My New Project

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I spend a lot of time on the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission for those outside of Toronto). On average about twelve to fourteen hours a week. I actually prefer it to driving: I can read, close my eyes, listen to music. And, I can practice street-style photography, using my Smart Phone. So I am starting a new project called the Daily Commute Shoot: one photo taken and posted every workday during my commute either to or from work, , taken with my Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone. You can see the results here. The image below is an outtake from yesterday. (I am three days into the project at this point).

Tired

The Toughest Audience

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It has been said by many performers that children are the toughest audience you can have: it is hard to get their attention and even harder to keep it. Last night Janice and I attended the 2014 Toronto edition of Dusk Dances, an outdoor dance festival. Many children were in attendance, and one particular performance (involving synchronized swimming in inflatable wading pools!) really grabbed and kept their attention, as shown in their faces below.

Children Enjoying a Show

 

Nikon D7100, 18-200mm Nikkor lens
Post work in Lightroom and Nik Silver Efex Pro 2

Shooting From the Hip

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When it comes to shooting from the hip, it’ hard to beat a twin lens reflex (TLR) camera. I was out yesterday on Queen Street in Toronto with my Rolleicord Va and for this shot I had already estimated the distance and used a small aperture of f11 to get good depth of field. The remained hanging down at my waist while I quickly took the image.

Having fun

 

Rolleicord Va, Xenar 80mm/3.5 lens
Tri-X, developed in Xtol 1+1 for 9 minutes @ 20 C
Negative scanned and toning added in post with Nik SilverEfex Pro

A Great Combo

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Today’s image was created in Niagara On the Lake recently. I used my baby Speed Graphic, with a 120 roll film holder that creates 6cm by 9cm negatives. The combination of the large negative, the classic Kodak Ektar lens, the Kodak Tmax film and Rodinal developer is hard to beat.  There was no post processing of the negative scan at all: no sharpening or anything else, and I love the look!

Horse and Carriage

Back Alley in Kingston

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In Kingston, Ontario this past weekend we discovered this little back passage-way. Rollei Retro 80s film and Rodinal developer were the perfect combo for this image!

Back Street in Kingston, Ontario

 

Nikon F4 body, 17mm/3.5 Tamron lens
Rollei Retro 80s developed in Rodinal 1+50 for 14 minutes @ 20 C.

At the Scene of the Story

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Alice Degan is a friend of mine who also happens to be an author of urban fantasy fiction. What I like is that her fiction is set in Toronto’s Kensington Market (one of my favourite places to shoot) so when she needed some photographs it was the natural choice of locations. As we moved from spot to spot it was fascinating to hear  how they related to the stories. A fascinating shoot which gave me added insight into her great stories. Highly recommended!

Alice Degan

 

Nikon D7100, 18-200mm Nikkor lens
Post processing with Lightroom and Nik Color Efex 4

Something Slightly Different

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This image is from our trip to Niagara On the Lake this past weekend. It was a gazebo, so I had to shoot it, but to me the woman stretching out in front gives the image a slightly different, almost surreal aspect; it would be a very different image without her.

By the Gazebo

 

Nikon F2, 28mm/2.8 Nikkor lens
Eastman 2366 film, E.I. 10, developed in Xtol 1+1 for 10 minutes @ 20 C

A Soggy Day

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It was a pretty soggy day in Niagara Falls yesterday, and the two film cameras I had with me had no weather sealing. I wanted this shot at the base of the American falls, so out came the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Smart phone. Quite happy with the results!

At the Base of the American Falls

The Expression

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I was in Hamilton this past weekend at a social gathering with some of my best Social Media friends. On the way from supper Saturday to a pub we walked through the beginning of that evening’s Hamilton Art crawl. The street was already crowded with artists, musicians, performers and pedestrians of all kinds. I had literally not much more than a second or two to get this shot; technically it’s not perfect, but I like it — I wonder what the story is behind expression of the woman on the right! There must be a story there!

Hamilton Art Crawl Street vendors