The two sides of a foggy morning

Focus harder
London, ON
December 2024
This photo originally shared on Instagram

What the fog takes away in visibility it returns to us in sheer clarity.

It removes extraneous detail from the scene so that we can instead focus on the things that truly matter.

It even silences the overwhelming noise that pollutes our senses so the quiet voices have a chance to finally be heard.

What originally started out as a simple photo of a tree at the edge of a foggy park seems to have turned into something else entirely.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #tree #fog #winter #weather #wx #optimistpark #naturephotography #landscapephotography #silhouette #monochrome #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography

Praying in a different kind of cathedral

Reverent
London, ON
February 2026
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Not all cathedrals were built by humans.

Some of them were carved, drop by drop, out of the very ground at our feet.

Or planted by unseen forces long before we arrived.

Or shaped by the winds that carried life in from distant lands.

Or maybe it’s all of the above.

However this place was formed, it’s a place worthy of worship.

Because belief takes many forms.

And standing in silence in this reverent place feels like the right way to connect with the things that matter.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medwayvalley #winter #cathedral #forest #trees #thames #river #reflective #naturephotography #landscapephotography #photography #apple #iphone #iphone17 #shotoniphone

Deep in an all-too-quiet valley

Hushed season
London, ON
February 2026
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Weeks of significant snowfall and historic cold have transformed the river valley, thick layers of snow covering every tree, an equally thick layer of ice now hiding the flowing waters.

It’s eerily quiet here, as if winter has switched off the mic and shushed all who visit this place.

The late afternoon sun is quickly sinking into the western sky, the last remaining light fading from the surface of the snow, lengthening shadows turning ever deeper shades of blue.

A tiny stretch of remaining open water reflects an equally tiny sliver of residual light, one last act of defiance against the forces that continue to dominate this ever changing landscape.

Spring will come soon enough, but for now it is the cold that owns the narrative, that pushes all others aside. Power may only be temporary, but in the moment, it’s the only thing most of us see and hear.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medwayvalley #winter #forest #trees #thames #river #reflective #naturephotography #landscapephotography #photography #apple #iphone #iphone17 #shotoniphone

Toothy frozen fish

Please shoot my good side
London, ON
January 2026
This photo originally shared on Instagram

The local grocery store has a fully stocked fish section tucked way in the back, usually staffed by a fishmonger who knows more about things that swim than just about anyone.

And as much mad respect as I have for the fish experts among us, I don’t want to have to explain to them why I would like to shoot still-life photographs of their frozen, departed friends.

I don’t eat things that are remotely recognizable, after all, and fish heads on ice very much qualify as things I’ll never add to my cart. So I’d hate to waste the staff’s time in conversation, knowing full well I wouldn’t be buying their wares.

So when the counter was unstaffed during yesterday’s grocery run, I seized the moment and quickly composed a few images through the dirty glass.

Every photo has a back story, a narrative unique to the person who takes it, a chain of logic that’s been taking shape in the shooter’s head for years, or even decades.

So we shoot the fish and tell the stories. Even if we have to bend the rules a little.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #grocery #store #sobeys #shopping #frozen #fish #stilllife #photography #apple #iphone #iphone17 #shotoniphone