Porch View of Columbus Skyline

The 2014 Columbus Skyline Poster Calendar has arrived.

Calendars are available for purchase at Hausfrau Haven, 769 S. Third St. in German Village. Part of the proceeds go to the German Village Society.

Calendars are selling for $9.00

Having a Ball on High Street

HighBall Halloween in Columbus, Ohio is the largest Halloween event in the country.

2013 was the 6th year for the HighBall. Each year it gets bigger and better – as does the size of the costumes.

Large figures tower about the crowd.

Staging area in front of the Columbus Convention Center sets the scene for a night of fun, fashion and fright.

The Costume Couture Fashion Showdown on Friday Night.

Masquerade on High!

Kia Rodent rocks the night.

Bloody Mary anyone?

Raining Fashion.

Muppet Madness

The incredible Nina West Stage Show.

Where Hippies meet Robots.

Read More about the making of HighBall Halloween.

Proceeds from HighBall Halloween are reinvested into the Short North Arts District, with profits helping to underwrite programs and activities of the Short North Alliance.

Read More about the Short North Arts District.

Firework Designs: Form and Function

We see form and function in everything around us from luxury automobiles to elaborate lighting fixtures. But rarely do we think of both when viewing fireworks. The fireworks are launched, combustible chemicals ignite and the result is a spectacular explosion of colorful fallout. Function.

But on further inspection, that rainfall of color can take on a form not seen by the naked eye. Via in camera manipulation, those linear projections become intricate patterns of light and at rare times, almost 3D sculptures. Form.

We hope the following images leave you with a new way of thinking about light.

All photos © Larry Hamill Photography

Columbus Skyline Calendar Marks 20th Year

The year 2010 rings in the 20th year of our Columbus Skyline poster calendar, with this year’s skyline framed by Costa Rica’s golden mountains and the jagged Bryce Canyon.

After experimenting with a beta version of Photoshop, Larry created the first skyline calendar in 1991, using Photoshop’s first edition software. That year, Larry also coined the term, photilation, to describe his creative process of combining photography and illustration.

The 1991 edition featured the San Gabriel Mountains in California with a Costa Rican shoreline. Having traveled to exotic locations including Bali, Namibia, China and Ecuador, among others, all stock photography incorporated into each year’s calendar was photographed by Larry.

1998 Lisbon, Portugal with Andes Mountains of Ecuador © Larry Hamill

Intended as a fun piece with a practical application, each year the calendar has been embedded with faces of friends, family, pets and an assortment of other oddities.

In 2000, the Alhambra in Granada, Spain served as the foreground with the Lewis mountain range in Glacier National Park serving as the backdrop. Portraits of local celebrities, Fred and Howard, who formerly owned the Hausfrau Haven in German Village, can be seen in the Alhambra’s arches.

2000 Columbus Skyline Calendar © Larry Hamill

2000 Columbus Calendar Detail © Larry Hamill

Over the years, Kreber has supplied the color separations, while printing services were provided by Century Graphics, who sadly closed their doors last year.  This year’s calendar was printed courtesy of Richardson Printing Corp. along with Millcraft Paper.

2001 The Seine River in Paris with mountains from Jaen, Spain © Larry Hamill

In keeping with a tradition started by Fred and Howard years ago, the 2010 Columbus Skyline calendar is available at Hausfrau Haven, located at 769 S. Third St. in German Village.

Bombay Gin Tips Its Glass To The Pawpaw

Zak Renzetti-Voit © Larry Hamill

In this month’s issue of Gentlemen’s Quarterly, GQ teamed up with Bombay Sapphire to feature the nation’s most inspired bartender search.  Among the 41 bartenders is Zak Renzetti-Voit of Black Olive restaurant, located in the Columbus Short North district.

The magazine insert, printed in blue of course, contains each bartender’s unique recipe and the source of their inspiration.  Zak’s mission was to change people’s perception of gin by showcasing the spirit’s versatility, as well as showcase local Ohio produce.

During a three-day, end-of-summer event, hosted by the U.S. Bartender’s Guild, a team of master mixologists sampled each of the 41 gin based concoctions.  From a rooftop lounge, with the lights of Las Vegas sparkling in the evening air, Zak raised his glass to the pawpaw.  With a texture comparable to an avocado and a flavor that’s reminiscent of banana and mango, the pawpaw is the largest native tree fruit in North America.

Ohio Grown Pawpaw © Larry Hamill

This past September also marked the 11th year for the Ohio Pawpaw Festival. Held at scenic Lake Snowden in Ohio, the celebration featured foods and beer made from this nutritious fruit. The Ohio Pawpaw Growers Association served up a small collection of recipes that included pawpaw cookies, ice cream, pasta salad and a chicken Paw-B-Que sandwich.

