Weekend Fun

This weekend was very busy but it was also packed with a lot of fun. We ended up playing some cards, some dice and Anne cooked some amazing meals. We even had Willow over for the weekend, and as you can tell from the cover image, she was looking for some love (and food).  Jasmine and Emma slept over, as did Anne's mom, Cathy. I would have preferred to actually win's some game of dice against her, but she was ruthless. 

Once the afternoon rolled around on the Saturday, we made our way to a couple of the thrift shops. I must admit, thrift stores are not high on my list, but I made sure to bring my camera along so I can see what I could capture. All in all, it was a great Saturday and it was so nice to be able to spend it with family.

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. 

Quick Visit to Westfort

My last photo walk of the day in the fog took place in Westfort. I knew I had to at least go to one more location before I called it a day so I headed on over to the Westfort overpass. The bridge itself is just an awesome location but it also overlooks the entire train yard which I knew might look pretty cool in the fog. I actually spent a good 30 minutes photographing on the overpass, but I decided to only show a select few, my favourites if you will.

Since the day was dwindling down, and I knew I had to pick up Anne from work shortly, I walked a couple blocks to see what I could find. I actually came away with a few interesting compositions. All in all, it was a really fun day of taking photos. If I could do this everyday I would be in heaven. 

For those interested, I used my Fuji X-T1 paired with the 90mm 2.0. Thanks for viewing. 

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!

30 Minute Photo Walk

Earlier in the week I was able to able to walk around on my short lunch break during work. Knowing I was going to have a break, I made sure to bring my Fuji XT-1 and 35mm 1.4. It's a super small, yet powerful combo. So, I wolfed down my lunch so I had more time to actually spend outside taking photos. I decided to just stay in the area and walk the back alley and streets like I usually do. For some reason, I always find more interesting things in the back lanes.

So with my camera in hand I set out to see what I could find. Most of the time when I am just wandering around aimlessly, I look for colours or contrast first. Then I sort out the composition. As anyone who reads these blogs (assuming there are a few of you out there) ... I absolutely love focusing on the details and isolating certain objects. It's not all about just shallow depth of field though, as just like my wedding photography, I'm always on the lookout for moments too. A lot of the times, at least with my style of 'street photography', I am simply taking photos of still objects but once in a while I stumble across moments. Case in point, I noticed a very tired and lazy dog on the steps on one of the houses I was passing by. As I stopped, raised my camera, he looked up for a split second, and then rested his had back down. 

There you have it. With a little motivation and a camera in hand, even your phone, anyone can take photos as long as you are willing to get out and walk around a bit. If you have trouble finding inspiration, pick a theme. Choose a colour to photograph, use a certain focal length or simply just try to capture 1 really good image. Happy shooting!

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!

An October Escape to Mine Centre

To be honest, I didn't really know what to call this post. Technically, Anne and I travelled to Mine Centre at the beginning of October because I had a wedding to photograph. But, seeing as how we were driving that far, we decided to make it a bit of a vacation as well, even though I had to work. I will be following this post up with another one in the next day or so showcasing all the wonderful images from Alexa and Shawn's wedding. In the meantime, I figured I would put up a few of the random photos of our adventures in between working.

On the way to Mine Centre, which is about 40 minutes outside of Fort Frances we only stopped once and that was at a rest stop. It was a quick break where we used the not too smelly washrooms and I inhaled a sandwich Anne made for me. 

Our next stop was where the wedding eventually took place and where Alexa and Shawn lived, Mine Centre. I don't think I actually told Alexa this but upon turning off the highway we drove right past the first road that led to their house. About 8 minutes later as we made our way down a progressively sketchier dirt road we realized we had gone to far. In the end, we found it ok. 

We were quickly greeted by Shawn's family and his mom drove with us to our cabin which was about 5 minutes away just off the highway. As soon as we saw it, we were both amazed at how beautiful it was. It was so nice out, so after we settled in, we hung out on the dock for a little bit, and then relaxed inside the cabin. 

It was then time to head out to Fort Frances for the the pre wedding dinner. While we were making our way to the venue we ran into some crazy fog. Luckily I had my camera with me so we drove further down the road and got some amazing photos in the fog, which changed on a dime. We moved pretty quick though and managed to even get some 'creepy' photos with Anne and her hair. 

I'll discuss all the details from the wedding day itself in my next post, but the next chance I got to take some personal photos was on the way home. I had noticed that there were a few areas on the highway just before Mine Centre that had some bare trees among the fall colours. I thought it would make a good photo so I made sure to stop on the highway and quickly snap a few.

And that was pretty much it. We drove home after that and still made it back in the early afternoon and proceeded to have a very busy day of even more photos.

I can't wait to post all the photos from the wedding!

A Bit of Randomness

So it seems as though I have gotten way behind on posting my personal stuff. Not just because wedding season is in full swing and it's the busiest time of year, but also life has just been busy. It doesn't help when your house floods for the 2nd time in 2 years as well. In any case, here are some of my favourite photos from the past 3-4 months. 

