Water Drops And Gloomy Lights

Don't you just love how water droplets look on plants and flowers? Yes I do. One rainy day not too long ago I was on a break and happened upon this. The droplets give this plant definition, more feeling. The plant would have been fine on its own, I think it needed this. Plus you can feel just how dark and gloomy that day actually was, how overcast many people were just but looking at the light in the shot. It was Monday, just saying.

Moving on with water droplets, here is some condensation on the window. It was a cold one that day, and very warm on the inside. What excites me about this is all the shades of colour you can see through the water on the window. I needed something to do that day, as my mood was altered by a thing that happened, but that is behind me. I'm glad I had photography and editing to keep my mind on other things. 

This next shot came as a surprise. My best friend and I were walking along the Danforth near Victoria Park and stumbled upon this. Abandoned building, jackpot. I went in close to get this one, all of the debris just hanging out all over the ground. All I could think about was how most of Detroit looks like this right now and people have to live around it all the time. I love Detroit, wish that I could visit that city. Could you imagine how much art I could find in the abandoned. 

Next we come to the TTC again. Every morning that I'm working in the Exchange Tower I go to St. Andrew Station. I always go up the escalator and see these lights floating past me. This one time I shot it, but how I really see it in my head. In a blur and dark, lights reflecting off on tiles, very bleak and gloomy. Inside I find happiness in that. Go figure, I guess I'm weird, but aren't we all to some extent?

Dark Sun Leaves

Tis the season for fall, not much of a fan. OK so I do like the way the trees change colour and all, but not the part where all the leaves fall. I think I took this shot in 2007, I remember being upset, that is the best time to do a photo spree for me. I took my Nikon out for the day, this is actually near Castle Frank Subway Station. I seen this park in which I stood there looking for the right thing to shoot. There it was right in front of me.  Instead of shooting to the main road I pointed the camera away from the busy street action. I wanted a calm shot of what that day was becoming. It became a day of fighting with the guy I was dating at the time. In fact when you really think of it, that is what we did all the time. Get mad at each other for nothing. Don't get me wrong, I wish him well in his life, but at the time things were not good at all. We did end up going our separate ways, probably for the better.

Look it's the water. This is where you will see me most of the time. If I am having a bad day or whatever I hang out by the water. There is something about it that calms me down, the reasoning is odd. When I was younger my parents, when they were still married, used to take me down to the waterfront in Mississauga where we lived. There is a place near Port Credit where you can park your car and look at Lake Ontario. So when I was young we would go there and look at the water for a relaxing time. I rarely will go there, but I do go to places in Toronto to do the same thing. The above is in the west end near the Humber River. When I snapped this one, I liked how the sun was reflecting off the sign. Also how the sign said to swim at your own risk. Rusty sign, perfect sunlight, equals good photo opp. 

I wish that I could remember where I took this one, boggles the mind. I know that I love how trees look in a picture. I also enjoy the sunlight shot and total blackness in the background. It makes things almost not seem real even though it is.

OK so I know that I'm a Wiccan and all but I do like how churches look from an architectural view point. This is my Mom's favourite shot that I took. I guess because it looks like the church is far away when in reality it is close to the street. This church is found in Bloor West Village on Annette Street. In 2006, I found this one when I was walking home one afternoon. I remember entering it into a Nikon Contest, but it didn't win. It did win in my Mom's heart though and that is all that mattered really.

A video I made many years ago.

Silhouette And Shadows

A cheese grater? Kidding, it's just the Commerce Court (CIBC) building. The right amount of shadow and light made this happen. After a bit of editing, you can grate cheese, hahaha! One time I was standing at the very bottom of this building, that is at King Street and Bat Street, and looked up. Wow, amazing feeling seeing just how tall it is from that stand point. I have to admit that I had a bit of a creepy feeling in my stomach. Still I must say that this building has nothing on the original Commerce Court building just east of it. Old and beautiful.

There it is, just behind that building. The CN Tower does show up in many of my shots, it truly is a major landmark for me. In fact I would say that it is my favourite landmark. When I took this picture I was staying at the Grand Hotel with my boyfriend at the time. Kind of like a stay-cation. Loved how the tower showed itself right here. The air was really hat and humid that day too which gave my shot a hazy effect, and that is what made this picture the way it is. The hotel was pretty awesome as well.

On one of my days off I decided to walk around the Sherbourne and Bloor area. I walked down one of the streets named Huntley Street and located this. A normal looking house had this funky looking tree design on the side of it. It was so random, if I had not walked down there I would not have seen this. The way that the sun was shining through the trees and showing up as a shadow effect on the wall is what made everything complete. Sometimes when you take random walks in the city you come across things that you never really knew were there in the first place. I love doing this. Luckily this day I had my good camera on me, the weather was great, and all worked out in my favor. 

