Tag: photography

• Merry Christmas

  

  I took the above photo on Christmas Eve in Toronto’s Distillery District (one of my favorite neighborhoods in the city). It was before the snow had really started falling. We got a white Christmas this year – the best.

  This is one of the first photos with my new Fujinon 23mm f/2 (35mm equivalent) lens. I have come to realize that if I’m not photographing people, 35mm is the right focal length to have on my camera for the types of photos I seem to gravitate toward.

  And now back to eating. Merry Christmas everyone. If you’re reading this post in your inbox and it feels late, then: Happy Boxing Day 🙂

  2017.12.25

• The Christmas slowdown

  It has been a busy year end. No slowdown whatsoever on my end as I make my way through the last week of the year in the office. Because I love what I do so much (I’m grateful for that), I have a habit of getting completely absorbed in my work. That’s a good thing, but it also means I probably neglect other things, like I have with my Christmas shopping this year.

  So I’m looking forward to the holiday slowdown so that I can spend more time with family and friends, workout more, and dedicate more time to this blog and photography. 

  I’m also going to be traveling after Christmas. And since I’ve been feeling lately that I need to challenge myself more with this blog, expect it to skew toward a travel/photoblog for about a week. I am sure it will still relate to many of the topics that we regularly discuss on this blog. Or maybe it won’t.

  What are your plans for the holidays?

  2017.12.20

• The authoritative architectural guide to Toronto

  

  It’s late. I just got home from the office. And I’m exhausted.

  But I did just receive my copy of Toronto Architecture: A City Guide. The “handbook” was originally written by Patricia McHugh (1934-2008), but it was recently updated by Globe and Mail architecture critic Alex Bozikovic. (Also, shout out to Vik Pahwa for the terrific photos he took for this guide.)

  When I opened the book, one of the first things that stood out for me were these two lines:

  Toronto has in fact rebuilt itself over and over again.
  

  This book is, in part, a tool to understand that story.

  In my view, this is one of the biggest compliments that you can pay to a city. Cities should not be static entities. Because if they are, then they will inevitably fail. Change must be a constant.

  As I read through the guide, that wonderful spirit of reinvention is abundantly clear. But I think the real way to experience this handbook is on the streets of Toronto – and probably with a good camera. That’s why it’s called a handbook. 

  The book is primarily structured around 26 distinct walking tours, each of which could be covered off in an afternoon. Along each tour, Patricia and Alex point out which buildings you should be focused on and provide pithy, yet insightful, comments for each.

  I believe that the more you know, the more you can appreciate. So if you’re interested in architecture and/or Toronto, I would you encourage you to think about getting a copy. And if you’re interested in going on a walking tour, tweet at me.

  2017.07.08

• MOMO TOKYO

  

  Last summer, photographer Parker Woods spent two weeks walking over 100 miles in Tokyo with a peach-colored (”momo” in Japanese) backdrop and a metal c-stand. He used this accessory to “contextualize his first encounter with Japanese culture.”

  In some cases, it functions as you would expect: as a backdrop for the new people that he encountered along his walking journey. 

  But in other cases, the backdrop is simply inserted into the urban environment. Sometimes rolled up amongst a pile of metal tubes. And sometimes fully erected in the middle of a busy road.

  This is an interesting photography project based in one of my favorite cities in the world, and so I wanted to share it on the blog. All of his photos were shot on Kodak film. It’s also giving me some ideas for my own photos.

  If you’d like to buy a copy of the book ($40), you can do that here. There’s a limited run of only 250 copies. If you’d like to read a bit more about the project (and see a few additional photos), you can do that here on VSCO.

  Image: Parker Woods

  2017.06.11

• This river I step in is not the river I stand in

  

  I was over at the Riverside Bridge yesterday taking photos and I was reminded of Eldon Garnet’s installation called, TIME: AND A CLOCK (1995). 

  The work spans a few physical sites, but perhaps the most well known component is the line of text on the west side of the bridge, which reads in 18″ high letters: “This river I step in is not the river I stand in.” (Photo above from Garnet’s website.)

  If you’re from Toronto, you may be already be familiar with this installation. But I love the message and I think it’s an important one. So I thought I would reiterate it here on the blog. 

  The text is derived from the thinking of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus. Its meaning is a simple one: change is fundamental to the universe. 

  Neighborhoods change. Cities change. Industries change. We change. The river you first step into, is not the same river that you’ll be standing in. That initial river has come and gone, replaced by a new river. In the words of Heraclitus, “No man ever steps in the same river twice.”

  As people, organizations and cities age, there can be a tendency to resist change. I believe in fighting that tendency. 

