Transitions

Washington Park Pool from 2008 with Music Hall in the background.

The pool has been closed. ©Melvin Grier

Consider yourself fortunate if there are places from your childhood that you can visit. I'm talking about possibly a grade school building, a house where you grew up, a park or theatre. Many of us have lost that part of our past. To serve progress every building, including the one I grew up in, in the West End was torn down. This includes three schools, three churches and seven theaters . Progress comes and poor people move on. Parts of Over the Rhine are looking very up-scale these days. It wasn't too long ago that 12th and Vine was a gathering spot for loiterers, now it's shops and restaurants that serve the more affluent that are moving into OTR. The poor people move on.

A few years ago I covered a walking tour of the 12th and Vine area when some of the above mentioned changes were in their early stage. There was talk future residents would include those of mixed incomes. I was and remain skeptical.

A block or so from 12th and Vine is situated Washington Park, greenspace in the middle of bricks and concrete, a place to relax on a park bench and watch life go by. Of late that life has been on the raw side. You are more likely to see someone urinate on a tree than toss a frisbee. I had many assignments there to document the park's problems, perceived or real. Washington Park is a convenient target to point out the least desirable aspects such as loitering and litter. This past week a woman was run over and killed by a Cincinnati police officer as he drove off the park's paved roadway. The question: who should the park serve? This valuable oasis of green that is neighbor to Music Hall, Memorial Hall, and the just completed School for the Creative and Performing Arts is slated to undergo a major change. After the change is effected we can expect to see fewer homeless people in the park. Families may picnic, dogs may romp, frisbees may fly. The poor will move on.

Thom Shaw - Artist

Thom Shaw is gone.The song says "everything must change nothing stays the same", we accept this because we must. Thom was about something more than applying ink or pencil to paper or canvas. His was a message, boldly and un-apologetically stated. I had known Thom since the 70s but didn't know him at all. The art side of Thom spoke loud and clear. He revealed almost no details of his private life to me. I never thought to ask him. Our discussions were always about our latest projects, his always seemed way more ambitious than my own. A lot of our discussions took place by phone. Thom was an idea machine pouring out his thoughts like a John Coltrane or Eddie Bayard solo. "The young become the old, mysteries do unfold", we grew older in our parallel universes. I'm proud that we sometimes shared a gallery wall with our respective art work. There will be a memorial service for Thom soon. I'm sure there will be much more eloquent words spoken about him than I can offer. I hope my actions will resonate louder than words as I continue to attempt be about something with my work. Thom would be pleased with that. Photograph © Melvin Grier

THINK OF HAITI

Haitian Detainees, Lexington KY

Think of Haiti, pray for Haiti
Haiti’s right here, Haiti’s not quite here.

- Caetano Veloso

I have had the opportunity to be in contact with the people of Haiti on two occasions. Once, I was sent to a detention center in Lexington, KY, where a large group of Haitians was being held prior to possible deportation. In 1995, I went to Haiti with a Cincinnati Post reporter to do a story on a church group that was doing construction work on a school.

In Lexington as we approached the holding facility a voice cried out, “What news do you have for the Haitian people?” We had none. Only questions and the sound of the camera’s shutter greeted these people who had made it safely to the shores of the U.S. only to be rejected, detained, and sent back.

In Port-au-Prince as we drove near the ocean, the driver remarked that because most Haitians don’t swim it was testament to their desperation that they would undertake such a perilous trip in order to reach the United States.

I don’t know whether or not most Haitians swim, but I have seen the conditions under which they live. The recent earthquake is just piling misery and death upon misery. We can send our prayers and our condolences but we need to send our money and goods to those legitimate organizations that are set up to get help to these most unfortunate people.


Melvin Grier

THANKS

At Ft. Thomas, KY Jordan Smith leaps into the arms of
his father Jerry, upon the latter's return from the Middle
East in 2003. Photograph by Melvin Grier


I served in the USAF from 1961-65. I guess that makes me a veteran. In no shape form or fashion would I compare my time in the military with that of the men and women who put themselves in harm's way for this country. My worst experiences were the racial intolerance and bigotry that was a part of daily life at a base where I served for awhile in Alabama.

