Fresh and green...

Anyone who lives in the Toronto area knows we have had our fair share of rain this spring. It seems we get 24 hours of rain, for every hour of sun. Everything is behind almost 3 weeks in terms of nature. My friends forsythia tree is just now dropping its bright yellow flowers that usually herald the start of spring. This also happens to be the first long weekend that 'unofficially' starts the beginning of summer. Here in Ontario it marks the beginning of planting season.....

This year however, the ground is wet, and it hasn't stopped raining long enough for most people to cut their grass, or turn the soil over never mind planting.

Can you tell, I also happen to love gardening? Granted I now live in an apartment building and my gardening is limited to what I can put on my 15 foot balcony. It is a good thing that one of my friends owns his own house and lets me putter away in his yard when I can. I just helped him put in an herb garden which I can't wait to reap the rewards. Now we just need some sunshine, to dry the ground out a little, and we will plant some veggies, and more flowers. Come on Mother Nature, put away those tears for a bit anyways...

In the meantime, here are two pictures I took in the greenhouses on Easter Sunday...Hope you enjoy them.

Seeing Red..

If you have been reading my entries most of you know that I have not been able to get out and spend much time with my camera of late. I have found myself working 6 days a week between two jobs, and have been collaborating with a couple of friends on a production about photography for this summers Fringe Festival. Not that I am complaining, I can certainly use the money to move forward with photography, and the theater project has been extremely exciting for me. I can't wait to see the results of incorporating photography into an original play.

On Easter weekend, I did find a whole hour of spare time, and so grabbed my camera (which still needs to have the sensor cleaned!) and ran over to Allen Gardens to do some more abstract colour shots. It may have been a quick shoot, but I was happy with most of the results.

This is the first one I will share with you....Hope you like it!

A retrospective...part lll

This is the third entry of five in which I am sharing with you the portfolios I entered into a contest held by an international photography magazine. (Colour, a sister publication to Black & White)

I mentioned in the last couple of posts that I badly need to take my camera in for a good cleaning but the thought of not having it for 4 to 6 weeks does not sit to well with me. It has also been a long time since I have managed to find time to get out and take any photos. On Easter morning I was sitting at the table, the window was open, it was raining, and the birds were singing like there was no tomorrow. On impulse, I grabbed the camera, dirty or not, and headed to the greenhouse to snap a few photos.

Therefore my friends, I will soon have some new photos to share. I am currently editing them, removing the dust spots, and once I have finished the retrospective will post some new ones. So bare with me....


This portfolio was from my Bokeh series, 2011

A retrospective...part ll

There is a blackbird singing(?) outside my window, and it is overcast but mild. Which when all put together makes me want to grab my camera and go for a hike...But due to the camera situation I mentioned in my previous post, this sadly is not going to happen.

So you, and I will have to make due with another retrospective of previous shots. As mentioned I entered five portfolios into a competition and I am sharing with you each of them one by one. My last post featured portfolio one and today I will share the second.

Since today also happens to be Easter Sunday, I will share the set that is most cheery, and spring like. It features shots from early this year taken at Allan Gardens. (In the greenhouse)....

Happy Easter!

Mellow Yellow

I seem to recall that the groundhog predicted an early Spring......I think I'm going to make groundhog stew tonight for dinner.

I managed to squeeze in a quick photo shoot at Allan Gardens the other day. Yes, it does tend to be my 'go-to' place, especially this time of year. But who can resist the warmth, the smell of moist soil, and fragrant flowers when outside it is still damp, cold, and downright ugly. (I dislike March, can you tell?)

The purpose of this shoot was to add a few more shots to my "Kaleidoscape" series, especially the ones using colour from flowers. These are some of the ones that turned out, and I am happy with. You definitely get a feeling of spring and warmth from them. Don't you?

I am also working away at putting a few portfolios together for a contest that a rather large and well known photography magazine is hosting, so stay tuned for info on that. It may be a long shot, but you just never know.

Kind of like not knowing when Spring will start...

Come on Spring...

I am sure I am not the only one who has reached that point of winter where it can not end soon enough. I knew we would pay for the last couple of balmy winters that saw no snow and temps hovered around zero. What a long winter this has felt like....And I am sure I am not alone.

So this post is simple. And I think the picture says it all...

Come on Spring!!

(Picture was taken in the balmy indoors of Allan Gardens)

Snap!

Last week was a tough one. To make a long story short, I got accepted to show in my first ever juried exhibition called Scapes. I had made a blog entry about it earlier in the year, and had had high hopes about getting in. The problem as many of you already know is that my letter of acceptance got emailed to a wrong address and I never found out in time to get my work in the show. I was devastated and a little angry, but it was out of my hands, so I have chosen to move forward......

Tonight I will enter these four shots into a photo competition/auction/charity event called SNAP! I entered four last year as well, but did not make the cut. This event has alot of publicity and is held at the National Ballet School, and is a huge AIDS charity event. I may not make the cut again, but the submission fees will all go to a good cause so it is a win, win situation.

These photos are a first for me in that they have added effects done in post editing. They are all flower pictures taken the other day at Allan Gardens.

Wish me luck....

peony in black and white

I just re discovered this photo, and thought I would share it. It is from earlier this spring, and I think it is from Allan Gardens. Not sure why I am drawn to it, but it feels rather elegant to me. It brings to mind gardenias, and also the 1930's, 1940's, and jazz. Isn't it strange how some things remind us of other things and yet there is no true connection. It is after all just a peony.

But my mind wanders like that, and if it can connect to anything with a sense of history, it will often follow that path, and I tend to follow...

Tulips

I figured since the temperatures plunged back to winter like levels, it was the perfect time to remind us all that it is actually spring, the days are growing longer, and it won't be too long before tulips are actually blooming outdoors.

These purple beauties were blooming indoors at Allan Gardens in early March. It was a cloudy day which created the soft haze behind these blooms.

Enjoy, and stay warm!

Snowy Day

I got off work earlier then usual today, and decided since it was fairly mild, and snowing to take my camera and my friends dog for a walk to Allan Gardens. There is something about a new snow that seems so fresh and still, and makes almost everything look beautiful. Take a dried up rose hip, and add some snow, and you get an instant burst of colour, and a great moment in nature.

This close up was taken inside the Greenhouses of Allan Gardens. I frequently visit this historical place to see the seasonal displays, and will probably post many shots of the common and exotic flowers inside. I think it is a hidden gem in the downtown core,,,do go see it!!