As the snow begins to fall

Scene from a car window
London, ON
January 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

There's a moment, soon after the snow begins to fall, that it accumulates just enough to show details and patterns, but not enough to blanket everything in sight.

Which is fascinating, because we've become conditioned to snow being this monolithically white entity that erases detail on a mass scale.

A closer look tells a different story, though. There's so much going on in the tiny spaces where we rarely bother to look. And we risk missing out if we continue blithely on our way.

I'm pretty sure this spontaneous life lesson, number 83,261 in our ongoing series, applies to more than mere snow. But whatever the medium, I plan to slow down just enough to capture the hidden details. And the stories hidden within them.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #snow #frozen #winter #walkabout #nature #naturephotography #henrietta #monochrome #stilllife #photography #apple #iPhone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Beware of dripping water

Slow melt
London, ON
January 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Every once in a while, opportunity stares you in the face before you've even walked out the door.

To wit, this was waiting for me on our porch. So I just had to rack off 100 frames in the vain hope that just one would be worth sharing.

Terrible odds. Still worth the effort, though.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #winter #weather #wx #water #ice #icicle #frozen #walkabout #nature #naturephotography #streetphotography #stilllife #monochrome #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Icicles from way above

Frozen, for now
London, ON
January 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

The scene: I'm out for a walk with my wife, our daughter, and the wonderdog. We've carved a long loop around the snow-covered neighborhood and are trudging the last block before turning into our driveway.

The night sky, lit to a dirty grey by low-hanging, fast-moving clouds reflecting the city lights below, is becoming increasingly flecked by wind-whipped snowflakes. It's a perfect Canadian winter night.

We have weird streetlights in our area, with round covers atop them that either look like institutionalized fedoras or a bad homage to George Jetson. I notice icicles hanging down from their edges, perfectly placed to amplify the yellowish sodium vapor light blasting them from the side.

I tell my wife I'm having a vision, which is my way of letting her know another ridiculous photographic idea has just popped into my head. Before I can complete the thought, she's suggesting we drop the dog off at home and come back to shoot the scene. Who am I to disagree?

Since the phone just won't do for a shoot like this, I throw the camera-camera into a backpack and we head back out. I snag a few quick images from the lamp nearest the house and, satisfied with the initial result, repeat the same scenario on a few other posts down the street.

Debbie carefully watches me to ensure I don't step into traffic, and after each set we quickly review the results on the screen before deciding what to do next.

Soon enough, we decide we have enough variety to guarantee at least one reasonable frame, and we head for home. This photo is my favorite of the bunch, but in the end it isn't really the photos that I'll remember so much as the experience I got to have with someone who has always understood why I'm driven to take them.

Photography where the photo is less important than the process that was used in its creation. If it means more nights like the one we've just had, I'll take it.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #winter #weather #wx #water #ice #frozen #walkabout #nature #naturephotography #streetphotography #stilllife #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Is it real, or is it...?

Feeling reflective
London, ON
December 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

You’d be forgiven for standing in this very spot by this rather lovely creek and wondering if what you see is, in fact, real.

Most of the scene, after all, is just a reflection in the water, which itself is constantly flowing. Nothing here is tangible, or permanent.

But here’s the thing: whether or not something is real has little, if anything, to do with whether or not you can touch it. Or whether it’ll still even be there if you move a little to the left.

What matters is the here and now. And how you feel when you encounter it.

And on this afternoon, deep in the woods as winter slowly pushes autumn aside, I stand by the water and feel enough of a something to lift my camera and remember what that something feels like in the first place.

Which makes it rather real to me. Which, in the end, is all that matters.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #heritage #forest #water #reflective #thames #river #walkabout #landscape #landscapephotography #nature #naturephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #d750 #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

#BellLetsTalk, mental health, and you

It’s #BellLetsTalk day today, so let’s talk.

Because thanks to a deepening pandemic, our mental health has never been more central to our lives, or more at risk, than it is now.

Because we all struggle.

Because we all know people who struggle. Even if the signs aren’t as obvious as we might have thought.

Because that struggle would be easier to manage if only we were surrounded, at home, at work, and in life, by people who offered support and empathy instead of judgment and stigma.

Because mental health IS health. Period.

Because mental health can vary, and tomorrow could be very different than today.

