Through the month of June, two of my photos were on display at Barrie City Hall, along with many others from the Barrie Photography Club. The exhibit is the second that the club has put on, and the first that I was a part of.
This is about 1/3rd of the photos on display, the rest would be behind me in that photo. Opening night had a great turn-out, and I look forward to the next one!
So Canada Day has come and gone again, and once again I am reminded what a wonderful country it is that we live in. We have more freedoms than most, safe and healthy living conditions and so much more. Its far from a utopia, but its the best place in the world to live.
I went to see the fireworks display at the Barrie lakeshore tonight. It was raining up to a half hour before the show was supposed to start so it almost didn’t happen. Things cleared up quickly, and the show started exactly on time at 10pm. I wasn’t disappointed.
There were many great pics, its very hard to choose a favourite. Here is a gallery of my favourite 9 shots from tonight. Happy Canada Day everyone!
Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph a classic car collection for work. We’re planning on renting out some of the vehicles for special events, so some photos were required to show off what was in the collection.
The cars are all owned by David Karas, the primary owner of the companies I worked for (past tense – my contract ended yesterday but I’ll be back after my trip). He has over 50 cars and motorcycles in his collection, which were a blast to see and photograph. I’m not much of a car enthusiast, but I really enjoyed that afternoon. Here is my favourite car in the collection, a 1983 DeLorean DMC-12.
Here were a lot of very interesting vehicles there, and sadly, very few of them are ever used or even started. I guess that’s the nature of a collection such as this, however. 
Here’s another interesting piece of the collection, a near-fully-restored Ford Model T. I believe it is just missing it’s carburetor to be fully up and running.
There were so many cars and motorcycles, we didn’t have time to photograph all of them. Check out the gallery below to get the feel of it though.
Today will always be a very special day for me; It is a day of reflection, respect and admiration of one of the most influential people in my life.
By now it has been a little over a year without him, and not a day has gone by without me thinking of my dad. I often chuckle to myself when I get in a tough situation, knowing his outside-the-box thinking would find a solution I haven’t thought of. I feel a great sense of pride in my accomplishments because I know how proud he would have been to see them himself.
I reflect mostly on the last year of his life, which was when the two of us were the closest. I would visit him once a week (while working and going to school) and we would simply spend time together. We’d tell stories, play with toys and amusements I would bring him and always have a few laughs.
I know this bonding meant a lot to both of us, and I will cherish it always. It feels really good to know that we shared secrets and left nothing unsaid.
Sadly, I don’t have many photos from the later years. Many of them were likely digital and didn’t last the same way film does (with film, you always have a physical copy and the negatives). If anyone has some later photos of my dad and I, I would very much appreciate a copy.
Here is a small collection of past memories, all of which make me smile.
I love you, Dad.
From four years old to the age of 22, I’ve spent a good part of my life has been spent learning. June 17th was the culmination of 18 years of education, with my college diploma.
By no means is this an end – only a point of reference on a lifelong journy of learning. I have to say though, its great to be out of the classroom!
Mom, Walter, and Desi attended my commencement, using up all three of the guest tickets I had been given. It was long and ultimately quite boring, so thanks guys for putting up with three hours of blabbering for 30 seconds of me walking across the stage. Much appreciated!
…and a special thanks to all of my family and friends that have helped me over the last 18 years. The help and support you have provided to me has got me to where I am today, and will never be forgotten. Thanks again!
I went to Barrie’s lakeshore today to take some photos. I was pleasantly greeted by some Mallard Ducks in the area. I know I’ve taken a ton of pictures of Mallards before, but these were different – the ducklings were around!
I felt so relaxed when I was taking these pictures, I watched the ducks for quite some time. The little ducklings would follow mom everywhere, and as people walking their dogs would come close they would scurry further away and slowly make their way back. I spent about two hours down at the lakeshore today, and judging by these photos, I’d say that it was time very well spent. Wow these little guys are cute!
There were many great pics today. Even though it was a familiar subject to photograph, it always keeps my attention.
As part of a project I’m starting at Money Concepts, I needed a nice photo of Barrie’s lakeshore. So last night coming home from work at Black’s and I stopped by Barrie’s Southshore Center and took a photo across Kempenfelt Bay of the Barrie cityline. I wanted to share it with everyone here.
This is one picture, not a panorama. I simply cropped heavily on the top and bottom . The full-res one is here if you want an even closer look.
There has never been a time in my life when I “expected” to see a rainbow. They have always come as a surprise, and this Saturday was no exception.
I had heard that there was something going on at Barrie’s lakeshore, a festival that included some War of 1812 battle reenactments which I thought would be a blast to photograph. By the time I got there the festival was over; the vendors were packing up and the performers were scattering as their last battle had just wrapped up. There wasn’t much to photograph, except this rainbow that caught my eye just as I decided to head back to the truck and head home. A nice, unexpected way to end my day.
I took this photo earlier this week, and looking at it I was reminded of a quote I once heard:
“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” ~Buddha
I was walking along Barrie’s lakeshore the other day, waiting form some prints to be ready at work. I had some time for a quick trip down to the waterfront, so I used it. I walked along the beaten path and occasionally peaked over the edge of the hill leading down towards the water to see if I could spot anything of interest. A small speck of white in the distance caught my eye.
It’s amazing what you can find in the smallest places, if your eyes are open. Having a camera with me helps me keep my eyes open to things such as this, but taking pictures like this reminds me to do it more often in everyday life.
Often times there is so much beauty in the world that goes completely unnoticed, simply because we are not looking for it. If I look for it in small or unusual place, I’m sure I’ll find it. This is likely the only photo that will ever be taken of this particular Cabbage White Butterfly, so there is its moment in the spotlight.