Weekly Journal - July 2012

Where is the Summer going? We are almost halfway through July and it seems like only yesterday it was Spring. Speaking of Spring - I have been doing some spring cleaning on the blog and still have plenty of sprucing up to do. I am removing some of the junk and re-editing and re-posting some of my old stuff. You will see some of the re-post in the upcoming months, but I am featuring the bulk of them in the month of September.

Post Card Pictures - I have decided to do 12 Black and White Post Cards of churches for this series. I plan on starting a Color Post Card Series starting in January of next year. So I am going to change the posting from the 1st of the month to the 1st and 15th for the rest of the year.

 Saint Michael in Ft. Loramie is the featured church for the month of August. I wanted to revisit this church and get some updated pics. I was pretty happy with the photo shoot and think I got quite a few quality pics.

Poetry and Prayer - I have already created a category/label for Poetry and am thinking of adding and combining Poetry and Prayer and add it to the Featured Post Section.

So far I am happy with the new look and layout of the blog. It is going to take some time to clean up the old post but I think it is worth it.

Diary of a Steeple Chaser - This is going to be a journal of my thoughts as I travel through The Land of the Cross Tipped Churches. I plan on going all the way back to the beginning.  This will not be a regular post. You will have to access it from the Featured Post Section to see if I have added anything.  Look for it soon.

Weekly Journal June 2012

 New Format - I know I said in my side bar that I was happy with the layout and did not have any plans to change it. However, I found myself with some extra time on my hands and finally took a look at the New Blogger tools. Everything is so much easier that I just had to give some of them a try. Fifteen minutes later and my blog is sporting the new look you now see. I was actually thinking of moving my blog to a Wordpress theme until I discovered these new tools/interface.

 Along with the New Layout, Header and Background, I also cleaned up my Categories/Labels. You can now view all the post for a particular church just by clicking on its label. If you are looking for say post with stained glass windows just use the new Search Blog function located at the top left to search and find all the post based on the words you enter. I've tested it and it works pretty well.

Unlike my other re-tools where I just let the chips fall where they may as far as how well old post displayed in the new format -- I plan on going back and cleaning up all the old post so they display properly with the new format and to make sure that they contain the key words that can be detected by the Search Blog Function.

 Another added feature is just that -- Featured Post - This has been added to the left margin and is a quick and easy way to get to post that I have selected to be Featured in the blog. Sort of like a sticky post.

 Blog on a Diet. - In the process of the restructure I have decided to remove all post/material that is not Land of the Cross Tipped Churches related. These post currently have the tag/label of Remove. No time frame on this but it will happen soon. You will also notice that I have scrapped the Lets Talk About It forum. It just wasn't working the way I wanted/envisioned.

Saint Louis - North Star - I got to tour and take some pictures of this church earlier this month. This will be the July's featured church. I will also be using their Stations of the Cross for the next set of The Way of the Cross post once we finish up the St. John (Fryburg) series.

Weekly Scripture - I plan on continuing using this as a way to recycle some of my favorite pics from past post.

Pretty as a Post-Card - Look for a new Featured Series Titled Post-Cards. I am still looking for a Post-Card template that I like. I may have to make my own. Like the title suggest these post will have pictures of the churches that look like post-cards and may be from old or new images.

Blog on Auto Pilot - I take advantage of the Scheduled Post Feature of Blogger and usually have my blog set to auto post everyday for a month in advance. So while it looks like I am on here everyday, I am not and I do not mean to ignore your comments.  I try to post them as soon as I can and respond if necessary.

Russ Martin (AKA Steeple Chaser)

Weekly Journal 5/31/12

It has been a busy month for sure. I was really happy when I was able to squeak in a visit to the St. Paul's Church. This was the last church I needed to visit that was on my original list. I do believe there may be a few more I may have missed. Either way there were a few churches that I would like to revisit with my new camera for sure to finish out the year.

As you may have already expected St. Paul's will be the featured church for the month of June. Not sure what July will bring.

 I am horrible when it comes to tagging my post. I have a lot of catching up to do in that department. So I hope to have that updated soon for all you folks who like to use the search/category feature.

I have not made my mind up completely yet on what I am going to do about the blog next year. I was thinking this might be the last year for me. Not sure. It' hard to walk away from something you have such a vested interest in. I just wish the local churches the ones that I take all these pictures off were more supportive of the blog. It would be nice to hear from them from time to time.

Weekly Journal March 2012

 It has been sometime since I've posted a Weekly Journal so lets get right to it.

