Dundas (Not Square)

I guess only Torontonian readers will get the humour in this photo. Think of where you'd normally see a chair like the one below.



Even if you're not from Toronto, isn't it a little strange to see a portable chair in a subway station? I mean, the TTC can't be so cash strapped that it's relying on outside sources to seat its passengers while they wait for the next train.

Jack & Steven

Surprise - I found this near one of U Of T's campuses.



Pardon the cynicism, but the person or people who made these posters probably did the same thing when Michael Ignatieff propped up the current Conservative government. Big whoop.

Surrounded By Cults

Today in subway vandalism...



I waited until the subway stopped at Spadina station in order to take this photo. By the way, if "only cults advertise," the Freethought Association Of Canada is technically a cult. God knows they advertise, even if they don't know that he knows. ;-)

Old Faithful: My Point-And-Shoot

I had some fun with my new 50 mm lens right before dinner this evening. Presenting the camera that turned my photography habit into an obsession: the Fujifilm FinePix A510.





The f-stop on that first shot is 2.2, in case you were wondering. ;-)

I purchased it in the summer of 2006, right before I took my vacation in Montreal. At the time, I thought that I'd just need it for that vacation, but the many photo albums I've uploaded to my Facebook account proved me dead wrong.

On days when I don't have my DSLR with me, I usually carry this camera with me. That proved to be a shrewd move last Saturday, when Brian Burke made a visit to Future Shop which I didn't previously know about. That visit would also give me my first Wikipedia photo shot with this camera.

Old Faithful has been good to me. I'm not finished with it yet.

Is Tory Still Tory?

As I ate lunch earlier today, I noticed this story with an obvious inaccuracy.



I don't think John Tory would cross the floor in order to gain more votes for himself. At the very least, he'd have a press conference announcing his switch. Ergo, methinks someone at Global News has some explaining to do.

Old Faithful Helps Me Score

On my way to getting lunch at 10 Dundas East this afternoon, I noticed some hoopla at the Future Shop. I eventually found out that Brian Burke, President and General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, would be answering questions and having a meet-and-greet with hockey fans. Thankfully, I had Old Faithful (i.e. my Fujifilm point-and-shoot) in my purse today. Yes, I would have preferred to have my DSLR, but I don't always need to be carrying all of that bulk.

Between Burke's honesty with each question and one of the Future Shop staff in particular (I hope she knows who she is if she reads this), the visit was very enjoyable. This poor guy, however, might have wished that Burke wasn't so forthcoming with his opinions.



This pair of shorts got two sets of disses from the current Maple Leafs GM, the most memorable one being "Get your eyes checked." The rest of us ate it up, but for this photo's subject, it must have felt like the equivalent of letting in an easily-saved goal. Thankfully, he was gracious enough to let me take his photo without even knowing if I was with the media or the media.

After everything was over, I headed upstairs to buy lunch. (In case you asked - rotini with rosé sauce, pepperoni and chicken.)

Brian Burke At Yonge-Dundas Future Shop (Sept 26 2009)

Brian Burke, President and General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, paid a visit to the Yonge-Dundas Future Shop earlier today.



Click this post's title to see all 14 photos at my Flickr page.

SEXagenarian

Before my weekly stop at Whole Foods Market this afternoon, I chilled out in Yorkville for a few minutes. While doing so, I noticed the following ad.



Hopefully, when I reach 65, I won't only be thinking about sex. ;-)

Ahem...when I get my tripod next week, I plan to do a nighttime photo shoot in this neighbourhood. It'll be good to do a practice run before Nuit Blanche.

Christie Islington King

The Christadelphians have an ad which I've only seen at Bay station.



Torontonians should know which three stations were involved in the making of these photographs: Christie, Islington and King. Personally, I've seen the Christ in Christie for years, but I never would have come up with something like this.

Note that I'm not trying to push the King Of Kings through this blog entry, but rather, highlight clever photographic technique.

Iguana On The Bus

Whenever possible, I take my point-and-shoot Fujifilm Finepix A510 with me, even though I own the much more robust Nikon D60. It's much easier to whip out a point-and-shoot when a photographic opportunity arises, like the one I had earlier this afternoon.

I was on the 29 Dufferin bus when, at St. Clair Ave. W., someone got on through the back door. Not only did he do that, but he got on with his pet iguana. You can't make this kind of stuff up.

I tried getting a few pictures without getting caught; at Dufferin & Davenport (or near it), I was finally successful.



I got a bit greedy and tried to take a better shot; alas, the passenger caught me red-handed. I let him know, however, that I had already got my desired shot.

