"A lie doesn't become truth, wrong doesn't become right, and evil doesn't become good, just because it's accepted by a majority."
Posts
Research: Three Months in the Mediterranean, 1943 (24)
38 minutes ago
Sunday, October 31, 2021
On the limits of democracy
Dog haiku in heavy traffic
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| I'm pretty sure my friends have been here London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
Dog walks on big road
Dense fog rolls in from the north
Treats await back home
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #calli #callitheschnauzer #dog #dogs #schnauzerpuppy #schnauzersofinstagram #schnauzergram #schnauzers #dogsofinstagram #instapuppy #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Fast water, slow shutter
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| A lot can happen in a quarter of a second London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
The rushing water breaks endlessly over the shallow rocks, creating standing waves that break defiantly in the face of relentless pressure. The sound from this impossibly complex fury reaches deep into the woods, a thrum that is almost felt as much as it is heard.
Meanwhile just below the surface, and all along the shore, the landscape is eroding slowly, invisibly, as nature continues to relentlessly redraw the landscape.
All this has been playing out since long before we were here, and it’ll continue long after we’re gone. We’re just temporary witnesses to history.
#ldnont #ExploreLdnOnt #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #thames #river #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #water #abstract #longexposure #monochrome #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Saturday, October 30, 2021
Where I get lost in the forest
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| Remnants London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
Shoot some scenes.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours on a grey fall afternoon.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #tree #trees #green #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
When leaves end
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| Life in many forms London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
Actually, I have a thing for many things, but I've got a word limit here, so we'll leave all the other things for another time.
This particular thing, forlorn leaves on a forest floor, has been a recurring theme for as long as I've been a photographer, and this particular shot might be my favorite such photo in a while.
Those water droplets speak of life, that maybe after the particular leaf here is long past decomposition, the forest will find some kind of way to create new life out of all the ingredients we see in this shot.
Silly Carmi: of COURSE something new will arise from this seemingly sad scene. Which, on reflection, isn't sad at all. Indeed, depending on which part of the circle of life we happen to be looking at, the view may not always be brilliant or pretty or young or desirable.
But as part of a greater whole, what's playing out in this simple frame is just as worthy of recording as anything else. And it has a beauty all its own, even if it isn't framed the same way as a more conventional aesthetic.
Thanks for the timely lesson, fallen leaf.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #floor #tree #trees #leaf #leaves #autumn #color #colors #texture #gameoftones #thames #river #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Related:
Remember the colorful (fallen) leaf, September 2019
Dying leaves on a cold, wet street, October 2018
Holding on for dear life, October 2015
Dead leaves on the ground, October 2015
Remember the fallen, September 2013
Friday, October 29, 2021
Where towers soar into the sky
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| Telecommunication Sault Ste. Marie, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
You may not be able to actually touch it. But you'll be closer than you would have otherwise been.
#saultstemarie #ontario #canada #roadtrip #travel #travelphotography #communications #tower #sky #clouds #weather #wx #goldenhour #random #street #photography #streetphotography #canon #canon_photography #canonphotography #instagood #photooftheday #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Thursday, October 28, 2021
On the perverse reality of technology
"Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons."
Deep in the wide angle woods
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| Should I pray? London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #tree #trees #green #cathedral #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Related:
Standing under the cathedral, February 2021
One tree among many, February 2021
Standing in a cathedral of green, October 2019
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
A river runs around me
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| Textured waters London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
It gets me far enough into the rushing river that I can almost feel the current in my head as I crouch down and compose the shot. It’s an admittedly beautiful spot, one that will in all likelihood disappear when the rains return and the waters rise again.
The flowing water all around me seems to add a certain sense of magic to this place. The air is a little fresher. The sounds are a little more resonant. Being here, on this tiny outcropping of smoothed-out rocks, makes me feel alive.
As I carefully hop back onto shore, it isn’t lost on me that all this is temporary, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to get out there for a bit.
It’s a small thing, really, but as I walk back to the outside world, I remind myself that small things really are big things.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #thames #river #water #texture #bokeh #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Trees from Venus
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| Purple haze London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
The story of children on Venus who are perpetually stuck indoors by relentless rains, and are granted a single hour of play outside every seven years before the rains return, is but one of so many of Bradbury’s works that have imprinted themselves on me.