 Images on this Blog are NOT to be used without permission. I have found several of my images For Sale and or Download. I get request all the time for permission to use my work. I have yet to deny a request and usually do not charge even if it is for commercial use. My normal fee is credit for the image. I have and do sell prints upon request. So if you see something you like feel free to send me an E-Mail.

 E-MAIL ME - I have created a new E-Mail Address for the Blog the old one will continue to work but I would like for you to use the new one - russsteeplechaser@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you. It is always uplifting when I get an E-Mail from one of my followers.

 Lets Talk About It Forum - I am playing around with adding a forum to the blog. I am currently testing one that you can find at the bottom of the page. Feel free to play around.

500 POST - I only need 49 post to reach 500. I can't think of a better way to celebrate my 5th year of taking pictures of the churches.

 Piqua YWCA Cross Tipped Church Tour - I will be accompanying a group from the Piqua YWCA on a tour of the churches October 2. I have already given one presentation of the churches at one of their meetings with one or two more to come before the tour to generate interest. Who knew my photography would lead to a speaking gig.

 Russ Martin AKA Steeple Chaser

Weekly Journal 2010

May 11, 2010

My show at the Library featuring "The Land of the Cross Tipped Churches" I feel was a success. I want to thank everyone who came and left a comment and a special thank you to those that made it to the Meet and Greet. It was great to meet and talk to all of you.

Things have been slow posting wise. I have some pictures from Key West that I still haven't posted. I am done with school after this week, so that should free up some time. However, picture taking opportunities/projects are growing in leaps and bounds.

To be honest I am not sure where to go next with the blog. I have pretty much covered all the churches but feel that I could start all over and still come up with fresh material. Maybe I just need a new approach. Maybe try and focus on Events (Something with People!). Someone suggested and I agree that a guide to the churches would be nice (I am thinking Electronic/PDF) type publication. I am planning on applying for a Grant to create a traveling display of "The Land of the Cross Tipped Churches". A very low percentage that apply ever get anything but it's worth a shot.

April 2, 2010

Photo Show - The bulk of the show is up. I have a few more items I hope to have up and displayed this Saturday.

Cincinnati Enquirer - The travel article about The Land of the Cross Tipped Churches is scheduled to be published Easter Sunday. The focus of the piece is the churches, but the writer said they were going to make mention of the blog and photo-show. I will feature it in a post when I get confirmation and link.

March 14, 2010

I recently received an E-Mail from Kathy Schwartz, a freelance writer for The Cincinnati Enquirer. She is doing a regional travel story for them about the Land of Cross-Tipped Churches. Kathy found my blog, while doing research on the churches on the web and would like to mention my blog in the story as well as promote my upcoming show in April. Of course I E-mailed her back a great big yes, (Right after I did my Happy Dance). Insert your own visual here.

March 4, 2010

Well I finally got to meet Mary from the Catholic Telegraph. We had a great time talking about the churches and my upcoming show. The article should come out sometime late this month.

As promised the post have not been plentiful. March will continue to be light as I gear up for the show.

Hopefully I will get a chance to visit the Saint Paul church this month.

February 13, 2010

Well next week's post will be light, I did not get out to take any pictures this week or weekend. My wife and I have also been under the weather. I did manage to make it to the "Y" and complete my first circuit on the Upper Body. I am enjoying my Graphics Class at Edison. I was also hoping to get out and get some more winter pics but that didn't happen either. Hopefully this week will be better health and picture wise. HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

February 7, 2010


I have a meeting scheduled with Mary Knapke, a freelance writer for The Catholic Telegraph (The official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati). They want to do an article about my photo work with The Land of the Cross Tipped Churches and promote my photo show featuring the churches in April at the Amos Memorial Library in Sidney. Now how COOL is That !

January 30, 2010

It's hard to believe that January is all but gone. I am tiring of Winter and now can't wait for Spring. I've been busy balancing my time between blogging, preparing for my upcoming show and class work. Which has made the month of January fly by.

Class is great and I am learning new PhotoShop techniques every week. The show is slowly coming together but I still don't have many completed pieces to hang.

Speaking of Photoshop this picture was made from one of my recent church visits.

I have a new blog/web page that ties in all my online outlets it's called www.ThinkFocusClick.com Check it out. It is still under construction but functional.

I plan on visiting St. Paul church this Sunday after church. I still have pictures to post from some of my previous church visits so I'm doing okay picture wise.

Oh and on the fitness front, I have my first appointment with my Personal Trainer Monday. Oh Happy Day.

