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!

The Rooms - St. John's

Newfoundland and Labrador

Located in the heart of St. John's, The Rooms is one hulk of a building, dwarfing nearly every structure along the upper rim of its sprawling and colourful cityscape. I've heard some of the locals speak of it with disdain, complaining that it doesn't "fit" structurally or stylistically with the rest of the city's historic architecture. Okay, what they actually say is that it "sticks out like a sore tum"! 

Granted, it does command your attention as you drink in the luscious view from atop Signal Hill. And yes, it's a simple, triangular design, devoid of the details and intricacies that embellish so many of the other buildings in this 500+ year old city.

But, I discovered that it has its charms. If its simplicity doesn't echo its neighbouring historic buildings, it does seem to fit right in with the jutted rocks and cliffs that abound in the city. Its placement certainly does afford some of the best views of the mouth of the harbour and Signal Hill. I found it quite magical to stand before those massive windows at night and look out at all the light-studded hills. And when I was granted a free afternoon to make my way up Garrison Hill and meander around the property and slide along its smooth facade, I developed a real appreciation for the architectural cleverness. The mirrored planes are angled in such a way that the reflections are playfully distorted and bold.

I imagine since its doors first opened seven years ago, it's become a prominent structure in St. John's, recognisable to both locals and visitors alike. It still sticks out, but it's more of a thumbs up.

To learn more about this all-encompassing celebration of everything cultural, visit: http://www.therooms.ca/

Along Central Park Drive in Manhattan - October 2012

The sunshine and rising temperatures created a contradiction in seasons this past weekend in the big city. From the rolling, picturesque hillsides of Central Park to the multi-level heights of city living, the fall colours were blazing under the noonday sun. The store windows displayed equally bright oranges as their owners seduced the passersby to wander inside for costumes and decor. It's hard to imagine Halloween bringing out characters even more bizarre than those typically seen along the pathways but one can certainly see the potential!

Today, we have a hospital in Welland that offers quality, personalized health care in an easily accessible location. But this level of care is sadly undermined by uncomfortably long wait times that become worse once symptoms have been determined not to be life-threatening...

Click here for some thoughts on the recommendations hovering over Welland's hospital.

Street Photography

Shot near the corner of 17th and Broadway, New York City 2011

"Oh, Otis showed up at the office today!" Alexis announced.

Marley's eyes widened and she stopped her fork just before it reached her mouth. "Wow! Did you know he was in town?"

"Not exactly, but I knew his and Emily's birthdays were today, so I guess I wasn't really surprised to see him," she said as she shrugged with forced nonchalance.

"Did you talk to him?"

Alexis released a irrepressible smile. "He paused at my desk for a few moments," she explained. "It was actually nice to see him again."

"Of course it was, but that's all that it needs to be," Marley declared. "You just go about your business and never mind him flaunting his new life in your face. You don't need him and you don't need to see him."

Alexis sighed dreamily as she drew zig zags into her ketchup with her French fry, her modest grin unwittingly growing into a Cheshire smile.

"Oh no," Marley grimaced, "you didn't..."

"Well he was going to be meeting clients right across from my block. He would have been right there, and I wasn't going to be good enough to meet him for a drink? Just seems silly, that's all."

Marley shook her head. "Have you forgotten how hard it was to watch him fly away towards his dreams and leave you languishing at the gate?" She paused to allow that feeling to settle around her. "Because I haven't."

Alexis grasped her friend's hand in appreciation. "It's just a drink," she insisted. "We'll just be like old friends catching up." She dropped a twenty onto the table, plucked her bag from the corner of her chair, and kissed Marley's cheek. "I'll call you later."

Marley watched as her friend bounced through the diner and fluttered out the door and onto the street. She pursed her lips and cursed Otis Pretorious for dancing right back into her friend's heart without the slightest concern for the damage he'd already done to it.