My favourite bookstore on Queen St. West, TYPE, always has the most interesting windows. Love this Joni Mitchell song. Merry Christmas to everyone, and a Happy Holiday season!! Enjoy life, take lots of photos, but also put the camera down and just experience life, it's so precious and you might miss something if you're always looking through the viewfinder. xx
Took a little breather over the summer, to spend time with my little family, enjoying life and watching gardens grow. Feeling refreshed and ready to face another winter I guess. But first some lovely autumn colour.
I do freelance work for ETFO, this was a shot from a rally at Queen's Park in Toronto, protesting cuts in education funding. It's always an interesting challenge to find new ways to shoot the same thing. Angles, light, different focal length lenses etc, all help get a different perspective.
After a long winter and interminable (false) spring, it's always lovely to see the colour green. Took a visit to the Centennial Park Conservatory last week and gave my eyeballs some much needed green therapy. Pretty soon the trees will be budding and we'll be on the way to summertime.
Dawn Davi was a pleasure to work with. A talented musician and beautiful human being. You should definitely check out her website and music.
Anyone who knows me, knows I love music. So it's always excting for me to work with musicians, helping them achieve their vision, either for CD covers, or promo. Sometimes it's cool to explore the dark side. The studio can morph from this dramatic black and white to bright white stock shots in a few moments. I also have lots of other backdrops, including some canvases we did ourselves. Fun to experiment with all of them.
We always hit the Toronto Distillery District when the Light Festival is happening. Lots of cool photo ops and the best tacos in town. Try to go during the week when it's not so packed with people, but the crowds can be photogenic too, so... be creative!
From Spain to rain, ugh. Full schedule this month and working in the nosebleed towers downtown. Doing corporate headshots can feel a bit bleak sometimes, but you still meet fun and interesting people, and always pause for moments like this to appreciate the view.
I'm lucky that I get to work with so many different people, thanks to my freelance work for Country Guide Canada and the super dedicated editor Tom Button. Every shoot takes me to a new adventure, fascinating new stories to illustrate and lots to learn about the subjects too. I love environmental portraits, shooting people in their element. As I've said a million times before, I love my job.
So, I took off the whole month of October to visit the amazing Andalucia region in Spain. We stayed in tiny mountain villages and beach towns in sweet little airbnbs, it was such an incredible adventure. I loved feeling part of the foreign landscape and culture, tasting new foods and exploring out of the way nooks and crannies. We steered clear of the big tourist traps and consequently experienced what I think is the "real" Spain. So no, we didn't see Barcelona, but we sat barefoot on the Atlantic coast beaches and ate fresh seafood on rickety tables at local bars, did our laundry on a rooftop terrace in a hilltop village and hung it to dry with a view of Africa in the far distance. I would do it again in a heartbeat! Soon I hope. This picture is me, in Sevilla, looking about as happy as it gets.
I love doing newborn shoots, those tiny little humans. Don't forget, if you're capturing those moments yourself, always watch for the unexpected details. It doesn't all have to be about that little dumpling face, make sure you get some shots of those precious toes, fingers, eyelashes. Zoom in!
As a pro photographer it sounds funny to admit that a lot of the time I no longer have my camera with me as an extension of my body, especially when I'm just kicking around the beach! I find myself using my cellphone quite a lot, and of course with cellphones come filters, which can be overused in my opinion, but hey, sometimes it's just fun to play. Leave yourself open to trying new things all the time, from angles, to lighting, to postprocessing. I still like Snapseed, but I think this one is called Prisma
Did a two part shoot with Toronto actor Curtis Morgan last month, such a pleasure really. One day in the studio, one day shooting on location in Rush Lane. Both sets of images had their own feel, but oh how I love natural light for portraiture. This shot is one of my favourites.
Ok, so once in a while I can go off track and rave about my garden. I love pink, I love peonies, I love June for this reason. I spend a ridiculous amount of time shooting macro images of my flowers for no reason other than I keep trying to get inside them to explain why I find them so beautiful. Sometimes I think I succeed. A picture is worth a thousand words.
Spent a week in New York City this month, just being a tourist for a change, did all the fun things, ate some amazing food, absorbed two museums, MOMA and the MET, explored Greenwich Village, walked all over Midtown, did the Highline, and of course took lots of pictures. Great trip!
Fun shoot with a Toronto actress who had a specific vision. Retro and noir. It's always interesting for me to work with clients who have very clear ideas about what they want. Hopefully I can deliver, and I don't stop until I do, actually. I like the feel of these shots.
I love working with musicians, they're usually pretty relaxed in front of the camera. This is not the first time I've shot John Pittman, so we both just got down to work, trying to get some good images to freshen up his portfolio. A lot of times I end up producing black and white versions of the colour shots because I find them more powerful and interesting. This is one that I like a lot. And of course I always try to get a free song or two while we're shooting. Also, when post processing the images, I will keep in mind that some of the shots might be used for CD or Instagram, so try to crop some of them into square format to make it easier for people to use.
