Reflecting the neighborhood

Impressionism on high
Toronto, ON
August 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

On its own, glass doesn't stand out. Little more than melted sand, it barely draws attention to itself.

But stick it in the middle of - or next to - something else, and it seemingly comes alive. What was once a bare, featureless surface suddenly dances with life. Shift your perspective, change the lighting, squint your eyes just so and the scene changes again. And again.

I'm guessing there's an analogy at play here, a lesson we'd do well to learn, a takeaway we might want to tuck into our pocket for later reference. Because like the somewhat featureless glass curtain wall you see here, we, too, are empty canvases just waiting to be painted by the experiences we choose to follow, and those we choose to join along the way. Our story becomes, literally, a reflection of the people - and their stories - that accompany and surround us.

On this day, in this place, the view is of an impressionist-looking reflection of the neighborhood, of lives playing out behind their own glass facades, of sounds echoing off of the vibrant public square below the monolithic structures that surround it. On another day, in different light, the view might be different. So might the sounds. The feel. The everything.

I don't work far from here, so I'm guessing I'll be back. Because there are always more stories to tell, and you never know how neighbors will help neighbors realize their full potential.

And to think this all started with a simple pane of glass. In the end, maybe it isn't so simple.

#toronto #yyz #ontario #canada #photography #monochrome #concrete #reflective #mirror #building #architecture #architecturephotography #buildingporn #architectureporn #design #lines #urban #streetphotography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #canon #canon_photography #canonphotography #lifeinthemargins #family #everything