Weekly Photo Challenge: Twinkle In The Streets

One thing I love to do is look for photo opportunities after a good rain or snowfall. The dampness of everything, and the puddles on the ground make for so many twinkling and sparkling new photographic scenes.

The climate in Toronto in the winter is often that of slush, slush, and more slush. But when you look hard, you can find true beauty in the city during these glum days. Here is a shot I took with my phone as I passed under the theatre lights of the beautiful and historic Royal Alexandra Theatre on my way to the subway. I worked in the building next door, and marvelled at this stunning structure every day on my trip to and from work.

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Monday Mornings

I can’t remember if I’ve ever posted this image before, but I thought I’d post it today because it always reminds me of that rushed feeling I often get at the start of the week.

With everything going on these days, and with being connected to the world twenty four hours a day, it seems as though it often takes us the whole weekend to unwind and recharge, only to be thrown head first right back into the fray on Monday mornings.

For me, this image sums up that feeling as a car rushes one way, a streetcar rushes the opposite way, and this guy quickly grabbing a local newspaper before inevitably missing his transfer.

Oh city life, aren’t you wonderful?

Black (& White) Friday: Spotlight on Winners

I took this image a loooong time ago and processed it when I first got into Lightroom, but I’ve always liked the way the sun’s rays bleed across the front of the building. I think it was a happy accident because at that time I didn’t shoot with a lens hood and didn’t know about it’s significance.

I can’t really pinpoint what it is that I like about this shot, but I definitely love the detail in these old buildings. It would be a dream to be able to go around the city with a wide angle lens, shooting the interior and exterior of old buildings like these… minus the department store retrofits.

Trees in the City

One afternoon while walking in downtown Toronto, I came upon this guy taking a break and being flanked by two small trees. I was originally drawn by his framing between the trees, but when I looked at the image afterwards, I also liked the lines and textures created by the mammoth black TD Tower. I also just noticed that there is a hint of a reflection of the CN Tower in the golden windows by the top left corner of the image.

This image also calls attention to the stark contrast I’ve noticed between Toronto and Ottawa. These two isolated trees overpowered by massive steel and glass are not an uncommon site around the city of Toronto. Green space is at a premium there, and if there is a large enough space, it always seems to be earmarked for conversion to a condo or office tower. In Ottawa on the other hand, trees and green space is everywhere, and that is one of the things I love about this place.