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.
Read MoreLast 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.
Read MoreSaturday 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.
Read MoreDowntown 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.
Read MoreFrom 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!
Read MoreAn 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.
Read MoreA 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.
Read MoreAboriginal 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.
Read MoreStronger 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.
Read MoreThunder 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.
Read MoreCity + 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.
Read MoreHammarskjold 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.
Read MoreCentennial 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.
Read MoreEast 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.
Read MoreCamping 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.
Read MoreMission 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.
Read MoreTerry 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.
Read MoreChippewa 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!
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreAlong 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.
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