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. 

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!

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!

Thunder Bay Marina

When I woke up a few days ago and noticed that it was really foggy I wanted to go take photos right away but it just wasn't possible. Instead, I ended up getting out about an hour later and I decided to head down to the Thunder Bay Marina. The sun was just a bit up in the sky and the ground had a fresh coat of frost and there was actually quite a bit of ice on most of the trails. On the way to the Marina I saw a few people on the side of the road due to black ice. So I began my walk around the Marina watching my step along the way.

Some days when I'm taking photos I feel more inspired and see things I might not normally see. Perhaps this is just in my head, and I'm not sure if other photographer's feel this way, but I don't think I am imagining it. Perhaps it was the brisk morning weather but it was a very fun photo walk. I spent about an hour around the Marina, taking my time, looking for different perspectives and just generally picking out things and moments that caught my eye.

All in all, this was one of my favourite sessions in a while. In my mind, I came away with a wide variety of photos. I always tend to focus on close up details but this time around I got a lot of great landscape shots as well. My camera of choice this morning was the Fuji X-T1 and the 35mm. 

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. 

Fisherman's Park

Last week I found yet another great location that I had never been before. I may be the only one out of the loop, but just off Cumberland, on the way to the grain elevators, there is this small little park on the water called Fisherman's Park. I went on a very rainy day but seeing as how my camera and lens is waterproof, the rain didn't stop me! 

As soon as I got there, I headed underneath the overpass and got a few shots of the water. I will definitely have to go back and try another time-lapse as I think it would turn out great with the scenery there.

After that, I walked the short trail and took in the view of Lake Superior and the grain elevators. Before I was about to leave I noticed a loading dock for boats. I automatically assumed it was closed off but it was completely open to the public. I was still a bit hesitant as I thought at any moment some old man would come out of the bush and start yelling at me. That didn't happen so I explored a bit. There were three very old boats there. Only one was closed off. When I have more time I will be going back on a nice day to get some nice shots.

Once I left there I didn't want to go home just then so I went up to the boulevard dam bridge. It was getting more rainy can cold but I preserved and walked down the trail a little bit. Luckily I did as I managed to get a great shot of a whole bunch of birds flying into the sky from Boulevard Lake. I also managed to get some good photos of the bridge. I have mentioned this many times before but I love rainy overcast days. The lighting is so even and there are no harsh shadows. 

And that was it. I went home to warm up and anxiously go through the photos. 

Hillcrest Park

I'm getting a little behind on my personal blog but here is a few photos I took last week when it snowed again. Since then we have had some really great warm weather. These were all shot around 10:00 in the morning so as you can see it was very gloomy and somewhat dark. I thought the black and white treatment for most of the images was fitting. 

Thunder Bay really is a beautiful city and the thing I love about Hillcrest Park is that depending on the type of day it is and even the hour, the view can change drastically. I didn't photograph it today, but driving by, the sun was huge in the morning and it looked like something out of a movie with all the ships out on Lake Superior.

All images were show with the Fuji X-T1 and 16mm. As usual I used the RAW images and did my usual post processing in Lightroom. 

Mission Marsh in November

This will just be a short post but I wanted to share some photos I took on a cold November morning out at Mission Marsh. I noticed while driving how the lake looked so I immediately grabbed my camera and headed out to a good open area with a good view of the Sleeping Giant and Lake Superior. For these photos I used my Fuji X-T1 and my wide angle 16mm lens. 

I also stopped on the way back to see if there were any deer lurking around and there were about 7 of them. I didn't have my zoom lens so I made due with what I had. I included one of the photos here. Then I finished off with a couple photos of the city from the bridge leading back to Fort William Road. 

Braving the Cold Weather

I recently had to get my car serviced so I bundled up for the cold weather and brought my Fuji X-T1 along. It ended up being about an hour and half wait so I set out to explore the area and find some good photo opportunities. Since I grew up in this area for the better part of my life I knew it pretty well. But, my challenge was to explore a little deeper into areas I don't usually go. 

There is a retirement home near by so I decided to walk in behind there. I noticed a large field with footprints that eventually led to the apartment complex closer to my house. So off I went, later realizing that I wasn't supposed to trespass there. When has that ever stopped a photographer right? I ended up getting some great shots here with the tall grass and old run down fence. 

I then made my way to the off leash dog trail which I have been down many times before. As I got near the end though, I decided to take a shortcut through which I had never done before. I immediately saw an old abandoned shack. I stayed on the outside of it to take a few photos. I had no intent on going inside. I then finished off my walk by the police station where there is a garden area. The plants have long since died but there was still some great colours there. 

