It’s possible that Eaton Centre was built with HDR photography in mind. There are so many lines and textures and bits hanging from the ceiling it can make for some very interesting images.
Apr 052012
Apr 032012
Before writing about today’s post I’d just like to state that the roads around Toronto are bloody terrifying for an island boy used to driving on the left. I haven’t got a clue how anybody from out of town ever could have navigated the corkscrewing web of highways prior to GPS. I was using a TomTom and even it got confused. Just as we were reaching our destination it instructed me to keep right. Somewhat unsurprisingly this lane split off, with no warning or recourse, before the off ramp that the TomTom thought it was directing me to. Fortunately, the little machine successfully assessed the situation and plotted a new route.
That was at the end of my trip, this photo was at the beginning but the traffic reminded me of my return journey. I’ve had a bit of a whinge in a previous post about some of the difficulties I encountered on the night I arrived. My flight to New York was delayed and resulted in me missing my connection. I got there far too late to hit all the points I had planned. I decided on my way into the city that I’d concentrate on taking some skyline shots with the last remaining light. Then, the fog, the all enveloping fog that obscured the city from view.
It seemed unlikely that the viewpoints I first had in mind would be possible in these conditions. I could only see a couple of blocks in all directions. I resigned myself to doing some research with the plan to have a really successful morning, if the fog had receded. Then, I realized I was near one of the viewpoints I’d researched and decided to check it out.
I arrived on top of the Queen’s Quay Parking Garage, with a view of the Gardiner Expressway, Rogers Centre and the CN Tower. On this night the CN Tower was just a stem, disappearing into the clouds, but, then the fog became my ally. The purple lights of Rogers Centre glowed in the fog and buildings faded in and out as traffic flowed into the city. Happily, I set up for my first successful photo in Toronto.
I keep mentioning my pre-planned view points of Toronto. I had discovered these points the day before I left for Toronto on the following site:
http://www.blogto.com/toronto/lists/the_top_views_of_toronto/
I processed this photo as usual but then brought back the shadows as I felt that the HDR process had actually pulled out features i couldn’t see (or didn’t notice) at the time. The photo felt more natural with darker shadows.
Apr 012012
I like photos taken from the middle of roads but had never found an opportunity to take one myself. So when I found this view I decided I had to stop for the shot. It seemed like a nice quiet road. It turned out that it got a fair few cars. So, I had my trusty assistant stand at the top of the hill yelling whenever cars were coming so I could get out of the road. Having to move on and off the road made getting a shot framed up pretty tricky. In the end I used my 70-300mm lens to make sure that the farm didn’t become lost in the frame.
Mar 312012
I got up early to photograph two specific locations at sunrise. One involved setting up in the middle of a small road. A small road that was surprisingly busy so early in the morning! So, that wasn’t an option. My second location was obscured by fog. So, I started driving around trying to find some shots. I actually got quite a few so it all worked out.
I spotted this barn from the road and began taking photos. Suddenly I realized I was no longer on the roadside and probably trespassing. I set up for this last shot before scampering. I don’t think anyone saw me, fortunately.
Mar 302012
Before going to Toronto I wondered how my experience at Niagara Falls would compare to visiting the Victoria Falls in Zambia. It’s definitely different. The falls are equally impressive, but there’s much more concrete around them… and safety rails. There were a few that I desperately wanted to climb over but decided I didn’t feel like getting arrested. The whole place is very cheesy with its tourist attractions, replica CN tower and casino. But I kind of liked it. It was so over the top it was interesting, and I probably would have liked to spend more time there.
There was a lot of luck involved in this shot. The limitations on access to the falls (that safety stuff) was frustrating me as I was searching out an angle on the falls that would allow for a shot a bit out of the ordinary. As part of this attempt I was taking a photo of a section of the falls through a vine-covered doorway. I’m not sure that photo will ever see the light of day as the concept may have been a bit better than the reality. But, as I fiddled with my tripod trying to find the right angle a man I later found out was named Jay started chatting with me. Then, he told me about a somewhat secret viewpoint on the balcony of the hotel restaurant behind me. At this point I realized Jay was wearing chef whites and asked if he worked there. Sure enough he did. 5 minutes later I was stood on a tiny balcony outside the restaurant with this view in front of me. Then, I saw these five puffy white clouds drifting across the sky into a perfect position.
Mar 292012
Bruce and Grey county are no distance from Toronto, but feel as far from city life as is possible. The landscape is dotted with farms, small towns and waterfalls. There are nine waterfalls, all of which are relatively easily accessible. This is the second waterfall I visited. After leaving the car in a well sign posted parking lot (this wasn’t always the case) I took off down a trail. I’d read that the majority of the falls in the area are a 5 minute walk from the road. I generally found they were a 5 minute walk back to the road, but on the way there I was either a bit lost or busy taking photos. This waterfall was particularly deceptive. About half way there the path disappeared. Eventually I decided the river bank had shifted and climbed down where I found the path again, going back up hill. There’s a viewpoint of this fall on the path that comes out just to the right of the top of the falls. This was my first stop, where I took a few photos with my camera perched on the edge of a ledge, on the outside of a safety fence. But, I wanted a shot from the bottom as this is where you could see the remainder of winter’s ice visible in today’s photo. Fortunately, on the way up I’d spotted a crack in the cliff face I could climb down. Soon I was on the river bank, hopping from rock to rock to get here. I set my tripod up so that each leg rested its foot on a separate rock, with my feet on an additional pair of rocks and got the shot I wanted.
Mar 272012
Elora Gorge, located just West of Toronto is a really cool little place. It’s got a real small town, friendly vibe with a good bit of quirkiness stirred in. Everyone there seems really happy and friendly. I wound up chatting to a lot of people while I was setting up for photos. There’s a lot of interesting buildings scattered about through town. Color is applied liberally and odd nick-knacks hang from the facades. I thought this one was particularly interesting. It’s the exterior wall of a locksmiths, made entirely of doors.
Mar 262012
Bruce and Grey counties in Ontario, Canada are dotted with loads of little farms like this one. Most of them are on flat land and quite far from the road. I really wanted to get a photo of a barn and silo with the name on the side like this one. I was rushing to get to Inglis Falls before it got too dark. Just as we found the turning to the falls I spotted this farm across the street. The sun had just dropped behind it and I decided I couldn’t pass up this opportunity. So I parked the car and jogged back down the road a bit to get this picture. I still made it to the falls in time as well, so it all worked out.
Mar 242012
This is the view of Niagara Falls that can be seen by going down behind the falls. The first stop is here, where you can look up at them prior to moving further down the tunnels to see the wall of water from behind. My camera and I got pretty wet getting this shot.
Mar 232012
I’ve just gotten home after a week in Ontario where I stayed in Toronto and Niagara as well as Bruce/Grey County. So, it seemed fitting that tonight I upload Toronto’s recognizable skyline with the CN Tower prominent. I took this photo as I left the city for Niagara. It was taken from the rocks near Ontario Place. I set my tripod good and low to get some interesting patterns in the water. At first, I was disappointed that I couldn’t frame a shot without that sign in it. Then i decided that I liked the way the sign’s shape mirrored the CN tower.