The mind works in remarkable ways, with triggers from long ago going off precisely when we allow ourselves to disconnect from the here-and-now.
I’ve got to spend more time here. No matter the weather.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #tree #trees #thames #river #weather #wx #fog #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Monday, October 25, 2021
Not as scary as it seems
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| Always look toward the light London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
I’m pretty sure most of you will know which one I’d choose.
Because even in the darkest of moments, there’s always enough light to guide us. Even if we have to look a little harder to find it.
Yesterday morning, I managed to find the light in a fog-covered forest. I’m sure I would have found it wherever I happened to be. I’m sure you would have, as well.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #tree #trees #thames #river #weather #wx #fog #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #monochrome #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Sunday, October 24, 2021
Morning among the shrouded trees
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| Beside the quiet waters London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
Condensation rose off the river that’s been carving this valley for more years than I can imagine, bathing the trees in a surreal mask of muted grey. I pulled my hat over my ears and carefully walked the eroded path by the burbling water.
Autumn color continues to be a no-show around here, so I found myself looking for other stories to tell in this remarkable place that lets us leave the rest of the planet behind while we’re lucky enough to be here.
If not color, then maybe texture. Or structure. Or tone. Or a mixture of all three. Or something else entirely.
The “what” didn’t matter as much as the fact that I was out there at all.
Maybe it’s a blessing, then, that the primary thing we seek isn’t always necessarily what we find when we get there.
Maybe it’s a blessing that we still have the ability to walk in the woods - real and figurative - at all.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #tree #trees #green #thames #river #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
The mural around the corner
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| Art on brick London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
No city or suburb is immune. Indeed, even my little corner of town experiences it - spraypainted tags on walking paths, bridge abutments, and every wall imaginable. I feel for business owners who have to contend with it not just once, but constantly. The unkindness of those who leave graffiti behind is difficult to understand.
It's also a problem not easily solved. Short of turning the neighborhood into a police state, there's not enough surveillance capacity in the world to stop it.
But, still, right-thinking communities can't afford not to try. A number of area businesses and community groups have stumbled upon an interesting reality of graffiti I-won't-call-them-artists: while they'll happily tag an empty surface until the end of time, they won't overwrite an actual piece of art. Respect takes on many odd forms, I guess.
So murals are now very much a thing, with new ones popping up all over town.
I walk past this one fairly often while I'm out with the dog. It's on an exterior wall of a nearby strip mall variety store, and for years, it sported fresh graffiti almost as quickly as the beleaguered store owner could clean it off. But since this mural - complete with sponsorship logos in the corner - went up, there has been no vandalism here.
The problem isn't solved: the bridge at the other end of the path that winds through the woods is regularly and savagely painted over, so one can argue that the scourge has simply been relocated elsewhere.
But, still, it's a start. And a pretty cool-looking one, at that.
The city of Kitchener, about an hour east of here, has done a wonderful job marketing its murals and integrating them into its local business messaging. I see opportunity to do the same here.
Until then, I'll continue to smile at the happy painted animals as I meander on past with my own happy - and very much real - animal in tow.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #urban #suburban #city #street #photography #streetphotography #graffiti #art #color #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday
Saturday, October 23, 2021
#IfYouReadOneThingToday - On the iPod at 20
#IfYouReadOneThingToday, make it this clear-eyed view back in time, 20 years to the day since Apple introduced the iPod.
20 years. Unreal.
For the 20th anniversary of the iPod, we talk with the inventor of Apple's iconic music player, Tony Fadell, who reminisces about working with Steve Jobs and the success of the device.
By Roger Cheng
CNET
October 23, 2021
Red light in a northern town
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| Waiting to get to the mountains Sault Ste. Marie, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
May as well remember what it looks like.
#saultstemarie #ontario #canada #roadtrip #travel #travelphotography #traffic #roxanne #red #light #random #street #photography #streetphotography #red #traffic #light #canon #canon_photography #canonphotography #instagood #photooftheday #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Same trees, slightly different perspective
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| The Three Graces, in color London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
It's what I do. Look at the same thing from a different perspective. Try to squeeze out more than one perspective of a given scene. Probably a remnant of my childhood when I'd squint my eyes just so, as it was the only way I knew to change the image out the hospital window.