It was then time to go back to the car dealership to my car. I later ventured to Westfort yet again to take some more photos but I will save that for another post.

Trip to Duluth

My birthday was in September but since my wife's cousin Cora and her husband Jay couldn't make it then, they decided to buy some some tickets to an MMA event in Duluth. So, this past weekend we made a weekend trip out of it. As always we stayed at Black Bear Casino which is about 10 minutes outside of Duluth. This is where the fights took place. Any time we get to go to Duluth I look forward to it very much. It means I get to take photos of a completely different city. As nice as Thunder Bay is, it's always nice to get out of here for a while and explore somewhere else. 

I knew at some point during the trip I had to go downtown to take some photos. The last few times we visited Duluth we didn't really get a chance to do so. This time around we made it happen on the Sunday. So, with my trusty Fuji X-T1 in hand and my 16mm lens attached, we set off for a brisk walk around the waterfront. It was on the Sunday before we were leaving so we only walked around for 45 minutes or so but it was enough time to get some good shots. In reality, I could easily spend 4 hours downtown exploring but we didn't exactly have the time to do so. 

It was amazing to finally walk the boardwalk out to the lighthouse. Surprisingly, we hand't done this before. It's so beautiful there with a lot of different things to photograph. From the view of the ships out on the water, to the view back towards the city, there is no shortage of interesting perspectives. With the X-T1 it's the perfect camera to just hold in one hand and pick out things that catch my eye. I'm not saying these shots couldn't have been taken with my big DSLR but it's a lot more fun with the X-T1. Plus, having the tillable screen on the back, I was able to get down low for a few shots that would have been much harder to get on my Nikon cameras. At least the ones I own currently. 

Of course, as usual, Anne was a great sport as I made sure to take plenty of photos of her. I didn't include them all here but she's always so fun to photograph. It's gotten to the point where I just say stop, and stand in a certain spot and she does it without even thinking. Mixed in with the photos of downtown are random photos from the rest of the weekend. I just love getting in close and picking out the finer details of objects that would otherwise be pretty boring. 

Thanks for viewing!

Boulevard Lake

I'm just getting around to posting this from last week but better late then never. Even since a week ago it seems like winter is closer then ever but I did manage to find some colour last week. Most of the leaves are gone now so I'm glad I got out when I did. It was also a very foggy day as well, so that helped create a nice mood to some of the photos, especially the ones by the river. 

The first few photos in this series are actually around Grandview Arena. Before meeting Anne for lunch, I walked around there for about 20 minutes. There is a really nice trail there and I came away with some great shots. After lunch, I then headed down to Boulevard Lake. I started by the park off Arundel Street and walked under the bridge along the water for a bit. Not being the sharpest tool in the shed I was wearing my dressier shoes the whole time so they ended up getting soaked by the end of it. Ah well. 

I eventually headed back to the car and then drove down to the main area by the mini put course. I spent some time around the run down tennis court which I used to play tennis at back in the day. There were some great reflections due to the puddles on the court. I ended the walk by the playground. For the whole shoot I used my D610 combined with the 85mm 1.8. Such a great light combo and the colours that come from that lens are outstanding, especially for a lens that really isn't that expensive. Now I'm just waiting for the weather to get a bit better before I head out again this week...

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.

Golf Links Road

After I got my car washed in the morning yesterday I figured I would finally visit the large empty field off Golf Links Road. I pass by it almost everyday and each time I keep saying to my myself that I should take some photos there. Well, yesterday was the day. It was quite gloomy and pretty overcast which I really didn't mind. It actually suited the overall mood of the photos. 

The main things that catch my eye with this area are the trees in the background as well as a gnarly old tree with a for sale sign on it. I would have loved to have gone all the way in to where the trees in the background are buy I wasn't sure if there was some old guy in the centre of the field sitting on a lawn chair waiting for trespassers with his shotgun. So I decided to stay by the trail on the road. 

With that being said, I think I came away with some interesting photos. I simply used my X-T1 with the fixed lens 35mm. So I couldn't really zoom or anything but it goes to show you, as long as you have feet to move with, you can frame any shot. I also took a few minutes to walk to the stream just of Central Avenue, which are where the last few photos came from. The last photo was of a toy bulldozer which caught my eye in someones yard. I ran up, quickly grabbed a photo and then I was on my way. 