January 22, 2010

I am starting to feel the pressure of crunch time for my upcoming show in April of the Cross Tipped Churches. I am afraid even though I have plenty of pictures to post I am going to have to start spending less time blogging and more time getting ready for the show. So look for things to slow down after this up coming week. I already have post for all of next week ready and scheduled to post.

On a personal note it doesn't help that my wife has us going to the "Y" for fitness and I am taking a graphics class at Edison. There is only so much time to be had.

There will be some surprises at the show not all the images on display will have been posted in my blog. Here is an example of something new.

(Click on the Picture for a Larger View)

January 12, 2010

I finally made it out to St. Bernard. What a wonderful church. I hope to start posting some of the pictures from that shoot this week.

I have been back to the Immaculate Conception in Botkins to try and get all 14 Stations of the Cross but just like before Old Mister Sun was not cooperating. I really need an overcast day to get all of them. However, I got some awesome shots of the light coming through the stained glass windows. Look for those pictures in the near future.

I have an upcoming show featuring The Land of the Cross Tipped Churches at Amos Memorial Library in Sidney during the month of April. I will put a banner promoting the event with times and events at the top of the blog very soon. I am also planning on sending a postcard to all the churches inviting them to the event. I will post more on this as the time for the event gets closer.

I would like to visit St. Paul in Sharpsburg and Saint Charles Seminary and Chapel before the April Show.

Last year I tried to make a new Journal for every month. This year I am going to try and just make one post and add to it throughout the year.

September Weekly Journal 2009

Welcome to my Weekly Journal. Each month I create a post to collect my thoughts and meanderings for the month.
01/09/09 Journal Entry

OOPS! - Well it's hard to miss the format change. I wasn't planning on changing the template just yet but I missed click while checking out different templates and well there you have it. I am still working out a few kinks. I wanted to change from full page back to a more narrow version because I wanted to make it easier for me to make short but sweet post. I also removed the Read More option. I plan on adopting a one to two picture post with a small summary. I am hoping this will help me keep the blog fresh and not go stale waiting for the next marathon post. Before I do that I will continue to post pictures I have taken but never posted. I've got about another weeks worth of postings so far. I really liked my original Cross Tipped Church header but could not get it to work with the new format. I will see what Tyler and I can come up with for the new look.

Words of Encouragement - Your comments and E-Mails are important to me. I recently received two very nice E-Mails that helped get me back on track with the Cross Tipped Church Blog. Thank You

August Weekly Journal 2009

Welcome to my Weekly Journal. Each month I create a post to collect my thoughts and meanderings for the month. You can quickly find this post as it drops down the list by clicking on the Weekly Journal Link at the bottom of the Web Page.

Aug. 30, 2009 Another Slow Month

Summer has been busy, between paid photo gigs and life there just has not been much time. I can barely keep up with my other blogs.

The Show/Display of the Cross Tipped Churches for February 2010 at the Amos Memorial Library in Sidney is a go and I have been spending some time planning and getting ready for it. I know Feb 2010 seems like a long ways off but it takes time to put a large show together.

Next Church Photo Shoot - I was hoping to get a chance to take some pictures this weekend of the St. Bernard church, but alas I ran out of time. Plus the weather was not cooperating. Looks like it will have to wait and be my first post in September.

Sidney Applefest - I plan on putting some pictures in this, this year. They have a new category called between the fences that I find very interesting and challenging.

July Weekly Journal 2009

Welcome to my Weekly Journal. Each month I create a post to collect my thoughts and meanderings for the month. You can quickly find this post as it drops down the list by clicking on the Weekly Journal Link at the bottom of the Web Page.

July 25 Why No Post
Looks like July is going to be my least number of post yet. Summer is busy for everyone and mine has been no exception. I must admit that I have spent some quality time with my other blogs but most of the reason is that I have not had a chance to visit any churches. I have taken a thousand plus softball, t-Ball, swim meet, wedding, senior, Dog Portraits and Lutheran Church pictures but NO Cross Tipped Church Pictures to speak of. Hopefully the dust will settle in August and I can get back to making some regular post.

Look for a Public Display of the Cross Tipped Churches in February of 2010 at the Amos Memorial Library in Sidney.

June Weekly Journal 2009

Welcome to my Weekly Journal. Each month I create a post to collect my thoughts and meanderings for the month. You can quickly find this post as it drops down the list by clicking on the Weekly Journal Link at the bottom of the Web Page.

Happy Birthday! The Cross Tipped Church Blog is 1 Year Old.



Busy, Busy, Busy
I knew it would be rough getting pictures for this blog in June. July doesn't look much better. I did make it to St. Mary's in Philothea.

