Too Cold Out + Fuji X100F

This past month has been a real struggle to get out and take photos outside. It’s just been so frigging cold, that it’s simply not enjoyable. So any excuse to capture some photos are very welcome. I have been taking my son out driving in preparation for his driving test. So with my Fuji X100F in hand we spent a couple hours driving around in the city. I of course was in the passenger seat and I actually managed to capture some photos while Noah was driving. Of course it would have been great to stop and walk around but there just wasn’t anytime to do so, and as I mentioned, it was cold out.

For anyone who has read my previous blog posts, I tend to shoot with a few different cameras. The Fuji has been neglected over the past couple months. I tend to stick with a camera for a while before switching it up. That camera has actually been my Sony A6300. It is a great walk around camera and although I initially got it for video, I have been using it a lot lately for my personal photography. With that being said, the Fuji X100F is still my favourite ‘walk around camera’. The colours that come out of it and of course the overall feel are second to none. So for the past few days I have shooting with it and I realized how much I missed doing so.

The second batch of photos below were actually taken today and truly reflect my title I chose for this article. I always try and get out on my lunch breaks for about 40 minutes to take photos in the neighbourhood. My wife how is a teacher, told me it was quite cold out … -25 degrees Celsius. I was very tempted to just stay inside but I bundled up and trekked outside with the Fuji in hand. At first it wasn’t too bad, or so I told myself, but I soon realized about 20 minutes in that it was indeed very cold out. I honestly thought I was getting frostbite.

Regardless, I still got some keepers. They aren’t my best work but It was a very rushed walk and one where I didn’t really want to stop for more then a few seconds for fear of freezing in place. I do miss the warmer months were I could literally spend 20 minutes in one spot and work a scene. Not now. But that’s how it goes I guess. If warmer weather does come soon, I want to get out and get some good landscape photos of all the snow. Until then, my cold power walks will have to do.

Winter Walk around Lakehead University - Sony a6300

It was my second day in a row being able to actually walk outside on my lunch break and take photos, without freezing to death. Sadly, the cold weather is back tomorrow so it’s unlikely I’ll make it out. Who knows though, it’s all about ‘layers’ they say right. I once again took my Sony a6300 with me, this time paired with the 16mm 1.4 lens. Yesterday it was the 35mm 1.8 (50mm equivalent) which is one of my favourite focal lengths, next to 35mm. The Sigma 16mm is an awesome lens, but being 24mm is definitely not my strongest focal length. With that being said, I always try to push myself out of my comfort zone.

Admittedly, some of my favourite photos have been shot at 24mm so I’m not sure why I don’t use it more often. I had a great time shooting with it today and I really tried to approach different angles, that you just can’t really do with long focal lengths like 50mm. The other benefit of the Sigma is that it focuses pretty close, which I very much enjoy doing.

The area I work in isn’t the most scenic, which I have mentioned in previous posts. The nicest place to go is by fare the University which is great, but when you walk through there a hundred times it can be hard to find new photo opportunities. Somehow I manage and I simply see it as a challenge. It helped that I had the Sigma today because it gave me a completely different perspective then my usual 35mm and 50mm lenses.

I have photographed the architecture at Lakehead University a few times before, but this time around I got in close and took advantage of the tilt screen of the a6300. It’s extremely fun to use. My Nikons have them but they are nowhere near as responsive. Combine that with the awesome focusing of the Sony and it’s a great mix. It also helps that the Sigma is extremely sharp, but I’m not actually that hung up on sharpness.

One of the things I had to do with the Sigma today, especially shooting wide open was to pop on a variable ND filter. One thing I have to remember to watch is accidentally switching the ISO from auto to 6400 with my big winter gloves. A few of the photos below ended up being noisy for no reason, but I loved they way they turned out. I have never been afraid of grain, and it actually benefited the few photos in this case. At least in my eyes. It gives them a more film type look. I even accidentally shot a photo while messing with my settings, which I kept in this post as well. It’s the blurry one but I actually liked how it turned out as well.

Winter can be hard for photographers, especially in colder climates. For anyone out there hesitant to go outside and take photos, my advise is to just dress warm and do it. Once I’m outside and walking around I’m so glad I did it. Plus, it’s great exercise walking in the snow. Of course I never pack enough Kleenex and my finger tips always feel like they are going to fall off but it’s a small price to pay.

Thanks for stopping by!

