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!

Yonge Street with the X100F

Last week I was hired to photograph a 3 day conference in downtown Toronto and I was pretty excited to do so, for a couple reasons. The main one being that I got to be a part of an amazing conference for ONWA, which you can read about on my professional blog here. The second reason was that I could not wait to get out and do some street photography. Lastly, I was very anxious to try out my new X100F. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to do very much street photography. However, I still managed to go for a quick walk around the block one evening, and managed to get some keepers and test out the new camera. 

I little back story about my experience with Toronto. I lived all around the Toronto area off an on for about 9 years back in the day. During that time I was working as a Graphic Designer, which I still do here in Thunder Bay. But, it wasn't until I moved back to Thunder Bay about 9 years ago that I really got into photography. Being back in Toronto now so many years later and with my new 'outlook' so to speak, was almost overwhelming. It's hard to explain, but I was looking at everything through a fresh set of eyes. 

Don't get me wrong, Thunder Bay is a beautiful city, but you'd be lucky to find 10 or more people on any given block at one time, unless you it's an event of some sort. As I walked out of my hotel room onto Yonge Street, there are hundreds of people, not to mention all the architecture and history. I joked to my wife Anne that it was almost too much. I simply wasn't used to it. That did not stop me from wandering the area and looking for interesting compositions. In a perfect world though, I would have had 8 hours to just take my time and enjoy it. Alas, I only managed to get out for about 1 hour the whole trip. We are going to a concert in August, so I plan on leaving a lot more time during that trip since it's strictly a vacation and not for work.

As I mentioned above, I recently acquired an X100F. I actually traded in my XPro 2 for it, seeing as how I just wasn't using it enough. I originally owned the X100s but sold it a couple years ago to fund some of my Nikon purchases which I still have today. It was like being reunited with an old friend, I felt right home using the X100F. Boy was it fun to use as well. Don't get me wrong, I could have easily brought one of my Nikons but I wanted something indiscreet and portable. 

All the photos below were shot in RAW and processed in Lightroom. I'm always amazed at the initial colours coming out of pretty much any Fuji camera. The X100F is no exception. I can't wait to really spend some time with the camera. 

Niagara Falls + Hamilton + Toronto with the Fuji XE-1 + 16mm 1.4

As I mentioned in my last post, I recently travelled to Southern Ontario with my Fiancé Anne to attend a wedding. In that post I mentioned I only brought one camera with me during the trip and that was the XE-1 and the 16mm 1.4. Well, I put it to good use during the rest of our trip which took is through Toronto, Niagara, Hamilton and eventually back to Toronto. 

One of the things I was looking forward to purchasing while in Toronto was the grip for the XE-1, but surprisingly 3 camera stores didn't have it in stock. Either way I always attach my small strap so it easy to carry around. With the 16mm attached it wasn't heavy by any means but the grip would have definitely made it a bit more comfortable. 

This was our first time flying Porter and we definitely liked it. Flying into the new airport was actually kind of exciting. It was overcast that day so photos upon landing of the skyline weren't really feasible but I was able to get one decent one. Going on 3 hours sleep wasn't ideal but once we arrived in Toronto we just kept going. Breakfast was first and then as I mentioned above, I tried a few camera stores. No luck there. We decided to head on over to the St. Lawrence Market as Anne had never been there before. Although the XE-1 isn't the fast camera, I had absolutely no problems quickly turning it on and focusing on a given subject. Whether it was a window cleaner dangling from above or a skittish pigeon on a ledge, it did amazing. It also helps that the 16mm is a fantastic lens. It really is a nice combo.

One of the things I wanted to practice a bit on this trip was 'street photography'. My definition of street photography, at least for me, is mainly taking photos of people on the street and moments. I was able to capture a few in Toronto and some more again in Niagara. For each of them, I actually used auto focus for the most part, with a few being capture by way of zone focusing, which I am still trying to practice. My favourite of the bunch was the one of the lady sitting on the bench with people passing her by.

Niagara provided endless opportunities for photos, especially with the Falls. Along with the standard photos of the Falls while walking around, we were able to hop on the ferris wheel and capture some great expansive views. 

We then had one full day in Hamilton for the wedding. If you haven't seen my previous post, head on over to see how the XE-1 and 16mm performed! The last day of our trip was briefly spent in Toronto. Our destination before taking off was the Distillery District. Sadly it was raining, but we decided to purchase a very overpriced umbrella which allowed us to walk around a bit. (I highly recommend you bring your own umbrella when going to the Distillery District, we couldn't find one under $35. Yikes)

The good news was that the rain provided some awesome photo moments. I was able to capture some more street photos which I think turned out pretty good. Then it was off to the airport. We took advantage of the free snacks and coffee and left shortly thereafter. Please enjoy some of my favourite photos from the trip. As usual, all of them are processed in Lightroom.