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. 

Centennial Park + Boulevard in the Fog

Centennial Park was the location of one of my latest excursions. It was foggy again, and I had to quickly decide where to go before it went away. I figured it was time to go visit the horses once again and in the process, hopefully there would be some fog lingering around. Luckily, the horses were still out and there was a bit of fog to add to the mood. At the very least, it was my favourite kind of weather, overcast and somewhat gloomy.

Once I arrived at the park, I made my way directly to the playground which was completely empty. I just got in really close and captured some of the finer details that most people wouldn't even be looking at. I was simply using my Nikon D750 and the 50mm 1.8. I mentioned this before, but it's such a great walk around combo, very well balanced. The colours that come from the Nikon are just fantastic and always so perfectly balanced. Of course, I do my usual magic in Lightroom but it really doesn't take that much. After all, it's about the composition too which I always push myself to evolve at. 

After talking to the horses for a short while and walking around the stables, I made my way to the train tracks and Muskeg Express. In the past I have always just walked past it but this time around I decided to get in a little bit closer. I think I came away with some pretty cool photos. I did the same for the tractor down the trail too. By the time I was done, the fog was all but gone at Centennial, but I figured I might as well do a drive by Boulevard, where the dam is. It was actually still a bit gloomy down there too so I went for a short walk to see what I can come away with. 

One of my favourite parts of Boulevard is the bridge and the view looking on. With the fog in the background outlining the grain elevators I captured a couple good shots. As with Centennial, I got in close on a couple occasions to focus on the finer details. Building up a bit of an appetite I figured I would stop at Tim's on the way back. While wolfing down my breakfast sandwich at the table, I noticed the construction worker through the window and because I pretty much always have my camera with me, I got a good fleeting photo. He was only there for a about 10 seconds. 

And of course, once I got home, the last photo which was the perfect conclusion to the morning was lazy Willow passed out on the driveway. She does have hard life after all. 

East End Walk

Last week I decided to go for a quick walk around the East End area, near May Street and eventually across the bridge. I brought my Nikon D750 and 85mm lens. As usual, I tried to explore areas I haven't in the past, so this meant walking in and out of a lot of the back alleys. It's amazing the things you can find to photograph in the alleys. Of course, I set out to look for the old and the run down, so there is plenty of that in East End. But, there is also a lot of character, which is why it's one of my favourite areas in town to take photos.

After the alleys, I made my way to the train yard and then decided I might as well take the tunnel under the tracks to the other side. I didn't spend too much time there but I managed to find a few good captures. It was then time to cross the bridge back to Simpson Street and make my way back to the car.

Camping in Geraldton

Last weekend, Anne and I decided to drive up to Geraldton for a couple days to visit her Uncle Lawrence's camp just outside of Geraldton. Since her mom was already up there we figured it would be fun to stay one night and then drive back the next day. Well, it ended up being a very relaxing and fun trip. Although, the weather didn't quite cooperate, but, even though it snowed a bit both days, it made the experience all that much more unique. Plus, as a photographer, it allowed me to get some great photos. 

I ended up taking a ton of photos and I even tried my hand at some time lapses. I have yet to process them but hopefully they turn out alright. That being said, it was tough to narrow it down the selection you below. We began the trip on the Friday by loading up the car and eventually getting Willow into the backseat of my car. She was definitely excited which made the fact that we ended up having to leave her behind that much worse. We decided we just wouldn't have enough room on the way back for her to squeeze into the backseat. We will be going up again this weekend so I'm sure this time around she will fit. 

After we dropped her off, we headed out of town with the first stop being the Husky in Nipigon. Once we were done with our stop there it was pretty much straight through to the camp. I did plan on taking some photos along the way but I decided to just spend some time on the Saturday to explore which we did end up doing. Once we did arrive at camp, Cathy was waiting for us. By the time we got there, it started to snow shortly thereafter. I immediately took out my camera when we arrived and walked around the camp. I had only been there once before but I do remember all the little knick knacks hanging around. There is even an old telephone booth in the trees. I have no idea how it got there but I made sure to take a photo of it. 

As I mentioned earlier, I did a few time lapses while there. I set one up right away down by the river and let it go for about 1.5 hours. I have yet to see how it turned out but I'm hoping it worked. I did another later in the evening as well.