I guess we adopt strange behaviors when confronted with realities that are difficult to understand. And I guess that applies in adulthood as much as it applies in childhood.
[Pause as Carmi looks back at what he's written. Stupid pictures of trees triggering metaphysical recollections from decades ago. Don't mind while I laugh at myself for a bit.]
There, I'm good. Let's get back to the trees. And the bulrushes in the foreground. And the fact that we're surrounded by wonders like this, and gifted with the ability to get out there and take them all in.
In monochrome. In color.
Inside a hospital looking out, or outside in the middle of a giant meadow.
Wherever we happen to be, and however we choose to squint our eyes.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #tree #trees #thames #river #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #monochrome #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Friday, October 22, 2021
Remembering the first time I shot monochrome
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| The Three Graces London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
I remember first wondering how I would capture all the shades of green in the hills north of Montreal with a color-blind camera. But as I continued my solo walk through the silent woods, I started to notice shapes, textures, and shades. And something went click in my head.
As it turned out, the camera wasn’t color-blind at all. Black, white, and grey are colors, too, and as I played with the controls on this remarkable machine, I quickly learned that filtering the world this way can be an eye-opening process. All I had to do was shift my attitude a little.
As you may have guessed, I was hooked, and to this day I’ll often deliberately force myself to shoot monochrome, just because.
And to think it all began with a single walk through the woods, and a search for shape, texture, and tones amid the overgrown tree line. Some things never change.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #tree #trees #thames #river #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #monochrome #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Thursday, October 21, 2021
Revisiting the tic-tac-toe tree
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| Iconic London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
Some things stick with you, and this wild tree is certainly one of them.
So I looked for it again as I walked past on a summer-like October afternoon, and soon enough I was peering at it through glass: my favourite way to look at beloved trees. Or pretty much anything else, for that matter.
No snow this time out, obviously. But some things in life are just as captivating no matter when or how we encounter them, or what happens to be going on around them when we do.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #tree #trees #thames #river #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #monochrome #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Related:
It all started with greyscale, May 2021
It all started with greyscale, May 2021
We found Scooby-Doo's tree, December 2020
Staring at trees during a snowfall, April 2020
The trees that guard us, April 2020
A chaotic assembly of branches, May 2018
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Pondering the power of peeling paint
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| Decay you can feel London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
I'd like to think so. And peeling paint under a giant bridge that spans an otherwise quiet valley strikes me as a worthwhile place to try this out.
Once upon a time I would have lamented the fact that the paint had been allowed to peel at all, that our city, in its infinite lack of wisdom, allowed yet another piece of public infrastructure to languish.
But it's just paint. Cosmetic, really. Nothing's about to collapse. Peeling paint is infinitely more fun to explore with the eye and the soul than a perfectly smooth surface.
And who am I to judge?
At least that's what I tell myself as I stare at the randomness mere inches from my face and muse about the fact that wonder is often found in the craziest of places.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #tree #trees #thames #river #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #bridge #shadows #light #lines #geometry #monochrome #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Tuesday, October 19, 2021
Sun-striped bridge
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| Surprise! London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
I wonder if the engineers who designed and built this vital contribution to the local landscape planned for this shadowplay, or if they, too, we’re just as pleasantly surprised as I was the first time they noticed these sublime projections of shadow and light.
I’d like to think none of this was planned, that magic can still play the occasional delightful surprise on us if we let it.
Because the world needs occasional delightful surprises. Or maybe more than just occasional.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #tree #trees #thames #river #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #bridge #shadows #light #lines #geometry #monochrome #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Monday, October 18, 2021
Where the rushing waters flow
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| So much can happen in half a second London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
The universe had other plans, as there was no color to be had. Correction: there WAS color, just not the brilliantly saturated kind that typically defines the season.
So I switched gears, and instead sought out other forms of inspiration in the still-muted landscape.
