Chuck Cleaver in-store performance at Shake It Records - Record Store Day 2011

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Tattoo

On one of my photographic wanderings this past winter I ended up taking some photos in the Skincraft Tattoo and Piercing studio on Hamilton Avenue in Northside, an experience I found to be rather fascinating. I had been in the area shooting an assignment for a photography class and when the sun went down and outdoor light was scarce, I quickly began to brainstorm ideas for an interesting indoor environment to photograph. I decided to walk into Skincraft and see if there was anyone willing to let me take some pictures. It was around 9 pm on a weeknight so I figured there wouldn't be many people in the studio but I was lucky because shortly after I walked in, a woman came in for a tattoo. She was a young lady, probably in her early 20s, and she was accompanied by a friend and her baby. She didn't mind being photographed so I was able to document the tattooing process as a tattoo artist named Bryan engraved "Romans 8:28" onto her skin.


As Bryan got together the tools necessary for the tattoo, he educated me about body art and how he first became interested in it. The young lady had come into the store knowing that she wanted a tattoo of the title of a bible verse but she was unsure of how she wanted it to look so Bryan sketched out a couple possible designs on a sheet of paper and she found one she was happy with. After she settled on her design, Bryan went straight to work.

The whole process took about forty minutes, which seems to be a decent amount of time for something that's only 2-3 inches in length. When the tattoo was finished, the young woman walked into the lobby and showed it off to her friend before they headed out the door and straight to bible study.

Northside 4th of July Parade 2010

Cincinnati, Ohio
Anna Bentley | The News Record

The Northside Fourth of July Parade, a yearly event sponsored by the Northside Community Council, is by far one of the most interesting parades you will see in Cincinnati. With its unique and creative floats, it is fun for people of all ages. The mile-long parade, which begins at the northern boundary of Northside and runs south on Hamilton Avenue ending at Hoffner Park, has been a Northside tradition for over 60 years. Cincinnatians from Northside and beyond gather each year with folding chairs and flags to watch the parade from the sidewalks of Hamilton Avenue.


A little boy is playfully tossed into the air while waiting for the Northside 4th of July Parade to begin.


A young skateboarder leans against his deck before the start of the parade.


Spectators near the intersection of Hamilton Avenue and Chase Avenue cheer in excitement as the beginning of the parade approaches.



Locals adorned with plastic bottles and other various recyclable materials spread awareness of issues with the Colerain Township landfill and urge people to oppose doubling the size of Mt. Rumpke.



Friends and members of Tango Del Barrio, an Argentine Tango studio located in Northside, tango down the street in the parade.


Friends and employees of "The House Guy", a local housekeeping and handyman service, join the float dressed in Christmas attire while winter holiday songs play on a loudspeaker.



A woman passes out information about climate change at the parade.


A little boy dressed in 4th of July attire watches a line of antique cars drive past at the parade.


Members of an organization investigating the horrific events on September 11th, 2001 hand out candy to children at the parade.


Children dress like characters from "Gnommen", a cartoon strip coming out this fall.



Local skateboarders skate in the Northside 4th of July parade to spread awareness of a project to build a skatepark in Northside.


Members of the Ladies Auxiliary Lawnchair Brigade perform a routine in the middle of the street for the parade.


A miniature version of a charred "Touchdown Jesus" rolls down the street in the Northside 4th of July parade with a sign that says, "Jesus-0 Thor-1".


Jim Tarbell, a democrat running for County Commission, tips his hat to parade spectators.



In addition to the parade, Northside also hosts the yearly Northside Rock & Roll Carnival in Hoffner Park. The carnival takes place on the Friday and Saturday of Fourth of July weekend and hosts a variety of local musical acts as well as performances by dancers, fire-breathers and sword-swallowers.





Local skaters take turns on a halfpipe at the Northside Rock & Roll Carnival. The halfpipe was set up in Hoffner Park by a group of Cincinnatians who are trying to build a skatepark in Northside.

People gather to watch an Aerial Dance performance at the Northside Rock & Roll Carnival on July 3rd.