I'm so happy that Toronto is one of the cities that has a windmill right there for all to see. This thing is huge, but cool none the less. I always enjoyed taking these shots with the silhouette of an object. The sky was the perfect blue that day, the clouds all lined up well. Settings on the Nikon set perfectly as well. This is what I got, not much of an edit was needed either. Sometimes when I have a free day, I will go down to the Ex grounds and photograph stuff. I usually go when the Ex is not open, better chance for people-less pictures. I'm not sure why I like taking shots with the absence of people, because there are usually lots of people walking around me when I'm taking the photo in the first place. I want to bring the things out, I guess. This above shot makes me feel peaceful.

Old Building With The Creepy

The Fairmont Royal York Hotel is such an amazing structure in downtown Toronto, I've been fascinated with it for years. Since I was a little girl I wanted to work there, not sure what job at the time, but still have not worked there yet. However, now that I'm a massage therapist I'm not sure that I want to work there. I noticed that their spa is very upscale and I'm not the kind of person that a classy spa would hire, tattooed arms and all. I'm also working in a very good place now, and the chances of me leaving there are slim. So looking at this hotel now, I can admire it from a far. I can't believe how old it really is, 1929 is the year it was officially called the Royal York Hotel, but it had many names in the past. At one point there was a completely different building there. Apparently there is a tunnel that runs from Union Station, across the street, to the hotel. It was built to bring famous people over to the hotel that were coming in from the train station. I'm not really sure whether it is still there, that would be a great history lesson for someone like me one day, but not today.

Did I mention that this building is awesome, I know that it just sits there abandoned. Yet I love to look at it, just hang out down there at the foot of Bathurst Street looking at the water and photographing this big gem. The Canada Malting Plant was operational form many, many years. It opened in1928, but did close down in the 1980's. They have done some demolition to it, but intend to keep the silos for future development. This is where the statues of the Jewish Immigrants are found, right near the lower left corner of the shot. I love buildings that are still sitting there, not even functioning, but are left there for some reason. 

Not to far east from the Canada Malting Plant is this condo. It is located in the harbourfront area, I would love to buy property there one day. The structure of this condo is so much different from the rest of the buildings found in the area and around Toronto fro that matter. When I took this shot I had this image already set in my mind, I just needed to place it. Here you go. Imagine living this close to the CN Tower, Lake Ontario, and the downtown core. I would just love that. One day when my finances look better that many actually happen. I'm hoping here is where I will end up.

When coming home from work and walking in to the backyard of my house, this is what you see. Almost scary, but not as I know this as home. My house is on the right in the shot. That tree is one of my favourite trees. I can see it when I wake up every morning. Of course it looks much better with leaves, but this is what you got the day I took the shot. I wanted it to look creepy. Enter at your own risk, he he!!

Look Massive Attack, Mezzanine. This song is one of the songs that comes with me on photo journeys.

TTC And The Sunlight

Love the TTC, like nobody knew that, at least the ones that know me. I could photograph the Toronto Transit Commission every single day, oh wait, I do photograph the TTC every single day. This one above was a shot I always would see when I would meet my Mom on our way home from work. St. Patrick station is beautiful with its green colour and the curves. I needed to get this one. It was funny that day because my Mom and I seen the same shot at the same time and we both pulled our phones out at the same time to get said shot. Hahahah!! I might do some repeating on this angle at other subway stations, honestly I just love the shape that appears.

Oh hey streetcar, you look pretty. OK so its just the shell of the streetcar and there is nothing on the inside, but I love him none the less my friends. All that rust show the wear from years of weather and years of use, how you look after being put through what this streetcar has had to put up with. So yes, I gave the trolley a big hug for being as strong as it could for so many years, good job PCC.

Mixed reviews are out there on the liking of these newer subway trains. I love them, of course, you can walk all the way from one end of the train to the other end while it's in motion. who wouldn't love that. OK so I'm a weirdo, TTC Geek to you. I remember when these first came out, I couldn't wait to get a ride on it. One day I actually waited at Bloor Station for hours to get on one, but nothing came. I didn't actually get on one until months later when I was on my way to school, what sucked was that I was only going two stops. Damn it. Now I ride on these trains all the time, as they are in abundance. 

This shot above was take with my new Samsung Galaxy Note 4, what a beautiful smartphone. In fact most of the photos you take with it you don't have to edit them, as they are perfect on their own. I do edit, because I'm looking for a certain look, feel and emotion. So this shot was taken on Bloor Street West near Runnymede Road, I love Bloor West Village. The sun was shining perfectly through the trees and I was testing what the camera on the Note 4 could actually do. I'm happy with the result. That day was one of the best days I had as of late, I wasn't worried or depressed about anything. 

