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...

Royal York

This shot was taken on a recent outing at night along the lake shore. On our way back I found this view which put me in mind of New York. Not sure why, it just did. I thought it was a good shot of the Royal Lady. She looks majestic compared to the other tall buildings made of glass and steel. I used my tripod for this shot, with a 30 second exposure.

Back to Brown...

Another visit back to one of my favorite spots, the Distillery District. This time the purpose was to practice using my camera with manual settings rather then the automatic ones I have been using up to this point. In a way I feel I am starting all over, but yet it feels exciting and new all at once. Most people who know me, know I have the patience of....well...who am I kidding. I have no patience. Which actually amazes me how much I love trying to figure out, and capture a good shot. Of course there are those moments of pure frustration, and disappointment but that comes with anything being newly learned.

But I digress. This shot is part of Toronto's most photographed old trucks at the Distillery. I can see why, the patina on it is simply amazing. My goal is of course to try and capture a less popular view of it. I love the rusty reds, and brown tones. Reminds one that Fall is only a month away....

haunted self...

Again, not really a picture of Toronto but I wanted to share a new technique I discovered. I have been slowly trying to leave the automatic programs on my camera and venture into the manual settings that allow for more creativity. I have been playing around with shutter exposures. Both long ones, and short ones. There is alot of wonderful things you can do with exposures, for example you can create a sense of time, and movement. I'm still trying to work on this outside, but I am particularly proud of the self portrait I took indoors on a 30 second exposure....

Cityscape at Night..

I was at a friends condo for a BBQ last weekend and was invited up to his place to see some of his decorating projects. While viewing his balcony, I was captivated by the magnificent view he had. With the sun almost set, and the city lights already on, it was a postcard moment. I did not have my tripod obviously, so the picture is not as clear as I would have liked, but none the less, it is still a great view of Toronto's most identifiable building. (The view however, will soon change as condos are going up around the base and will block half of the tower.)

Long may she reign...

Twice in my life I have waited for hours to see a member of the Royal Family. Once when I was very young to see Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York name a square in Cobourg, and now years later to see the Queen on her 22nd visit to Canada. Of course I also witnessed both the marriage and the funeral of Princess Diana on television, and visited both Buckingham and Kensington Palaces during my visit to London in 2007.

Perhaps it is because of my half English background, or perhaps it is just my love of history, but moments like this impact me hugely. I feel like I am watching history unfold right before my eyes. As I watched the Queen do her walk about not 50 feet away from me, all I could think about was the the centuries of time and events that led up to this particular day. Events that have been portrayed in movies, written about in books, and talked about in school.

I am glad I have had the opportunity to document in photos my own 15 minutes of time spent with the Queen. Long may she reign...

Picnic in Queens Park..

This picture was taken at dusk in Queens Park during Pride weekend. I was en route to a free concert given by Cyndi Lauper when I spotted the soft evening sun bathing the people in various activities. I decided to turn it into a black and white shot so that the light became the subject rather then the colours of the surroundings. To me, it is one of those, "Remember that moment.." shots.