Exploring the Streets of Toronto

Admittedly the title of this blog post is a bit misleading. It probably sounds like I made my way all around Toronto when in fact it was really about a 5 block radius. The reason being I was in Toronto on ‘business’ which meant I didn’t really have much time at all to actually get out and do any personal photography. When I did though, I made the most of it. All in all, I would estimate I spent about 2 hours total. In Toronto, that’s not a lot of time, but luckily my creative juices were flowing in that timeframe because and I think I came away with at least a few keepers.

I have said it in a couple previous posts but Toronto is just a completely different universe regarding photography compared to Thunder Bay. It’s night and day. Not just the amount of people either, even the buildings and architecture and of course the energy. I could have easily set up shot on one street corner and spent an entire day.

I used to live in Toronto for quite a number of years but at that time, I wasn’t really into photography as I am now. That didn’t happen until about 10 years ago when I moved back to Thunder Bay. Go figure! In any case, it’s always nice to get back to Toronto and capture a completely different city.

For these photos I used my Sony A6300 paired with the 35mm 1.8 and then eventually my Nikon D750 with a couple different primes. What I tried to do a lot with Sony was shoot from the hip and use face detection. There weren’t too many keepers but I did get a few that really turned out great. Most of them however, I took the time to set up and compose or frame properly.

I was tempted to just process all of the min black and white but I figured I would leave some in colour. There is just something about black and white that gives photos I different feel and mood. Maybe it’s just me though.

I really wish I had a full day of just walking around but time just didn’t allow it. Perhaps the next trip I will try and do so. For now, these photos will have tide me over. Thanks for stopping by!

Algoma Street Walk

It was one of those days that I just didn't want to sit behind my computer and stare at a screen, so I figured I would get and enjoy some of the nice weather, and take some photos in the process. This time around, I took my Nikon D750 paired with the 35mm 1.8. I always go on about the tones and colours that come out of my Fuji cameras, but the Nikon is right there as well, and if anything, the colours are just as good. For the longest time I would always just carry around the 50mm lens but I think the 35mm on the Nikon is my new favourite. It's a nice balance and it has amazing close focusing abilities. I'm able to blur out the background easily and the bokeh produced is actually quite pleasing.

So, now that I chose my camera and lens I had to decide where to go. I almost convinced myself to head over to East End but I decided to just stick in the area and wander the back lanes and roads. As I have mentioned in many previous posts, I am always on the lookout for old and worn in objects. For some reason, when I walk around, I am drawn that subject matter. I am so used to photographing beautiful things, like weddings and portraits, that I need to balance that out. :)

I mainly stuck to a 10 block radius and just wandered around aimlessly. If I so something in the distance, I just walked towards it, and that led me into a different direction. I always make sure to look for different angles, or things to shoot through too. Whether it's textures, colours or just over all composition, I'm always trying to 'create' a photo each time I press the shutter. 

Thanks again for viewing!

Cumberland Street Walk

I had the afternoon off and it was a decently warm day so I grabbed my camera and headed down to Cumberland Street. It had been a while since I had the chance to walk around this area to take photos so I figured it was as good a time as any. As I usually do, I parked the car and wandered in and out of the back alleys looking for anything the caught my me. 

Parts of Cumberland Street remind me a bit of East End. There are some really cool old looking houses which I'm actually not sure if anyone lives in anymore, but I'm assuming they do. Plus, if you really look at the finer details, which I love to do, there are plenty of hidden gyms either partially buried in the snow, or propped up against a building. 

I often try to get in a really close to isolate my subjects as anyone who views my images has probably noticed. I often have to force myself to step back and take in the whole scene. It's not that I can't do it, it's just that I love framing small scenes in my own way. As with most of my photo walks, I almost always take just one camera and one prime lens. This walk was no different. I used my Nikon D750 and the very cheap but wickedly awesome lens, the 50mm 1.8. If you are on a budget, and looking to buy one prime lens, this is the one you should start off with in my humble opinion. 

Thank for viewing! 