Because we are surrounded by powerful tools of mass communication that, depending on our choice, can be used to either help or hinder. So choose wisely.

Because mental health will be just as crucial to us - as individuals, as families, as a society - tomorrow as it is today. So make awareness and action part of who you are not just today, but every day thereafter.

Because while an annual campaign to raise money and awareness is a gift to us all, it is just the beginning. And we are nowhere near where we need to be.

 So now it’s over to you. Please share this. Retweet it. Post your own message using the #BellLetsTalk hashtag. Visit the website from the photo to learn more about how this campaign works.

And after we’ve finished today, keep reaching out to others. Keep making the world better for those who struggle.

Because you just never know.

On humanity...

"Remember your humanity, and forget the rest."

Bertrand Russell

One small moment in one big ocean

Energy, visualized
Delray Beach, FL
December 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Even the smallest wave can have the most profound impact.

#delray #beach #florida #atlantic #ocean #throwback #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #vacation #explore #waves #water #photography #google #pixel2 #teampixel #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

She plays in the morning snow

No, I will not pose for you
London, ON
January 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Our little bear rather enjoyed the winter storm that painted the region before and during our walk this morning, so a fast photo was called for to remember the moment.

She clearly didn't cooperate, but that's the Schnauzer in her. What matters is that she was happy to bound through the snow as if nothing else in the world mattered. And for those few minutes outside, nothing did.

Another morning. Another lesson from a dog. Not a bad way to live.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #weather #wx #onstorm #calli #callitheschnauzer #dog #dogs #schnauzerpuppy #schnauzersofinstagram #schnauzergram #schnauzers #dogsofinstagram #instapuppy #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Retail ruinporn

Once there were shoes
London, ON
January 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I am not an urban explorer.

I do not have the courage to walk into an empty or otherwise abandoned building and take photos inside. I have a fear of trespassing or of otherwise breaking the law. And, of course, getting caught. It isn't something I'd ever want to have to explain to my wife and kids. Or to myself.

But a part of me looks at so-called ruinporn pics taken by those who practice urbex with a sense of wistful jealousy. I'd love the opportunity to shoot in the shadows of what we've lost, or are still losing, but I just don't have the guts.

Consider this scene my Plan B, where I simply stand outside and shoot through the window. This particular shot called to me as I drove to a nearby store to pick up our food order. As the pandemic decimates the economy, it is redrawing the very face of the communities we call home. Empty storefronts dot the landscape, gap-toothed reminders of what we've lost so far, and what else awaits us in the dark months ahead.

Scenes like this gnaw at me for many reasons, but it's the dichotomy that hurts the most. They stand in the shadows of empty streets and parking lots, silently ignored by the few of us still around to notice. Yet their absence is anything but silent for those who once worked here. Whose careers and lives revolved around these now-forgotten places.

Where they all went is anyone's guess. Somewhere, countless people have had their lives completely upended, yet the rest of us continue on, blithely unaware of their turmoil. We may spend a second or two wondering about the scarred, empty storefront before we continue on our way. Or we may not notice at all.

It strikes me as sadness on top of sadness. For those who have lost so much already deserve more than a shrug from strangers. We all deserve better connections to those who once made our communities somewhat more whole. And could do so again, if someone has the courage to rebuild.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #random #urban #store #retail #building #architecture #ruinporn #urbex #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #nightphotography #nightmode #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Taking control among the trees

Resting for the winter
London, ON
December 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

There are days when a quiet walk among the trees is all we need.

I’ll go so far as to suggest that today may be one of those days.

Tomorrow, too.

Any day, even.

Because we can’t control all that happens around us.

But we certainly can make the here-and-now very much our own.

That control belongs only to us. And to you.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #heritage #forest #tree #trees #walkabout #landscape #landscapephotography #nature #naturephotography #monochrome #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #d750 #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Finding Nemo in an unexpected place

More plastic for the ocean
London, ON
January 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

There's positive news out there if we take the time to look for it.

For example, we finally found Nemo in the Loblaws snack aisle.

Good fish.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #grocery #store #loblaws #shopping #retail #random #street #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Toronto skyline: 3rd time's the charm

Look in any window
Toronto, ON
August 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I've always believed that good things come in threes, so here's #3 in our look at Toronto's downtown skyline. This time out, the view is somewhat tighter, and no, I can’t explain why.

