The moon is made of cheese

Hungry?
London, ON
April 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Finally, we have irrefutable proof that the moon is made of cheese. And in three glorious flavors!

Wallace and Gromit would be so proud.

Alas, they were asking $6.49 for a 57g packet. I love designer cheese as much as anyone else, but this just didn’t feel right. If I’m going to virtue-signal in a lame consumerist attempt to convince total strangers that I’m somehow worthy of their attention because I buy the right stuff, it won’t be with uber-fancy dairy products.

I’ll stick with the laughing cows and wax-wrapped mini-Pac-people for now.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #loblaws #grocery #store #shopping #retail #cheese #random #stilllife #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Long after the sun sets

Do not go gentle into that good night
London, ON
May 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

40 minutes after the sun slips beneath the horizon, we come across a single tree at the edge of a massive park.

It frames a sky that’s still alive, still filled with color and texture, still has a story to tell.

I’m reminded that the dividing line between day and night - or any other polar-opposite state of being we can think of - isn’t as clear-cut as we think it is. That there are huge swaths of shades in between the blacks and whites that typically define how we view the world.

Tonight the shades are tinted in vibrant colors that will soon fade from view. But even as darkness takes over, I imagine the sky will continue to resonate with tone and texture. Will still be alive. And have a story to tell.

We just have to look for it.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sun #sunset #sky #weather #wx #silhouette #walkabout #forest #tree #trees #jaycee #park #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Related:

Before the branches come to life, April 2022

Epic battle in the western sky, March 2022

One last show before nightfall, February 2022

Where the sidewalk ends

Shades of Shel Silverstein
London, ON
May 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I call these turnaround photos, and I’ll often take them halfway through an out-and-back bike ride.

I’ll stop to rest up, down a snack, and let my wife know I’m headed back.

Most of the time the photos are meh, boring placeholders of some random street corner or pathway or parking lot far from home.

But sometimes the scene offers up a little more fun before I pack everything back up and set off once more.

This time, the geometry on this dead-end road at the end of a still-new subdivision spoke to me. I couldn’t resist a little playtime.

Thanks for coming along for the ride. Where should I go next?

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #random #yellow #street #sign #streetphotography #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Related:

Standing at a curve in the road, July 2018

Thematic Photographic 382 - Street Signs, August 2016

Caption This 82, August 2008

The mystery of Building 15

Shhh, not so loud!
London, ON
April 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I’ve always wondered what goes on in Building 15.

I’m sure I could easily figure it out with a quick Google search. Or Siri query. Or Wikipedia lookup. Or maybe even a Hail Mary question on Reddit or Twitter or Facebook.

Because we live in an age where answers are always close at hand.

But just because every question potentially has a corresponding answer doesn’t necessarily mean that we should always seek it out.

Mystery, like this delightfully curved-roofed relic of London’s largely forgotten past, still has its place in the so-called Information Age.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #building #architecture #architecturephotography #buildingporn #architectureporn #urban #city #downtown #streetphotography #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Related:

Blue doors. Vanished history. May 2022

Suitcase on church steps, September 2019

Neighborhood oasis of light, November 2012

Blink before the pink disappears

Scattered
London, ON
May 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

When the glorious pink blooms begin to fall off the tree that protects the sidewalk near our home, we have two choices:

1. be sad
2. capture them in some way before they’re gone for good

I vote for what’s behind door #2, because while beauty like this may indeed be fleeting, the feeling we get from having experienced it lasts a lot longer.

Maybe even forever if we play our cards right.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #pink #flowers #texture #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Our historic architectural jumble

Tightly connected
London, ON
May 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

This jumble of buildings in London’s downtown core spans well over a century of design, architecture, engineering, and life.

In many ways, it’s the story of too many generations to count, of the people who built this city and made it come alive. Who lived and worked behind these windows and walls.

It’s also a story that continues to play out, with the jumble continuing to evolve as the city reshapes itself yet again. With new stories being told in the shadows of the old.

It reminds me to look up every once in a while. Because there’s history happening just above our heads.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #building #architecture #architecturephotography #buildingporn #architectureporn #history #urban #walkabout #downtown #street #streetphotography #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Finding beauty in an ugly world

In the western sky
London, ON
April 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Chase the sun, even if you’re stuck in a suburban mall parking lot.

Because in a world where innocent Ukrainians are slaughtered for being Ukrainian, and innocent Buffalo residents are gunned down because they dared shop for groceries, we need random acts of storytelling beauty more than we ever have.