Along the Neebing River

Since I am going on more and more photo walks these days, it's often a challenge to choose fresh and new locations to explore. I had walked around Friendship Gardens last summer but I didn't really get the chance to explore too much of the trail that runs along the Needing River. That's what I decided to check out for my most recent walk. With me for this one was my newest addition to the family, the Nikon d750 and the only lens I currently have for it, the 50mm 1.8. Even though it's a DSLR, this combo is extremely light and I simply use a wrist strap to carry it around. That's even with the battery grip. I can't wait to put this puppy to the test for wedding season. 

Back to the walk... I started off where all the new construction is by the retirement home. I basically weaved in and out of the trail and side roads eventually ending up at the Delaney baseball fields. I did venture into Friendship Gardens for a short while but made sure to check out some areas I hadn't yet explored. As usual, I just shot whatever caught my eye. As you can tell, for most of my photos, I have the lens aperture wide open to blur out any background. For one of the cheapest prime lenses you can by, the 50mm 1.8 on the 750, produces superb results. All the processing was done in Lightroom in my usual style. Thanks for reading!

Early Morning Marina Walk

So I decided to grab my X100s for a change and brave the brisk morning air down at the Marina. For anyone who reads these posts, you will know I have been using the XT1 and 35mm combo almost every time. I decided I would switch it up this time around with the X100s. It's a slightly different perspective so it forced me to frame my shots a bit differently. I also made sure to get in really close for a lot of the photos as well.

As for processing, I used the out of the camera JPG files for almost all of them. I can't remember what setting it was but it goes to show you, the files coming out of Fuji cameras are so nice to look at. I did included some colour photos as well, simply because they worked better in colour. 

I actually came away with more keepers then I thought I would but then again, I was quite picky with what I shot. Most of the photos were taken in and around the Marina as well as part of downtown. Thanks for viewing.

Things That Caught My Eye This Past Week

This past week I actually had a photo assignment for The Walleye, which required me to photograph a particular section in Downtown Port Arthur. While, I can't post those photos just yet, I did managed to capture my usual amount of random photos in between. Since narrowing down my camera collection considerably, and switching to Fujifilm, I almost always carry the X-T! around with me on photo walks. All the photos below were taken with the X-T1 in combination with the 35mm 1.4, 16-55mm 2.8 and the 50-140mm 2.8. Thanks for viewing!

Simpson Street with X100s

I have been neglecting my X100s as of late so I decided to go for a short walk this afternoon after meeting my wife for lunch. Because it was close by, I ended up around Simpson Street which is one of my favourite areas to go to. Mainly because everything there is a bit old and worn in a bit more. It was a bit chilly so I only spent about 30 minutes walking up and down Simpson Street. But, I did end up coming away with, what I think, are some good shots. 

The thing I do love about the X100s is that it is just so easy to use and compact. Because it is a fixed focal length, you don't really have to worry about zooming. The only zooming you can essentially do is with your feet. I usually just leave it on auto everything and manually adjust the aperture when needed. 

All the of the photos were shot using RAW in camera and then processed minimally through Lightroom, using a combination of VSCO and my own tweaks. Thanks for viewing!

Cumberland Street

Here are a few photos taken during the afternoon last week. This is pretty much all around Cumberland Street on the main stretch and off the beaten path a bit. Instead of my usual XT-1 combo I brought along my Nikon D610 and 85mm. It may be a bit heavier but it's still a fun duo to use when walking around. Thanks for viewing!

Algoma Street and Beyond

These are just a few photos taken over the course of a couple days from last week. The weather was still holding out but it was kind of chilly in the morning. I have been trying to get a few times a week in the morning to get some fresh air and some photos along the way.

Anyone who knows Thunder Bay can tell the photos that are taken around Waverly Park and downtown. But I also explored Algoma Street more towards Boulevard. I finally got a chance to walk around the old vacated parking lot off Algoma Street. Then I did a quick route along part of the path by the LPH and then back down towards Court Street. 

All photos were taken with the Fuji X-TI. 

Exploring Gore Street

I decided to head on over to Westfort the other day and walk down Gore Street. Aside from living on in this area a long long time ago I don't really get the chance to explore it too often. So I set out with my Fuji X-T1 and my 16mm lens this time to capture some photos. Of course, most people know that The Wayland is on this street so I made sure to get some photos of that place. 

