Retrospective Part 5 of 5...

Here it is. The last portfolio I entered into the contest. (Portfolio contest, "Color" magazine). So now it will be another month or two of waiting for the results. In the mean time my plans are to get the camera all cleaned, and serviced, and perhaps look at purchasing a new lens. I'm thinking wide angle....

Did I mention I am collaborating with a couple of friends on developing a play about photography for this years Fringe festival here in Toronto? (July) We have titled the play "Exposure" and we will be showing at the Tarrogon theatre...I will post the details, as they come. ;)

Retrospective Part 4...

These shots are from my fourth portfolio I recently submitted into a portfolio contest. The previous blog posts showcase the three portfolios I have shared with you as part of my retrospective...This particular group is a combination of photos from my "Surface Deep" and "Kaleidoscape" series. (2010-2011). I decided to marry them together into a High Park portfolio. All of the photos were taken using slow shutter speeds, and in most cases, zooming in/out during the exposure.

They still remain some of my favorite mood shots...

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!

A retrospective...

It has been a while since I have posted anything, which I am sorry for. Things have been a little hectic lately, and I have been fighting a really nasty cold for almost three weeks. On top of all that I need to take my camera in for a good cleaning, and apparently that is going to result in 4 to 6 weeks of not being able to use it. I keep putting it off because that seems like such a huge time to not be able to take a single shot...

Needless to say, I am unable to show you any new work. On the plus side of things, my exhibit at Olivia's has been extended by a month, until the end of May. I also decided to enter a portfolio contest held by Color magazine which is a sister publication to the more famous Black and White photography magazine. There was no limit to the amount of portfolios one could enter so I decided to enter 5 separate ones showcasing different themes from my past work. Consider it a retrospective if you may. I have decided to show you all the images I chose to enter, and I will post them over 5 different blog entries starting with today's.

Obviously you may have seen some or all of them. But I often say to others that sometimes you need to look back and see where you have been in order to know where to go....so do come take a look back with me......

This portfolio is from Urban Textures, 2010

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...

2nd Prize

I started my photo adventures in the early months of 2008. Equipped with a digital point and shoot camera I headed out and without a clue as to what I was doing, started photographing buildings and architectural details I loved around Toronto. Most of the pictures I turned into black and white, because at the time I was convinced that was what I wanted to do.

Early in 2009, a photo competition hosted by the City of Toronto, was pointed out to me, and so in the weeks that followed I entered some 63 (I think) images in a wide variety of categories. The city went on strike later that year, and so the competition was halted, then delayed, and in my mind forgotten about.

On Christmas eve, I received a letter of congratulations that one of my images had won second prize in the 'city history' category. What a great surprise! I have won a City of Toronto pin, and a pass to the zoo. My photo will of course be published on the citie's website, and possibly in print material.

As for the actual picture, I now look at it and groan. I keep thinking, I should have done this, and done that. The sign is cut off, the tree is in the way...and so forth. So the lesson I guess I have learned is that I have grown, and hopefully developed a better eye. I know I have a long ways to go, but it has been a fun process thus far.

So I just wanted to share with you one of those early photos...a sneak peek so to speak.