Ohio Arts Grant - I was going to apply for a grant to create a roaming display to promote "The Land of the Cross Tipped Churches." The original deadline was this September. My chances are slim, only 8 percent of those that apply get accepted. However due to budget cuts the counsel has divided the divisions into two separate years. Unfortunately, Photography was moved to September 2010. Oh well I guess I should count my blessings and use the time to plan.

Cross Tipped Churches Photo Exhibit - February 2010 Amos Memorial Public Library, Sidney Ohio. Yes it is a long way's off, but to do an exhibit the size/scale that I want I need to start now!

A Guide to the Cross Tipped Churches - Someone suggested this and I thought it would be a good idea. I hope to have something in time for the exhibit.

Cross Tipped Churches Screen savers and Wallpapers and of course the guide will be available for download once I get my Web page up and running.

GOAL - I hope to have visited all the churches at least once by the end of the year.

May Weekly Journal 2009

Welcome to my Weekly Journal. Each month I create a post to collect my thoughts and meanderings for the month. You can quickly find this post as it drops down the list by clicking on the Weekly Journal Link at the bottom of the Web Page.

May 25, New Stuff

Stations of the Cross - Well I still haven't made it to the Immaculate Conception Church in Botkins to get my Stations of the Cross pictures.

Share this Blog - I removed the Rate this Post and replaced it with a Share Icon to make it easier to share post.

Subscribe to this Blog - Along with the Follow this Blog you can click on the Feed button at the top to subscribe to this blog in various formats.

BUY PICTURES - I now have an online gallery where you can purchase Cross Tipped Church and other pictures. You can check it out by clicking on the Think Focus Click Gallery Picture.

Taking A Bit Of A Break - While not coming to a screeching halt, I am going to back off of the pace quite a bit on this blog. June is an extremely busy month for taking pictures. Not to mention I need a break from taking pictures of churches. I need to step back for awhile and come back with a fresh outlook.

Copyright Notice - I've added a copyright notice and as you have already noticed a water mark to the pictures I post.

Upcoming - I am working on a Web Page to tie in all my Online Endeavors. I am hoping to have a Download area to have Screen Savers and Wallpapers of The Land of the Cross Tipped Churches available for viewers to download.
READ MORE ...

May 17, What's Been Happening

Sunday Stations of the Cross Post - Well I had planned on posting one of these for the next 14 Sundays, but then I realized not only was I missing one, but number 3 was not usable. Rather than skip, I am waiting until I can make it back to the church to re-shoot. Hopefully this week.

I have been busy taking pictures just not Cross Tipped Church Pictures. I've been focusing on my Think Focus Click Blog. I was becoming a slave to the status/number of visitors to my Cross Tipped Churches Blog and found myself ignoring important things. I hate it when I get caught up in stuff like that. It's not that I don't care but, hey there are more important things in life than my blogs. I'm back on track now.

Latest photo outings - Road Trip to Michigan with my Permit Driving Son. We took State Route 66 as far as we could go then winged it the rest of the way. We ate and came back on State Rt 127. I took some pictures. Some with my Camera Phone....You can read about it in my Think Focus Click Blog.

Granddaughters Baton Recital - Got a great shot of the two youngest....yep it will all be in by Photo Blog.

Besides my Grand kids, my kids, family, and Cross Tipped Churches, I occasionally do a wedding or other event (Sports, Reunions, etc). I am setting up an Online Gallery for folks to make purchases. I am also setting up a web page www.ThinkFocusClick.com that will direct you to that and other gallery's, and of course my blogs.

Summer Photo Show at Wilson Hospital. - It's always tough for me to figure out what I am going to put in a show. The hospital is one of our more public shows so I want to put in some nice work.
Besides the show I also have to put together a set of pictures for Photographer of the month for June for the Edison Photo Society. Oh I almost forgot--We have made wall space for BW photo's of my grand kids. Have to get those edited, framed/matted/printed and hung....Oh Boy! There's also the possibility of an entry in the Pyramid Hill photo contest...and the list goes on. Not too mention the ton of editing I am behind on.

Busy, Busy, Busy.


May 6, Pyramid Park and Immaculate Conception Church

Well there was a break in the weather and I went on a club shoot to Pyramid Park this weekend. Pyramid Park is in Hamilton just north of Cincinnati. The park is made up of 250+ plus acres of woodlands, gardens, lakes and sculptures. It was a fun shoot and you can find out more on my Think Focus Click Photo Blog.