Once we were done dinner we played some cards and eventually went to bed. The next morning brought some more snow but also a nice big pot of coffee which went extremely well with the brisk morning. We actually brushed off the lawn chairs and sat out in the snow for a bit. Anne eventually made a huge breakfast which was simply awesome. For some reason, even though it was just a cabin, breakfasts are so much better when you are camping like that. After breakfast, Anne and I walked down the road to the highway and spent some time down by the river. Aside from a transport flying by every 1 minutes, it was pretty peaceful. 

It was almost time to leave, but we decided to take a quick drive to Geraldton to fill up on gas. Of course, I managed grab a few nice shots while in town, even though it was just the outskirts. Probably two of my favourite photos of the trip were of me and Anne on a big hill. We then headed back to camp, packed up, and started the drive to Thunder Bay. This part of the trip was my favourite, simply because we stopped all along the way. It was a photographers dream and I was in heaven. We went for some lunch in Beardmore at a great little diner called Anne's. I got a chance to walk around there a bit which was awesome. Along the way we also went to the dump which doesn't really sound that exciting, but upon entering, there were a ton of huge hawks and eagles. It was really a site to behold.

Just after we made a quick drop-off there, we drove through Macdiarmid. This is where Anne grew up when she was younger. It was definitely interesting to see and I was amazed at how beautiful the scenery was along the water. Our last stop before continuing on to Thunder Bay was just off the highway. There as a trail there that we were able to walk along and get some truly beautiful photos. And that was it! For those curious about what camera's I used, I brought along my Nikon D750 and the 50mm as well as my Fuji X-T1 and two zooms, the 16-55 and 55-140. 

If the time lapses turnout I will be sure to post them on this site so stay tuned. Thanks as always to those who take the time to view this. 

Mission Marsh + Island Drive

I saw that it was going to be a nice cloudy day, possibly with some dramatic clouds, so I drove on over to the Mission Marsh. For this walk I brought along my Fuji X-T1 and 55-140 zoom lens. With this combo I was able to get some different perspectives compared to previous visits where I simply had a prime lens with me. As soon as I arrived I walked down the boardwalk along the lake and then I decided to explore along the beach a bit. I had never gone that way before and I came away with one of my favourite photos of the day. It was the one with the building tucked away behind the trees. The clouds were just perfect and I just love the overall composition.

After that, Ih headed back to the car, but along the way I spotted a squirrel who was just as interested in me as I was him. I then made my way to the Island Drive park. It had been quite a while since I walked around there so it was nice to get back. I spotted a couple geese with their young one who was bright yellow. Very cute indeed. It was actually quite a cold day so I didn't hang around too long but I still came away with some great shots. Thanks for viewing as always!

Terry Fox Lookout + Trow Bridge

As soon as I saw the fog yesterday morning I knew I had to go somewhere cool to capture some photos. I saw that the fog got heavier as you went further east, so I decided to head on over to the Terry Fox Lookout, seeing as how I hadn't really been there for a while. I already had my Fuji X-T1 and 16-55mm lens. So, off I went in search of some great photos. 

Coming up the main road leading to the lookout I could already tell that the fog was going to make for some good shots. Even though it was already starting to dissipate, I knew still had some time. After grabbing a few quick shots of the road leading up I made my way to the lookout itself. I worked fairly quickly and just looked for different angles of the monument. I always try and capture perspectives that no one else has done, it's almost a way of challenging myself to not just settle. Of course, I know for a fact I walked away with some standard photos but I still tried to incorporate my own personal style.

Once I was done walking around the lookout, I drove back down to the base of the hill and parked the car. Normally I would have just left but I felt a bit courageous and so I got out of the car and climbed the hilltop to where the low mountain range was. There were a few Inukshuks up on the ledge so I incorporated them into some of my landscape photos. 

It was then off to Trow Bridge. I figured there might still be some fog left there but sadly I was wrong. I didn't want to waste the trip though so I still managed to capture a few good shots down by the water and bridge. I also got a couple keepers from the playground as well. All in all, I was out and about for an hour or so. It was so much fun and very calming. Thanks for viewing!

Chippewa Park with Anne

This is just a quick post. Today's is Anne's birthday so I figured I would post some photos from our recent walk around Chippewa Park. It was a combination of a mini portrait session with Anne mixed in with some landscape photos. She is always such a great sport and I owe a lot of my success with my wedding and portrait business to her because she has let me practice and hone my skills over the years. Happy Birthday!

