Spring in Cleveland
Spring arrived a little late in Cleveland this year, but that did not stop us from having some fun photo shoots. And, I have to say, I did a bit of exploring the third wave coffee situation. I know parents need coffee, so I’ve woven the cafés in with these photo samples.
It was pretty cold for some of these shots, but I think the kids were so brave and it’s hard to even tell.
Play Café
One of the many highlights was my partnership with Play Grounds, a play café in Lakewood where kids can play and parents can caffeinate – perfect!
Cleveland History
I also had shoots downtown, in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and at the Cultural Gardens. While I was there, I checked a Cleveland history book out of the library, and it was really cool to learn more about the place I grew up, simultaneously creating new shots there.
A client taught me that Cuyahoga Valley National Park is one of the most visited national parks in the U.S. – pretty to cool to know, since I learned to ski there as a kid.
I also learned there was a log cabin built on the banks of the Cuyahoga River to officially found the city of Cleveland, and there is a cabin there to commemorate it, in the Flats.
Third Wave Coffee
Besides photo-shooting, I got to visit some amazing coffee shops in addition to Play Grounds. There’s a new place called Coffee Coffee Coffee in the neighborhood where I spent most of my childhood – Old Brooklyn. I adored seeing a place I idolized as a child progressing in this way. It makes me feel like a kid again, to get to go hang out there and do something I love. (Drink coffee!)
Downtown and positively frigid, one of my clients discovered a roastery and café called Six Shooter in the flats – he came to the photo shoot raving about it, so of course I made my way over there to defrost between sessions. I had a lavender latté, and can’t wait to go back and try their house-made smoked vanilla.
Probably my favorite coffee in the entire country comes from Rising Star, another local Cleveland coffee roaster. They have several cafés around town, but my favorite is the original, located in the old firehouse in Hingetown. It’s right across from Transformer Station — a photography museum — so I’m cultural heaven when I’m over there.
Midwest is Best
A fascinating thing I learned about Cleveland was how it was owned by Connecticut and basically a development project. Settling there and establishing the city along the river was encouraged by the developers, despite the fact that nearby areas like Chagrin Falls were growing more naturally.
Cleveland lives in all my childhood memories. Having the ability to make photos of kids in it now makes me feel connected to the kid inside my heart. And, the adult kid inside my heart sure digs the coffee scene.
Want to book a photo shoot for your family in Cleveland? Click here.
Photos shot on my Fuji X-T10 and my Canon 7D, most with my 50mm lens.
All images © Sarah Sloboda 2018; do not copy or use without written permission.
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