It was my good fortune to spend two years at RAF Mildenhall in England. I was a Medic, and I worked in an obstetrical hospital assisting in births, and also caring for newborns in the nursery. In my off duty time I began a pursuit of photography. Thanks to a British gentleman named Victor Cresswell, who ran the photo hobby shop, I was able to begin a hobby that for me would become a career after I left the military.

I have had assignments where I have covered the deployment of our military people. I have also been on the scene when they have returned from various theaters of duty. The sadness of departure is replaced by the joy of homecoming. I could also take advantage of my access to thank the returnees for their service. Occasionally I had to photograph the solemn ceremonies accorded those who gave their lives.November 11 we honor those who served our country.

Thank you to all veterans.

Fall

Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield

The leaves are turning their seasonal colors of yellow, brown, rust, and all the shades in between. Autumn is upon us. My wife loves it. I don't. I have begun my fall routine of moving perennials and gathering the last of a disappointing season of tomatoes but a bounty of hot peppers. Soon I'll be raking leaves and putting them through the chipper/shredder for the compost pile. With the exception of gardening, I'm not much for the great outdoors. Fall reminds me that the cold months will soon be here. There are no snow days when you work for a newspaper.

Many people love fall because – with the right light – it makes for pretty photographs. I don't think I was ever much of a nature photographer. I shot my share of so-called fall feature photos, but it was not something I relished. I'm not one for getting next to nature by camping. I've slept on the ground with Marines at Camp Pendleton, in a sleeping bag on a rooftop in Port Sudan, and on a dusty sneeze-inducing couch in Haiti. All of that and more for the assignment. I prefer a room with cable TV.

October also means that my team, the Cleveland Browns, are well into another season of futility. Right now, they’re 0-4. Once upon a time they had style, if not championships. Prior to a game between the Bengals and the Browns at the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield made a pre-game trek across the frozen field in their fur coats and uniform pants. Style yes, but as I recall, they lost the game 21-0.

Over The Rhine Poster

During past two years I have shot, intermittently, a series of photographs used on a poster depicting various locales in  the Over The Rhine section of Cincinnati. The poster was sponsored by the Over The Rhine Foundation. This past July 10 we introduced the poster to the public at Enzo's Over The Rhine, 1106 Race Street. The poster is available there for $15 unsigned, and $30 signed.  It is also available at the Findlay Market Biergarten.

Goodbye Provident Camera

On the Road to Tuba City, AZ

So now Provident Camera here in Cincinnati is no more. Provident Camera where as a young would be professional, I would look at the cameras in their window display and dream of the next piece of equipment I might be able to afford. Provident Camera where I finally got my first Nikon and got serious about photojournalism. When I was hired at the Post I thought I would get all new cameras and bricks of Tri-X. No. I got a used Nikon and instructions to go to Provident and pick up a bulk film loader. Big let down. Provident Camera sold batteries, Provident Bank did not. A Post clerk learned that the hard way. Going to Provident to purchase enlarging paper and chemistry for a printing session in my darkroom. Watching the black and white image emerge, I never get the same thrill from my inkjet printer. From Dektol to Digital, things changed. Here's to you Provident Camera.© Melvin Grier 2009