I took the long way back home US 127 North home so I could stop by the Immaculate Conception Church in Celina. I was too tired to spend a lot of time but I took a few pics to post until I make it back again. Great Church BTW.

Oh, and I did get my lawn mowed to boot.

May 1, More about Read More...

As you may have already noticed the post on the opening page have a Read more... option. This allows me to have more (5 post) display on the opening page without having to load all 5 complete post. My son Tyler is working on two graphics to help with this new change. The first is replacing the Read more... with a more noticeable button and a nice graphic to add to the bottom of my post to signify the end. If your on the main page and the post has the graphic at the bottom you know there is no additional text or pictures. As with all my changes this one effects the layout. So I have to be mindful of how I need to format my post. Also Read more... will only show if you start out on the Main Page and use the navigation buttons. It will also only appear on the post that have been configured to use it. Some of the previous post may not display properly. Feel free to leave a comment on how you feel about the change.

This weekend looks to be a wash as for taking pictures. If the sun does break free and bless us with some sunshine I've got plenty of yard work to catchup on. I may not get out to take any "The Land of the Cross Tipped Churches" pictures until sometime next week. I've got a few pictures in the archive I think I can use until then.

April Weekly Journal 2009

Welcome to my Weekly Journal. Each month I create a post to collect my thoughts and meanderings for the month. You can quickly find this post as it drops down the list by clicking on the Weekly Journal Link at the bottom of the Web Page.

April 29, One More Format Change

This weekend I plan on making one more significant change to the layout of the blog. I am going to add a Read More feature to the post. This way I can display a picture and text with the option to Click "Read More" to see the rest of the post. I think this will work well and compliment the current full page layout I am using.

April 26, First Holy Communion and St. Marks Baptism.

This weekend was a good one for pictures. While I didn't make it to any of The Land of the Cross Tipped Churches, I did take quite a few church pictures.

This Saturday was my Granddaughter Emily's First Holy Communion and Sunday I was invited to take some pictures of the Baptismal Service at St. Mark's in Sidney. Saturday was a bit of a struggle as I was not feeling well but I got some very nice pictures.

April 21 Another Change and Missed Opportunity

I was able to find the code that would let me put all my labels into a drop-down box. I am very happy with that.

I was planning on doing a post on the Divine Mercy for this last Sunday but prior commitments took up my time.

April 16, New Navigation Buttons

My Buddy Michael thought I should have buttons instead of text for navigating the post. My son Tyler came up with these in about 20 minutes in PhotoShop. Pretty Cool . Thanks Tyler.

April 14, The Way of the Cross

Starting this Sunday I am going to post the 14 Stations of the Cross. I am going to use the pictures I took at the Immaculate Conception Church in Botkins. I will post a new station each week/Sunday. I am going to use the St. Paul of the the Cross for the text.

April 13, New Header

Well I finally got my new and improved header installed. The new side panels are stained glass windows from the Immaculate Conception Church in Botkins. I plan to keep these as the norm and swap them out from time to time with Holiday or event related content.

April 10, Radio Maria and Up Coming Post

Radio Maria
Well......I would of liked to of had a picture of a broadcast in process at the Radio Maria Headquarters and pretty blue sky with clouds when I shot the transmitter in Botkins.....but I felt I had held up on posting my visit to Radio Maria long enough. The post is scheduled for this Saturday.

Up Coming Post
While taking pictures of the transmitter in Botkins I stumbled upon the Immaculate Conception Catholic church in Botkins. It is very modern compared to the churches I have been shooting. I plan on visiting this weekend and featuring it in next weeks post.

New Format
I am still working out the kinks in the recent Face-Lift of the blog. There are probably more changes to come.

April 6, New Format

I finally took the plug and went for it. I formatted all my previous post to best take advantage of the format I was using at the time. So some of the older post will not display correctly. I will work on these as time allows but the best part is I will make all future post to take advantage of the new format. I am still working on fixing my Header to fit the new look.

I moved a few things and got rid of a few others. Along with some color and font changes I also plan on changing the way I post. Look for smaller more frequent post than long marathon ones.

Blog Ranked 7.7 at Blogged - I submitted my site on the Blog Directory site Blogged and received a 7.7 rating. Please feel free to review my blog with your own ranking and thoughts.

April 1, More Blog Milestones

I had over 60 hits in one day and just over 1000 for the month.

April Fools Day - I was hoping to have some type of image for this special day, but came up short once again. This time I had a little help from a nasty virus which has slowed me down a bit.
Tots to Teens Workshop - There is a workshop focusing on taking pictures of little ones and teenagers April 8, in Columbus, Ohio. I am planning on attending this. Taking pictures of people is not my strong suite. I am hoping this will help and improve my skills.