Like long-ish monochrome exposures of the fast-flowing river that runs through the valley. Never mind that I hadn’t brought a tripod: the bridge railing made for a handy brace point, and before long I was (oh so carefully) shooting over the edge, experimenting with various exposure combinations until I was happy with the results.
This little photographic moment wouldn’t have happened if everything had gone according to the original plan.
But that’s the thing about plans: we may make them, but the universe often has plans of its own. And the universe always wins.
So rather than focusing on what we might lose when we encounter an unplanned tangent, we’re probably better off focusing on the unexpected blessings that drop into our lap while we’re busy navigating the resulting detours.
I’m learning this lesson, albeit slowly, that life’s not about getting what we want. Rather, it’s about getting the most out of whatever we happen to encounter along the way.
This time out it was softly textured monochrome instead of sharply defined colors. Next time it could be anyone’s guess.
I’ll just have to go for another wander to find out.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #tree #medway #valley #forest #thames #river #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #water #abstract #monochrome #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Related:
Half-frozen river, February 2021
Brushed by time, September 2017
The end of the big blue ocean, June 2012
Rotting in plain sight, March 2012
Sunday, October 17, 2021
So I climbed the stairs, anyway
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| Long way down Sault Ste. Marie, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
Yes, it made me a little queasy.
Scintillating, I know. But one of the secrets to this life thing is apparently relishing the little things. And playing optical geometry games in stairwells represents - to me, anyway - another one of those little things.
I wonder how many other little things there are. And I wish I had enough time to explore, and record, them all.
#saultstemarie #ontario #canada #roadtrip #travel #travelphotography #hotel #stairs #monochrome #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #instagood #photooftheday #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Related:
Guilt from a hotel lobby sign, October 2021
Red stairs to somewhere, July 2019
Concrete stairs, January 2007
Pierced darkness, December 2006
Guilt from a hotel lobby sign
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| Thank you for your concern Sault Ste. Marie, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
I feel guilty enough taking elevators and escalators, and passive-aggressive messaging like this doesn’t help.
[Which explains why I took the stairs after taking this shot. Guilt is a powerful motivator.]
#saultstemarie #ontario #canada #roadtrip #travel #travelphotography #hotel #elevator #sign #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #instagood #photooftheday #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Saturday, October 16, 2021
Crabapples near and far
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| Gravity always has the last laugh London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
I never quite saw the point of a crabapple tree, because we weren’t about to make crabapple cookies or pies. And the berries ruined the lawn and stained the carpet when we inevitably tracked their messy remains into the house. Good times.
Fast forward to adulthood, and rather coincidentally we have a crabapple tree in the boulevard just across the sidewalk from our yard. And wouldn’t you know that it, too, makes quite the mess around this time of year.
The dog doesn’t much like the berries, either, as we have to carefully navigate the sidewalk every time we head out. So I’m sure she was wondering why I stopped for a closer look during this afternoon’s meander.
I assured her I was just taking a picture. We’ll leave the crabapple pie for another time. Or, more realistically, never.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #random #suburban #sidewalk #street #stilllife #photography #berry #crabapple #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
#IfYouReadOneThingToday - On newspapers
This matters to us all.
We don’t often talk about how a paper’s collapse makes people feel: less connected, more alone.
By Elaine Godfrey
The Atlantic
October 5, 2021
Someone painted the blue sky again
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| Oh so temporary London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
This is easier said than done when you live in the Forest City, as there’s always a tree nearby, ready to get in the way.
Don’t get me wrong: I love me some shade. Just not when I’m trying to capture the widest possible swath of sky through the maddeningly limited wide angle lens on my phone.
I’m not sure if I succeeded this time out, but it sure was fun to give passing motorists a reason to smile at the weird sandal-clad guy staring at the clouds while his dog waited patiently beside him.
I hope they, too, find a way to enjoy the sky when it decides to put on a show. There’s always magic happening up there, and all we need to do is look up.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #weather #wx #blue #sky #clouds #gradient #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins #family #everything
Friday, October 15, 2021
When they walled up the Costco
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| Costco Wonderland North London, ON April 2021 Photos originally shared on Instagram |
The giant-walls-of-merchandise blocking aisles of supposedly non-essential goods were an epically creative solution to a particularly vexing problem, and they strangely brought me comfort during a time where I - indeed all of us - felt anything but comfortable.