As always, they are mostly random objects or moments that caught my eye. Whether it be colour, composition or just something interesting. Most of them were taken with either the Fuji X-T1 or the Nikon D750 combined with one of my prime lenses. 

For those of you who look at this part of my website, thanks for stopping by.

Aboriginal Day - Thunder Bay Marina

With so many events going on in Thunder Bay each summer it's sometimes hard to get out to most of them. Luckily, I found the time to head on over to the Marina and photograph some of Aboriginal Day. Surprisingly, this was my first time attending Aboriginal Day at the Marina. I'm so glad a I went as it was quite the celebration. The event started off with some opening remarks and speeches and then eventually the opening ceremonies and entrances. 

It was very fun to watch and unfortunately that's all I could do as there was no photography allowed for the first 3 dances. And before I knew it I had to leave. Luckily I came back with Anne later in the evening and got some dancing photos then. When I was there in the morning I thought it was pretty busy but when I got back in the evening there were about 3 times as many people. It was great to see such a good turnout. 

I'll definitely be on the lookout for any more upcoming pow wows. As a photographer they are a pleasure and a treat to photograph. 

Stronger Together

This past Saturday was a very busy but fun day. Along with Aboriginal Day and Beerfest, I also quickly stopped by another great cause, Stronger Together. It was a benefit in honour of Kevin Corbett and family to show support through this difficult time. Some of Thunder Bay's strongest came together to perform some extremely tough challenges. For the men, they included the stone over bar, car deadlifts and the max log press. On the women's side, there was the max log press. 

Since it was a such a busy day, I was only able to catch the car deadlift. It's pretty much how it sounds. The car in question was a blue Mustang. As you can see from the feature photo, it was quite heavy. Overall, it was great to see such an awesome turnout for a very good cause. Even though I was only able to see some of it, it was still a lot of fun. I'll be sure to make my way to the next Strongman Event whenever that takes place here in Thunder Bay.

Thunder Pride

Over the weekend I got the opportunity to check out the Thunder Pride parade here in Thunder Bay. This was my first time attending the parade so I didn't really know what to expect. It ended up being such a fantastic turnout. I set up right at the corner of Red River and Algoma where the parade started and was able to get some great photos of the parade making its way down the street. For a city like Thunder Bay, there were so many people in so many different costumes and it was just such an over all electric atmosphere. 

As the parade made it's way down Red River road to the Marina, Anne and I followed them down taking photos along the way. Once they arrived at the Marina we wandered around a bit capturing moments here and there as well as getting shots of some of the different people and their attired. There was some live music and eventually some opening remarks and introductions from some of the leaders within the city.

I will definitely be attending next years event as this years was so much fun. We weren't able to stay very long but I still managed to get some really good shots. It's amazing just how much support and awareness there is within Thunder Bay. 

City + Colour Concert

It was another great evening at the Auditorium with a live performance by City and Colour as well as Shakey Graves who opened up for them. This was my first time seeing both bands live and it was a real treat. The Walleye asked if I could photograph both bands and there was no way I was going to turn down this opportunity. 

I knew of Shakey Graves going in but I honestly hadn't heard too much of their music other then some of their more popular songs. Let's just say that I will giving their albums a good listen now. They put on an outstanding performance. There was a ton of energy and lead singer, Alejandro Rose-Garcia, had an amazing voice. This was actually my first concert at the Auditorium that I had the opportunity to photograph in the 'Pit'. It was very cool to actually be able to get up close within a few feet of the band. It really provided some dynamic angles and more intimate photos. After their set, it was time for City and Colour to eventually take the stage.

With about 15 minutes until showtime, I made my way back to the Pit and waited anxiously for City and Colour to take the stage. As expected the crowd went wild and you could feel the energy throughout the whole building. I photographed the first 4-5 songs and then eventually headed up to my seat on the Mezzanine where my wife Anne was waiting. I ended up getting separate tickets for us so we could both watch the show once I was done photographing. I was so glad I did as we both enjoyed the show immensely. Plus, it allowed me to get some more photos from a completely different perspective! 

On the technical side of things, all the photos below were taken with the Nikon D750. The lenses I used were all primes, the 20mm 2.8, 50 1.8 and mostly the 85 1.8. Because I was able to get in close for the most part, the primes worked perfectly. I processed all the images in Lightroom and decided to present them in black and white. The colour versions turned out fine, but there is just something about black and white that I really enjoy. It really lets the view focus on the moment of the photo in a slightly different way. 

Hammarskjold High School Vintage Car Show

This is just a quick post that I wanted to share. Hammarskjold High School decided to host a small vintage car show today so I decided to stop by with my camera and see what kind of cars showed up. In all, there were about 10 cars along with some off-road jeeps. I'm a sucker for vintage cars so any chance I get to attend one of these shows I jump at the opportunity. 

All the cars there were very cool and of course in pristine condition. Next time I will have to take notes on the specific cars. While photographing the cars today I focused on the details as that what is most interesting to me. Of course the car itself as a whole is as sight to see but since there wasn't really a lot of space to get full car shots, I figured why not get in close.

I can't wait to attend some of the larger future events. I'll never get used to just how many of these old cars either reside in Thunder Bay or make there way through.