The Neebing River - East End

This post is kind of a part two, to my previous one. Last week I walked around part of the Neebing River, but more towards Friendship Gardens. This time around, I headed on over to the trail in East End that follows the river out to Lake Superior. I'm not exactly sure why, but one of my favourite areas in town to take photos is East End. I think it's because it's a good mix of nature and landscape and some great urban scenes. Plus, each time I'm there, I literally see no more then 5 people out and about. It's just so quiet and peaceful, if that makes sense. 

So this walk was a mix of some great landscape photos, which I am trying to take more and more of, and of course my usual random photos of anything else that catches my eye. After walking part of the trail, I spent most of my time in the various baseball parks in the area, as well as one of the playgrounds. I'm trying more and more to take a step back and get photos that take in the whole scene, but I also made sure, as I always do, to get in nice and close and play with depth of field, focusing on the details.

It was a nice overcast day so I couldn't have asked for better weather. It gave all the images a nice even tone and I didn't have to really worry about shadows. Although, there are plenty of times when I set out to find shadows and see what I can do with them. For this walk, I used my Nikon d750 and the 50mm 1.8. I absolutely love the bokeh and depth of field it produces. Of  course, I had to throw in a couple photos of the kitties from when I got home. You can never have too many cat photos after all. Thanks for viewing!

Along the Neebing River

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

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

Kam Park

I finally bit the bullet and got myself the Nikon d750 and I couldn't be happier. The main reason why I purchased it was for wedding season which is fast approaching. That's not to say I won't be using it a lot on my photo walks which is exactly what I did for my exploration of Kam Park this past week. If you have seen any of my previous posts, you will see I have been at this location a couple times before. So my challenge this time was to see if I could capture different perspectives and scenes. I think it accomplished that and more this time around. 

Admittedly, the first few photos of this series are from the downtown area in Fort William while I was waiting for Anne during lunch. After that, I headed on over to Kam Park and spent the next hour seeing what captures my eye. Luckily for me, the weather was awesome and there were plenty of birds out as well. It allowed me to put the d750 to the test somewhat which I had paired with the good old 50mm 1.8 lens. This still ranks as one of my favourite lenses ever. I don't think there is a better value out there for $200. Paired with a full frame camera such as the 750 and you can really achieve some great bokeh and depth of field. 

The colours coming out of the d750 raw files our outstanding and the focusing is instantaneous. Almost to the point where I'm not even sure if it focused since it happened so fast. I can't wait to put it to the test this wedding season. While at Kam Park I explored both tunnels, the VIA train along with the boardwalk. I also finally go the chance to head on over to the grain elevator to the point where I was right up against the no trespassing sign. Even with the the 50mm lens, I was able to get some great landscape shots. I'll definitely have to go back in the summer to get some sunset photos where the light is a bit better. 

As usual, all the photos were processed in Lightroom using the RAW files and my usual presets. Thanks for viewing!

Fisherman's Wharf + Thunder Bay Marina

It was one of those great foggy mornings yesterday and, for me personally, that's probably my favourite type of weather to take photos in. So, I grabbed my Fuji XT-1 and my zoom lens, the 55-150mm, and drove down to Fisherman's Wharf. I figured that would be a good spot to take advantage of the gloomy weather. The problem with fog though this time of year is that it can go away pretty fast as it warms up. That is exactly what started to happen, but luckily I was still able to come away with some good shots. If anything, the overcast weather provided nice even lighting. 

Once I arrived at Fisherman's Wharf I walked straight to the dock where they have the old boats stationed. I could easily spend hours in there, even though there are only a few boats, but just tons of deals to shoot. I also made sure to get some photos of the Lake and grain elevators among other things. After a quick walk around the trail, and some slight freezing of the fingers, I warmed up in the car and headed to the Marina for a quick walk around.

As I was approaching the Marina I saw that the fog on the lake was still in full effect so I knew that I had to get some photos of the boats out on the water as well as the grain elevators off in the distance. Once I started walking around the outer trail, I also noticed some geese. The few photos I captured of them were some of my favourites that morning. All in all, it was about a 25 minute walk but I was please with some of the photos I made. It ended up being a great day for taking photos as I also made my way to Kam Park later that afternoon and then back again to the Marina with Anne in the evening. 