  Because that’s how established rich companies get destroyed by young poor companies. They – the incumbents – underestimate the importance of change. They forget that the river is constantly flowing.

  2017.04.09

• New lens

  I ordered a new lens for my Fuji X Series camera today. 

  For those of you who are interested in photography, it’s a prime lens: 35mm (53mm equivalent) with a maximum aperture of F2.0. I wanted a fixed focal length because I suspect I’m going to enjoy shooting with it more than my current zoom lens. There’s something pure about it. I also wanted a lens that would be versatile enough for street photography, portraits, and so on. Also helpful is the fact that it’s compact and easy to carry around.

  Since I picked up my Fuji camera last summer I’ve been slowly but surely returning to photography as a hobby. Part of why I did that is because I felt like I needed to challenge myself creatively. I was also inspired by some of my creative friends, namely Akbar and Evgeny. Both of them take great photos and are far more serious about photography than I am. I’m also an avid follower of Bijan Sabet’s blog. He’s a venture capitalist with an amazing passion and talent for photography.

  But the other reason I have been drawn to photography – for my many years now – is that it’s a way to document the built environment. It’s for that reason that I love taking photos when I travel. Everything is new and I’m just trying to soak it all up.

  I am mentioning all of this today for three reasons. First, I’d like to incorporate more of my photos into this blog. I’ve also been feeling like this blog needs a bit of a refresh. It’s been almost 4 years of daily writing and I think it’s important to continually try new things. Second, by being public about all of this, it holds me accountable. And third, I’m going to be in Miami this weekend. So expect some fresh photos on my Instagram.

  2017.03.21

• Photographing architecture studios

  

  Marc Goodwin – who is part of a photography studio called Archmospheres – has an ongoing project where he photographs the studios of architects. 

  He has photographed well known practices such as MAD, Renzo Piano, and David Chipperfield, as well as a number of geographic niches such as Paris architecture studios, Nordic architecture studios, and London architecture studios. 

  He also varies the size of the firm. Some of them only have a few people working out of a small streetfront retail space.

  As an architect, you are pretty much required to have a cool studio space. So this is certainly an interesting photography project to take on. The photo at the top of this post is 3xn in Copenhagen.

  Image: Marc Goodwin via Designboom

  2017.02.08

• 365 project

  I love the idea behind a “365 project.” Two examples here and here. I learned about it from Bijan Sabet.

  The idea is simple. It’s a personal photography project where you post a single photo each day of the year with a short blog-style caption. In the above examples, it’s typically a description of what’s going on in their lives.

  Obviously there’s a major element of discipline to this project, but I also really like that the photos become a celebration of the mundane. The ordinary. The everyday.

  One photo I saw had the caption: “Today wasn’t a very good day.”

  Social media has evolved to become a high curated representation of our lives. We use it in an aspirational way to tell a story about who we hope to become or who we want people to believe we already are.

  I am not exempt. 

  But it’s refreshing to think about “an honest account of your life.” Unless you happen to have a life that consists entirely of Vegas trips and yacht parties, a daily photo means that it won’t always be epic and it will sometimes feel like a chore.

  I frankly don’t have the time for another daily commitment beyond this blog, but I would love to do a 365 photography project. Perhaps some of you have the time and the interest.

  2016.10.01

• Last lake swim of the year

  I’m in Muskoka right now, with very little time to write. 

  I had about an hour before dinner, but I decided that a far more responsible thing to do would be to jump in the lake for what will likely be the last lake swim of the year. It might be the end of September, but it still feels like summer.

  Here’s what that looked like:

  

  If you’re searching for something more city related, check out these high resolution maps of Canada according to our trails, roads, streets, and highways. My good friend Peter just sent them over to me. Thanks Peter.

  Regular scheduled programming will resume tomorrow.

  2016.09.22

• Returning to photography

  I used to be more into photography. In architecture school, I had an old Canon Rebel and a photoblog where I posted one photo every day. Clearly I have a thing for daily routines.

  But that was the pre-social media era and before mobile phones had cameras. With the rise of those two things I eventually moved over to just taking photos on my phone and posting them to my Instagram. Today we are all photographers.

  However this week I decided that I want to start taking that creative outlet a bit more seriously again. So I asked my talented photography buddy (founder of DSCBRD) if he could recommend a reasonably priced camera for my purposes. 

  I then sifted through all of the reviews – because that’s what I do – and decided on the mirrorless Fuji X-T10. I love the retro design. It’s also compact enough that it’s easy to carry around. The best camera is the one you have on you.

  

  So I’m spending this afternoon at a cottage playing around with it. It’s a fun place to experiment. I hope you’re all having a great weekend. Talk to you tomorrow.

  2016.08.27