More church shoots will be forthcoming as soon as I start to feel a little better. I still have a few shots that I haven't posted from previous outings I can use until then.

Last Months Poll - Well there were a total of 10 votes in my poll of more or less Black and White Photos. There were 4 votes for more and 6 for less. Not a very decisive number of votes, but I will keep the results in mind.

Format Change - Look for the layout of the blog to change this weekend. Nothing major just going to a full page layout. May cause some of the older post to display improperly. I will tweak these as I have time.

March Weekly Journal 2009

Welcome to my Weekly Journal. Each month I create a post to collect my thoughts and meanderings for the month. You can quickly find this post as it drops down the list by clicking on the Weekly Journal Link at the bottom of the Web Page.

03/29/09 What happend to March?

Spring is here and March is all but gone and I have no idea where it went. Things have been so busy that I haven't even watched a complete NCAA game. It has been a good month for pictures and my blog. If I can squeeze out a few more post I will have averaged 1 post a day for the month of March! I doubt if I can keep that pace up. My blog is on track to possibly break 900 visits this month. And the best part is the wonderful people I have met and continue to meet along my journey of the Cross Tipped Churches. Add John and Ernestine from Radio Maria to my growing list of new friends. My schedule got so crowded that I missed the Butterfly and Bloom shoot with the New Bremen Camera Club. I am a little bummed about missing that one.

LOOK FOR A NEW LOOK IN APRIL.
I am going to attempt to change the format/layout of the blog. Nothing drastic pretty much the same black theme and colors but a two column full page template. Basically one large column and one small one using the entire page instead of just the middle.

03/17/09 Happy St. Patrick's Day and More

St. Patrick's Day - I didn't have a picture of St. Patrick that I liked, so I searched the web and found a Stained Glass window that I did. In the future I hope to have a suitable picture that I took for future Saint Days.

500 or Bust - The Cross Tipped Churches photo album has a limit of 500 pictures. I wasn't sure what would happen when I reached the limit. Well it happened this weekend and I didn't even know it. It just started a second album. COOL.

Cross Tipped Church Outing - I had a great outing this week after work. I got to revisit two churches and check out two new ones. I will post them throughout the week.

Once Upon a Mattress - My son was in his high school musical and of course I was there taking pictures. I will post those in my Think Focus Click Blog.

Butterfly and Bloom - This photo outing has been rescheduled for March 28. I will post those in my Think Focus Click Blog.

Radio Maria - I met the staff and got a tour. Very nice people and of course got a few pics while I was there. I will post those after I get a few more pictures to complete the post.

03/10/09 Picture Updates

Been too busy to take any new pictures--good thing I have plenty in the archive that I have not posted. Next couple of weekends are busy as well so it might be a while before my next church picture shoot.

My last two post have been collections of pictures that I thought made for a good grouping. I am always looking for new, exciting and fun ways to display pictures in the blog to keep things fresh.

03/02/09 Great Weekend

I had one of my best photo shoot weekends. I shoot three churches and came up with some real beauty's. Best of all I got to meet and talk with David (The Egyptian).

Seasonal/Holiday Picture - I've added a picture at the top of the blog to represent the season or holiday. This woven crucifix that I took for Lent is my first and was my find for the day. The picture was taken at St. Joseph in Egypt.

03/01/09 March Madness

March is turning into quite a picture fest. This weekend I just finished taking pictures at St. Joseph in Wapakoneta, St. Patrick in Glynwood and St. Joseph Church in Egypt. I have another wrestling shoot scheduled for March 7 and a Butterfly and bloom one scheduled for March 14.

St. Jacobs Lutheran Church Anna - This church has the most wonderful collection of stained glass windows that I have ever seen. I will be shooting these over the next couple of weeks during my lunch hour.

The Best of 2008 - I have decided to make a post of the best of 2008. In the future this will be the first post of the new year.

The Direction of the Blog - Well I hate to keep flip-flopping on this issue, but I have decided not to try and cover all the Cross Tipped Churches by the end of the year. I was not happy with the quality of the pictures I was getting with the quick and dirty shoots.

BLOG MILESTONE - I got over 500 visits to my blog in the month of February. Very small numbers compared to some blogs but it's the most I've gotten since I started the blog in June of 08.

Monthly Poll - As some of you may have already noticed there is a poll. In an effort to get more feed back I am going to run a new poll each month. Please make sure to cast your vote and don't forget about the 1 Star, 2 Star and 3 Star rating you can give each post.