County Fair

The weather just keeps getting a bit warmer by the day, and since I had to work most of it, I knew I had to get out for at least a short while in the evening. That's just what I did. I grabbed my X-Pro2 and 35mm 1.4 lens and took a stroll through County Park. It only ended be being about a 30 minute walk, but I came away with some decent photos. 

I'm noticing more and more that anytime I see a playground outside I am always drawn to it. Of course, when there aren't children around. I think it's the bright contrasty colours of a lot of the outdoor playgrounds these days. I remember growing up, all we had was a tire on a chain and maybe a slide mounted on hard pavement. Kids definitely have it much better then I did. 

Once I made my way through the park I ended up in the County Fair Mall parking lot. There is still a lot of dirty melting snow everywhere so I tried to focus on the details instead, getting in nice and close. One of my favourite spots in this specific parking lot is the old Canadian Tire which has been closed for many many years. I always have fond memories of biking all the way up to County Fair when I was a kid just to buy tennis balls. I'm not sure why I remember that, but I do. Meanwhile, I can't remember what I ate for breakfast 2 days ago. Go figure. 

I didn't take as much time as I usually do during the walk to take photos. I'm still, somehow getting over a month long (and going) cold so I didn't want to spend too much time outside. The walk did allow me to get my fix of photography in for the day. Perhaps, tomorrow I'll feel better. 

Thanks for stopping by!

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! 

A Visit With The Horses

The snow decided to come down most of the day today so I figured it was as good a time as any to get Willow some fresh air. So I packed up my Nikon D750 and the 85mm 1.8 and me and Willow headed out to Centennial Park. Since it had been snowing for a while, I had a feeling Centennial Park would have a fair amount of accumulation of snow. 

As soon as we started getting closer to the parking lot at Centennial, Willow immediately sat up in the backseat. To this day, I still don't understand how she knows when we are arriving at the chosen destination. Instinct I guess. I couldn't open the car door fast enough. She always takes forever to enter the car, but low and behold, she gets out pretty quick for an old girl.

For some reason I thought Centennial Park was off leash, but it obviously isn't. I brought the leash in any case, so I hooked her up and down the trail we went. I decided to walk to the over pass and then back through where the stables are, just in case the horses were out and the gate was open. 

Before we got to the stable area, Willow had plenty of random trees to smell and I let her for the most part. I did have to start pulling on her leash after a while, or else we would have been there all day. I did try and get her to pose for a shot against the wall at the overpass, but it didn't go well. As soon as I stepped back to take the shot she would start walking towards me. 

As I mentioned above, the ultimate destination was the horses and luckily, 3 of them were out and I was allowed to go in. Willow wasn't too happy about being tied up to a tree but the horses were off limits for dogs. 

The horses really didn't move at all, so I worked with what I had. Also, only having the 85mm lens, meant I couldn't get in too close, but I still came away with some decent shots. 

In the end, Willow had a good time and so did I. Aside from my hands partially freezing (dollar store gloves aren't that warm), I'm happy with some of the photos I got. And of course, Willow got to hang her head out the window the whole way back. Everyone got what the wanted.

Hammarskjold High School with Willow

I've been meaning to post these photos from a walk I did last week but it's just been super busy. As much as I'd love to spend time on my personal photography, they don't really pay the bills now do they. :) With that being said, I decided to take Willow for yet another walk last weekend seeing as how it was fairly warm out. When I walk Willow I always try and think of a location where I can just let her run (walk) free and I decided on Hammarskjold. They have the super big field there and plenty of snow for her to roll around in. That is exactly what she did.

For this walk I brought along my Nikon D750 and the 35mm 1.8. The thing I love about the 35mm is that I can still focus nice and close with it. On the opposite end, it's still good for the 'wide angle' type shots as well. 

Once we got to the school, I let Willow off her leash and we both just walked around. I was able to focus on taking my time looking for photos and she had plenty of time to find 10 different spots to pee and mark her territory. The snow one the field was actually quite deep still so I didn't venture too far in, but Willow had no problem running through it when called. 

Because there was still a lot of snow, it made for some unique photos. For instance, the tennis court had a completely different atmosphere as they were almost covered. The rinks beside the court were bare but freshly watered so I got some good reflection shots. Overall it was a gloomy, overcast day, which, for those who don't know me, is my favourite time to shoot. I just love the even lighting. 

I made my way to the empty playground, but before I did, a slightly angry rink attendant asked me if I saw any kids running around. Supposedly, a couple kids got into the building and turned on the lights. I don't think they will be going to prison, but he didn't look too happy.