Somehow, scenes like this bring me comfort. I hope they do to you, as well.

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

Related:

Reflecting on privilege from way up high, January 2021

Urban life: another view, January 2021

Urban life: another view

Count the people
Toronto, ON
August 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Here's another view of the Toronto skyline, looking up the spine of Yonge Street as it stretches northward.

Scenes like this never seem to get old, because they never stop changing. I took this from the CN Tower's observation deck on a perfect summer's afternoon just over 17 months ago. Some of the buildings under construction then have since topped out, with new cranes in new locations adding their own creations to the landscape.

Maybe soon we'll get to return to the same spot. Maybe we'll eventually find other ways to tell the story of a city that never seems to stop reinventing itself.

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

Related:

Reflecting on privilege from way up high, January 2021

Moon crashes into CN Tower, August 2020

Watching the city come alive, August 2020

Pick a direction, February 2020

Same tower, shadowy perspective, February 2020

Curvy building against a blue sky, August 2019

Reflecting on privilege from way up high

Too many to count
Toronto, ON
August 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Sometimes you have to get above it all to appreciate everything you have.

There's a lot going on in this densely-built rectangle of downtown Toronto, but as I stare down and absorb the detail, two buildings stand out: the CBC's Canadian Broadcast Centre at the bottom of the frame, and Bell Media Studios toward the top.

At various times in my life, I've been privileged to have worked out of both of these remarkable facilities, doing live radio and television work that never failed to generate a pinch-me-I'm-dreaming moment or two.

But I'm just one person, and the neighborhood below is easily packed with countless other people building their own lives, telling their own stories, making their own memories. I can only imagine what they'd have to say if they stood right here and took in the same scene.

May we all have such opportunity.

#toronto #yyz #ontario #canada #throwback #concrete #glass #reflective #mirror #building #architecture #architecturephotography #buildingporn #architectureporn #design #lines #urban #streetphotography #photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #google #pixel2 #teampixel #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

On slowing down

"Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast."

William Shakespeare

The not-so-dead tree stump

Rings at our feet
London, ON
August 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

To most of us, the sight of a tree stump is one of sadness. Of endings. Of loss. Of lamenting a vanished past.

Indeed, that was my first thought when the wonderdog and I came across this particular example during a walk last summer.

But what if we flip the narrative around? What if we choose to focus on what this tree gave us when it was alive? Or the life it continues to support even after most of it has been cut down? What if we choose to look ahead with hope instead of behind with regret?

It’s a perspective thing, really, a choice we make about which lens to look through. That word: choice.

This time we’re talking about a tree stump. But it could be anything if we allow it.

So let’s allow it, then.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #throwback #random #suburban #walkabout #tree #trees #remember #fallen #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

A cold moment by the tracks

To infinity and beyond
London, ON
January 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

A year ago today, I had just left the office and was walking to my car, braced against the bitter cold.

As I crossed the rail line on the edge of downtown, something in the sky made me stop. Maybe it was the color of the painted clouds. Or the whistle of the winds through the nearby buildings. Or the subtle reflection of the fading sun on the tracks as they stretched all the way to the treeline.

I thought the moment deserved to be remembered, so I pulled my smartphone out for a quick photo. As I composed the scene, I was approached by another worker bee, a stranger, and she asked me if I did this often.

I explained my weird photographic habit of capturing everyday, even trivial scenes. She said she had always wanted to do the same, but didn't have a good camera.

I asked her if she had a smartphone. When she nodded her head, I told her she had a camera better than most, and it's never about the equipment, anyway.

So she took her phone out and for a few seconds, we both captured the darkening sky before continuing on our way.

She thanked me as she left, and I remember hoping she had been inspired to use her phone as more than just a phone.

Because we all want to tell our everyday stories. And we all want to share them.

With that in mind, what's your next story?

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #random #rail #train #throwback #urban #street #landscape #photography #google #pixel2 #teampixel #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

A new day dawns...

Welcome the light
Cocoa Beach
December 31, 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Hope...