Aside from the Wayland I simply looked for things that stood out. These might not be things the the everyday person sees but that's the beauty of photography, I get to choose what strikes me as interesting. As I mentioned above, I hadn't really explored this area so I was surprised to find a road called Mountdale which leads right down to the water. It offered a fantastic view of Mount McKay. I'm sure anyone who lives in the area knows about this spot, but it goes to show you, even in a small city like Thunder Bay, there are still little gems to be found.

It was quite an overcast and foggy day so the photos I captured of Mount McKay aren't the most colourful, but they did have a certain mood to them which I kind of liked. All in all, it was a fun 30 minute walk through my old stomping ground. I'll definitely have to go back soon before winter sets in to see what else I can find.

A Quick Walk Down Kingsway

So I had a very quick break today during work yesterday so I decided to just park on Kingsway Street and quickly walk around the old motels there. I literally had about 10 minutes to spare before I had to leave so I got whatever photos struck my eye. I think, if I have time, I will go back and spend a bit more time when it's not so rushed.

The area I definitely want explore a bit more is the old mini put course. I realized you can actually walk right in. I'm sure you really aren't supposed to but seeing as how it has been close for quite some time I don't think it should be a problem. I'm thinking of maybe even bringing my own putter and ball to shoot a round. Well, I probably shouldn't do that but it's an idea.

Once again I used my X-T1 for all these photos paired with the 35mm. You really can't go wrong with that combo. The 35mm 1.4 is such a compact and light lens that you barely realize it's on the camera. Thanks for viewing!

County Fair + Cumberland Street

Since it is my birthday today, I figured I would treat myself to a little photowalk. Since I had just met my wife Anne for lunch on Eddy Lee's, I decided to go down the street and walk around County Fair. There used to be a Canadian Tire there but it has long since shut down. Instead, they opened up a Walmart a few years ago. I always remember going to that Canadian Tire when I was younger to go get some tennis balls or other random things that kids need. It was always a trek to ride my bike all the way there. As you can tell from the photos, it is now just an abandoned building, but you can still see some of the signage. 

Well, me being a fan of run down buildings and anything old, I simply walked around the building looking for things that caught my eye. It is actually attached to the mall which I later checked out. The mall itself, is almost empty as well, with just a few random stores here and there. I'm not sure what is going to come of it but it's really strange seeing it so baron. 

Once I finished walking around at County Fair, I trekked down to the end of Cumberland Street. For those of you who aren't familiar, it is another street with a lot of motels and older buildings. Again, I just looked for random scenes, paying attention to colour and composition. 

For the County Fair photos I used the X-TI with the 16mm and for the Cumberland Street photos I used the X-T1 paired with the 35mm. Both lenses are fantastically sharp and quick to focus. I am just taking photos of stationary objects, but still, the colour rendition is superb with this camera and lenses. Each image, I used the jpg version, with the exception of some of the landscape photos where I need to bring out the sky a bit more. All processing was what I always do. I boost the contrast, selective colour here and there to make it pop and overall sharpness.

Thanks for viewing!

Honeymoon in Montreal

Anne and I decided to go to Montreal for our Honeymoon. We had been there once before, but only got to spend a couple days on our way to the East Coast. When we were trying to decide what a good destination would be for our Honeymoon, Montreal was always at the top of the list. So we went with it. We decided to just fly in, stay by the hotel and rent a car. That way we could pretty much do whatever we wanted. Seeing as how I don’t mind driving in the larger cities and Anne being an expert navigator, it was a match made in heaven.

Upon arriving at our hotel, we were amazed. It had to be one of the nicest hotels we had ever stayed at. We joked throughout the trip that we didn’t really even need to leave as it almost felt like a resort. Obviously we ended up exploring a lot of Montreal but it was always nice to come back to such a beautiful home base. 

The day we arrived we settled in, took a bit of a break, and then ended up going downtown for a bit. We found a great pub on the main stretch and quenched our thirst and hunger. Seeing as it was extremely hot and humid the whole time there, lets just say that any excuse to stop in for a drink somewhere was welcome. 