Bipolar Darklight Ramblings

The Atrium On Bay, sometimes I like to go here more than hanging out at the Eaton Centre. Since it's right next door and one of my routes to work I see it a lot. On Thursday I was on the bottom floor and mesmerized by the view. Look at that roof, the windows, the indoor balconies, the lighting. Most Toronto photographers have taken advantage of this picture.

Here from another angle, the outside light brings lots of great shooting angles for your camera. I think everyone should go here and practice their photography skills, just remember that it's a mall, so you can shop too. 

University of Toronto, faculty of Dentistry. So spooky looking, the hallways look like they should have ghosts roaming the halls. From many areas in the building you get that haunted feeling, the EMF meter always goes up when I'm there. That could be the electrical stuff too. I mostly got creeped out on my way to Oral Surgery when I was a teenager getting my wisdom teeth pulled. I still walk past that one area, many years later, and get that spooky feeling. 

Just outside of Sunlife Financial, at University Avenue and King Street, actually on Pearl Street. The shot appeared to me. Again, it pays to look up at the buildings. I spend some time out here as this is where I go for my smoke break. Nice quiet spot believe it or not, mostly business people walking around with business thoughts on their minds. 

When you have that hurt, sadness still hanging around in your head, like myself on most days. Look to the sunlight if you can, it always brings a sense of hope, calm, and peace. The darkness is still there, as you can see from the above shot, but if you look just past it hope is looking you in the face and the future and be there soon enough where all is great and love is everywhere. No one should ever give up on life no matter how hard it is, it's a bad day not a bad life.

Fall Darklight Is Here

Welcome to fall, it is truly starting to feel like fall, cold and windy. All overcast all the time, which means no vitamin D. Lots of depression everywhere you look, but you do have that odd person that just loves everything about fall. I have to admit that fall skies are perfect for my kind of photography, you can feel the emotion in what you see, in what my brain is trying to tell you. The clouds show all shades of darkness in a good and bad way. The good being the art, the bad being the depression I feel as i take said photo. I can picture myself walking around listening to Depeche Mode, my favourite band, and feeling all of this, everything at once, tears falling from my face. On the plus side is that I released all this emotion, so I don't have to feel it for a while.

Funny thing about the above photo is that I couldn't go down that path, the bridge was too dark for me. I remember how miserable I was that day. I snapped good shot after good shot, not missing a beat. Remember the more I'm hurting the more amazing the photo can become. I have to listen to the darkest music I own just to put myself in this spot. So here it is, the bridge of darkness that I could not cross. Moving on.

So much fall everywhere. Blurry leaves, sharp leaves, the absence of leaves. Fall brings so much sadness to my eyes. Yet after the shot it done and edited, I'm happier for it. I'm backwards. The colours are such a sad green, as summer disappears and everything dies, life goes on into the coldness of everything else. I'm not sure if any of this is making sense, it just needs to be written this way. 

So if you are feeling the doubt and the dread, here is a place on the west side of the Toronto Eaton Centre. It is a maze like brick design on the ground. Lots of people use it as a form of meditation to walk in it following the lines. Listen to spa music while doing so and you will be able to find inner peace. Or a person like me can stand beside it and find the most gloomy view of it, take a picture and make it look even darker. Smile in the face of bad days, don't let it take you down. You have tomorrow to make it much better. When in doubt, take a photograph.

Surprise music video, Saw Something by Dave Gahan. 

Hidden Stuff In The T-Dot

Oh Sam The Record Man, how I shopped in your store so many times. I was so sad the day you said that you were closing, so I photographed the hell out of your store. I did enjoy walking down Yonge Street in Toronto and seeing this sign, and now you are gone.

These big beautiful rusting records, how you twinkle and rotate at night. I did here that you will be able to see these again on top of a building in Yonge Dundas Square, thank you Ryerson University. I think that I bought most of my Electronica library here, OK so HMV was involved too, but you get my point. 

Don't you just love these storefronts? I do, I'm so glad we still have them. It was like a way to pull you into their displays, which were always artsy. The tile work done on the floor tiles is amazing, I bet you some person, that may not even be alive anymore, put their heart and soul into this floor. The next time you see a store front like this, respect the work that went into it. I seen this one on Dundas Street West near Keele Street. I just realized you can see my reflection on the door, with flash. Hahahah, I must have taken this one in the early days of my photography ventures. As I don't use flash much anymore, you really don't need it in the day time and a tripod helps when photographing at night. 