Dig It

Farmers - Clermont County OH Photograph by Melvin Grier

I think there is a parallel between good photography and gardening. They both require the right light and they both require patience. When we bought our home in Avondale there was a small plot of land that had been a garden in the backyard. My father was happy to have a place to grow his tomatoes and peppers. He did it the old school way using a tiller to prepare the soil for planting. My Dad got sick and couldn't use our little plot of earth anymore so after awhile I decided to try my hand at it. I rented the tiller and after getting the darn thing started I churned some soil. The next morning I woke up with what I thought was a heart attack. My upper body was one big pain. It was the tiller I concluded.I went to the Avondale Branch Library and found a book on "square foot gardening" that promoted the system of small plots of ground dedicated to one type of crop that you never stepped on and the use of compost and no tiller.Now I have seedlings going in my basement under lights and my four piles of compost are coming to life. Now I am bringing a couple of Nikon F5s back to life. I want the discipline of film.Wait until it's processed to see if that decisive moment is in focus. Forget the little monitor. Then processing the film in my darkroom and standing over a tray as that print emerges on the enlarging paper. Time controls the seedling and the photo image. Each appears in it's own time and has it's own reward.We are now an instant gratification society. Gotta have it. Gotta have it now. Even when I was on deadline at the Post and used Dektol at 1:1 it took a minute to process the film and whatever time I needed to make a print. Digital made that urgency easier to deal with.Digital is a wonderful tool for the demands placed upon news photographers to get those images and get them now. That immediacy does not necessarily render good work but it serves a purpose. My purpose in my life now is peace of mind through my photography and the serenity I find in gardening. It's a process I welcome.

Facing It

I faced up to the reality of the times I live in, and joined Facebook. I’ve made half- hearted attempts at other networking sites but soon lost interest and swore I would never try again. It seemed like a daily occurrence that I would get a request to become someone’s friend and now finally I’ll give in. ”Friend” means something special to me. It’s a cut way above acquaintance. A friend is that person you know that either through shared experiences or beliefs you can count on to come through in a pinch. I know my wife, Brenda, is my best friend. There are others that I count on and they can count on me. So now I guess the count will begin on how many friends I get through Facebook. Whoever dies with the most friends wins? It would come as no surprise to those of you who embraced Facebook some time ago that I have heard from people that I would have never guessed were part of this online society. I still have not heard from my daughter, who might be a little embarrassed that her father is venturing into this network.Be my friend...please?

Yes We Did

Madison Rd., Cincinnati OH, Election Day 2008

On the street where I live in Avondale, the Obama/Biden yard signs are still in place. I don't think it is from neglect or laziness but more a sense of pride and relief . When I went into the polling station I carried with me memories of riding on segregated trains as a young boy to Locust Grove GA, the small town where my parents were born and where I spent blazing hot summers playing with my many cousins. On my first memorable trip, my cousin Wymond admonished me not to drink from the "White" fountain. Later in my life as a member of the United States Air Force, stationed in Montgomery Alabama I was told by the taxi driver that the only way he could transport me and the white Airmen to the base, was if I sat on the floor of the cab, out of sight of those who might object to the integration of his vehicle. I thought about my time at Mildenhall AFB and watching black people being hosed by firefighters and attacked by police dogs as it was broadcast on the TV in the ward where I worked as a medic. I thought about all those who paid the ultimate price by dying for the right to vote and exercise the rights this country promises.Now on January 20th 2009 as Barack Hussein Obama becomes the 44th president of the United States we can embrace the challenges that await us and say again," Yes We Can".

Jazz - It's Not About the Area Code

JAZZ TRUMPETER MIKE WADE


We get another chance to support great Jazz music here in Cincinnati - Doc B is back. After a hiatus, Doc B Productions is presenting Jazz at Jaspers, located on Mt. Lookout Square, on Thursday evenings. The first show on November 6 featured the dynamic and inventive drummer Mark Lomax fronting a quartet. The music was first rate as only Doc B will present. For some reason I can't understand, local Jazz fans seem to think the quality of the music is tied into the musician's Zip Code.If the artist has a 212 code then the locals will show up. The local players have a hard time finding a venue or an audience when they do. Walt Broadnax supplies both.This Thursday Mike Wade performs.

Further info at: http://www.jazzincincy.com/ ©Melvin Grier

Free at What Cost?