#inaugurationday #throwback #cocoa #beach #cocoabeach #florida #atlantic #ocean #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #vacation #explore #sunrise #waves #water #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything @floridaspacecoast

The new face of grocery shopping

Random scene from the vegetable aisle
London, ON
December 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Grocery shopping in the age of COVID...

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #grocery #store #loblaws #fruitography #shopping #retail #random #street #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

On smarts

"Cleverness is not wisdom."

Euripides

 

Happiness is...

At least one of us can touch our nose with our tongue
London, ON
May 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Happiness is a soft pillow, a comfy couch, a safe home, your favorite peeps, and lots of time to enjoy them all.

Lucky dog. Lucky us.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #calli #callitheschnauzer #dog #dogs #schnauzerpuppy #schnauzersofinstagram #schnauzergram #schnauzers #dogsofinstagram #instapuppy #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

#IfYouReadOneThingToday - On lies

#IfYouReadOneThingToday, make it this piece by the superstar journalist who did more than any other to track every presidential lie of the last 4 years.

If you aren't following Daniel Dale, you should. Here's his Twitter account: @ddale8

The 15 most notable lies of Donald Trump's presidency

By Daniel Dale

CNN

January 16, 2021

Calli the ice-hunting dog

Geometry at our feet
London, ON
January 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

There’s a reason I’ve been bringing home more than my fair share of abstract ice pics from the sidewalks and driveways of our neighborhood.

Our dog.

Calli the Wonderschnauzer walks with her robotic nose practically buried in the ground before her. What she’s sniffing for I do not know. But ohmygod can she can get into trouble in a blink, and I stopped counting how many things - some identifiable, and some, ah, not - I’ve pried from her mouth.

So walking her is an exercise in vigilance, watching her every move to ensure she doesn’t hoover something that might do her harm. It can be stressful, especially on the early morning walks before the coffee has kicked in.

The flip side of a bonkers puppy is an innate awareness of every subtle nuance at our feet. Rough pavement, cracks in the sidewalk, gnarly tree roots....I have become the Google Maps of neighborhood dog walkers.

So when puddles form after a major melt-off, then freeze overnight because, well, Canada, some spontaneous photography is called for. And thanks to my helpful assistant, we know exactly where to look.

While she may very well be an annoying pain most mornings, she knows what to do when the camera comes out. And she works for treats.

Good dog.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #water #ice #frozen #winter #walkabout #nature #naturephotography #monochrome #stilllife #photography #apple #iPhone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

This spud's for you

A pile of faces
London, ON
January 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

You can see it in their eyes.

Sorry.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #grocery #store #potatoes #fruitography #shopping #retail #random #stilllife #vegetable #aisle #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

The things we find in the forest

Life, defiant
London, ON
January 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Life has a funny habit of thriving regardless of what gets thrown in its way.

I’m certain there’s a more profound meaning here, but it’ll have to wait.

Because another wander with the camera awaits.

Back soon.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #heritage #forest #walkabout #landscape #landscapephotography #nature #naturephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #fullframe #fullheart #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Tossed away

The messes we leave behind
London, ON
January 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

An unknown stranger tosses an empty can of Budweiser aside on a wintry suburban sidewalk.

There’s a story here somewhere, and I’m rather certain it starts and ends with sadness.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #random #suburban #walkabout #budweiser #beer #remember #fallen #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Hockey Night in Canada, Again

Let's play
Toronto, ON
January 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

An interesting thing happened in Canada last night: the National Hockey League returned to the airwaves.

That may not sound like a terribly big deal within the context of a global pandemic, and given what's happening in hospitals everywhere, it really isn't. Over 3,900 people died in the U.S. alone yesterday. So a game involving shooting a frozen puck into a net atop a large sheet of ice doesn't seem all that serious in comparison.

And yet it is. Hockey is Canada's game. Well, our official national sport is actually lacrosse, but hockey is the one we play on neighborhood rinks well into the night and good-naturedly argue about over breakfast the next day. It very much is the story of what it means to be Canadian.

So when the NHL decided to schedule a shortened season in front of empty stands, the all-Canadian division was born. And much joy was had in the land.

Hockey won't solve COVID. A game where the ultimate metric involves who put the puck in the net the most shouldn't rank as the most critical part of our day. Bitter debates over the merits of "your" team over the "other" team reinforce the frequent myopia of all sports, our inability to appreciate all the other benefits these games bring us far beyond the final score.

