travel

My Last Street Image… For Now

This is the final street image I took while still living in Toronto.

May in Toronto is a wonderful time of year; the weather is cool, but not cold; the air quality is manageable; and everyone is happy.

A couple of days before making the move to Ottawa, I took an evening stroll through my neighbourhood to unwind and gather my thoughts while in the midst of the mayhem that is moving. And of course, I took my camera along. The funny thing was, even though I had taken photos all over the city, I had almost no shots of my own neighbourhood. I only took three shots that night, but I came away with one that I really liked… this one. And true to my style, I was a spur of the moment snap.

I’m not sure why, but I like everything about this shot. Maybe it’s because it reminds me of everything we loved about living in that part of town. It was one of the trendiest parts of Toronto, but it was quaint and had a relaxed suburban feel. The streets were wide, there were parks and trees everywhere, and you couldn’t walk five feet without passing a place to eat or grab a coffee.

Next week I am making a return to the old city, and I couldn’t be more excited. Yes, it’ll be a chance for my wife and I to have a couple of days to ourselves, but I am so excited to visit the streets I know so well, see old friends, and take some pictures… obviously! I hope to have some new stories and adventures to share on the blog after the trip, but until then, enjoy a taste of home.

Thank You Ottawa Tourism!

As I mentioned previously, I was Ottawa Tourism’s tour guide last week as I took their Instagram followers to some of my favorite spots around the city. I can’t thank them enough for allowing me to participate in their #MyOttawa project, and I am grateful for the opportunity. There really is SO much to love about this city and I feel like I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface.

The other surprise I received from this experience was learning that the image below was selected as their Instagram image of the week, garnering the highest number of likes on their account. I’m so thrilled, but more importantly, I’m so happy that people enjoyed the tour. This image was taken while on the move, as I cycled through my favorite spot along the Rideau Canal.

So, if you find yourself in the Nation’s Capital sometime, I encourage you to visity Ottawa Tourism’s micro site myottawa.ottawatourism.ca, to help you plan your stay. Of course, you can always ask to meet up with me and let me show you around, but I think my new friends at Ottawa Tourism may be the experts.

And, if you’re interested, here’s a recap of the other images I posted on their Instagram feed for the week…

Street Walking: In Conversation…

They say Canadians are friendly, always the first to say “sorry”, and… live in igloos?

I tend to agree, and might add that we like bacon, love our beer, and wear toques in the summer. I’ve also heard that Toronto is the most socially cold and unfriendly city in Canada, but I might disagree with that. Yes, every second person you pass on the street will have their face buried in their smartphone, and yes, most people will have earphones in their ears which helps give them that little bit of solitude we all crave in the big city, but if you take a moment to stop and talk to ten people on the street, I’m willing to bet that you can have a meaningful conversation with nine of them.

So, if you ever find yourself in Toronto I invite you to give it a try. Don’t hesitate to ask a Torontonian for directions, or a quick recommendation for a tasty and cheap lunch spot (I’m specifically talking to you Jess), because they’re all proud of their wonderful city, and they all long for that brief but cheerful encounter that you can only get by speaking to a stranger.

Happy Monday everyone!

New Adventures

I am officially in relocation mode and find myself up to my eyeballs in packing paper and boxes. For the next couple of weeks I will be focused on getting the family moved and settled in the Nation’s Capital… Ottawa.

Over the past while, I seem to have built my blogging reputation as a Toronto street photographer. However, I feel that a photographer builds a reputation or portfolio on the content he or she shoots, rather than on the location being shot.

That being said, I am looking forward to exploring a new city packed with an incredibly rich history, beautiful urban and natural landscapes, and a dynamic bilingual culture of English and French.

For the next while I will be a little less accessible than usual, but I will strive to continue posting each day. I am excited about this new journey, and hope you’ll come along for the ride.

Here’s to new adventures on the road ahead 🙂

Here’s my little guy strolling toward the site that was once Riverdale Zoo.