Even after my retouches in Photoshop Elements (resize, sharpen, lighting adjustments, Smart Fix), this photo isn't so great; I won't be uploading it to Flickr. However, at least you now know that I'm telling the truth.

You Never Forget Your First

This is one of the pictures I took yesterday, entitled The Wait Is Over (D60 Remix). It's a remix of a photo I originally took on August 20.



Here's the original; note the blur which I couldn't control with my point-and-shoot.



My new girlfriend improved upon everything the original had going for it. The better weather also helped. ;-)

They say you never forget your first, and while I was sleeping, I got my first Flickr fave courtesy of photosapience. While I'm not going to go raving about it to everyone I know, let me be clear that I do appreciate the gesture.

Thank you, sir.

Broccoflower

I usually pick up tomatoes and bananas every Friday at Whole Foods Market's Yorkville location. While I was there this afternoon, I saw this.



At first, it looked like cauliflower with a dye job. After looking at a nearby label, I found out that it was Broccoflower (broccoli and cauliflower combined).

In any case, there was no way I'd be buying this.

Stand Out

Right now, I'm listening to Stand Out by Tye Tribbett & G.A. - hence, this post's title.


I took this shot after making a long-awaited purchase. Dinner was a long way off, but I still didn't accept the free Hershey's chocolate being given out.


I promised to come back to this location (Chesterton Shores) after getting my hands on my new dSLR. Technically, I fulfilled my promise. :-)


This shot wasn't planned...consider it a bonus.

Festival Of South Asia (Aug 22 2009)

I wasn't sure if I'd attend this year's Festival Of South Asia, as there was a chance of precipitation last night. Fortunately, the weather held up for the duration of my shoot.

A sampling of the shoot follows.







Click this post's title to see all 58 photos at the Flickr page.

ANSI Z 26-1/AS-5 Z 26-1

I've uploaded yet another photo to my Flickr photostream. Here it is below.



It's funny how inspiration can strike you when you have your camera on you.

Three Hardboiled Eggs

I didn't photograph three hardboiled eggs, but I'm eating them as I type this entry.


Before I slept this morning, I remembered that a few months ago, I took a picture of an egg similar to the one above. I decided not to feature it, but I did it this time because I thought of a funny title to go with the picture: "Side Effects Of Viagra." (Note the double yolk.)


I snapped this photo on my way to lunch with a friend. This is one of the crosswalks at Eglinton Ave. W. and Allen Rd.

Both photos are now in my Flickr photostream. FYI, wherever appropriate, I'll probably start linking blog titles to either my photostream or a Flickr set.

Like Scar Said, "Be Prepared"

Due to having my camera on me, I took a few shots after my workout this afternoon.


This was taken at King St. W. and Blue Jays Way; as you can see, the streetcar is already full, so Lord knows why these people want to get on it.


I wanted to take a picture of the "Waiting for the 87" sign ever since I saw it on a past joyride. However, when I reached this site, I thought it would be better if I shot a bus passing by.


On my ride home, it was raining very heavily. Thankfully, it tapered off on the last leg of my journey.

Toronto Botanical Garden & Edwards Gardens (Aug 19 2009)

Note: clicking this post's title will direct you to the Flickr set where my photos are located.

I headed over to Toronto Botanical Garden & Edwards Gardens for a photo shoot earlier today. During the shoot, two of my batteries became very hot; I ended up having to dump them because they almost completely burned a hole in my leather purse.

Here are two photos of one of the batteries.





You may not notice from these two photos, but due to a brain cramp from God-knows-where, I neglected to check the "Convert Files To JPEG Max Quality" box during post-production.

Smooth move, especially since I'm making my Flickr debut with this album...

Scarborough Town Centre and area (Aug 17 2009)

I used to make a point of always having my camera with me in case any photo opportunities arose. I'm glad I restarted that habit today.


I like the perspective suggested by the structures in this photo.

On my way to McCowan R.T. station, I noticed a band of geese.


Here are a few of them crossing Triton Rd. I wanted a bus to arrive so that I could snap a shot of it waiting for the geese to finish crossing.


This goose was kind enough to let me take a few shots of it.


This goose is not sleeping; it's adjusting its feathers. Also note how the pole almost lines up with the goose's foot.


A profile shot of the first goose (kind of).

This goose was bringing sexy back...or, at the very least, showing off.

A Few Samples

I've uploaded a few of my better photos for your perusal. Click each photo in order to see a bigger version of it.


IceFest 2009


Wintercity 2009: Pi-Leau by Close-Act


Doors Open 2009


Riverdale Farm


2009 Toronto CUPE Strike (featured at CityNews.ca)