Once again I managed to walk around the other day after a very filling lunch. I figured I would burn off some calories and have some fun doing so. So, I grabbed my X-T1 and 35mm 1.4, and headed off to the Friendship Gardens. To be honest, after all these years, I really haven't explored this area too much. Sure, I have done some portraits and portions of weddings here but it would usually be in just one section. Well, this time around, I made sure to walk all around and I was actually quite surprised at the amount of statues and monuments located at the park.
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County Fair + Cumberland Street
Since it is my birthday today, I figured I would treat myself to a little photowalk. Since I had just met my wife Anne for lunch on Eddy Lee's, I decided to go down the street and walk around County Fair. There used to be a Canadian Tire there but it has long since shut down. Instead, they opened up a Walmart a few years ago. I always remember going to that Canadian Tire when I was younger to go get some tennis balls or other random things that kids need. It was always a trek to ride my bike all the way there. As you can tell from the photos, it is now just an abandoned building, but you can still see some of the signage.
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Kam Park + Westfort
I decided to take some time to walk around Kam Park and eventually Westfort the other day to take some photos. I brought my XT-1 with the 16mm. I'm still somewhat getting used to this focal length because I'm so used to using 35mm and beyond. It's really forcing me out of my comfort zone a bit and making me see different angles. As a photographer, I think it's important to use different lenses as it really opens up your eyes and it obviously lets you capture images that you might not of been able to before with a different lens.
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To the Marina and Back
Last week Anne and I managed to go for a walk to the Marina. It was so nice out and actually still is so we definitely like to take advantage of this weather when we can because who knows when it's going to suddenly get cold. Instead of walking the main streets we decided to take some of the alleyways and side roads we don't usually walk down. It always amazes me how much there is to see when you just head off the beaten path a bit. Plus, you often get to see some backyards of houses as well which I always find kind of interesting.
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Honeymoon in Montreal
Anne and I decided to go to Montreal for our Honeymoon. We had been there once before, but only got to spend a couple days on our way to the East Coast. When we were trying to decide what a good destination would be for our Honeymoon, Montreal was always at the top of the list. So we went with it. We decided to just fly in, stay by the hotel and rent a car. That way we could pretty much do whatever we wanted. Seeing as how I don’t mind driving in the larger cities and Anne being an expert navigator, it was a match made in heaven.
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Exploring Victoriaville
It has been a while since I've had the chance to walk (wander) around myself and take some photos. Well, after meeting my beautiful wife for lunch in Victoriaville, I decided to venture into the abyss that is called Victoriaville. Now technically, Victoriaville is the mall, so in reality, I walked around the area. Anne can attest to this, but instead of walking on the main streets, I always try and find the off beaten paths. Well, lucky for her, she wasn't forced to follow me on my excursion and I pretty much ventured down every back alley I could find.
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Day Before The Wedding
Well.. it's officially the day we are getting married. Wow. Today was a fun day getting everything set up and it's actually still going. At least, I should say, the girls are still going. I decided to let them do their thing and focus on some of the photos I captured from the day.
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4th Annual Fat Guys Auto Show 2015
On my way to a wedding I was photographing today I quickly stopped at the Annual Auto Show at Fat Guys. I went last year and really enjoyed myself so I wanted to at least make an appearance this year to take a few photos. I literally only had about 10 minutes so I walked around quickly and just snapped a few things that caught my eye. I could have easily spent a couple hours there but I simply didn't have the time this year.
All photos were taken with the Fuji X-T1 paired with the 16mm 1.4.
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In Search of a Cold Beer
Anne and I finally found the time to go for a good walk today. Our goal, as per usual, was to find a bar stool and a drink, preferably with some alcohol in it. Along the way, we figured we could get some exercise. We decided about halfway through the walk to make our way to the marina to grab some food and drinks at the Breakwater Taphouse. We had only be there once before and we liked it so it was time to give it another try.
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Canada Day at Chippewa Park + Downtown Port Arthur
Canada Day has come and gone but I finally got a chance to go through all the photos from that day. We started off by going to Old Fort William which I could honestly spend a whole day photographing. We ended up only going for a couple hours but it was plenty of time to walk around take lots of great photos. Not only were there a lot of people walking around, there are endless buildings to go into, each having there own unique personality. I would say my favourite moment there was in the stables. There were goats, roosters, sheep and a few other types of animals. I came away with some fun shots, one of the best ones being a sheep getting sheared.
