Over half of the world’s population lives in an urban area or city, and that is expected to increase to two-thirds by 2050.
Toronto is located less than a 40 minute drive from my home, and is Canada’s largest and North America’s fourth largest city. The vast scale and range of photogenic locations that cities like Toronto offer make it hard to decide where to start, so to help, I created a list of iconic landmarks and locations to photograph.
The bright lights and lively bustle of the city at night is especially captivating as it highlights the rich spectrum of color, contrast, and motion found in all great cities.
The breathtaking scenery and inspiring natural surroundings provide the perfect setting for incredible landscape photography, and shooting landscapes is a great way to celebrate the beauty and diversity of our land.
Canada’s national and provincial parks span the country and represent natural areas of Canadian significance. These parks have existed in Canada for well over a century and are protected for public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment for existing and future generations.
They are natural jewels, and represent the power of Canada's natural environment, which has shaped not only the geography of this country, but also the course of its history and the experiences of the people who live and travel here.
Shooting the night sky has intrigued me more than any other type of photography.
The photos of the Milky Way were taken with an equatorial mount that counters the earth’s rotation and allow telescopes, or in my case my camera, to automatically track objects in the night sky. This allows for longer exposures resulting in cleaner images and stars that are points of light rather than streaks.
Astrophotography is challenging and incredibly rewarding, allowing us to see objects that are invisible to the naked eye such as dim stars, nebulae, and galaxies.
Sunrise and sunset photography is a favourite any time of the year. The rich colors, dramatic lighting and strong shapes produce stunning shots, sometimes with little effort or clever planning.
While sometimes wonderful sunrise and sunset shots can be taken spontaneously without any forethought, it’s often the case that the best ones come out of planning. That includes scoping out interesting places that incorporate foreground elements and silhouettes. It also means sticking around well after the sun has set for the “blue hour”, to capture a period of twilight when the sunset colours shift to a deep blue.
Its not hard to imagine that a country with over a million freshwater lakes and a diverse river system has over 1700 waterfalls, including Niagara Falls, one of the world’s most famous.
Waterfalls are some of the most beautiful natural features to photograph. Although they can look simply stunning, photographing waterfalls is not easy to do well.
It involves a lot of little tricks and techniques. One is to slow down the shutter speed to create silky water effects, without overexposing the image. This is typically done using a ND (neutral density) filter, which when placed before the lens reduces the amount of light making its way into the camera. This allows for longer exposures while maintaining a neutral effect on the colours.
Including the moon in a photograph can add an interesting element but capturing the moon can be a challenge. Not only is it 380,000 km away, but it can also be very bright and is moving across the sky at over 3,000 kilometres per hour. Fortunately, there are several websites that provide information that helps you plan and compose your image.
I have been photographing the moon for several years and I continue to improve my technique. The first image is probably the best image I have captured so far.
Locomotives, commuter trains, subways, and railway landscapes come together to create visual poetry that blend nature and man-made landscapes.
The first photo was taken from the Spadina Street Bridge looking east towards downtown Toronto and catches trains coming and going to Union Station. It is an interesting vantage point, and one of only a few where the CN tower appears isolated from the skyscrapers.
Night photography is challenging enough. Adding the dynamics of pyrotechnics makes it even tougher.
I learned quickly that one key to getting great fireworks photos is in the setup. Of course, mastering the technical challenges is important too, but planning goes a long way to helping you get the image you want. If possible, I like to speak to the technicians before the show and see from where they will be launching the fireworks, and if there is anything unique planned that I can prepare for.
Canada has the world’s longest coastline, so it is easy to understand why there are over 750 lighthouses in this country, and why they have become an icon of Canadian history, culture and identity.
The first photo is Point Clark Lighthouse located on the shores of Lake Huron. It was built between 1855 and 1859 and is one of six "Imperial" lighthouses built in the 1850's on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. Both the lighthouse and the keeper's dwelling have been restored and listed in the National Historic Sites of Canada.
I went to Cabot Head on the Bruce Peninsula to shoot the Milky Way when expectantly, the Northern Lights appeared just above the northern horizon. Such a prominent display is unusual this far south.
Shooting the Northern Lights has always been a dream, and normally I would need to be much further north to capture them. This light show lasted for two hours, and I was very fortunate to have photographed one of nature’s greatest spectacles so close to home.
In October 2024, nature provided another opportunity when a severe geomagnetic storm on the Sun reached Earth resulting in a spectacular light show seen in most of Canada, the northern United States and northern Europe. This time I was able to photograph the lights from my home in Barrie.
The Northern Lights extended from the north over my head and behind me. I learned from shooting sunsets to turn around because sometimes the scene behind can be just as beautiful.
When I turned around, I saw stars, the half Moon over the calm waters of Kempenfelt Bay, and the Northern Lights high above.
In the photographic world, black and white is an art form of its own with a rich history
Colour is very powerful and tends to dominate a photo. When colour is removed contrast, texture, shape, form, and quality of light become the key elements.
Shooting for black and white requires a different attention and focus than shooting for color. I believe it makes you a better photographer overall.
Lightning is one of Mother Nature's most captivating and beautiful sights.
Photographing it can be incredibly rewarding, but great lightning shots aren't accidental. It usually requires patience and skill, including proper exposure, and creativity to provide context and interest.
I met Chip a few summers ago while camping in Algonquin Park. It took only 20 minutes before he was climbing my leg and taking peanuts from my knee.
I was sure I had given Chip more than enough peanuts to carry him (and his friends) through the upcoming winter, but apparently I was mistaken. Next morning, I was woken by what I thought was the chirping of an excited bird, only to learn it was Chip sitting outside the tent wanting more peanuts.
The beauty of macro photography is that it captures details not visible with the naked eye. It transports us into entire worlds that we’re not normally privy to. The macro photograph of the deer fly was also taken in Algonquin Park and shows the incredible beauty of its compound eyes. It also shows the two pairs of its mouthpart “blades” it uses to cut your skin. Deer flies feed on blood, and this photo helps explain why their bites are so painful.
The image of the caged gibbon monkey has received a lot of comments, and is a good example of how a photograph can tell a story. I have mixed feelings about zoos. They let us see animals we might not otherwise see in the wild, and can be used to educate on the importance of protecting animals and their habitats. However, it does make you wonder if these animals would be happier in the wild.
Every photographer should enjoy the experience of photographing an air show at least once.
I have had the opportunity to photograph several and it is one of the most amazing events to attend with your camera. They are gripping, dramatic, and colourful. Few others give you so many unique opportunities to create beautiful images and artwork. They are also full of creative and artistic opportunities.