Still, sometimes you just have to watch it to appreciate its subtleties.

So that's what we'll do in this unusual year. We'll close our eyes and just listen to this signature of our Canadian experience. We'll connect with others over something we all love. We may even smile.

In the end it's still just a game. But it's ours. And we owe it to ourselves to find color wherever we can, to turn the greys of a numbing period in history into something more vibrant.

#toronto #ontario #canada #throwback #hockey #nhl #hockeylife #sports #hockeyislife #hockeygram #instahockey #google #pixel2 #teampixel #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Gasoline-toting vandal strikes Shaar Hashomayim

#Antisemitism is sickeningly alive and well in my hometown of #Montreal.

When one hate-filled individual attacks one beloved synagogue, we are all attacked, and we must all act.

Enough.

#NeverAgain

Arrest made after one of Montreal's largest synagogues vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti

By Adam Kovac

CTV News Montreal

Jan. 13, 2021

Throw someone a line

Standing guard
Port Burwell, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Today feels like the perfect day for a lifesaver. If you need help, never be afraid to ask.

#port #burwell #ontario #canada #throwback #beach #pier #landscape #orange #great #lake #erie #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #explore #monochrome #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

On impermanence

"Nothing is forever. Everything goes to 0 eventually."

Naval Ravikant

Behold the grey forest

Natural monochrome gradient
London, ON
December 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

The forest may be grey and bare, but that doesn't mean it isn't beautiful in its own right.

Another metaphor for life, perhaps?

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #heritage #forest #tree #trees #walkabout #landscape #landscapephotography #nature #naturephotography #monochrome #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #d750 #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

#IfYouReadOneThingToday - On Censorship

#IfYouReadOneThingToday, make it this piece that explains the fundamentals of freedom of speech.

And please don’t troll me no matter how smart you tell me you are.

Life is just too short to waste on trolls.

Why the First Amendment can't protect Trump on Twitter or save Parler:

Here's what you need to know about the constitutional protection of free speech in America.

By Marguerite Reardon

CNET

January 2021

UPDATE: While we're on the subject, CNN has an excellent explainer, as well. I realize this makes it TWO things you're reading today, which violates the spirit and the letter of the hashtag title of this series. I'm willing to risk it if you are. Either way, enjoy the reads:

The First Amendment doesn't guarantee you the rights you think it does

By AJ Willingham and Scottie Andrew

CNN

January 2021

Be kind. That is all.

Sign of substance
London, ON
January 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

As another workweek dawns, some of us will be lucky enough to return to work.

Others won't be.

Teachers like my wife will do their best to teach in virtual classrooms that they have miraculously pulled together with duct tape and twine, while students will do their best to learn in ways they and their parents often struggle to understand.

Healthcare workers will wrestle with an invisible enemy on the front lines, while politicians - assuming they aren't trying to keep their tropical beach vacations under the radar - will stand in front of cameras and try to tell their stories to citizens increasingly tired of listening.

We are each responsible for navigating ourselves and those closest to us through this chaotic chapter in history in the safest possible manner.

There are no set methods to do this. No script. No rulebook.

But however we choose to manage ourselves through this seemingly endless turbulence, I hope you'll keep the message, found on this sign beside a nearby school, in mind.

Kindness matters.

Of course it mattered before last March. And it'll matter every day until whatever this is is deemed over and done with. And then for every day thereafter.

But the then doesn't matter so much as the now.

And now, today, we must be kind. We must try harder to be kind. We must pay closer attention to those around us, look out for them, and be prepared to speak up, and act, and reach out to them when they falter.

We must make kindness our mantra as we strive to keep hope alive.

Please keep this top of mind as you move through your week. And beyond.

Thank you.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #kindness #sign #walkabout #photography #apple #iPhone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

#IfYouReadOneThingToday - On the 737MAX

#IfYouReadOneThingToday, make it this Forbes piece that thoroughly breaks down the what and the how of the Boeing #737MAX mess.

Faulty To The Max: Boeing And The FAA’s 737 Debacle

By Robert Zafft

Forbes

January 2021

Frozen water, part 3

Motion, stopped
Delray Beach, FL
December 2017
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Since good things come in threes, here's another water fountain view from a few years back.