Once I finished at the playground it was time to head home. By then I was sweating and I managed to almost wipe out on one of the puddles covering a huge patch of ice. Luckily my supreme athleticism took over and pretended like nothing happened. Although, Willow kind of game a sideways glance. 

Kaministiquia River Heritage Park in the Fog

As I mentioned in my previous post which took place in the Mission Marsh, it was a very foggy day. This post contains photos taken in and around Kam Park. Seeing as how I ended up going to 3 different locations that day, I figured I would split the photos up, because I think I got a lot of great shots. I couldn't think of a better place to go on a foggy day then Kam Park. With the boardwalk, the tugboat and even the tunnel, it was a no brainer.

As soon as I arrived, I saw that the fog was very dense. So dense in fact, that I could barely see the bridge across the water. I ended up having to do some more intense Lightroom adjustments, but I really dig the more moody, artistic look. It's almost dreamlike. From there on out I walked down the boardwalk and I was able to get a good shot of the dock vanishing into the background and then of the tugboat and eventually the tunnels. 

I also wandered around downtown for a bit and even snuck in a couple candid people photos. One of my favourites of the day was actually a young girl riding her bike down the street with an angry bird backpack. Once I was done downtown, I made the walk back to my car at Kam Park, but I made sure to use the other tunnel. It's such a cool tunnel, I could literally spend an 1 hour there getting some photos. 

My camera choice was the Fuji X-T1 and the lens used was the 90mm 2.0. It's a surprisingly light combo and the compression from that lens is amazing. Of course, there is no zoom on it so you do have to make sure you move your feet to frame your shots. But that is my favourite way of shooting. Check back soon for the final shoot from this day which took place in Westfort.

East End in the Morning

East End was one of my latest locations for a quick photo walk. I have walked around this location numerous times but there is always something new to photograph, and I proved that by coming away with a few good shots. For this walk I brought along my Fuji X-T1 and the 16-55mm 2.8. It allowed me to get a good mix of wide angle and also some close up shots. It was foggy all day so I knew I had to get out and take photos. I never though I would say this, but it almost too foggy. With that being said, the extreme weather allowed for some pretty unique captures.

The reason I like the East End is because a lot of it is old. I just love photographing things with character and grittiness. Of course, it's not all old there but it's a good mix. From the houses to the train yard, there is a lot of variety in that area. With it being foggy, it allowed me to capture somewhat gloomy and melancholy photos. But also, being overcast with no sun, meant really good even lighting. Even if it was kind of a dark morning. 

I actually was able to venture down to Westfort later in the day so be sure to check back soon for photos from that short walk as well. Thanks for viewing!

Mission Marsh

It had been quite a while since I had the chance to walk around Mission Marsh, but I decided to do so this past week. The cold weather started easing up a bit and there was an early frost in the morning so everything had a bit of a freeze to it. The sun was a bit higher then I would have liked but I had to work with what I had. For those who don't know Mission Marsh too well, there is one area specifically that usually has a lot of deer wandering around. On the way to the Marsh I already saw about 3-4 deer, but I knew I would be heading back that way on the way out. 

So my first stop was the actual Marsh. Of course, when you first arrive in the parking lot, it's almost impossible not to notice the view of the Sleeping Giant. Luckily for me, the mix of shadows and slightly cold frosty weather made for some pretty cool images. I then made my way down the boardwalk, which you technically aren't supposed to enter but it just meant it wasn't plowed. The viewfinders were taking down but I actually got a couple good detail photos of the frost on them. 

As I came around the trail I heard a whole lot of chirping from the squirrels. I spotted one in a bare tree so I proceeded to sneak some shots of him. Well, to put it lightly, he was not impressed. He kept running up and down the tree, looking for a way out. Finally, as I got a little to close for comfort, he literally jumped from the top of the tree, which was at least 30 feet in the air onto the snow below. He then climbed back up another tree and chirped at me some more.

I decided to then drive back to see if there were any deer on the road in the area I mentioned earlier. I parked on one of the side streets and immediately saw about 10 of them scattered in the forest and a few on the road. I didn't really have a true zoom lens but I did bring my Fuji XT-1 and 16-55mm (24-70), so it had to do. I managed to get a couple 'close up' photos of the deer(s). 

There was also a couple old vehicles half buried in the snow which actually made for two of my favourite photos of the walk. Before I left I decided to head down the other side road and that's when I saw where the rest of the deer were in the backyard of the one house on the street. As I stood there taking photos of them, they stood completely still and just stared right back at me. They were probably wondering if had food. I will have to go back soon with a slightly longer lens and see what I can get. As always, thanks for stopping by!

