded.
Between now and his Everest climb in just a handful of weeks he plans to continue physical training and dial in his gear expertise, as he gets ready to tackle the top of the world.
Jarvis Global is an investment advisory firm in Symmes Township, Ohio which offers private portfolio management and retirement services to high net worth individuals.
A rendering of the final layout of Ramsey’s Trailside
by Sam Smith
Loveland, Ohio – On July 20th, Paxton’s Grill, one of Loveland’s most popular restaurants, announced the name of their new soon-to-open sister restaurant: Ramsey’s Trailside. Located on the bike trail in historic downtown Loveland, Ramsey’s Trailside will focus on lighter-fare, diverse dining with outside and rooftop seating.
Ramsey’s trailside hopes to bring a healthier menu to Loveland that neighboring restaurants do not offer. While the menu is not yet finalized, it is expected to be light, grain-heavy and offer extensive vegan options along with a variety of meat-based dishes. The kitchen will feature a separate vegan grill to avoid contamination. The menu is expected to be diverse, with options for a wide range of palettes.
“I think it brings a fresh, clean option from a dining experience and a place that the menu is going to be varied enough that the carnivore and vegetarian can coexist,” Kevin Egan, a partner at Paxtons and Ramsey’s Trailside, told Loveland Magazine in a video interview.
Ramsey’s Trailside will be located near Nisbet park along the Loveland Bike Trail. It will feature shaded outside dining and something new to downtown Loveland: rooftop dining. A porch will allow patrons to view the trail and city from a unique vantage point.
Soon-to-be Ramsey’s Trailside Restuarant on the Loveland bike trail
The new restaurant’s name, like Paxton’s Grill, comes from local history. William Ramsey, the son-in-law of Lt. Colonel Thomas Paxton, purchased the 189 acres that were later named Loveland. Their namesakes can be found around the city, and the new restaurant will continue William Ramsey’s legacy.
Ramsey’s Trailside will be located on the block that partially burnt down on Memorial Day in 2017. Neighboring buildings were entirely engulfed in flames and largely destroyed. It took six hours for the fire to be extinguished. Nobody was injured in the fire, and the damage to Paxton’s property was relatively minimal.
Ramsey’s Trailside (left) and Tano’s (right) continue construction after the devastating fire over a year ago.
At the time, Paxton’s short-lived diner, Bike Trail Junction, closed due to water and smoke damage but will reopen as Ramsey’s Trailside. Bike Trail Junction was planned to be a temporary restaurant until Ramsey’s Trailside was ready to open.
“We knew at some point we were going to have to do an extensive remodel to put in a real kitchen but we didn’t want to be closed down during that summer so we opened Bike Trail Junction to get us through the summer and fall seasons,” Egan explained.
A Loveland Strong poster, covered in signatures from residents, leans against the wall of Ramsey’s Trailside. Loveland Strong was a community effort to support business owners and individuals affected by the Memorial Day weekend fire.
Ramsey’s Trailside has already secured some management and will begin hiring individuals soon. Those interested in working at the new restaurant can speak to managers at Paxton’s. (513) 583-1717
Ramsey’s Trailside is expected to open in mid-September. The address is 200 West Loveland Avenue.
Jarvis Global is an investment advisory firm in Symmes Township, Ohio which offers private portfolio management and retirement services to high net worth individuals.
I’m not messing around. I’m going to get this done.
by Sam Smith
Loveland, Ohio – Matt Brennan is a man who sees a challenge and is only met with one option: surmount. His current hurdle? Climb to the tallest points on all seven continents.
He’s conquered South America’s Mt. Aconcagua, North America’s Mt. McKinley, Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro, Europe’s Mt. Elbrus. He’s left with only two more.
Up next is Antarctica.
Loveland Resident Matt Brennan is the owner of Loveland Excavating and Paving and founded the Cincinnati Center for Autism. He has had the climbing bug since he was a child, and has only continued to push himself further with each peak.
“I’m just a typical guy. There’s nothing special about me. If you’ve got a goal, reach out there and work hard and achieve it. It can be achieved,” Matt Brennan claimed in a phone interview with Loveland Magazine.
He has climbed four of the famed Seven Summits– the seven highest mountains on each continent. Less than 500 people have completed the challenge, and less than 150 Americans have summited all seven.
Soon, Brennan will climb Mt. Vinson in Antartica, becoming one of the few to make the trek.
Matt Brennan on Mt. Everest
Vinson Massif is one of the most remote places in the world, located 750 miles from the South Pole. At 16,067 feet and located in some of the Earth’s most intense climate conditions, the dangerous ascent has only been attempted by 1,400 climbers since the mountain’s first summit in 1966. From November to January, the sun shines in 24 hours a day and the average temperature is -20° Fahrenheit.
Brennan’s climb will take a minimum of 14 days depending on the weather. He will fly from Puntas Arenas, Chile to Union Glacier, Antarctica and plans to reach the summit of the mountain from November 22 to December 14.
Brennan will be lead by Dave Hahn, one of the most accomplished climbers in the world. He has summited Mt. Vinson more than any other mountaineer– 35 times. Hahn has climbed the mountain in a PBS NOVA documentary and is one of the few frequent and trusted Mt. Vinson guides.