Ohio's Annual Pawpaw Festival © Larry Hamill

Since attending his first pawpaw festival some years ago, State Senator Jimmy Stewart had been lobbing for state recognition for the fruit.  Stewart believed it held potential both in terms of tourism and agricultural revenues. According to organizers of the annual Ohio Pawpaw Festival, some of the largest and best tasting wild pawpaw patches on the planet can be found in southern Ohio.

Earlier this year, Gov. Ted Strickland signed a bill raising this obscure fruit to its new status as the native state fruit of Ohio.  George Washington would have been proud, as chilled pawpaw is reported to have been his favorite dessert.

Chris Chmiel, one of the founders of the Ohio Pawpaw Festival, said the fruit’s new status could become a marketing strategy for pawpaw growers. In an interview with Ohio University News writer Meghan McNamara, Chmiel said they are trying to educate people about the fruit. Around Athens, OH, pawpaws typically sell for $5 to $10 a pound, depending on size and quality. However, in order to introduce the pawpaw into the mainstream market, there needs to be improvements in the preserving and shipping of this delicate fruit.

Until then, you might want to try your hand at recreating Zak’s libation.  The following is Zak’s recipe for his BOMBAY SAPP-HIO.

CHEERS! © Larry Hamill

Shake 3 parts Bombay Sapphire Gin, 1 part Cointreau Orange Liqueur, ¾ part ginger and carnation-petal-infused simple syrup*, 4 parts pawpaw juice and a squeeze of fresh lemon with ice.  Strain into a chilled martini cocktail glass and garnish with a frozen ginger-marinated carnation pedal.

*Make the simple syrup with 1 cup granulated sugar cane, 3 cups boiling water, 3 cups diced ginger root and 2 cups carnation petals.

Posted by Pamela J. Willits

BIGG Glass Art Breaks New Ground

Photo © Larry Hamill

BIGG – Breakthrough Ideas in Global Glass – is currently on display at the OSU Urban Arts Space and Hawk Galleries. A collaboration between The Ohio State University’s Dept. of Art Glass Program, OSU Urban Arts Space and Hawk Galleries, the exhibit showcases 43 international artists.

A total of 97 pieces of glass artwork were selected following a juried review of over 650 artists’ submits. The international jury panel included Italian
glass artisan, Lino Tagliapietra; the Corning Museum’s Curator of Modern Glass, Tina Oldknow and Director of Hawk Galleries, Tom Hawk.

Over the years, William Morris, Dale Chihuly, Christopher Ries and Lino Tagliapietra, among others, have led the glass art movement. Sponsored by Steuben Glass, this exhibition was designed to advance new and innovative glass art worldwide. “We were looking for the next talent in glass art,” said Kelly Kaser, Deputy Director of the OSU Urban Arts Space.

Photo © Larry Hamill

Hiromi Takizawa’s piece entitled, Crossing the Pacific Ocean, combines a neon airplane suspended above an arrangement of glass bowls, creating a reflection in bubbles that seem to float across the ocean’s surface.

Photo © Larry Hamill

Pallbearers, by Mielle Riggie, personifies man’s circle of life. A fragile leaf with serrated edges gently rests on inverted tree branches, as if being carried away to its final resting place. The frosted white glass mimics an ice formation, serving as a reminder of winter and the final season of life.

Photo © Larry Hamill

Equally remarkable is Karen Reid’s floor installation entitled, Creek. Cast of optic crystal, the nine linear interlocking pieces resemble a once flowing creek now frozen over. While appearing inert, the piece also seems to undulate – an effect caused by the glass radiating light at different angles.

Photo © Larry Hamill

Quincy Neri incorporates enamels with blown glass to create rich red and deep purple sculptures. According to her artist statement, her work contains the “underlying themes of violence and danger that underpin American society…asking the viewer to rethink their understanding of political reality”. However, this viewer sees her work differently, reinforcing the notion that everyone views art from a unique and personal vantage point.

Artist’s bios can be seen on the Hawk Galleries BIGG web page.

BIGG will be on display at both Columbus downtown locations through October 10, 2009.

Special thanks to Kelly Kaser and the staff at the OSU Urban Arts Space and Susan Janowicz at Hawk Galleries for their time and insight.

Written by Pamela J. Willits

New Twist on Red, White and Boom

Downtown Columbus © Larry Hamill

Last Thursday, Stephanie Mennecke of Ohio News Now came to the studio for an on-camera interview about my approach to photographing fireworks. The piece aired on the Ohio Channel on Friday, prior to Red, White and Boom.

The above image is a straight shot of the Columbus skyline during Red, White and Boom. Below are two special effects shots that were achieved by twisting the lens during prolonged exposures.

© Larry Hamill

© Larry Hamill