I was sitting down to write, and with current events wanted to highlight The West Side Market. Many vendors there remain open at the historic location in the Ohio City neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. One of my favorite go-tos is Frank’s Bratwurst (@franksbratwurst); I like to grab a bratwurst with sauerkraut on a soft roll with brown mustard, and then go sit up on the balcony and eat. There are plenty of meat, dairy, pasta, and produce options. Conveniently, I have this photo to highlight the Market. As I was…
The Trip: Cleveland, Ohio, June 2010
The Story:
Work presented a good opportunity to travel in June of 2010, and I had a bit of vacation to take. Since I was living in Las Vegas, air travel was fairly easy so I chose to visit my family in Cleveland. I definitely enjoy the chance to go explore my favorite spots and catch up. Looking back, I flew AirTran, which is probably one of the few times I flew their airline before they merged into Southwest. After arriving, I got to watch my dad play soccer on Friday night as I did many times growing up. I finally got to shoot a few photos of him playing, which I liked but he contends make him look old. Having seen the photo of him playing soccer in his college yearbook he has aged, but being on the field 32 years later is a bit impressive. Also, he put the camera in my hand years ago and taught me how it worked so… [this line of deflection really backfires on me when we have to discuss exactly why he had to tell me how cameras worked, but that’s for later].
On Saturday I chose to go wander around the neighborhood near my high school. I thought Ohio City was unique then when I was in school, and it has only improved since. After trying my hand photographing Saint Ignatius (again), I went to grab a Bratwurst from Frank’s. After eating, I check out the other vendors at the West Side Market. It’s the last remaining municipally owned market in the city (Jacobs Field is built on the former Central Market site), and has been open since 1912. Despite being a historic landmark, the Market is still relevant and a staple for those who live in Ohio City.
The Shot:
I enjoy the architecture of the West Side Market. Inside and out, it is well done. The clock tower is always something I try to shoot, but I had not explored it from this particular angle. I liked the way the bold colors of the West Side Market Cafe sign stood out against the Market exterior and sky. There was also a light cloud layer behind the tower, which adds some interesting visual texture. This shot hit its stride when mpix started producing aluminum prints. The reflective nature of the aluminum print really brings out the bold colors more than photo paper, which I really enjoy.
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