Had fun shooting for Ottawa Life magazine again, this time it was Sam Mizrahi, president and
founder of Mizrahi Developments and his amazing wife Micki. They were gracious and generous with their time, allowing me to capture some moments in their busy lives to illustrate the magazine article. One of the shots ended up on the cover, which is always nice for a photographer.
Working with Dan Donovan and the design team at the magazine was a real pleasure. It's always a dance, working with other people and it's fun to watch the process, to see where your image ends up being used. I love my job.
There's more to Niagara Falls than just the falls, which I always forget until I end up shooting on location there every year and noticing how the weather creates the most amazing opportunities for interesting shots. I caught this one out of my hotel window in between shooting hours for Pepsico. The fog had rolled in as the sun went down and made the big Niagara SkyWheel appear really ghostly in the dusk. I love shots that are just a gift to you, and that you never saw coming! Lazy photographers take note, sometimes the shots come to you. ;-)
Every picture tells a story, but not all stories are immediately obvious. This amazing human who I count as a friend has Parkinsons and is shovelling the stairs leading from Bathurst to the sidewalk that leads to Fort York because no one else would. He is such an inspiration to me.
Boost Accredited Reliable K9s (BARK) Program provides additional support to children and youth through the use of accredited facility dogs. Iggy and Jersey are specially trained and provide comfort and support to children and youth in the forensic interview, the medical examination, counselling, court preparation sessions, and
while testifying in court.
I was photographing a lovely lady for her 100th birthday and we had a lot of nice portraits of her, both dramatic and fun, and with her family members as well. Then this moment happened and I wanted to capture not faces but just the connection between her and her daughter. Black and white makes it more powerful, I think.
Sometimes I have to make a decision about what to photoshop and what to leave in an image. In this case, this active little guy had a cut on his nose and I felt that leaving it there was the way to get a stronger portrait, something that really told a story about his busy life. I did a version without the cut as well, but for me, this is the one that really has more power.
The nice part of photographing so many people is the huge variety of faces I get to experiment with, re the light and backgrounds etc. This beautiful young actor was so easy to work with, she really has such a presence, far beyond her years, I was impressed. Casting directors take note!!
Fun photo session with Shawn Philbert and his team. This was an out take that I really do love. Great folks to work with, down to earth and funny.
Sometimes you start out doing a CD cover and there's an outtake that just happens and really works. I love moments like this and I dont mind saying it was a happy accident.
Although I do shoot a fair number of corporate folks, the bulk of my work is artists. Musicians, writers, actors, painters, dancers all light up my studio and inspire me every day.
This month I was shooting on location in the financial district again, which is always cool, the higher the better. This time the 60th floor. I sometimes take for granted how lovely this city of Toronto is, nestled on the shore of Lake Ontario with so much green space. And then on a day like this I am reminded that we're also the financial heart of the country. (Sorry rest-of-Canada) ;-)
Toronto is the capital of the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located within the Golden Horseshoe in Southern Ontario on the northern shore of Lake Ontario. With 2,731,571 residents in 2016, it is the largest city in Canada and fourth-largest city in North America by population.
Indigenous peoples have travelled through and inhabited the Toronto area, situated on a broad sloping plateau interspersed with rivers, deep ravines, and urban forest, for more than 10,000 years. During the War of 1812, the town was the site of the Battle of York and suffered heavy damage by U.S. troops. York was renamed and incorporated as the city of Toronto in 1834, and became the capital of the province of Ontario during Canadian Confederation in 1867. The city proper has since expanded past its original borders through both annexation and amalgamation to its current area of 630.2 km2 (243.3 sq mi).
The diverse population of Toronto reflects its current and historical role as an important destination for immigrants to Canada, with over 50 percent of residents belonging to a visible minority population group, and over 200 distinct ethnic origins represented among its inhabitants. While the majority of Torontonians speak English as their primary language, there are over 160 different languages spoken in the city. ... (Wikipedia)
Worked with actor Robynne Trueman this month, lovely and sweet, very easy to shoot. Wow - her skin is flawless.
It was also great working with Chantel Horst - she did a fabulous job
with hair and makeup.
I'm a two minute drive north from cinespace studio (where they shoot Reign, Beauty and the Beast, 12 monkeys and a bunch of other TV shows and movies) so if you're in the neighborhood zap me a text and come by! I can sometimes accomodate drop-ins if I'm not too busy.
This month I got to work with the act2studio folks shooting on location at Ryerson University and it was fascinating. They put on King John and did all the costumes on a ridiculously small budget, but you would never know it, they looked amazing. I ended up missing the show thanks to getting the flu, but I know they got great reviews.