I'll be saving those for a different post tomorrow but for now, thanks for viewing these photos!

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!

Snowy Spring Day at Boulevard Lake

It looks as though Spring is just not ready to arrive yet, seeing as how we got dumped on with snow briefly yesterday morning. As soon as I saw it snowing that much I knew I had to go somewhere to take photos before it all melted away. My location this time around was Boulevard Lake and the old LPH building. By the time I got to Boulevard the wind was basically blowing the snow horizontally which made for some pretty cool shots. So, after parking my car, grabbing me Fuji X-T1 and the 50-140mm lens, I set out to explore and see what I could find.

It was no more then 2 minutes into my walk where I wiped out hard. Little did I know that underneath that fresh coat of snow was a sheet of ice, essentially through the park. It caught me off guard and just as I was falling I was able to land on my side with my right hand outstretched saving my camera and lens. The price I paid was a pretty badly strained neck and back. But the show must go on and I shook it off and continued on my way, grumbling and moaning the rest of the walk of course.

The sad thing was that I wasn't the only one wiping out. About 2 minutes after my intimate session with the pavement, I heard some loud swearing coming from the parking lot. It seemed as though, a construction worker met the same fate as I. I didn't check, but he seemed to brush himself off and as I moved along I heard his faint swears echo in the distance.

Now, back to the photography part of my excursion. As always, I had no specific goal other then to shoot whatever caught my eye. Perhaps I should starting setting goals for myself during these walks, but until that happens, this is what you get. Randomness. 

In a way, I did have a goal, and it was to capture just how much snow was falling. I still find it amazing that all this snow was gone by 3:00pm. Once I finished walking around the Boulevard area I made my way to the LPH building, which I never really got the chance to explore before. The whole time I was taking photos, I was giving myself constant reminders not to fall. There were a few more close calls but I managed to stay upright the rest of the walk. I think the fact that my face was going numb kept me more alert then usual. One of these days, I'll actually dress appropriately for one of these walks. 

In the end, the fact that both my camera and lens were waterproof made this whole walk possible and they both performed flawlessly. I've really been digging taking the zoom lens on my walks lately as it has allowed me to get some completely different perspectives as well as shots I wouldn't have been able to get with my usual prime setup. Until next time!

It was a vintage kind of day.

This past weekend I joined the ladies for a bit of a vintage shopping excursion. I figured it was the perfect opportunity to bring along the trust camera, of course, and see what gems I could find. We started the morning at the Hoito for breakfast to ensure we would have a lot of energy for all the walking around we'd be doing that day. I used my Fuji X-T1 and 24mm 1.4 combo for all the photos below. 

We ended up going to a total of 3 stores. It's amazing just how many things there are to photograph in these thrift stores. I was almost tempted to buy some stuff but I only came away with one purchase, which was a toy film camera found in old Kellog's cereal boxes. It was still sealed too which made it a no brainer. Plus, it was only $2.99. After purchasing it, I simply could not wait to load some film into it later that evening and start snapping away. Of course, who knows if any of the photos will actually turn out but that is part of the suspense. 

Once we dropped Cathy off, Anne and I headed to Old Navy. While she shopped I stepped outside for a bit and got a great shot of the trains in the back as well as some other things in and around the area. The day went by super fast and I was able to come away with some great captures. Thanks for viewing!

Early Morning Marina Walk

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

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

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

Passing Time in Victoriaville

Anne and I had to take Noah to his dentist appointment last week so instead of waiting for him at the office we decided to head on over to Victoriaville Mall. Of course, along the way, I captured anything that caught my eye. I always look for textures or just different angles that you normally wouldn't really see. If anyone watches me walk, I'm constantly looking up and down and even behind me. 

For this walk I just had my trusty X-T1 and the 35mm 1.4. It's such a light combo and very convenient to carry around. Using this camera for 'street photography' if you could call it that, is so much fun. Plus, it's very unobtrusive. Not that I'm snapping photos of people too much, it doesn't draw attention to myself when I do. 

All in all, we had about 45 minutes to kill. It was enough time to check out a new coffee shop by the mall, the mall itself of course, and I still had to drag Anne down at least one back alley. The photos below were processed from the RAW file in Lightroom and I used my usual presets and adjustments. These particular images have more of a vintage tone to them. Thanks for viewing!

Things That Caught My Eye This Past Week

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