Ottawa Visit

Hugh and I just came back from a trip to Ottawa, our Nations Capitol. Neither of us had been there as adults other then for me a quick excursion to the Ikea store and market while I was living in Kingston. The vacation was a bit of a last minute plan, and included a quick stop in Kingston, and many, many hours of back road driving through Ontario's countryside, small towns and villages.

My goal was to not only relax and enjoy the vacation, but to also take my camera and add to my collection of black and white architectural details series. For those that don't know, I sell this series in the shop I work at in Summerhill (Toronto). In the back corner is my little collection wall of framed and unframed black and white shots. They do very well for me, and so I wanted to broaden my collection.

I was not disappointed in the amount of details to capture, and came home with over 500 photos to edit. The majority of the series came from the Parliament Buildings and surrounding area. The predominant style of architecture (excluding modern architecture) is High Victorian Gothic Revival. Arches, points, ironwork, grotesques, gargoyles,and rough stone make up the majority of the buildings around Parliament Hill. There are also some stunning Art Deco buildings, and other Victorian styles to be found. Not to mention, there are references to the Queen and Crown everywhere.

Ottawa is a very walkable city, picturesque, and clean. I am sure it would look equally stunning during the annual tulip fest, autumn, and even during the winter under a blanket of snow. Here is a collection of shots taken while there....... enjoy.

p.s. The sun was very intense during the two days, so some of the shots were blown out or overexposed, but better to take the shot then not. :)

Reflecting

Another shot from my walk the other day to the Brick Works. I was just about ready to head home when I saw the old brick building being reflected in the pond beside it. Was just one of those tranquil moments. The area by the way, has won many awards for their conservation, and 'green' practices. I was a little dismayed though that many of the original brick buildings have disappeared and are being replaced by new buildings. The area is to become a huge science/learning/environmental destination.

I've always enjoyed the area. Every season, it is a good place to go and do a little reflecting.

Looking Up

The other night my partner and I watched a movie called 500 Days of Summer. One of the main characters was a student of architecture and he made the comment that on street level most buildings are boring or void of character. He advised the person he was with to look up, and it is up off of street level that most buildings show off their true beauty and fine details. I have said this many times myself. There is so much hidden details, beauty, and workmanship in many of Toronto's buildings that go by unnoticed because they are up off street level, or covered in years of paint, or bad renovations. I don't think we could ever replace some of these great buildings today, because the craftsmen are long gone, and I'm sure the skills have been passed down to very few, or sadly none. In the 50's and 60's Toronto tore down many, many, buildings with such great architectural details, and workmanship. A huge blemish on our sense of heritage preservation. At least some have survived such as this one. Taken on a recent snowy day it is the details of a building on Toronto Street, downtown. I hope it encourages you all to look up..