It was but one of countless surreal moments during this surreal period in history, and I felt like I needed to record it in some admittedly trivial way before getting back to the very serious business of quickly fetching what I needed and getting the heck out of dodge.
The restrictions were lifted after a few months, and the store has since returned to its usual crowded, salmon-swimming-upstream-amid-countless-other-drunk-and-clueless-salmon vibe. For the record, shopping, here and elsewhere, is now sheer hell.
I wish we could go back to these giant stacks of boxes. I wish we could go back to before everything changed. When we were all blissfully unaware of what lay ahead.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #throwback #costco #bigbox #store #covid #pandemic #shopping #retail #random #everyday #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Spiders over Sault Ste. Marie
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| Way up Sault Ste. Marie, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
They may not represent conventional visual storytelling. But conventional isn't quite my thing. And since our daughter first noticed these busy insects on the other side of the glass, they had become part of the story of us in this place far from home.
It isn't remotely spectacular or normal to anyone else. But it strangely has meaning to us, a touchstone, if you will, of a couple of days in the history of our little family.
Which is more than enough to justify the picture.
As if pictures ever needed to be justified in the first place.
#saultstemarie #ontario #canada #roadtrip #travel #travelphotography #spider #insect #hotel #window #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #instagood #photooftheday #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Thursday, October 14, 2021
Life outside a smalltown Tim Hortons
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| Local networking Mount Forest, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
No word yet, though, on whether or not they're planning on applying for jobs inside.
#mountforest #ontario #canada #roadtrip #travel #random #timhortons #urban #street #streetphotography #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
A peek into the death of retail
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| No returns Sault Ste. Marie, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
Except I don't have to imagine it, because the mall where I come across this scene is filled with empty storefronts just like this one.
It's easy to conclude that the pandemic has played at least some role in this - and to a certain that's true. But let's get real: this was an industry in decline long before anyone even knew what a coronavirus was. The pandemic simply accelerated the process.
I can write volumes about what it'll take for hybrid retailers to survive and thrive in this new landscape, and how intelligent applications of the disruptive technologies that helped empty out this space can help other businesses find a way forward.
But on this day, all I can do is take a picture of what it looks like when people cling to the old ways for longer than they should.
It just feels so sad. Hence the photo.
#saultstemarie #ontario #canada #roadtrip #travel #travelphotography #empty #mall #stationmall #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #instagood #photooftheday #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Distant bridge on a foggy day
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| What connects two nations Sault Ste. Marie, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
The Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge connects two cities not-so-coincidentally named Sault Ste. Marie - in Michigan and Ontario.
We hadn't been this close to America in longer than we dared admit. And while we didn't cross over - still not a thing, apparently, because of a virus you might have heard of - it was nice to be able to peer over the fast-flowing St. Marys River and see the shadowy shoreline in the distance.
Sometimes, proximity - to the promised land as well as whatever else we happen to covet - is more than enough.
#saultstemarie #ontario #canada #roadtrip #travel #travelphotography #fog #weather #wx #bridge #monochrome #photography #canon #canon_photography #canonphotography #instagood #photooftheday #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Monday, October 11, 2021
Why I'm thankful...
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| Everything Sault Ste. Marie, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
May we all have ample reasons to be thankful, today and every day.
#canadian #thanksgiving #love #mypeeps #family #everything
Sunday, October 10, 2021
Back to the woods
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| Covered. For now. London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
Small.
Humble.
At peace.
Whatever that feeling - or, more likely, mixture of feelings - ends up being, it's the kind of place that would do us all some good, if only we took the time to step into it every once in a while.
We're lucky to live so close to one of the richest ecosystems in the area, a stretch of green that's been lovingly protected from development even as the city casts an increasingly long shadow across its borders.
It's quite the change from my childhood, as I grew up in a town where places like this were bulldozed first, with few questions asked in advance. Or ever.
I remember having to ride my bike far from home before I came across anything more substantial than a tersely carved out suburban park, a grudging concession to those who would rather pull in tax revenue from more and bigger homes and businesses. Or who measured success by how many seconds they could shave off the commute by plowing another road through greenspace.