Radio Maria - I will be doing a series or at least one post on the Local Catholic Radio Station. The first meeting has been set.

February Weekly Journal 2009

Welcome to my Weekly Journal. Each month I create a post to collect my thoughts and meanderings for the month. You can quickly find this post as it drops down the list by clicking on the Weekly Journal Link at the bottom of the Web Page.

02/25/09 Photo Black and White Film Project and Next Church

Project
I still like to shoot film every now and then and have come up with a Black and While film project. I am going to do a BW of the St. Charles Seminary Stained Glass window and Organ Pipes. Sepia Tone it and Colorize the stained glass window by hand with Marshal Oils. I hope to complete the picture taking this weekend. This will be a long process so I will keep you updated on my progress in my Weekly Journal. All the processing will be done by hand. I will develope the film, and process the print in a darkroom.

Next Church
I am also planning on shooting St. Joseph in Egypt this weekend and hopefully catch-up with the German Egyptian himself. Very Cool.

Radio Maria
Look for something on this Radio Station I found in my own back yard in March.

02/19/09 Upcoming Photo Shoots
I have not had a chance to visit and take any recent photos of churches. Hopefully I will be able to get out this weekend.

Wrestling is coming to Sidney so I don't have to travel so far so I have agreed to shoot it. David P. is going to help me and think we are in for a great time. March 7. Here is a link to my Think Focus Click blog with the post from the last show.
Xtreme Wrestling Sorg Arena

Orchids in the Winter! Franklin Conservatory has its Orchid display till March 1. I may try and make it out there (Columbus Ohio). I have a Photo Club shoot planned there for March 14 when they release the butterflies. Here is a link to the pictures I took from last years Orchid Display.
Franklin Park Conservatory Orchids 2008

02/10/09 Friends of Cross Tipped Churches
My blog is getting featured and linked in other blogs and web pages so I thought I'd create a special link section just for them. That is going to be my project for tonight. Here is the latest link:

My Hometown Ohio

I had a great time taking pictures this weekend at St. John's Church in Freyburg. I plan on trying to visit St. John in Egypt next.

02/05/09 Fantastic Picture Day
Yesterday I met with the pastor of the Immanuel Church of Christ during lunch and had great time taking pictures and learning about the church. The Windows are huge 18 feet by 15 feet. I hope to post it tonight

The night shoot of the Relic Chapel also went very well. A big thank you goes out to Sr. Regina and David Pence for making it possible. I was very pleased with the way most of the shots came out. Shooting in low light is always a challenge. I hope to have these posted this weekend.

I plan on making a Cross Tipped Church picture outing this Sunday. I haven't decided on where just yet.

AND NO SNOW TO BOOT.

02/03/09 A Star is Born
In an attempt to get more feedback I have added three reaction options for all post. You can rate a post either 1 STAR okay, 2 STAR Great, 3 STAR Fantastic

02/02/09 Picture Updates Good and Bad News

Well the night shoot of the Relic Shrine is back on schedule and I have another meeting with the pastor of the Immanuel Church. That's the good news. The bad news is we will probably now get a blizzard.

02/01/09 Super Bowl Sunday and More
Like so many other's I am watching the Superbowl today. While it has not been much of a picture weekend, it has been a fun one. I finished Stephen King's Wizard and Glass book IV of the Dark Tower Series and spent some time with my youngest son playing Little Big Planet. I also attended and participated in the last of my Scouts Eagle Court of Honor.

January 2009 Weekly Journal

1/28/09 Another Weather Cancellation
Well due to the rather bit of bad weather I had to cancel yet another photo opportunity. Looks like I will have to reschedule shooting the Relic Chapel at night. Bummer. My back still aches from shoveling snow out of the drive. This picture was taken on one my earlier winter walk about. Picture taken at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in McCartyville.

I also added a list of the Cross Tipped Churches. There are more than listed but his is all I have so far. To see the list just click on the Picture Link in the right margin.

1/27/09 AKA Steeple Chaser and More
After much thought I am adding the moniker AKA Steeple Chaser to my profile. In view of the following online definition I think it fits me nicely:
[From the use of church steeples as landmarks.]
stee'ple·chas'er n.

I am very excited about getting to meet Sr Regina and shoot the relic chapel at night, lit only by candle light and the altars’ LEDs for the relics. Happens Tomorrow!

There is a church in Kettlersville (Immanuel), with a beautiful LARGE stained glass window that they light from within the church at night. I called the church to setup a meeting to get some inside shots. I hope that my night shot of the window will do it justice.

