At the Scene of the Crime: Bay Street in Toronto

You see before you evidence of a drive-by shooting that occured right out in broad daylight in downtown Toronto. The incident was pre-meditated, thoughtfully orchestrated, and heavily pixelated. Armed with a weapon of mass production, the perpetrator purposefully and masterfully carried out the intended mission with great focus. There was an accomplice but he escaped in a flash with his equipment. No injuries were sustained but there was substantial capture both from this location and various other settings throughout the city. Authorities zoomed in on the culprit by following the light bouncing off the sides of the buildings, clearly exposing the activity. It is estimated the ambush continued for several hours before the shooter was apprehended, subjected to a search, and secured. Although every effort is being made to stop down this operation, it is feared that similar shootings may take place in the future and residents are advised to stay inside and close their shutters.

View from the 7th Floor of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Niagara Falls, ON

September 2012

When I first began reviewing the series of photos I shot before and after attending a conference in Niagara Falls, I wondered how I would be able to differentiate between the early morning shots and the late evening shots. After all, I knew I had captured images from each side of the day, and that all of them would be equally daylight compromised.

Of course, as I continued browsing the photos, I discovered it was actually very easy to tell which were taken when! Niagara Falls at night are illuminated - brightly and colourfully and unmistakably. It's a cool addition to this attraction, making it visible for a longer period of time and giving it an artsy, metamorphic treatment, but it's nice to view without as well.

So you see before you a photo taken through my hotel window at around 6am.

When I look at this, what I remember most is the magical calmness of this typically active landscape, and how it allows one to listen to the serene sound of the perpetually falling water. I envy those locals who get to bask in the constant lull of nature's cadence every single day. And perhaps for many, the fact they can hear it all the time means they don't hear it at all. But I know that doesn't apply to all of them.

And even though I have lived within twenty minutes of this world famous natural attraction for as many years, I never tire of gazing at it, marvelling at it, photographing it, or listening to it.

Brooklyn Bridge ~ Manhattan Pier ~ October 2012

Actually setting foot on this iconic bridge was the last of my great New York City intentions, as I had explained in a previous post. I had heard about this dedicated area for those who wish to cross the bridge without a car - and it is pretty cool: safely elevated away from vehicular traffic, pedestrians get our own expanse.

After six trips to the Big Apple, I finally got to make my way along its wooden floor, taking special care to remain on the right side, which was also the correct side, for a pedestrian. The lanes are clearly marked so one knows where the feet go as opposed to where the wheels go, and the cyclists have no qualms about scolding those who wander onto the wrong side. It felt like a glimpse into the world of the locals, knowing that they routinely make this trip, either to get to or from work, or to escape the stresses that are created as a result.

Being that it was late in the day, it was decided that we wouldn't go all the way to Brooklyn, but would just go to this tower before turning back. (My travelling party was graciously indulging in my desire to do this so I took what I could get!)

I was enthralled with the view as I approached the first pier on the Manhattan side. This tower looked even stronger than any image I'd seen and was wonderfully clean and proud. There was also more cabling than I realised, and I delighted in the contrast between the robust concrete structure and the relatively thin gridlines reaching out from it. Looking up at the intricate webs of cables and their patterns was mesmerizing. I would have liked to have stopped and gazed upwards for longer than I did, but the perpetual flow of the crowd doesn't really approve of interruptions. (Curiously, there are a row of benches along its railings at the edge, shortly after embarking on its route. Imagine, someone thinking to place seating on a bridge!)

I did stop when I reached the tower, however, and shot right underneath it, capturing proof that I couldn't have been anywhere BUT right underneath it! It was thrilling to be standing on such a recognisable landmark, the backdrop for so many movies I'd seen, the subject of so many New York City photographic books I've devoured.

And even though I can now comfortably draw a line through "Walk along the Brooklyn Bridge", I have to go back! My insatiable obsession with New York City has spilled over creating a alternate infatuation with this bridge. I just want to unleash my camera all over this subject... to take my own pictures from every angle: I want to stand at each of its shores, to sail underneath it, and to get adjacent to it, perpendicular to it, and all the way across it. Then there's the night view, the winter view... the city as it looks from the middle of it... the people as they make their way across it... insatiable I say!