Some things are worth a longer commute. This is one of them.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #tree #trees #green #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Saturday, October 09, 2021
Waiting for class to let out
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| Does my nose look too big? London, ON September 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
This is little more than a quick snap taken of her while she patiently waits for Dahlia to finish class.
This work/study-from-home thing comes with many challenges, but also many blessings. And being able to work and study together is definitely one of the blessings.
It's nice to know that Calli agrees, even if she'd rather be using that nose in the back yard to root out bunnies.
Patience, little girl.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #calli #callitheschnauzer #dog #dogs #schnauzerpuppy #schnauzersofinstagram #schnauzergram #schnauzers #dogsofinstagram #instapuppy #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Friday, October 08, 2021
The Hippo takes flight
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| Liftoff London, ON August 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
And for the record, hippos are lovely. As is this aircraft, the latest J model of the venerable C-130 Hercules. When things need to be moved and lives need to be saved, this plane is the backbone of the mission, as it has been for 67 years.
I find it amazing how something that first flew in 1954 can be kept current and relevant well into the 21st century. And not just relevant, but so effective that no one has come up with anything better in the interim.
In aviation or any field, I find that kind of legacy rather inspiring.
#nikonskydrive @airshowlondon @nikoncanada #ldnont #london #airport #ontario #canada #SkyDrive #AirShowLondon #aviation #lockheedmartin #c130j #hercules #hippo #flight #aircraft #avgeek #aviationphotography #planespotting #instaplane #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #Nikon #nikonphotography #photography #lifeinthemargins #family #everything
Related:
Follow the mama plane, September 2020
A Hippo makes an unexpected visit, September 2018
Caption This 27, July 2007
Thursday, October 07, 2021
Cloudy with a chance of Rhino
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| Blue vape London, ON August 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
Blue Angel jet No. 5 takes this advice to heart with a bit of a vape show.
#nikonskydrive @airshowlondon @nikoncanada #ldnont #london #airport #ontario #canada #SkyDrive #AirShowLondon #aviation #boeing #mcdonnelldouglas #superhornet #fighter #flight #aircraft #avgeek #aviationphotography #planespotting #instaplane #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #Nikon #nikonphotography #photography #lifeinthemargins #family #everything
Wednesday, October 06, 2021
Poseidon takes to the skies
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| Someone's always watching London, ON August 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
Because everyone loves planes. Like this deceptively game-changing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
Not gonna lie: when I heard they were bringing one to this year's air show, I may have squealed with joy. It may nominally look like a 737-800 with the raked wingtips from a -900, but you're probably not getting in-flight drink service if you're ever lucky enough to find yourself aboard one.
More to come. I'll even take requests.
#nikonskydrive @airshowlondon @nikoncanada #ldnont #london #airport #ontario #canada #SkyDrive #AirShowLondon #aviation #boeing #p8a #poseidon #usnavy #flynavy #flight #aircraft #avgeek #aviationphotography #planespotting #instaplane #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #Nikon #nikonphotography #photography #lifeinthemargins
Tuesday, October 05, 2021
Stories in textured brick
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| Visual history London, ON April 2019 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
Maybe we shouldn’t.
Maybe there’s a story - or more likely many stories - hidden beneath the layers of paint and mortar.
Maybe we need to listen a little harder.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #throwback #downtown #urban #city #alley #street #building #architecture #brick #texture #monochrome #photography #streetphotography #google #pixel2 #teampixel #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Monday, October 04, 2021
Facebook goes down. I go bananas.
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| Happiness is a rogue nation London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
As if Zuck and Co. weren’t already having a terrible day after ex-employee/whistleblower Frances Haugen’s explosive interview on CBS 60 Minutes. And she hasn’t even testified in front of Congress yet. Gotta leave some fun for tomorrow.
The lesson from today is a simple one: there’s life after Facebook. Or without it entirely. There’s no rule that says we need to spend every hour of every day with our noses buried in feeds and screens. Indeed, days like today remind us that there’s a glorious world out there that begs to be explored.
Like the Banana Kingdom, the stretch of the Thames Valley Parkway that’s been mysteriously branded for years by anonymous spray-paint-wielding pranksters.