Last Day of the Weekend

This is going to be a short post, but I did want to take a moment to share some more photos from this past weekend. Just like in my previous post, I took our dog Willow for a walk, just as the sun was setting. So there was some really good soft lighting coming into play. As with my last session, I used my Fuji XT-1 with the 16-55mm. It proved to be the perfect lens choice for the walk. Sure, I wasn't able to get my usual shallow depth of field, but it did force me to focus a bit more on composition. With that being said, it is a fantastic lens, and when zoomed all the way to 55mm, you can really get some great seperation.

Saturday Walk with Willow

The weather warmed up just a little bit this past weekend so I was able to get out and take some photos without losing feeling in my fingers. Plus, we brought Willow over for the weekend so I had another excuse to get out and walk. 

I kept it simple for this walk, just around the neighbourhood. Although I still wanted to go to at least one spot where Willow could roam free for a bit while I take photos. That destination ended up being the elementary school down the road. I always challenge myself to find photos in even the most mundane things. As soon as I saw the playground in the school, I knew I could come way with some great shots. I saw a lot of great colours. Even the school itself had some interesting elements to photograph. Or at least, that's how I saw it. One of my favourite photos of the walk was the one I used as the header, the Canada flag. It happened to be great timing with the sun and I waited patiently for the wind to blow just the right way. 

My camera of choice this time around was the Fuji X-T1 paired with the 16-55mm lens. I mentioned in another post that I had been using my Nikon D750 almost all of the time. Lately I have been taking the XT-1 instead and I am loving it. I almost forgot how great the colours are straight out of the camera. And it's just so easy to use. Switching it up with the zoom lens was also a nice change too, seeing as how I always use primes. 

Willow was patient the whole time. She just waited by my side, off leash, as I took photos. Very cute. Of course she did do a few rolls in the snow to cool off. Stay tuned for photos from my Sunday walk, which I once again did with Willow. Thanks for viewing!

Downtown in the Blistering Cold

So it's been a pretty busy and cold winter so far, which means I haven't really had a chance to go outside and do my 'photo walks'. Since I had the day off today, I really wanted to get outside, even just for a little bit, and take some photos. The only problem was, it was about -24 with the windchill. I wasn't going to let that stop me so I bundled up and dressed as warm as I can and set off. My first stop was Boulevard Lake.

The plan was to walk the trail for a short while and see what I could find. That didn't quite go as planned because the trails were anything but groomed. At one point, I was walking through 4 feet of snow. So instead of the trail, I headed straight to the dam and bridge. That part of the park was a bit less snowy, and it was easier to traverse. Too bad the wind was more fierce and it felt about 10 degrees colder. As my own snot froze to my face and I began to lose feeling in my fingers, I decided to go back to the car and warm up. Off in the distance, as I drove down to Cumberland Street, I saw a pretty cool looking cruise ship docked at one of the piers. I checked it out but sadly, there was no way to really get close as it was fenced off. 

I didn't really want to go home quite yet so my last stop was downtown. I had a feeling it would be a bit more sheltered from the wind and 'somewhat' warmer. It ended up being tolerable but still quite cold. Regardless, I came away with some pretty good shots. 

For those interested in camera stuff, I just brought my D750 and 85mm 1.8 with me. As I mentioned before, it's a surprisingly light combo (at least for me). I'm constantly amazed at the colours the Nikon D750 produces. I always do a bit of post processing in Lightroom, but honestly, I don't really do THAT much. Since getting the D750, I find I don't really use my Fuji XT-1 as often as I used to. Nothing against the Fuji, but the Nikon is just as fun to use in my opinion. 

In any case, thanks for stopping by! Until next time...

From the Past Few Days

Now that I have a short break I figured I would post a few of the photos I have taken over the past few days. Most of these were taken during my lunch break. I used a combination of my Fuji XT-1 and 35mm 1.5 (50mm) and of course the Nikon D750 paired with a couple different primes. It's been pretty cold the past few days so I essentially just photographed what caught my eye, not lingering in one spot too long. I did however notice a parked bulldozer on the warmest of the days so I spent about 10 minutes capturing some of it's details. That is all for now. I'm sure I will be taking many more photos over the holidays so check back for more. 

Merry Christmas all!