I hope you enjoy seeing it here as much as I did shooting it.

#delray #beach #florida #throwback #water #fountain #frozen #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #vacation #explore #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #high #speed #photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Related (because I have a long history of shooting water fountains):

Frozen water, part 1, January 2021

Frozen water, part 2, January 2021

The hated fountain, June 2019

Stare into the dancing waters, June 2019

Playing with water (again) at the airport, July 2018

Hidden figure, January 2018

More fun with dancing water, January 2018

Playing with water at the airport, January 2007

Flashed fountain, December 2006

Frozen water, part 2

Dance with me, please
Delray Beach. FL
December 2017
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Earlier today, I shared a shot of a water fountain stream frozen in mid-flight.

Doing so made me happy, which I realize may sound trivial to the point of irrelevance, but I assure you it is neither trivial, nor irrelevant.

Here’s the thing: photography is good for my mental health. From wandering around with a camera in my hand to sizing up the shot to post-production and sharing the results here, it’s something that brings me joy.

And when I flip through them years later, I’m brought back to the moment I took them. Which, as you’ve probably guessed, brings me even more joy.

And given the current state of the planet, the nastiness, the prevalence of misinformation, and the continued double whammy of pandemic and economic hardship, I hope you’ll forgive me if I take an occasional time-out to stare at pictures.

Or share more than one from a tiny chapter that I’d like to revisit.

You’re always welcome to join me.

#delray #beach #florida #throwback #water #fountain #frozen #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #vacation #explore #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #high #speed #photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Frozen water, part 1

Gone in 1/2,500th of a second
Delray Beach, FL
December 2017
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Take one fountain.

Add too much time on your hands.

And a camera.

Some patience.

A memory card with lots of free space.

A fully charged battery.

A very understanding wife.

A bit of curiosity.

Mix it all together, and sometimes you come home with something worth keeping.

And even if you don't, the journey was worth every moment.

#delray #beach #florida #throwback #water #fountain #frozen #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #vacation #explore #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #dslr #high #speed #photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Twitter's Jack Offs Trump

BREAKING: Twitter permanently suspends @realDonaldTrump's account.

Nice work, @Jack.

Finally.

Related:

Twitter's statement.

My Newstalk1010 interview on Barb DiGiulio's show, The Nightside.

The uproar this generated on my Facebook account.

Talk to the paw

Sleeping while the world burns
London, ON
January 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

It's difficult to sugar-coat the fecal matter show of a week we've had - rather, continue to have - so I'd like to kick Friday off with a photo of Calli having a mid-afternoon siesta on the living room couch.

She sleeps rather frequently, which is understandable given how hard she plays, and how bonkers she can be when she's awake. I'm rather certain she was dreaming as I took this particular shot, about what I do not know, but I can only imagine it was a happy dream.

I often stare at her as she snores away and think about how lovely it must be to be inside that Schnu head of hers. Where her biggest issue is the squirrel tormenting her from the back yard, who she'll con for her next treat, or how far she can get with a stolen sock before one of us realizes it and tries to pry it from her mouth. Ah, good times.

Whether she's awake or asleep, she's blithely unaware of the stresses that tug at the seams of the world around her, and remains content to either wrap herself around us as she naps, or simply stick close to us and be her usual nutty self. Or, as she's done here, conk out on the couch and allow us to pet her endlessly.

If we could sketch out what unconditional love looks like, I'm pretty sure it would, in some part, look like this. If only the rest of us would follow her lead. #ldnont #london #ontario #canada #calli #callitheschnauzer #dog #dogs #schnauzerpuppy #schnauzersofinstagram #schnauzergram #schnauzers #dogsofinstagram #instapuppy #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

On seeing beauty

"Sometimes you have to shut your eyes, so you can see the real beauty."

Kilian Jornet Burgada

 

At the windswept edge of America

Not your typical beach day
Jensen Beach, FL
December 2017
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Three years ago, I stood on a windswept beach in Florida as the setting sun cast ever longer shadows over the sand.

Small groups of people were spread out at distant intervals for as far as the eye could see. Some had cast fishing lines into the heavy surf, while others idly strolled past them. It wasn’t your typical beach day, but it was immensely comforting all the same to just stand amid the stinging sand and drink it in.