I pedalled my bike there the other day, and the experience made me smile, like I was connected in some funny way to folks I had never met.
Screens down. Eyes wide. Cut the techie cord and get outside.
I get it now, even amid the irony of my sharing this on social media. Everything in moderation, I guess.
In the meantime, I’ll see you in the Banana Kingdom. The real one.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #tvp #thames #valley #parkway #banana #kingdom #cycling #cyclist #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Where we stare up at a brick wall
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| Plain. Not so plain. You be the judge. London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
Walk up to a building. Any building.
Like, really close to it.
Look up. Way up.
Console yourself when The Friendly Giant fails to appear.
Appreciate how the building reaches for the sky.
Drink in the design, the texture, the geometry.
Even if it’s an uninspired circa-1980s brick exterior mall.
Because someone still designed it.
And we need more moments of silent appreciation in our lives.
Take out your camera (or smartphone, whatever you’ve got. We’re not judgy here.)
Compose the shot.
Try to avoid losing your balance or getting dizzy - or both - in the process.
Play with the lines to ensure they all line up in one way or another.
Resist the urge to use cuss words when the lines don’t cooperate.
Remind yourself that auto-everything photography still can’t fix lousy composition.
Quietly thank your third grade math teacher for those geometry lessons.
Smile genially at the passers-by who think you’re insane.
Tuck your camera away when you’re satisfied you’ve got at least one workable pic.
Resolve to stick more of these spontaneous shoots into those in-between moments - while waiting for an appointment, when walking the dog, as you toss groceries into the cart, whenever - that would otherwise go to waste.
Not a bad recipe, no?
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #masonville #building #architecture #architecturephotography #buildingporn #architectureporn #design #lines #brick #urban #monochrome #streetphotography #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Sunday, October 03, 2021
A simple flash of pink
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| The things we see while walking the dog London, ON September 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #snake #creek #tree #trees #autumn #color #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #stilllife #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Find the color...or not
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| Look straight up London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
We’re still far from peak color, that singular moment treasured by photographers who always seem to shoot most…in autumn.
But here’s the thing: color is all around us every day of the year. Sure, it looks different depending on the day or the month or the season or even our mood. But even a mid-winter blizzard offers up its own palette of color. And it’s always worthy of its own story.
So while everyone’s arguing over the best days to get out there to shoot the autumn colors, I’d like to humbly suggest an alternative approach: pick a day, any day. There’s no “peak” anything, because every day on the calendar is worthy of some lens love.
Just go. Shoot whatever strikes your eye. I’m sure it’ll be lovely, no matter when you bring it home.
I don’t get why we work ourselves into a lather now, only to let the cameras gather dust after the leaves have shrivelled to brown husks blowing down windswept streets before the first snow.
Those brown husks are plenty compelling in their own right, and I can’t imagine missing out on them.
I’m weird that way.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #tree #trees #red #green #blue #sky #autumn #color #colors #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Saturday, October 02, 2021
Oil tankers in our midst
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| Ignore at your peril London, ON July 2017 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
Fossil fuel infrastructure is everywhere: gas stations on every major corner, pipelines running through residential neighborhoods, and miles-long trains of tanker cars like the ones you see here.
It takes a lot of heavy equipment to keep the fuel flowing, and I'm more than a little surprised at how effectively the industry has managed to camouflage it all in plain sight.
So as part of my personal mission to tell the stories of the everyday, I'll add this to the mix, as well.
Because maybe someday we won't need to have ticking time bombs like these rolling through our back yards. Maybe we'll find a better way to keep our lives moving forward.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #train #rail #throwback #york #richmond #street #photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #lifeinthemargins
Not the weakest link
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| Collaborative strength London, ON September 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
There are no weak links here.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #chain #yellow #stilllife #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
Friday, October 01, 2021
One tree trunk among many
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| The canopy above... London, ON October 2021 This photo originally shared on Instagram |
If Mother Nature is an artist, I suspect Impressionism is her jam.
#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #snake #creek #tree #trees #green #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins
On the art of the possible
"The limits of the possible can only be defined by going beyond them into the impossible."
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