Please go find them. And share them.

#london #ontario #canada @cfmasonville #cfmasonville #sun #sunset #sky #mall #silhouette #landscape #landscapephotography #random #street #photography #streetphotography #canon #canon_photography #canonphotography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Steps to another world

Tread carefully
London, ON
April 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

This staircase is both special and not.

It’s one of many in the area, and it connects the suburban streets above with the valley below, an easy way to escape the thrum of the city in a few easy steps.

Okay, maybe more than a few. It’s a steep valley, and there are lots of stairs.

The dog and I are here all the time, as it’s a regular part of our wanders through the neighborhood. Yet I’m usually so focused on not tripping on the crumbling concrete that I miss out on how it looks and feels.

So I decide to take a rare solo walk, one without a bouncy dog pulling the other end of the leash and ruining the shot. I even bring the camera-camera this time.

The well-worn steps haven’t only been badly maintained: they haven’t been maintained at all, the concrete slowly deteriorating in the deep shadows that settle over this quiet place.

Which I’m guessing is an accident waiting to happen. So I walk slowly, deliberately. All the better to notice the little things I’d otherwise miss, the textures, the soft, gloomy light, the sound of the whispering trees overhead.

While these steps may not be special enough to merit proper attention from the folks who run this town, they’re special enough to me for the quiet way they underpin the simple rituals of day-to-day life in an otherwise forgettable corner of the city.

As I tuck the camera away and begin the long climb to the house, I quietly resolve to shoot more scenes like this. They may be invisible to most, forgotten even. But they still deserve to have their stories told.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #walkabout #forest #concrete #stairs #gameoftones #texture #landscape #landscapephotography #monochrome #photography #Nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Chewing on the flowers

She doesn't think they're weeds, either
London, ON
May 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I’ll take Dogs Who Lick Dandelions for $200, Alex.

Seriously, we discover something new and weird about this little lady pretty much every day.

Which, on reflection, is exactly as it should be.

Enjoy the fields of yellow, sweet Calli. We’ll always be there to clean off your beard when you’re done.

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

Peppers in all colors

Pick a side
London, ON
April 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

They say there are two sides to every story.

Whoever “they” are, I’ll choose to believe them.

This time.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #green #yellow #red #grocery #store #fruit #vegetables #red #green #pepper #peppers #fruitography #shopping #retail #random #stilllife #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Chaos in the woods

Unfettered growth
London, ON
April 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

This scene reminds me of life itself.

Where we stare into a messy landscape and try to make sense out of the chaos, to find the one thing that stands out, that’s worth focusing on.

It isn’t always easy.

But still, we try. To make sense of that which seemingly makes no sense.

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

Related:

Stripped branches, November 2021

The vanishing view from above, March 2019

Cathedral in the forest, March 2019

A chaotic assembly of branches, May 2018

Clinging to life, December 2013

Before the darkness falls, December 2010

Frozen lights in the sky, January 2007

Uprooted

Anchored
London, ON
April 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

On the footpath that twists and turns beside the meandering brook that shaped this valley, an impossible knot of roots dominates a particularly steep slope.

If you step carefully, they’re like stairs. But they can just as easily trip you up if you aren’t paying attention.

Nature can be harsh, after all.

And strong.

These roots have been anchors for longer than we’ve been around, and will probably still be here long after we’re gone.

I can’t help but think there’s a story in them, somehow, a lesson in tenacity and teamwork we’d all do well to heed.

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

Related:

Remembering the first time I shot monochrome, October 2021

Barking up the right tree, May 2021

It all started with greyscale, May 2021

Branching out, May 2021

At the root(s) of it all, May 2021

Game of tones, May 2021

The root of the matter, December 2020

We found Scooby-Doo's tree, December 2020

Emptiness at the edge of suburbia

Patience is everything
London, ON
December 2021
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Flashback to one of the last days of the year, to a tired old storefront waiting for a new chapter to begin.

It’s often said that everyone has a place, and maybe this place is simply waiting for its everyone - or anyone - to discover it and make it come alive once again.

As I take the picture of this dimly lit strip mall in the middle of a dark, wintry landscape on the border between suburbia and farmland, I wonder who that anyone might be, and what this place could look like the next time I find myself here.