Our next day there revolved around the outlet mall just outside of Montreal. We must a couple turnoffs along the way but Anne made sure we got there. There was no way we weren’t going to make to the outlet mall that day. Once we arrived I was amazed how large it was. It was all outdoors and there were a ton of stores. One of Anne’s favourites was the Coach store. It was very cute watching her hum and haw about getting this purse she really wanted. In the end, before leaving, she ended up getting two things from there and was extremely happy. I imagine it was the equivalent of watching me in a camera store. 

We walked around there for a few hours, grabbed a bit to eat at the food court and did a bit more shopping after that. Then it was time to go back to our hotel. We ended up going down to Old Montreal that evening to search for a bite to eat. We got much then we bargained for. After eating we headed back to the main square and watched a really street performance. We were 2 of the first people there and Anne immediately gave the performer some change as he was setting up. He joked that he hadn’t even did anything yet but promised he would give us a good show. The funny part of the whole performance was that he didn’t really do all that much with fire, it was just a ploy to get people to come watch. By the end of it, there was a huge group of people and he put on one of the funniest and entertaining shows we have seen in a long long time. 

The next day was also full of a few surprises. We grabbed some breakfast again and another local diner and then we headed back down to Old Montreal. We wanted to make sure we saw it during the day. This time around I really had a chance to take a lot of photos. As you can see from the images below, Anne was once again my model of choice. How could anyone not want to photograph here. There was a lot of cool things to see down in Old Montreal. One of the highlights was the zip line they had going at the Pier. It was another scorching day so it was nice to walk around. Not sure what to do next we made the choice to go to the island across the water to explore. Once we got there, we decided to do a drive around first to see what there was. As we pulled into one of the parking areas, we paid the steep price of $25 for parking and then saw La Ronde in the distance. So.. instead of parking and walking around the island, we drove straight to the amusement park and spent the next 6 hours getting whipped around on rides. The first ride I took Anne on was the biggest and fasted rollercoaster at the park. She tends to get a bit nervous for the larger rides, so what better way to get those nerves out of the way then to do the scariest ride.

It was smooth sailing after that and we had a ton of fun. We ended the day with some food from the local ‘Saloon’. One of the things we found strange was that you could basically walk around with your beer in hand anywhere in the park. That’s Quebec for you I guess. We weren’t complaining. The last rides we went on, which didn’t make sense, were the water rides where we got completely soaked. In hindsight, we should have done them at the beginning but it all worked out. 

If my memory serves me correctly, once we got back to the hotel, this was the night we met some very interesting people at the bar. There was the pilot beside us that Anne befriended over the mutual love of wine. Supposedly he was flying out later the next day so his ‘consumption’ of wine was not out of the norm at all. Then there was the older couple beside us. They were so much fun and the fact that the husband would routinely get up, stand up beside us, and test out some of his comedic material was priceless. Almost as priceless as the way his wife would bury her head in her hands each time he did so. I laughed at all his jokes though and it certainly made for a memorable evening. I knew it was time to head back to our room when Anne and said pilot considered purchasing a bottle of wine. For fear of the passengers the next day and Anne potentially passing out, I grabbed her by the arm and took her back. 

After a good nights sleep we decided to head to the waterfront area just on the way to Montreal. We rented a bike and rode around the small little inlet and some of the town area. It was a really nice bike ride and I wish we could have done a bit more but we wanted to still do more that day. Plus, Anne was anxiously awaiting her call from the Lakehead Board to see if she got a full time position. Once we finished up there, we eventually decided to make our way to the water park north of Montreal. I was actually really looking forward to it. So we hopped on the highway and drove the 40 minutes it took to get there. Just after purchasing our tickets and entering the park, Anne got the ‘call’. She found out she got a full time position. Yay. That only made the rest of the day that much more relaxed and fun. Overall the water park was a lot of fun. I just wish we had more time there but it all worked out.

By the time we got back to our hotel we were wiped. But that didn’t stop us from treating ourselves to a nice dinner at the Keg. We took a cab there and back so I could have a couple drinks. The meal was fantastic and the biggest surprise of the night was me pretty much eating a whole cheesecake. Anne had a a few bites but otherwise it was all me. Very rare indeed for anyone that knows me. But if there is one weaknessI have it’s Keg cheesecake.