Let me make one thing clear, I'm not much of a business man. Maybe that's why I never pursued freelance work during my time as a staff photographer at the Post.Of course the occasional extra curricular job would come my way but they were mostly far afield of the photojournalism that I most enjoy. I did know quite a few photographers who earned a living running studios or doing on site corporate work. When digital photography arrived things began to change for all of us. In my case it was adjustments in equipment and methods and in some cases loss of control on the final presentation of the photograph in the Post. I think the impact on my colleagues that didn't work for a newspaper was far more career threatening. Digital cameras with their auto this and auto that make it possible to ensure that pictures "come out".Of course the quality of the image is still problematic. I was reminded of this shift from photographic ability to photographic automatic when I read a recent feature piece about a well meaning couple who attends a local high school and take pictures of sporting events to give to the participants. It's a nice gesture but I equate it with giving away hot dogs, pizza and spirit wear. It is a revenue stream that is eliminated.Another entry level opportunity for income is gone because the best price we can hope for, is the one that costs us nothing. © Melvin Grier

Back to the Streets

On Friday September 19, some of the us former Post employees and other media types got together for the Greater Cincinnati Society of Professional Journalists 2008 Awards Banquet and Hall of Fame Inductions. I was not on the list of award recipients. I have no complaint because SPJ has been good to me in past years. I attended to support several of my former colleagues. For me it was a bittersweet evening. Seeing some of the people I worked with brought home how much I missed that daily interaction with the accomplished journalists I worked with. As E.W. Scripps chairman William Burleigh made his speech,  pages from various years of the Post flashed on the screen the audience saw what I always knew, the Post did good and sometimes great work. Far from the Grand Ballroom at the Phoenix and on the pavement of Main Street in Over The Rhine I encountered a vendor selling Street Vibes, an alternative newspaper that addresses issues of homelessness and social justice. This vendor is as grassroots as you can get. To photograph or write about those type of issues is why a lot of us got into journalism in the first place.I worked for a company whose motto was "Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way". On December 31, 2007 it got a little darker here in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. © Melvin Grier

Bruce Menefield - Jazz Musician

Bruce Menefield, a Jazz musician based in Cincinnati, is shown practicing and commenting about his approach to this great music. Bruce then performs at the Hyatt in downtown Cincinnati . © Melvin Grier

Pardon The Intrusion

On a yearly basis personnel from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources rides a tiny elevator  some 400 feet up the interior of a smoke stack at Miami Fort Power Station. Once reaching that level they remove the chicks from the nest that has outside and inside access. The young bird's parents are none too happy with this intrusion and buzz the nest at incredible speed. The chicks are carried to a ground level office where they are banded and introduced to a few schoolchildren.It makes for "cute" pictures. I chose to take the elevator ride and try for the adult birds. This photograph from May 25, 2005 is the result.© Melvin Grier

City Chicken

The Hamilton County Fair has taken place in the Carthage neighborhood for at least 153 years.It affords city people the opportunity to get up close and personal with farm animals and displays of prize winning produce. You might even see a lady dressed in a chicken suit working with... chickens!! The issue now is whether or not the public really cares since attendance is way down. Some have suggested that safety might be the reason why only about 9000 people attended this year's Fair.  There is talk of moving the Fair to a more rural setting. When you  hear a man tell his daughter " no that's not a dog, it's a goat", you walk away convinced that the Hamilton County Fair should stay where it is. © Melvin Grier

Death Stop

On April 25, 2006, 48 year old Angela Grayson waited at this Metro stop for a bus to work. At about 11:22 AM she was shot and killed by a criminal firing at someone else. This photograph is one of a series that I've shot documenting the memorials to homicides in neighborhoods that are near downtown Cincinnati. In the May 2008 issue of Cincinnati Magazine  a selection of these memorial photographs ran with an essay by Kathy Y. Wilson. The shooting of Angela Grayson happened in Avondale, a short walk from where I live. Shootings have reached epidemic proportions in some communities. I have chosen to support CeaseFire Cincinnati, a group that is trying to do something about this dangerous problem. © Melvin Grier

Jazz Drummer

Mark Lomax, one of the new wave of young Jazz musicians playing in and around Cincinnati, performs at the Hyatt Hotel in a concert produced by "Doc B". Because of a combination of factors this fine series was discontinued. The music never received the support from some of the public who claim to love Jazz.   © Melvin Grier

Inner-City Masjid (Mosque)

While one of their group enjoys his meal, the other members of the Masjid wait for their plates after Friday prayers in the Over the Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati. © Melvin Grier