Jumbo Gardens

I went for a very quick walk yesterday morning around the Jumbo Gardens area. I took my usual X-T1 and 23mm combo. I have done a couple portrait sessions here in the past, one taking place in the winter but I never really took the time to walk around the area aside from the trails. Since I was just capturing my usual random things, I explored the snow field with all the soccer nets. I took a mix of wide angle all the way to my standard up close and personal photos. I absolutely love focusing on the details and I think this carries through to my wedding photography. With that being said, I constantly challenge myself to take in the whole frame too.

Once I was done in the field I headed over the the playground on the other side of the tree line. There was a also the ring which was still set up, although the ice has long since gone away only to be replaced with a fresh sheet of snow. Whenever I see a playground, I know I will always be able to come away with at least a few good shots. I finished up at the rink and a small older playground by the parking lot. Aside from freezing my hands, it was a good brief photo walk. As much as I like the snow, I am ready for spring to finally arrive, that way I don't have to bundle up each time I want to take photos. Thanks for viewing!

Centennial Park

With the weather getting a bit better these days I am finding myself out a bit more taking photos. After seeing it snowed quite a bit I decided to head back to Centennial Park to see how it looked. I definitely wasn't disappointed. There was a ton of snow out there and all the trails were barely explored yet. As far as I could tell, I was the only one out there. Mind you, this was at 9:45 in the morning. There's something peaceful about walking through snow covered trails early in the morning. 

Anyone who follows this blog and sees these posts knows that I enjoy focusing on the details, and getting those close up shots. They are often almost abstract in most cases. This time around I used my Fuji X-T1 and 16-55 lens to try and capture some wider angle photos. I'm very much looking forward to using this lens this year for weddings. 

As soon as I arrived and made my way down the first part of the trail, I felt like I was being watched. Low and behold, I turned to my left and there was a deer checking me out. Of course I took a photo of him. I saw how close I could get but before I knew it, he was running off into the forest. Beyond that I walked around the snow covered cabins and then eventually up around the stable. I think the horses thought I was bring them food because they came right up to me. I saw they didn't have any hay yet so I'm sure they were quite hungry! It did give me the chance to get some great close up photos of them. 

I finished off my walk by heading to the top of the trail that overlooks Thunder Bay. Once there I got some great shots of the powerlines and overall view. And that was it. Overall, it was such a nice and relaxing walk. Hopefully we get at least one more snowfall before winter comes to an end. As long as it doesn't get too cold! 

Macintyre River Walk

This is just a quick post for some photos I took last week. I decided to walk around the Macintyre River area with my X-T1 and 35mm in hand. It was a chilly morning but not too cold where you didn't want to walk. So I headed down the trail along the river and once I got to the train tracks I did a quick check for oncoming trains and crossed. I was able to get a decent photo of the snow covered tracks which is included in this set.

Surprisingly, out of all the years I have lived here, I hadn't made it out to the semi abandoned building on the other side of the river. I honestly don't know what it's called or if it's even fully abandoned but I spent about 20 minutes photographing different angles. In the end I included my favourite photo which was looking straight up. 

The rest of the walk was just the usual in and out of back alleys and along the street. Instead of my usual post processing I decided to include some duotones in this set. I think I may incorporating this a bit more for a select few photos in my portrait and wedding photography. It gives the images a completely different feel. Of course, with anything, you just have to make sure you don't go overoboard. Unless that's your thing of course. 

As always, thanks for viewing!

Almost too cold to take photos .... almost

This winter has taken a turn and it has been very cold. That's not good when you actually want to do something outside, but I decided to defy the extreme temperature, grab my camera, and wander around aimlessly looking for things to photograph. After meeting Anne for lunch at Cronos Cafe, I dropped her off, parked the car and began my cold and brief venture in downtown Fort William. 

Instead of my usual X-T1, I decided to pull out the X-E1 paired with the 35mm. I had forgotten how capable of a camera it is. Just like with all Fuji cameras I own, the colours straight out of the camera are superb. The first 10 minutes of the walk weren't too bad but then I started feeling the cold, especially on the face. Instead of giving in I just decided to keep walking and hopefully that would warm me up a bit. It didn't. Regardless, I managed to explore for about 25 minutes. 

I didn't really have anything specific in mind, as usual I just captured what caught my eye. I finished off my walk around the train yard on Simpson Street and did some in camera double exposures. Some of them turned out pretty good. It's usually a hit and miss kind of thing but fun as hell to try. If your camera has the option, next time you are out and about and looking for something different, give it a shot. 

Thanks for viewing!

