Darklight Over

Somehow I will always end up back at Union Station. No matter what happens, when I run out of ideas of what to photograph, I end up at Union Station. I sit down on one of the benches and think, I try to figure out what could be the best angle to shoot a picture at. Sometimes I come up with nothing, for the most part I can always find something. In this case, I was looking for the washroom, upon entering into the main area a brilliant light was shining through the window. I had to capture this person walking within the light, like they were coming out of the shadows. 

Back to the world of abandonment in Toronto, we have this house. It is situated in the east end, near where the Don Jail used to be. When I first seen this house it was blue, looked the same, and less green. Now after time has past, things have grown a fair amount. I wonder what is in the inside, is everything moldy? Is there a body inside? Is there even floors? Why is it still there? I guess because it's attached in a row house setting. These little gems show up all over Toronto, you just have to look.

On thing about the big city, is that we have a lot of windows surrounded by metal and beams. The modern is everywhere, Sunlife Financial is just another one of those buildings. It's huge and tall, probably took place of some older structure that was there for years. One thing about the magic hour is getting outside and grabbing the photo when you can see it happening. 

Going though most of the important photos so far, and giving them some life with events that happened throughout my life. I have enjoyed writing this blog. I did get out some major emotions here, happy and sad. I hope you all enjoyed everything. However, this is going to be my last post for now. I may come up with a new blog or turn this one into a book, we will have to see. It was fun, have a wonderful life my friends.

Lamps, Bricks, Faces And Darklight

I'm glad I took this picture, at the time I didn't know just how important it would be, but now I see. When the shot was taken we hadn't heard anything as to what was happening to this bookstore. I wouldn't have thought anything about it. The original thought I had in my head when I took the shot, was that I loved how the sunshine was setting perfectly on my favourite store. 

And then......

This. I'm going back one more time tomorrow and gathering the last of the pictures that I can take of this torture. I'll never forget the many times I would visit the bookstore, not even thinking of its demise. Twisted metal and shattered bricks, lights dangle and ceiling tiles sway in the wind.

Another old shot. This was taken on Yonge Street, I think it was just north of St. Clair Avenue. Just past the gates of an apartment building, there was a small garden with a fountain. I'm glad I decided to investigate, or I wouldn't have found this. The perfect old fountain with the cutest little face on it. One day I will go back and re-shoot this. For now, you have this beauty.

Look at the lights, they are a hidden beauty. I loved that they were lining the shot as is. The lovely trees all in bloom in the background at sunset, and the lit lamps getting ready for the night to come. I took this one while walking down near the waterfront in the west, near the Humber River. Keep this image in mind when you are having a bad day, the green in the shot will keep your spirits happy and light.

Westbound Darklight

This is how it is, everything is going westbound. There is this strong sense of safety for me in the west end, my body naturally goes there for strength. I guess this is why I live in the west end of Toronto. Comfort is near Highpark for me. Plus I have been headed that way for years, I grew up in Mississauga, which is west. Even when I decided to move out on my own, I stayed in Etobicoke. Mind you, I did move back home again, not that it was that far away. So when I get on the subway, for the most part, I'm headed west on the way home. 

Yes we have The Worlds Biggest Bookstore again. It still breaks my heart. In fact, I've gone back many times to photograph more and more of the demolition. I probably will go back one more time, I think I will get one more chance to photograph destruction. I keep thinking of all the wonderful times that I used to spend in the store, I would take hours, sometimes my Mom would be waiting for me to meet her at her work and I would take so long looking for the right book and she would have to call me, "Brenna, are you almost done in the bookstore? I would like to go home!". I miss it so much.

The light, so much light. When you walk in the concourse (PATH) for so long in your day, the sudden flash of light is blinding. I was walking from First Canadian Place to TD Centre underground and seen this thing called sunlight. Hahahah!! In a sense it made for a great shot, with some blurring and softness, this happened.  

For some reason, this is my mind as of this moment. Shredded to the branches of its leaves and preparing for a dark winter. I'm not ready for this one, my emotions are really off right now, and I'm not looking forward to X-Mas. Don't ask. This year, I'm going to be stronger, and more prepared. As for now, the depression is kicking my butt, and my medication is working overtime. In the long run, I will overcome this in the New Year.

Crystal Ball Flowers

Which way is the right way to look at this? Well, from anywhere really. I wanted to give the photo a surreal look. You really don't know which quad is the right one to be looking at, and it connects almost flawlessly. This is taken in the Crystal Ball Room in the King Edward Hotel. Open Doors Toronto gave me so many chances to get into places I never knew were there. In this case I knew this place existed, I just wasn't sure that we were going there, shouldn't have had my music on I guess. So when we got up to the ball room my jaw fell flat open, "I know where we are" I said out loud, talking to myself. Everyone just smiled at me, hehehe! I photographed this one to death. In fact I just sat there for a long time, at one point, looking at all the peeling paint on the walls, checking out the antiqueness of everything.

I wanted to show the loneness of this one person walking down into the grass. Mind you, there is plenty of people in the field if you look closely. This park is near Broadview Avenue just south of Broadview Station, on the Danforth. Eastside is not really my thing, however, once in a while I will go over there for a walk. I'm not about to let a perfect picture just float by. The Colour Splash effect was added to take away from the City of Toronto in the background. I needed you to see it, but not all at once. What was more important was the grass and that person enjoying his afternoon.

Have you ever liked the look of a TTC streetcar looking you right in the eye. The beast of a transit vehicle making it's way slowly but with so much power. TTC obsessed here, I know. Hey, I'm not the only one, there are plenty of us Transit Geeks out there. Whenever I see a transit vehicle I always see a big, powerful force. One mean looking piece of metal, and it's beautiful all at the same time.