After I finished shooting this photo, I tucked the camera away and closed my eyes. I thought about all those people in the distance, enjoying this extraordinary place in much the same way that I was. We were all privileged to be experiencing this small sliver of normality, one of countless scenes playing out in this impossibly rich, diverse land.

Yesterday was an ugly day in the history of this land, a stain in the richness and diversity that have always underpinned what she stands for. And for some reason the freshly minted chaotic scenes from a crowded city took me right back to the decidedly less chaotic, less crowded scene from three years earlier.

America was beautiful that day. She still is. Indeed, she’s always been.

#jensen #beach #florida #atlantic #ocean #throwback #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #vacation #explore #waves #water #weather #wx #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

No fans here

Patterns not in nature
Toronto, ON
July 2017
This photo originally shared on Instagram

There's nothing quite like a baseball stadium packed to the rafters with fans cheering on the home team. Except, perhaps, the sight of that same stadium when it's empty.

This is Rogers Centre in Toronto, home of the Blue Jays, and I shot this on a hot summer's day, mere minutes after the good guys won. As my wife and I were assembling the kids and waiting for the crowds to disperse, I thought it might be fun to shoot some pictures before heading out.

The section below us was completely empty as I carefully leaned over the barrier and squeezed off a few. All I could think of was how neat the rows looked and how surprised I was that they weren't covered with post-game snack wrappers and beer cups. I guess Canadian ball fans are a polite bunch.

This stadium has been empty for well over a year as lockdowns intensify and, admittedly less critically, rumors fly about a possible redevelopment of the site. It's only one of many venues whose future now lies in doubt, and I can't help but wonder how long it will be before we can gather in any capacity to cheer on the home team.

Maybe we'll have to find better ways to celebrate wins and commiserate over losses. Maybe the very nature of community has already shifted, but we were too busy staying home to notice.

#toronto #yyz #ontario #canada #throwback #bluejays #rogers #centre #stadium #skydome #forever #baseball #sports #sportsing #urban #streetphotography #photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #canon #canon_photography #canonphotography #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

On how we make others feel

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Maya Angelou

We don't much value feelings in our modern, hurry-up-and-get-it-done, metrics-driven world. Yet ultimately they are all we are left with.

If I have but one spot on my wall to print up and frame a quote that resonates, it will be this one.

The sign of love

Hard to miss
Cancun, Mexico
November 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Love is a simple word, really.

And we could all use more of it.

So off you go. Make it happen.

Please and thank you.

#cancun #mexico #throwback #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #explore #beach #photography #google #pixel2 #teampixel #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

The ice show continues

Frozen sculpture in a surprising place
London, ON
December 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Ice never gets old, so here's another look from our final spontaneous street shoot of the year.

Lesson? Even the worst year offered up flashes of light in the margins. All we had to do was look for them.

Same deal this year, too.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #water #ice #frozen #walkabout #nature #naturephotography #photography #happynewyear #newyear #apple #iPhone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Related:

Driveway ice show, January 2021

Frozen solid to the ground, January 2019

Visions in the ice, January 2018

Icy spine, February 2007

Going feet wet on the way home

Light from above
Kincardine, ON
May 2012
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Airplane window photography is a hit-and-mostly-miss process, as those scratchy plastic windows make it almost impossible to shoot with anything approaching clarity.

But sometimes you get lucky and God smiles through the clouds. And sometimes you need a little extra light when returning home from far away.

#ontario #canada #landscape #throwback #great #lake #huron #shanghai #china #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #flight #flying #aviation #avgeek #explore #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

A different Vegas

In the mountain shadows
Las Vegas, NV
November 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

On occasion, it can be instructive to take photos of the familiar in an unfamiliar manner.

To wit, Las Vegas from my hotel room balcony, captured on the morning before we headed home a year ago November.

It isn't the strip. There isn't any neon or glitz or glamour. Just a sprawling city growing so quickly it seems to be bumping into the mountains that surround it.

This photo reminds me that people live here, and many of them have nothing to do with the things that made this city famous. It's also a gentle reminder that sometimes you have to get yourself out of the valley of the expected so you can appreciate things you might have otherwise missed.

Strangely, I miss this place, and hope we get to return here after this insanity fades into history. Until then, landscape photos from windswept high-rise balconies will do nicely as placeholders.