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Last Minute Camping at Trow Bridge
It's been a busy week so I am just now getting to photos from the previous weekend. What a great weekend it was too! Anne and I decided to go for breakfast at the Hoito for some pancakes and were trying to figure out what to do for the weekend. Well, just like that we decided to go camping at Trow Bridge. It would be only our second time camping this year, the first being at our usual place, Happyland.
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Niagara Falls + Hamilton + Toronto with the Fuji XE-1 + 16mm 1.4
As I mentioned in my last post, I recently travelled to Southern Ontario with my Fiancé Anne to attend a wedding. In that post I mentioned I only brought one camera with me during the trip and that was the XE-1 and the 16mm 1.4. Well, I put it to good use during the rest of our trip which took is through Toronto, Niagara, Hamilton and eventually back to Toronto.
One of the things I was looking forward to purchasing while in Toronto was the grip for the XE-1, but surprisingly 3 camera stores didn't have it in stock. Either way I always attach my small strap so it easy to carry around. With the 16mm attached it wasn't heavy by any means but the grip would have definitely made it a bit more comfortable.
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Walking the East End with the Fuji XE-1 + 16mm 1.4
It was starting to get late last night when I got the urge to just get out and walk around and take some photos. Although it may not be generally known as the nicest part of town, I'm usually drawn to the East Side when taking photos. I guess I just love the atmosphere. The rain was slowly creeping in but luckily it held off long enough for me to really put the Fuji 16mm lens to the test. My camera of choice was a simple one, since it is currently the only once I can mount the lens to, the Fuji XE-1. For a while I was trying to sell it but I figured I would give pull it out of hibernation and start using it again. It may not be the fastest camera but over the past week of using it, it has taken some of my favourite photos of the year.
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More Fun With the Fuji X100s
I just wanted to take a moment to share some more randomness with the Fuji X100s. As usual, there was no specific thing I set out to take photos of, rather, I just photographed what caught my eye. Some of the photos were shot indoors and some outdoors. Regardless of whether they were done inside or outside the X100s performed great. Honestly, I just keep it on the same setting all the time, which is auto ISO. When I'm outside, the only thing I really need to do is turn on the built in ND Filter.
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Enjoying the Warm Weather ... while it lasted
We finally got some warm weather this past week so I here are some photos from those days. It's a random mix of Kakabeka Falls, hanging outside around the house, my Mother's Birthday and of course, enjoying a fire in the backyard.
I used a few different cameras this time around. Most of them were shot with the D610, but a bunch were also taken with the Fuji x100s and my trusty D700. The lenses of choice were the 50mm 1.8 and the 85mm 1.8. Just when I think the 85mm is my new favourite lens, the 50mm still blows me away with the quality it produces for such a inexpensive lens.
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It's almost spring!
I had the chance to get for a little bit this past weekend and enjoy the brisk spring weather. It was mid afternoon which meant bright sunny conditions. Instead of looking for low contrast and subtle photos I focused on finding nice shadows and strong bold images.
My combo of choice this time around was my D610 and 85mm 1.8. The 85mm might be my new favourite lens. I love how light it is and the colours it produces are just amazing. Plus, for me, it's a great focal length, at least when walking around.
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It's a Port Arthur Thing
Friday finally arrived and I was all done work so I figured I would take advantage of the longer days and sunlight and go take some photos. I was to meet my Fiance Anne, and her friend Raven at The Madhouse, so I bundled up, grabbed my D610 and 85mm 1.8, and headed out into the cold
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Downtown Port Arthur with the Fuji X100s
It was another chilly day out yesterday but I figured I would walk around still and get some fresh air. This time around I brought my Fuji X100s. It's a such a fantastic little camera. It's a different experience shooting with the Fuji then it is with my slightly larger D610 full frame camera. The main difference I find between the two, is the use of EVF. In direct sunlight I did find myself using the OVF but most of the time I just held the camera up and looked at the screen. If the exposure was good, I took the photos. If it wasn't perfect, I simply changed the exposure compensation dial. I just find it a bit faster in certain ways.
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Trip to Kakabeka
With some slightly better weather finally here me and my Fiancé Anne, managed to drive to Kakabeka. As we have done before during visits there, we grabbed a bit to eat at the Metropolitan Moose. It's a wonderful Cafe that has some really good food. My camera of choice today was a Nikon D610 and my Nikon 50mm 1.8. It's a relatively light combo and paired with my Black Rapid strap, it's very easy to carry around.
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