A Big Boy Graveyard + Other Assorted Film Shots

As 35mm Ohio came to an end (of sorts (more on that later in this post)), I found myself still shooting film. The addiction to Kodak won’t be kicked anytime soon. In addition to the recent posts on Kings Island and Indiana Beach, I’ve accumulated some random 35mm shots and a new camera. So, here’s a collection of frames made between July and October 2020.

I also want to highlight that I started getting some of my development done at Western Hills Photo & Hobby here in Cincinnati this year (in addition to still using The Darkroom in San Clemente, CA). Can’t recommend Stephanie and the services of Western Hills enough. Give them a follow on Facebook + Instagram and be sure to stop in.

Frames made with a Pentax K100 + Kodak Ultramax 400 on July 4, 2020 while on the “Banana Pudding” trip:

*Derby City South Truck Stop - Mt. Vernon, KY*

*Abandoned Waffle House - Mt. Vernon, KY*

*Abandoned Bridge at Harrington Lake, KY*

Some frames made on the road and around home in Cincinnati, July 2020 with the Pentax K1000 and Kodak Ultramax 400:

Thanks to a longtime reader turned friend, I picked up a Canon AE-1 this past summer.

Photographs made with the first roll of film (Kodak Ultramax 400) that I put through the AE-1 in September 2020:

Per the original receipt, this camera was purchased at Downtown Cincinnati’s 614 Race St. in the early 70s. The address was once a Pete’s Photo World located next to “The Chong,” an eclectic store that had for years been advertising that it would be “closing soon.” The store was a pretty popular subject on this website over time, but I’m sad to say that as of this post—The Chong has finally and truly made good on its threat to shut down. It’s been emptied out and the building is poised for some sort of redevelopment. As for Pete’s Photo World, I’m not sure when it left the block, but the last known business to be at 614 Race was (I think) “Step-N-Style.”

Other shots from the first Canon AE-1 roll:

*Liquor City Uncorked sign - Covington, KY*

Radisson Hotel - Covington, KY.  This building’s revolving restaurant was the subject of a 2019 story. — *Radisson Hotel - Covington, KY. This building’s revolving restaurant was the subject of* *a 2019 story*.

Since this first roll, I’ve taken the Canon on a few trips and put several more rolls through it. Really happy with it so far. Thank you, “Seibs” for reading, for reaching out, for the camera, and for the conversation this past summer.

Winding down “35mm Ohio:”

I started 35mm Ohio when the circumstances of my life required me to make regular trips between Cincinnati and Cleveland. Those trips coincided with a renewed interest in shooting film. I no longer make those trips and with their conclusion, I decided to end this project and begin shaping it into something else. As that next phase started, I made two last frames to close things out. Thanks to my friend Nate for driving me to the side of Interstate 71 so that I could get these shots of some infamous landmarks.

*“Hell is Real” sign - Mt. Sterling, OH*

A few more from that same day while driving home via Jamestown, Ohio:

The Big Boy Graveyard:

In October of 2020, I was on the road to North Carolina in support of another project. I shot a roll of Kodak Portra 400 while down there, but had a few frames left when I got home. To finish off the roll, I sought out Cincinnati’s “Big Boy Graveyard” one afternoon.

Nick Swartsell tipped me off to this place at the back of the Frisch’s Big Boy commissary in the city’s Walnut Hills neighborhood. It’s a surreal sight that can be seen (and photographed) from the street as retired Big Boy statues await their fate. Per an exchange on Twitter, Frisch’s apparently has these available for sale.

A Big Boy Graveyard + Other Assorted Film Shots

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