#lasvegas #nevada #throwback #road #trip #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #city #explore #weather #wx #landscape #photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Related:

Desert scene from way above, March 2020

A blinding light in the Nevada desert, November 2019

Staring at a shiny airport floor, November 2019

Celebrating an on-stage face plant, November 2019

Po takes on Vegas, November 2018

New profile pic for Facebook

I don't tend to pay too much attention to my profile photos. Whether it's here on the blog or on my various social media accounts, I tend to set 'em and forget 'em.

But I looked at my Facebook profile pic earlier today and realized it had been a while - and to put it mildly, I look older. It was time for an update.

I took this pic for work. We record a video series, called the Info-Tech Brief, and I've been shooting it from home since we first went into lockdown. As part of the process, I shoot a still photo, as well, to give our editor to use when posting the segment to YouTube.

I've accumulated more than a few of these spontaneous headshots in recent months, including this one when I decided to include Calli the Wonderschnauzer. She doesn't much like being picked up, but on this particular day she relented.

I'm glad she did, as it's one of the few pictures with me in-frame that I actually like.

Related:

Facebook profile photo album

Old brick wall. Many stories.

Historic signatures
London, ON
August 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

If this wall could talk, I wonder what it would say.

Amazing things, I'm sure.

And thanks to a lovingly planned repurposing of one of London's most iconic factories, stories will continue to be told here.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #throwback #100kellogg @100kellogg #random #urban #architecture #architecturephotography #building #buildingporn #brick #manufacturing #kellogg #cereal #factory #photography #canon #canon_photography #canonphotography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Related:

Industrial Age brilliance, September 2023

From cereal factory to showpiece, September 2023

Red velvet dreams, December 2022

My first Christmas market experience, December 2022

Picture window, November 2022

Simple lines far above my head, November 2022

Making post-industrial tracks, April 2021

Life After Frosted Flakes, March 2019

Deep inside an old cereal factory, August 2018

Kellogg's to London: No cereal for you, December 2013

McCormick/Beta Brands factory burns - No more cookies for you, September 2012

Staring at the belly of the beast

The magical door
Merritt Island, FL
December 2019
This photo originally shared on Instagram

This is the underside of Space Shuttle Atlantis, specifically the orbiter's midbody near the starboard landing gear door. When we visited her last year at KSC's Visitor Complex, I spent an inordinate amount of time just staring at her seemingly limitless details.

Like this door. It has one job - open up just a few seconds before landing so the gear can drop down and lock in place. Easier said than done considering what that singular piece of hardware had to endure in the seconds, minutes, days, and weeks leading up to that pivotal, all-or-nothing moment.

First it had to survive the stresses of liftoff and acceleration to orbital speed within just over 8 minutes. Then it had to alternately bake and freeze in the vacuum of space while the ship chased the ISS, then sat docked to it for a couple of weeks. Then it had to endure the hellfire of re-entry, followed by a coup-de-grace of hypersonic airflow before it opened up in lockstep with its port-side twin and main-gear doors up front.

Engineers will scoff at the wonder of it all - because in coldly rational terms, it's easy to understand how this thing works. After all, NASA had plenty of opportunity to figure it all out through the program's 135 orbital flights and 4 atmospheric test flights. But two out of five orbiters never came home, so engineering can only go so far when the folks running the show fail to learn from history.

I'm thankful that this door worked as it needed to, that Atlantis brought all 156 folks who flew on her home safely over her 33 round trips to space, that I got to see firsthand what an engineering miracle looks like. I wonder how I'll tell more of her story when we eventually return.

#kennedy #space #center #ksc #kennedyspacecenter #florida #fla #throwback #spaceshuttle #shuttle #atlantis #ov104 #rocket #science #aviation #avgeek #spaceflight #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #lifeinthemargins #family #everything

Related:

Staring Atlantis in the nose, August 2020

Where Atlantis feels the heat, February 2020

Face-to-face with Space Shuttle Atlantis, January 2020

Saying thanks to the Challenger crew, January 2020

Looking through Columbia's windows, February 2020

The Shuttle Era ends, July 2011

On Atlantis once more sinking beneath the waves, July 2011

Atlantis comes down for good, July 2011