With Open Arms

I caught this window lit shot of the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue while visiting the St. John the Baptist Church in Maria Stein.

Was Assumed in Body and Soul into Heavenly Glory

This is one of many modern style Stained Glass Windows I found in the St. Charles Seminary. The date on the window is 1950. This picture is made up of two shots. One upper and one lower.

Click on above image for a larger view.

Organ and Stained Glass

I took this one while visiting the St. Charles Seminary in Carthagena Ohio. I liked the contrast of the stained glass window with the metal and wood of the organ.

Jesus' body is removed from the cross

This is Station 13 of the Way of the Cross - Jesus' body is removed from the cross. This is one of the 14 Stations of the Cross found in many of the Catholic Churches. And like most Catholic Churches the stations received a make over after Vatican II. These had their color toned down. I used Photoshop to help bring some of the color back in this one.

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church - Maria Stein Ohio.

Sacred Heart of Jesus (Fall)

Took these one on the way home from another church photo shoot.



Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church -- McCartyville Ohio

Altar and Stained Glass St. John the Baptist

This is probably one of the best pictures of this altar that I've taken. The two stained glass windows are the Resurrected Christ on the left and the Death of Christ on the right.

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Maria Stein Ohio

Dove and Olive Branch

Genesis 8:6-12 (New International Version)

After forty days Noah opened the window he had made in the ark and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. But the dove could find no place to set its feet because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.

Stained Glass Window St. John the Baptist, Maria Stein Ohio

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.

St. Pauls Episcopal (Key West)

This picture of the St. Pauls Episcopal Church in Key West Fl. was taken from the roof of the La Concha Hotel. The hotel is the tallest building on the island. The hotel is 7 floors and 105 feet tall. Not a very tall building but tall enough to see the complete island and of course this church.



According to our driver for the day, the church has been in several movies. Two of them James Bond. He also said that the stained glass windows of the church were insured for over a million dollars.



Here is a shot of the altar and stained glass window of the Crucifixion above. The photographer in the picture is just another photo happy tourist.



I could of spent hours shooting this church but already had other plans for the day.

John the Baptist Baptizes Jesus

Another church that I visited while in Key West was the Saint Pauls Episcopal Church. This church had some fantastic stained glass windows. I have more pictures of this church that I will post later.