Our final day in Montreal was actually still pretty action packed. We checked out of the hotel and still headed to the gay district. We had accidentally ended up there briefly a previous night and it looked really cool so I wanted to head back during the day to take some photos. We walked that street and then eventually headed back to downtown Montreal. Anne attempted to do some shopping and then we eventually found a great Irish Pub for some food and drink. After that, it was time to head back. It was a bit rough with traffic heading back and I almost got side swiped by a transport on a merge but other then almost getting killed it was fun! 

We headed to the airport, dropped off the rental car and then made our way to our gate. We had time to kill so we walked the entire airport, checking to see what kind of places there were to eat. We ended up going to one of the restaurants closest to our gate. I got a $11 beer, but Anne declined to pay $13 for a small glass of wine. I can’t get over just how much they were charging for food and drinks. All the places were like that by the way. We finished off with a drink at other bar just across the way. The bartender there was just plain awesome. He told us a few stories and was super friendly. Plus, Anne was able finally have her glass of wine. 

The last stop was Toronto. We definitely like flying through Toronto because the Porter lounge is fantastic. Unfortunately we had a very fast layover so we didn’t really get a chance to enjoy it as much as we wanted to. And then we were back in Thunder Bay. The whole way thorough we upgraded each flight so we had the front seats and it was heaven. Lots of leg room and first off the plane could not be beat. All in all it was a great trip. Spending 5 days in Montreal with my beautiful wife Anne was something I will remember the rest of my life. I can’t wait until our next trip. Plus I was able to capture some great photos along the way. Although, probably more food photos then I would normally include. But that’s what happened when you spend a lot of your time eating and drinking!

A Walk Around Simpson Street

So it was a relatively brisk morning the other day when I decided that instead of going home and sitting in front of a computer, I would go walk around Simpson Street and test out my new Nikon 85mm 1.8. I'm so glad I did as it was very refreshing and it has honestly been a very long time since I really just took some time and walked around to take photos. This winter has been brutal. 

For those of you who don't know, Simpson Street is a pretty rundown area of town. Honestly, that is why I like it. There is still a lot of history there and tons of old partially abandoned buildings. Don't get me wrong, there are some businesses on the street that are doing just fine, but overall, it's an area of Thunder Bay that needs a lot of work. 

I decided to bring my Nikon D610 and pair it with the 85mm 1.8. Once again, I mainly used Auto Iso and Aperture Priority. I rarely went above F8, and most of the time I was around F2.8. I would have gone lower but it was bright and sunny out and I have yet to purchase an ND filter. The only drawback I have encountered so far with the D610 is the max 1/4000 shutter speed. But, in the end, it is an easy problem to solve. 

Aside from the limitation with the shutter speed, the camera performed perfectly. White balance was almost always right on and the metering was great as well. There were no issues with focusing, but then again, I was only photographing static subjects for the most part. 

As for the lens, it's a dream to use. It's light, compact and focuses great. And of course, the bokeh is outstanding on it. So, for someone looking for a really good priced lens in this focal range, you really can't go wrong for the price. I can't wait to use it on my portrait and wedding sessions. 

Getting back to my actual walk, after I went up and down Simpson Street once, I ventured over to Kam Park. It's not always the safest area to walk around, but that is mainly at night. Seeing as how it was 10:30 in the morning, it was all good. Plus, once I got there, I was literally the only one walking around, save for a few pigeons. 

Kam Park has a really cool tugboat there which I just love to photograph. I didn't have my wide angle lens, but I managed to get a few landscape shots with what I had. Once I got to the end of the boardwalk, I got some cool shots of the bridge off in the distance. I processed these ones as black and white in Lightroom, simply because I thought they looked better that way. Plus, I find when shooting in overhead sunlight with no shade, black and white often softens the photos a bit so they aren't so contrasty. it all depends on the look one is going for though.

With fear of my meter running out, I started back to the car. By now it was at least a 20 minute walk. I managed to get some photos of some more old buildings and just random stuff as per usual. 

All the photos below were processed in Lightroom. I tend to start with a VSCO filter and then make it my own by tweaking it and just playing around with each photo. I love taking photos, but I would stay that editing them afterwards is just as fun.