Dave Hahn is also the most prolific western Everest climber, summiting 15 times. He is known for the discovery of the partially mummified body of early Everest explorer George Mallory. According to Brennan, Hahn is one of the most experienced climbers in the world. Brennan previously climbed Denali with Dave Hahn in 2017.
Matt Brennan (left) and Dave Hahn (right) pose on Denali
Through a climbing company called RMI, Hahn reached out to Matt Brennan and asked if he would like to accompany him on a Mt. Vinson climb. His climb will once again be sponsored by Horter Investments, a local investment firm.
“It’d be like Tom Brady calling you up and asking you to play on his touch football team,” Brennan claimed.
Matt Brennan and Dave Hahn descend Denali
Mt. Vinson presents unique challenges. Logistically, Brennan will fly to Chile and land at a polar exploration outpost. From there, he will take an AN-132 transit plane that will land on ice. Vinson is blanketed in glaciers and, although the South Pole is considered a desert, inclement weather is still likely. There is about a 30 day period where the mountain is fit to climb within the entire year. Physically, Matt will carry fifty to sixty pounds of gear and necessities on his back and will haul a sled around forty to fifty pounds.
The extreme conditions present their own difficulties– not just physically.
“Mentally, you have to be able to block out being uncomfortable. But from a gear standpoint, the proper equipment is critical. If you don’t have the proper equipment, your chances of making it are not very good,” Brennan said in a phone interview with Loveland Magazine.
Brennan expected to have claimed five of the seven summits by now but will have to return to Asia for another attempt.
The Antarctica trip, along with a milestone in Matt Brennan’s pursuit of the Seven Summits, also serves as preparation for his second attempt at Mt. Everest.
After intense training, Matt Brennan tried to climb Mt. Everest in April of 2018. However, due to an injury, he did not summit. His injuries have mostly healed, and Brennan cannot be kept from climbing. He plans to utilize his upcoming Mt. Vinson ascent to train further for his upcoming second Everest attempt in spring of 2019.
“I think Dave [Hahn] will really dial me in for Everest. I climbed Denali with Dave and he was relentless on improving my mountaineering skills,” Brennan said.
It’s been only a few months since Brennan returned to Loveland from his attempt to surmount Everest, and he already has caught the climbing bug again. Rather than take a year off between Everest attempts, he has opted in the meantime to persevere and take on the South Pole.
“I just don’t believe in quitting. You can’t quit. Everest is reachable, I just couldn’t reach it on one leg. For me it’s always been about goals and reaching those goals[…] If you don’t fail, you haven’t set your goals high enough,” Brennan said.
Matt Brennan must summit Vinson and Everest, and then complete a day hike of Mount Kosciuszko in Australia in order to put his name among the ranks of the few skilled climbers who have conquered the Seven Summits. He hopes to finish the challenge by August of 2019.
The Seven Summits (plus Mauna Kea and Mt. Kosciuszko). CC via the Wikimedia Foundation.
“It’s become… not an obsession… but I’m going to do these. I’m very goal-oriented. I’m not messing around. I’m going to get this done,” Brennan concluded.
Jarvis Global is an investment advisory firm in Symmes Township, Ohio which offers private portfolio management and retirement services to high net worth individuals.
Since 2005, The Amazing Charity Race has brought fun and philanthropy together. Through running, cycling, walking and an array of challenges, individuals compete for the fastest time in four categories.
Parent/Child, Male/Female, Male/Male and Female/Female contestant pairs completed an all-new course starting at Paxton Ramsey Park and ending at the Valley View Foundation barn. This year’s Amazing Charity Race featured twenty challenges including hauling greased watermelons into a lake, lawn bowling and Slip N’ Slide kickball.
Over the past thirteen years, the Amazing Race has donated $600,000 to various charitable organizations both large and small and local organizations including Loveland Magazine help sponsor the event.
Watch Loveland Magazine‘s video coverage of the event:
Produced by Loveland Magazine
Directed/Edited by Sam Smith
Second Shooting and Drone Operation by Jack Sexton
Music: “Prologue” written and Performed by Loveland's own Ryan Mangan/Pocket
From the EP L'Appelle Du Vide.
Featuring Loveland Graduates DK Dews on bass and Drew Lowry on drums.
The 2018 Amazing Race gathered 545 participants. Although the exact amount of money raised is not yet known, according to organizer Doug Portman it has been around $70,000 the past few years. It will go to over 50 charities ranging from funding boy scout troops to bigger charities like the St. Vincent DePaul Society.
In addition to the participants, local charity organizations volunteer their time to coordinate, run water stations, direct events, ensure safety and more in order to receive donations. The Amazing Charity Race website states to prospective volunteers that the role entails “no pay, hard to define benefits and you’re already late for work”. One volunteer receives the Chief John E. Cooper Amazing Volunteer Award, earning their nonprofit $500 more than the initial donation. The winner will be announced at the awards banquet.
At the end of each Amazing Charity Race, participants rush to sign up for coveted and limited spots in each coming year’s race. Next year, head organizer Doug Portman claimed the race will end in Loveland again with a totally new course and twenty new challenges.
Those interested in running in the 2019 Amazing Charity Race can sign up here. The earlier individuals sign up, the earlier their start time.
Jarvis Global is an investment advisory firm in Symmes Township, Ohio which offers private portfolio management and retirement services to high net worth individuals.
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