1/22/09 Winter Picture Finds
While driving home I spotted this and had to stop and take a picture.

It made my Photo of the Week Gallary.

I also took this picture of Saints Paul and Peter Church while I was about looking for more snow pictures.


1/20/09 Up Coming Post
Church in the Woods (The Sugar House - Shrine of the Holy Relics)
Relic Chapel at Night (Shrine of the Holy Relics)
Chapel (Shrine of the Holy Relics)
Relic Classes (Shrine of the Holy Relics)
50 Foot Cross and Pond at Night (Spiritual Center of Maria Stein)
St. Nicholas
Relic Chapel (Stained Glass - Shrine of the Holy Relics)

1/18/09 Hocking Hills Winter Hike
The hike was fantastic. We hiked the full six miles. I must admit the last two miles were a little tough but worth it.

Click here to view the gallery.

1/15/09 Conflict of Interest (Again) Self Inflicted No Less
I wanted to try and cover all the remaining churches by the end of the year which would more than likely give me a 100 post or more for the year. Both goals that I have set for the year but..... I also want to add a little more meat to my post. More factual/historical data to go along with the pictures. Talk about a speed bump. I guess I will just see how it finishes out and re-evaluate at the end of the year.

I hope to create a post this weekend listing all the Cross Tipped Churches.

Snow, Snow and more Snow. Well I got my wish and then some. The Winter Hike is a go for this Saturday. I will post the pictures in my Think Focus Click blog.

Received confirmation from the Shrine to shoot the Relic Chapel at night. YEA!

1/14/09 Phone Call to the Shrine of the Holy Relics
I just recently called and talked with Sister Mary Ellen from the Shrine of the Holy Relics. I must say she is quite the joy to talk to. I called to see if I could setup a photo shoot of the Relic Chapel at night only lit by candle light and the lights of the altar. With any kind of luck at all I might get my wish. I found Sister Mary Ellen simply a delight to talk with and ended the conversation wishing I had more time to chat.

1/10/09 Awe Shucks
I was all set to go and shoot St. Johns Church in Glandorf this Saturday, but I had to beg off due to the poor road conditions brought on by freezing rain. I hope I can still make the Shrine of the Holy Relics Sunday.

1/7/09 Upcoming Shoots
Well it looks like Jan 17 Hocking Hills Winter Hike is a go. I will be visiting the St. Johns Church in Glandorf, Ohio very soon....Way Cool. Plan to visit the Shrine of the Holy Relics this Sunday to take some color shots inside and hopefully some snowy ones outside.

1/3/09 A Church Up North
I was driving back from Lima and decided to take a quick detour to Wapakoneta on my way home. I found an awesome church St. Joseph. It was well lit at night and I was cursing myself for not having my camera. The historic downtown section was pretty cool too. I am going to try and make it back this weekend to take some pictures.

1/1/09 Happy New Year
I have been hoping to get some holiday pictures with snow but so far no snow to speak of. I am getting ready and looking forward to the Hocking Hills Winter Hike January 17. With any luck and a lot of cold weather the waterfalls will be frozen. I will provide a link to the pictures in the new Picture Gallery section if I make it.

It was a bit of a crunch but I made 50 post last year. I started the blog in June. This year my goal will be 100 post and to promote the blog more.

If there is something you'd like to see more of or would like to see something added drop me a line/comment. I'd love to hear from you.

To follow this post as it drifts down the list as more post are added you can just click on the link at the bottom of the web page "The Weekly Journal".

New for 2009

I have just had a great time this past year honing my photography skills and taking pictures of these wonderful old churches. At first I was going to tapper off and go to monthly updates instead of weekly but I have decided to continue with the weekly updates. My new goal is to published at least one picture of all the Cross Tipped Churches by the end of 2009. Of course there will still be the occasional off topic post.

Whats New in 2009


A non photo post that you can find by its link at the bottom of the page. Simply a place for me to record and share my thoughts. Feel free to share your own by leaving a comment.

Additional Photo Galleries
I will be adding Photo Gallery links for the Cross Tipped Churches and more. These will also be accessed by a link in the right margin. The pictures for the link will not necessarily change every time the gallery gets updated. I will put the update date at the top of each picture gallery link.


My son Tyler and I have designed a business card to leave/hand out to promote the blog and let people know they have been featured in the blog.

Labels/Categories
All post have been labeled and categorized by location and subject. You can use this to see all post that have pictures of a particular location such as a church or subject such as stain glass windows. You will find an area labeled Categories in the right margin.

Calvary Memorial taken at St. Michael's Cemetery