I still look for these, in fact they can still be found all over the city if you look close enough. I know that most of you have cell phones now, but sometimes you just never know when you need of of these broken, busted up Bell pay phones. I don't even know what they charge anymore to make a call. I haven't used one since it was still twenty five cents. I would say this one had it's day in the sun, literally, in fact I don't think that it is there anymore. I did take this photo somewhere around 2007.

This little guy is actually on the front of someones house on Bedford Avenue. I took a stroll one day up that street, and across my favourite street called Tranby Avenue. This little guy popped out of nowhere. Hey you look at me, take a picture of me. I doubt that many people know about this gargoyle. He's like a cute little house protector. One day if I could ever afford it, I would love to purchase a house on Tranby Avenue, they are all heritage homes. It would be cool to live in one of those. You never know what the future can bring. Always be positive about what could be right around the corner.

Now enjoy Insomniac Olympics by Blockhead, I know I will thanks to Youtube.com.

Bad Relationships and Koyaanisqatsi

The entrance to what could have been my life, but wasn't, and I'm so happy about that. This is Union Station in Toronto, it is such an old and beautiful building. Great place for photographers, especially new ones, as I did practice here when I was just learning photography. So much has happened to me in one big building. One bad relationship to another bad relationship, and the two mixing together even though I had no idea at the time. One guy and I had a major fight here, it looked like he was not treating me so well, but I was just crying on the floor. What was to be my future fiance came to check if everything was OK, he was a security guard at the station. Yes I was, we left. Later that same guy I almost married proposed to me right down this ramp (that you can't see) underneath this sign. I said yes, but two years later broke it off as I could not handle the emotional abuse anymore. There are other stories, but these are the most recent.

Here is something that always cheers me up no matter what time of the year it is. Flowers, I love to photograph them in happy and depressing ways. In the above case, this was a cheerful moment for me. In N Niagara Falls a couple of years back we were driving around looking for history of our family and I looked up to see this. The image worked out perfectly, first try. Happy memories of driving around in the summer sunshine with my family.

The above is a scene from my favourite movie Koyaanisqatsi. The score is Philip Glass. This is showing many areas in St. Louis, manly the Pruitt Igoe housing complex. It was meant to be a great set of buildings for lower income Mom's to raise their kids. In no time the building became run down and drug dealer infested and everyone moved out. Later in the early 80's they demolished the buildings. This clip gives you an idea as to what it looked like and what became of it. Such sadness.
This whole movie has been the inspiration for all of my photography.


This next scene in more beautiful music by Philip Glass and shows the Michigan Central Train Depot in Detroit. Closed down many years ago. The scene was taken out of the movie Naqoyatsi, which is part of the Qatsi trilogies. Love this song and the amazing shots.

Moving on. This picture above is one of my attempts at light painting. I just liked how it was out of focus and yet surreal almost. One day I want to practice more at light painting and see what I can make of it. I took this one as a practice shot, but ended up being the real deal. It even didn't involve much editing, that does make me a happier person.  

Subway Tiles And Ghostly Houses

The subway is a major part of my day, going to work, coming home, etc. So many picture opportunities in so many places, a photographer could go wild, especially if that photographer is a TTC nut just like me. I was headed to the Toronto Eaton Centre on this certain morning, headed to work. Standing on the southbound platform, in which I normally do, this was the scene. Not too busy on the northbound side, except this one guy. I'm not sure what he's up to, I guess just getting on with his day, as all of us are. Snap, edit, ta-da!! I always liked how this view looked, with or without the train coming in or going out. 

Look more TTC, in this case at St. Andrew Station. I was coming home and I noticed this depth of field shot that I needed to take. I love how the tiles are shiny and that it stands out from the background that is so fuzzy, but important to what I am trying to say. The colours are dull for a reason, as this station is always kind of grey and dull. I do love the look of it. I wonder if I'm the only one that looks at the subway stations in the same way? Probably not. I do see so much of the same or similar on Instagram and Facebook. 

This is Osgoode station on the TTC subway system, just one station north of St Andrew station. I hope they don't renovate these stations, as they are just wonderful the way they are. More depth of field we have here, with the added edit of Fragment. The crescent brings your eyes over to the person that is standing at the end of the platform. They are probably on their way home pondering what they are going to have for dinner, who knows? Or as usual they may be reading something on their device, whatever that may be. 

What we have here is a shot I took out of the taxi window while going home. We were on Bedford Avenue, in the Annex, or the more rich neck of the woods. When you look around at all the huge beautiful houses it makes you wish that you could afford to live in one. Maybe one day I will, I'll just have to see what the future of massage therapy brings. What I was trying to show here is just how spooky or haunted some of these houses look. For all I know there could be some ghosts hanging out in there. So I included the street being haunted as well. This picture might be perfect for Halloween, or any time for that matter. 

