Shot of the Week: 4

The EYE

The model wannabe did not show up when a friend and I scheduled a shoot!
So, instead of putting the day to waste, I played with my camera and just snapped away. Of all the photos, this is what I liked the most.

Shot using my D70 at f1.8.









"Never bend your head.
Always hold it high.
Look the world straight in the eye."

Helen Keller

Shot of the Week: 3

The Distillery

One thing I love about Toronto is that it offers a lot of contrasts. You could be standing amidst the cold towering buildings of the financial district one moment and a few minutes walk will bring you to the warmth of brick architecture or the lush greenery of parks.

The Distillery sits very close to downtown Toronto. It is a national Historical Site and has great architecture that offers a lot photo opportunities.

It used to be called the Gooderham and Worts Distillery. Its facilities used to include flour mills, a warf, the distillery, store houses, ice house, a cooper shop and a dairy. (source: http://www.thedistillerydistrict.com/frameset.html)



Again, despite the bitter cold of winter, I ventured out and tried to capture some photos.

This strip is lighted by changing color LED lights. Timing to get the best color was hard!

Victorian achitecture soon to be shadowed by new condominiums.

I was talking about contrasts, stand at the center of The Distillery and you will see the old and the new.



The Distillery also now houses the arts - galleries, theatre and host to different festivities all year round.

I was not the only idiot who went out to shoot in the freezing cold, despite the knowledge that these buildings will still be there this summer. Shooting buddy for the night.

Shot of the Week: 2

Okay, okay, I am getting worst at this. Last week I was just a day late, now two days. Good thing I didn't commit to a daily shot.

But in all fairness, I've taken these photos last week.

I got a new 50mm, 1.8 lens and took it for a test last Tuesday with a friend. We went to Horseshoe Tavern to see some rock bands play. Biggest mistake? Not bringing an earplug. For awhile, I thought I've busted my eardrums and gone partially deaf. Thank goodness I was hearing normally after two days, as my friend predicted.




I've always loved taking people shots, but not your usual posed portraits, sometimes I call firing squad shots. I like taking photos of people on their unguarded moments. So, I thought taking photos of a rock band performance will be neat! We always see them in their element, as if in their own world. They lose themselves to their music. I've converted most of the photos to B&W to mask the blur. It was hard getting sharp photos as they move a lot.




And ofcourse, a shot of the shooting buddy

Shot of the Week Reset. Week 1

It is the new year.
So, I am resetting my shot of the week counter. I should be able to log 52 shots this year. Am a day behind. True.
This is or these are my Week 1 shots, for 2008.



A friend and I ventured into the Guild Inn Park. Though our feet were frozen, we had a lot of fun. The area has interesting sculptures and pillars in random places around the park. My favorite spot, this! I had a blast taking pictures of ourselves. It has been a long time since I played in front of my camera.

The frozen melted snow made the grounds slippery. But still, a lot of people go to the park for a quick walk and to snap pictures. Into the woods, I spotted this couple walking hand in hand.

Technically, this photo is bad, but I like it for the drama. How would you like to find someone to hold your hand as you journey through life? Someone to walk with wherever the path leads you too.

(Photo taken in full colors and converted to B&W, more grain added.)


I tried hard to capture the tree reflections on the paddle of water. I hardly succeeded.

The color, the lone bench and the tree branches give me an eerie feeling of being lost and alone.