Here is some Cherry Blossoms for you, a lovely looking tree. At this certain time in the spring, around late April, early March, these trees start to blossom and the park is full of beauty. The park is High Park, in the westend of Toronto. I do go there a fair number of times, just never enough. I hope this photo brightens your day.

Sunlight In The Darklight

One beautiful flower, found in the convenience store near my house. The owners like to carry very fancy flowers that you can buy all year round. This one was in the window and had just a bit of sunlight on it, which is what made the shot perfect. I decided that I was going to quad the photo, put into four divisions. It makes the plant look bigger and helps it stand out more brilliant for the photograph. I always loved pictures like this, where there is something of beautiful colour set in the middle of darkness. Pure Darklight. 

This one had to be taken. Everyday on the way home, I would see this shot in my head, at Osgoode Subway Station. It actually turned out perfectly, as I had my smartphone out and ready to shoot, this lady walked by at just the right moment. There will never be a shortage of TTC photography from me. There is way too many opportunities to get the best photo every single day. Mind you, the editing is getting better as we go along, I did take this shot with a Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Only 8 mega pixels to deal with. Now with the Note 4, 16 mega pixels makes for better quality. Oops the techie nerd just came out. 

Buses, they are my favourite thing. In fact, I was so excited last night that I got to ride on one of the newer articulated buses for the first time, love them. The one above isn't one of those, but still a TTC bus none the less. I took this one while my Mom and I were on our way home from work one evening. I get this feel good feeling when the bus is riding into the sunset, that magic hour sunlight always gives me a positive feeling. Nothing can go wrong, plus I was one my way home from work to relax. Always a bonus.

Speaking of sunsets that give a positive feeling, here is another one. Taken at Yonge Street and College Street. I went out for a photo adventure and pow, perfect photo moment. Never let the sunlight get away from you, even in the winter there is always a perfect moment to pull out your smartphone or camera and get pictures like this that you will never forget. I love my city.

Abandoned Broken Stuff

This one really hurts, World's Biggest Bookstore was my favourite store, I spent many hours looking through many rows of books. I would visit at least once a week, and then out of nowhere, they decided to close this beautiful store. I guess with the rise of eBook purchases is putting physical bookstores all over the world out of business. I knew the building was sitting there empty for the longest time, I just didn't know that they were going to demolish it. So when I found out a couple of days ago, I had to go there and see for myself. My heart split in two. I just stood there looking at the sight that you see above. The shelving units are still in the building, some shredded in the rubble. I know that I don't have much of a choice as to what happens to this building, but I know how much of a landmark that it used to be in this city. So I say this here, bye bye World's Biggest Bookstore, I'll miss you. I'm sure most of Toronto will miss you. Who knows what they are going to build in your place, condos or restaurants. Lets just hope they decide to keep the BMV that is beside it. 

One thing about Toronto is that there is no shortage of broken glass. I shot a picture every time that I get the chance when I get lucky enough to find them. This shot is actually side ways. There is an entrance going into Bay Subway Station, on the TTC, from the underground. I was just getting off the 6 Bay Bus and heading into the subway station where this doorway is located, and boom, broken glass. Of course I'm going to stop immediately and take this photograph. I actually had the chance to edit on the way home. 

On Peter Street, near Richmond Street West, there is an abandoned house. Just one house that is in the middle of random Peter Street. I'm not sure if in fact that it is still there, as I took this one a while ago. The house is beautiful, old, and still standing. Even after many club nights, and who knows what happening around it. Since it is right in the middle of the Club District. I'm surprised that there wasn't any broken windows, I guess the house was safe with all the Police Officers surrounding it. You can feel that it had many owners, there must be so many stories, if the walls could talk. Then I heard that it became a boarding house that went downhill. I still would love to see what it looks like on the inside. I think the city should keep these abandoned houses, maybe protect them under some sort of barriers, as a reminder that we did have some lovely homes in the city. Not all this modern looking stuff. Not that there is anything wrong with the modern stuff, I actually enjoy the mix of old and new. That is what Toronto is all about. Building love. 

Shreaded Bricks and The Future

This shot you see before you was taken on the Monday after the G20 took place in Toronto 2010. I had school that morning and, well, this is what I walked into that morning. My school was located in College Park, right in the middle of chaos. Most of the windows were busted out everywhere you went. The Tim Hortons on the left, the Starbucks straight ahead. I never left home that whole weekend, mostly because I had major homework to do. For the most part, I didn't want to be caught up in the riot that was happening in my city. I do have to say that that Monday was more peaceful and everyone was respectful of the other person next to them. We should always respect the person next to us no matter what. That morning I had to find coffee else where, luckily there is a Tim Hortons inside as well.

One frosty afternoon we have here in this above photo. I took this one from my bedroom window, looking at the steam coming from that chimney. I love how all the houses look from the backyards, they show parts that they don't want the front yard viewers to see. All the rough parts of the house, all the ad-ons that the 1960's brought. It is hard to believe that most of these houses were built in the early 1900's. Before that this was farm country, in fact that farm house is two doors down from my house. 

That wall is crumbling, OK so it was a demolition. This was an elderly hospital/home. They built a new one next door and decided to flatten this wonderful piece of architecture. Since I like the look of abandoned buildings and homes, this works. I liked how the sunlight was perfectly hitting the brick, in focus, and the sky and branches were just out of focus. Toronto just keeps ripping down old buildings and replacing them with new ones, I don't like that. I just found out recently that they demolished The Worlds Biggest Bookstore. That was my favourite store, I didn't even know it was going down. I was wrong, I think they want to build more condos there, or restaurants. Who knows. My city keeps changing and I don't like it. I'm one for keeping things the same, having that retro feeling.