Broken Glass And The Rain

This is Scotia Plaza. In one of the door ways into the building there is the beautiful set of windows, they have been shattered on purpose. I do like this effect, the lighting on the bottom bring out the broken window effect. Every time I would go out those doors I would see it and want to take a picture, but never did, this time I did. Of course I had to edit it like crazy, so I gave it this. I hope you like it. Every Monday I see this and I guess I was just waiting for the right time to produce it to the public.

This next shot was something I actually seen in the reflection on my phone. I was laying down on my bed just coming to after a nap, and I could see this reflecting at me. I didn't have my phone on at the time. So I took the picture to show what I was seeing, the edge of the window was reflecting this, just this. Mind you the leaves on the tree were swaying and that would have made a great shot too.

In this next picture I was sitting in the back seat of the car while we were driving in Niagara Falls. The rain started to come down in masses and I was feeling a little disappointed because taking pictures was being delayed by a bit. So I focused the camera on the window, I wanted to show the rain, the feeling of sadness, the motion of the car, and the fact that I felt stuck there for a while. I was making the best of a situation that would normally be mundane to many people. I do love when people take pictures of the rain, or water drops on leaves. So many emotions can be captures with water and in this sense the rain. 

Shadows Of People

Well this worked out. I looked to the sky on one of my photo shoots a couple years back and to my surprise the sun lined up just right with this building. You can't let a moment like the get away, especially when you are looking for this prime shots. I do believe I was on Front Street just east of Yonge Street, St Lawrence Market. I was able to get this with the amazing zoom on my lens. It almost looks like I was flying around right next to that building, prime building porn. If I ever get another opportunity I'd take the shot again and again at all different angles. 

Here it is again, better camera better lens, even closer. Slightly different view and yet I love the look of this place, all the intricate angles, all the great shadows. 

I have a slight (by slight I mean massive) addiction to this place. The Canada Malting Plant. Nothing has been going on there in years, just another abandoned building in Toronto. Mind you now they have been doing some construction to it. They removed a complete section off of it, probably due to the fact that it was falling apart. I would spend so many hours down by the water looking at all the things that I could photograph in this building. 

This brings me to the next part. As I was walking around said Canada Malting Plant I can across these sculptures of people, some looked almost dead. Later I found out that they were Jewish settlers that arrived here, very sick or dying. Some made it some didn't. One of the statues was of a pregnant woman that looked very sickly. The way the statues are sitting was a very interesting find for me, I was amazed at how they were placed on the grass. They were behind this old abandoned building for probably a long time, I just never ventured that far behind it, until that one day. You never know what you will find when you look in your own backyard.

Protection In The Darklight

My Mommy's hand, there it is. Ok so I asked her to place her hand out over the camera. This shot is an Abstract crap kind of picture, it feels like she reaching out for something or protecting. Is it me that she is protecting? Probably, my Mom is know to be a protective one. At 5'2" she could still put anyone in their place, don't mess with the redhead. When it comes to me, my Mom will protect, no matter what. Along with the hand I wanted to show that there can be so many elements brought out in one picture just by using your imagination. Even when you are having a random time on the subway coming home. 

On other days waiting for a subway train, I look at this and I try to make it look interesting. I'm pretty sure most of use waiting at this platform are looking at this same thing. So I wanted to show what I used to see before I started taking anti-depressants and anti-anxiety pills. I would get this horrible feeling in my gut, almost rotten and so low that you couldn't go any lower. Everything would have this dark haze over it, almost making things seem black, white and grey. Colour was present, but very dull looking, sometimes I just didn't notice nor did I care to notice that the world was happy around me. I couldn't lift myself out of this mess. Then I started taking the medication that my Doctor prescribed for me, and holy wow, the world was back. I could see everything very vividly and bright. No more darkness. Ok so It's not fabulous all the time, I still have these moments of Darklight. It just doesn't bog me down anymore, I take pictures and create art to help lift my spirits. For the most part it works, also writing helps. Journals give you the perfect opportunity to vent things you need to say, nobody needs to read it. Hell maybe you can turn them into an eBook and make some money on it. 

This is one of the areas in the downtown core that I like to visit if I'm not feeling up to my usual self. The best part is that you can sit down inside and see what is happening outside. The Toronto Sheraton Hotel is where this little hidden treasure is. Right on the main level as you walk in you can see this water fall. It's outside, but you can view it from the inside sitting in nice fancy chairs.