Downtown Fort William

Last Friday I decided to meet my wife Anne for Dinner after work. So, as usual, I brought my camera with me and showed up a bit early so I could walk around beforehand. She works at McKellar School which is in Fort William, right downtown. I didn't stray to far from the area and kept right around the school. I walked down some alleyways, as well as the streets. Eventually I met up with her but before we headed to ExCuria for an after work drink, I came into the school with her. As you can see, I snapped a few quick photos inside as well. And that was it. Although I would later drag her over to Kam Park for a quick photoshoot in the rain. You can find the post soon on my professional blog.

All photos were taken on my Fuji X-T1 paired with the 35mm 1.4. 

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!

East End

The other week I managed to walk around East End a bit and below are some of my favourite photos from the day. I even got some Halloween decorations in there as well. I just love all the old homes in this area as well as the train yard. It was a cloudy day so as you can see everything is kind of muted but I actually like it. It tells you that winter is definitely on it's way.

I also was able to walk to the overpass and get some great shots of the not only the bridge, but the view from the bridge. It's the first time I actually walked on the bridge and it's amazing what you can see when you actually stop to look. Every other time I have been on the overpass it's been in a car so obviously it is a bit hard to appreciate the view.

My camera of choice this time around was my Fuji X-T1 paired with the 35mm. All of the photos were shot as jpg's and edited in Lightroom. Thanks for viewing.

Sunday Photos

Last Sunday we made a last minute decision to go to an indoor flea market. Well, I knew, that I would probably get bored after a few minutes, and there were candles involved, so I made sure to bring my Fuji X-T1 paired with the 35mm 1.4. After looking around for a little bit once we arrived I braved the cold morning air and explored around the area a bit. I was fairly familiar with the general area so as usual I just wandered around. There was a park right next door so I got some good 'macro' shots in around there and I also walked around the neighbourhood somewhat as well. 

I also managed to snap a few photos of some of the items inside. It wasn't really a big yard sale, but there were definitely some interesting finds in there. After about an hour we headed home. It wasn't until later in the afternoon that I once again had a camera in hand. This time around it was for a photoshoot out on Memory Road. Once the session was done I snapped a quick photo of one of the tractors. I like the contrast of the yellow against the blue sky. Lastly, we made a stop at O.T.C., which is a burger place on the highway coming back into town. While sitting around, waiting for your food, I pulled out my Nikon D610 and 50mm 1.8 and grabbed a few photos. I even got one of Anne, even though she wasn't really in the mood for photos that day. But hey, when has that ever stopped me. 

Sunday Afternoon at Chippewa Park

It was a busy weekend with portrait shoots but I actually managed to find about 20 minutes to take some personal photos. One of my sessions took place at Chippewa Park so I decided to get there a bit early and walk around. With me I had my Nikon D610  and the 70-200mm 2.8 and 50mm 1.8. I usually don't walk around with these lenses as they are a bit on the heavier side. Anyone who has seen some of my previous posts know that I tend to favour the Fuji X-T1. 

For the photos of the sleeping giant I pulled out my trusty 70-200 2.8. I obviously use this lens a lot for all my weddings and portrait sessions but it has been a while since I used it for personal photos like landscapes. The Nikon D610 isn't the highest end full frame camera by Nikon but it did an amazing job with sharpness and detail as well as retaining the highlights and shadows. One of these days I'm going to upgrade to the D750 and use the D700 solely as a backup camera but for now I'm more then fine with the D610. 

For all the other photos I used the 50mm 1.8. To be honest I just started using this lens again and I  have forgotten how much I truly love it, especially when paired with the D610. I used it for the first time on portrait session this past weekend and I came away with some fantastic photos. The bokeh produced by this lens along with the rich colours are amazing. 

As with most of my photography I rarely set the lens past it's 1.8 setting unless I'm taking photos of groups of people. But when I am just walking around taking abstract photos I always try and pick out small details as you can see from the photos below. 

As for procession, I worked with the native RAW files converted to DNG in Lightroom 6. From there I always start by using my favourite preset. Then I play with the contrast and clarity and colour enhancements. To be honest, the files don't need much work. Then I'll usually sharpen the images using NIK Effects along with a few tweaks in Viveza. It seems like a lot of post processing but I'm usually only spending about 1-2 minutes per final image tops.

Thanks for viewing!

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Current River

I managed to get for a bit the other day in the Current River area. It was in the dead of afternoon with the sun beating down, so not the best lighting conditions. When it's bright and sunny like that, I tend to look more for harsh shadows and contrast. The one thing I realized about Current River is that there are endless back alleys. I'll definitely have to go back and explore a bit more when I have more time. 

Once again I used my X-T1 with the 35mm 1.4. I just love the colour that comes from that lens. I rarely have to do much post processing. I usually just apply my usual subtle preset and then bump up the contrast and selective colour.

Thanks for viewing!