Kakabeka Falls on a Warm Winter Day

Anne and I had been looking forward to today pretty all week because the weather was supposed to be very nice. Well, today came, and it was just as expected. So, after a nice big breakfast and some fresh air on the deck we headed off to Kakabeka Falls for a long overdue walk. Once we arrived, Anne made sure she was dressed appropriately and I made sure my camera was ready to go. I decided to go with the very light and portable combo of the X-T1 and 35mm. It ended up being the perfect choice.

It was quite snowy out there but luckily the paths, for the most part, were walkable. After crossing the bride and checking out the views from the other side of the Falls, we headed into the trail that runs through the forest. There was a bit more snow in there but it was nothing we couldn't handle. Actually, it was quite beautiful and peaceful. 

Of course, along the way, I got Anne to pose for me and I got some great photos of here. Then again, she is very photogenic so it doesn't take much. I was also able to get some good photos of the Falls from the lookouts along the way. 

Near the end of our walk I actually tried a few in camera double exposures. One of them turned out to be pretty interesting so I included it in these photos. We ended our little excursion to Kakabeka with a quick bite to eat the local lunch spot, The Metropolitan Moose. If you haven't been, they have really good food there, especially the sandwiches and quesadillas. 

Before we knew it, out bellies were full and we were driving home. Having such a beautiful day like today really made us miss spring and summer but hopefully they aren't too far around the corner. In the meantime, we will just have to wait for the nice day here and there to get out there and explore. 

Friday Afternoon in Downtown FW

Since I have walked around downtown Fort William quite bit, I figured I would try to venture to different areas this time around. Aside from going down different streets, one of the things I sought out to do was head on over to the parkade.Once I got there, I found an entrance that actually had access and I was off to the races. 

Upon entering, I headed to the 3rd floor. I figured I would make my way up to the top eventually, but first, I had to get a feel for the parkade. I can’t remember the last time I was ever actually in there but it was pretty much what expected. I wanted to make sure there weren’t any security guards walking around as I know in the past, if they see someone walking around with a camera, it piques their interest. 

The coast was clear so I walked all around looking at the views and also any things that caught my eye in and around the parkade. There is a certain calming effect I get when walking around alone taking photos. With that being said, I do find myself either talking to myself most of the time or other animals. In this case, there were plenty of pigeons hanging around that I had one or two conversations with. I probably shouldn’t admit that I guess. 

My favourite photo from up in the parkade was the one of the church across the street. Just the way it turned out with the very faint reflection of the window in which I shot through. I also got a few discreet photos of people walking and going about their day. Of course, it’s easy to get candid photos like that when you are 4 or 5 floors up. 

The rest of the walk went by pretty fast and seeing as how I was starting to get cold I headed a bit sooner than I would have wanted to. I still came away with some good photos. As usual, I used my favourite street camera, the Fuji X-T1 and 35mm 1.4 combo. It just works so perfectly. 

It was downtown kind of morning

Instead of going to the gym as usual and hitting the treadmill, I decided to grab my trusty camera and brave the cold winter morning in downtown Port Arthur. Luckily, the weather warmed up slightly so it wasn't as bad as it has been all week. So I parked the car, bundled up and headed out into the unknown. Well, in this case, it ended up being Cumberland Street at first.

My first stop was the old Cineplex Theatre, which is just an old abandoned building for the most part. I am still amazed that they haven't torn down the signage. My camera of choice was the Fuji X-T1 and the 16-55mm lens. It's a great combo, and even though it's a bit of a bigger lens, I still don't really notice the weight. I usually shoot with my prime lens but I must admit, it's nice to have a bit of zoom. It allowed me to get some perspectives I wouldn't normally have been able to get.

The next stop along the way was the Shoreline Motel. For some reason, I'm always drawn to this building, for photos that is. It's not really my cup of tea as an establishment, but to each their own. I think I'm just a sucker for slightly run down and old buildings. 

Seeing as how I was right across the street from the Marina, I crossed the street and walked around the west end. There were some interesting cloud formations hovering around the Sleeping Giant so I waited a bit for the sun to be right and snapped a couple photos. I really need to start bring my tripod with me more often but I think I got a good enough shot hand held.

I was starting to get a bit colder, especially once the sun went away so I took the overpass back downtown and finished up by exploring some other streets and back alleys, before heading back to my car. The last shot of my walk was my favourite. I noticed that a whole bunch of pigeons were perched on the building so I gently approached, and because I had my zoom, I was able to stand a bit back and get a good shot. 

Thanks for viewing!