Heritage building next door to where I was shooting yesterday. It's an Uno Prii building that went up in 1969 at 100 Spadina Rd. Normally think of heritage properties as being much older and classic, but this one does have some beautiful lines. I missed the "money" shot when I failed to capture the moment a woman with a red umbrella walked past the wall. Oh well.
I love my city a lot. Okay, it's not as in-your-face famous as New York, it's not as beautiful and full of history as London or Paris, but it has its own charm that comes from its people. We should be proud. This little photo bomber walked through my shot as I took a break from shooting last month. A young woman approached me as I was enjoying the sunshine and said she was doing a video project for school about regret. Was there anything in my life that I felt regret about? I was completely blank. I had to tell her that I couldn't think of a single thing. And like a true Canadian, apologized for the fact.
Whenever I'm shooting on location I seem to bump into something quirky that grabs me.
I've always loved these bronzes that pop up in random places all over Toronto.
This group of busy executives is my favourite so far. Adding a little filter flavour gives the shot a twist.
"I always thought of art as being an expression of something more than the individual, but of civilization as a whole." –
William McElcheran, 1996
Spent the morning watching my son Andrew Baughn (Eco Tree Co) take down three huge trees north of the city. They were very close to the houses on the property so he used a mobile crane to assist with removal. And hitched a ride to the top of the tree on the "wrecking ball". Impressive job, Andrew and his crew were done and cleaned up before lunch.
So many jobs require putting yourself in dangerous situations, using skill and common sense to get the work done. I admire the men and women who get out there every day in the freezing cold or broiling heat, unpleasant conditions, heights, depths, mud and mess and just do it. Great job folks!
If anyone out there is willing to document a day in their worklife, let me know, I'm game to come shoot you for my personal project!
Throwback Thursday to a fun shoot with a cyclist in my studio. I always ask people to come with props or articles of clothing that help them relax or speak to what image they want to convey. Bring a few changes of outfit, like that worn out leather jacket or your favourite sweater. If you play guitar, bring that! Once the headshots are out of the way we can play around with some more candid shots. It's always fun to see what develops.
Sometimes people come in for headshots and things get very dance-y. It's never boring! Always fun for me, truly. I love shooting movement and also I can't tell you the number of times that I've had opera singers belt out a tune for me. Love artists of all kinds!
It's fun doing location shoots out in the country. A lot of people want shots of their horses and sometimes children get into the act too, like this sweet pair. They really had a connection and it was a real joy to shoot that day. I think the family were very happy with the shots.
Inside the historic Horse Palace at Exhibition Place. I've spent a lot of time in this arena, the exercise ring at the Toronto Police Mounted Unit, working to get great shots of the riders and horses for the annual calendars and for various events. Always a pleasure to work with such photogenic subjects. An ongoing personal project for almost 15 years. This shot was taken by a Toronto Star photographer for an article by Jennifer Bain, but I don't have her name, sorry!
I do a lot of shoots for musicians. Some of them for covers, some headshots. Sometimes the most loved shot is one that just happened accidentally. It's good to play around during a shoot, to look at things from different perspectives, in this case, a bird's eye view of Luis Mario Ochoa, wonderful musician from Cuba.
I always joke that sometimes I feel like a dentist, because people dread having their photos taken almost as much as they dislike having a tooth pulled. But they've obviously never met Dr. Jerry - here's Dr. Jerry Vasilakos at work, making someone's smile perfect. He's such a charming person that you almost forget you're at the dentist! At Avenue Road and St.Clair in Toronto.
I enjoy shooting artists in their element. In this case, Bonnie Czegledi, Toronto art lawyer/artist with some of her paintings. Made plans to return to take photos of all her work for her online portfolio. Very inspiring to see her work, some of the pieces are quite large and made lovely backgrounds for the shots.
It was a pleasure working with Muhammad Lila, foreign correspondent with CNN. Very personable and full of energy. Even though I only have an hour, usually, with any one client, it always feels to me as if the intimacy of the lens somehow breaks down the usual barriers we throw up as human beings and allows us to connect more quickly. I'm not sure if other photographers feel that same thing, but I certainly do. It's interesting.
Being a passenger for a change has its perks. Took this shot sitting in the cab of one of the
Toronto Police Mounted Unit trailers, coming home from Viscount's memorial service up in Uxbridge. Sad day for the unit, to lose an equine member, but especially for P.C. David Moore who lost his partner on Christmas day. There was a nice turnout at the Thistledown Animal Memorial facility, and even Chief Saunders attended.
I often find myself using my phone to take random shots, like most people, and sometimes the convenience and ability to upload immediately is hard to beat. And love some of the filters too.
My favourite app right now is Snapseed, but Chymera is also on my phone.