From the outside looking in, it may look ordinary, even a little run-down. Okay, a lot run-down. But it’s still worthy of having its story told. Every place is. So is every person.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #throwback #hyde #park #gainsborough #empty #store #retail #retailapocalypse #walkabout #winter #weather #wx #random #streetphotography #monochrome #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Related:

Empty downtown storefront, March 2022

A peek into the death of retail, October 2021

Kentucky Fried Abandonment, March 2021
Retail ruinporn, January 2021

Abandoned strip mall, June 2020

Abandoned coffee shop, May 2020

Tim is still dead, February 2020

Shattered illusion on a downtown street, January 2020

Scene from a dying mall, October 2019

A crumbling icon fades to black, May 2016

Lunchtime in the shadows of the city, December 2015

The lowest price is no longer the law, October 2010

Calli at 5

Tired birthday girl
London, ON
April 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

This little one turns 5 today.

It feels weird to even write the number, because in the same breath it feels both as if she’s been a part of us forever, and that it was yesterday when we first met her.

That’s the duality of having a dog in the family. They expand to fill every fibre of our being, yet they’re never around long enough. That time thing, again.

At 5, Calli is every bit the bonkers Schnauzer she was when we first brought her home, the one who guards us with limitless energy and noise.

She’s also the same cuddly girl who shadows us when we’re not feeling 100%, who curls up in a ball in our lap, and brushes us with her paw when she thinks we aren’t giving her enough attention.

She’s my loyal little buddy, always up for a long walk through the neighborhood, always pointing me in the right direction with her sad brown eyes and heart-melting whine.

My favorite thing about her is how she’s changed us. I love watching our kids with her. She’s taught them so much about kindness, empathy, and selflessness. They are better people because we’ve had her - and before her, Frasier - in our family.

People who have dogs and cats and other pets get it. They understand how pet ownership defies logic, yet becomes a blessing they can’t imagine living without. They know how much they give us, and how life just seems to have a little more color because they’re in it.

So while we can’t stop the relentless passage of time - for ourselves, for our pups, for anyone - we can certainly appreciate the tiny little moments that these four-legged beings bring to us.

And while this one doesn’t speak English and I don’t speak dog, that look and that paw telegraph as clear as day that we communicate with each other just fine.

That extra treat in her bowl tonight isn’t just because today is a special day. It’s because every day is a special day, thanks to her.

Woof!

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #calli #callitheschnauzer #dog #dogs #schnauzerpuppy #schnauzersofinstagram #schnauzergram #schnauzers #dogsofinstagram #instapuppy #birthday #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood

Related:

Schnu to the power of 4, May 2021

Calli at 3, May 2020

Calli turns 1, May 2018

The family grows by one, again, June 2017

Celebration squared

Pretty woman
London, ON
March 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

It’s Mother’s Day today. It’s also my birthday. So we’ve got lots to celebrate.

I’d rather focus on the former, as my completing another trip around the Sun is hardly relevant to the masses.

My wife, on the other hand, is highly relevant to all of us, and to so many others. Like the Sun, she is the very foundation of our orbits, the source of the gravity that grounds us.

My hackneyed space metaphors notwithstanding, she is the quintessential mom, the kind of mother anyone would love to have. And we’re blessed that she’s ours.

This will be just as true tomorrow as it is today, so don’t mind if I fail to buy into the Hallmarkian commercialism of this day. She matters on any day, as do all mothers who spend days and years being there for others before being there for themselves.

Still, we’ll make any excuse for cake and singing and happiness. We should all celebrate each other more than we do. Today. Every day. Because life, and the moms who create and nurture it, should be treasured.

#LiveLaughLevy #ldnont #london #ontario #canada #birthday #mothersday #mom #moms #life #parenthood #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Related:

Another orbital completion, unlocked, May 2021

A snowy birthday message from the driveway, May 2020

The best party (hat) ever, May 2020

Mom: A Definition, May 2020

I will never top this birthday, May 2018

Another trip around the sun, May 2016

Another year... May 2014

A quick thanks... May 2014

Ring around the sun, May 2013

On why Fathers Day sucks for some, June 2011

A day like any other. And like no other. May 2011

Semi happy birthday, May 2010

Happy Birthday Carmi! May 2009

On a journey, May 2009

Gifts, May 2008

From a distance, May 2007

Three kids and a dog, May 2007

Good news, bad news, May 2006

Flowers for Mother's Day, May 2005

Bus stop moment

Where travel begins
London, ON
May 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Waiting. Together.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #suburban #street #photography #walkabout #bus #transit #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Related:

Empty police car on a darkened street, May 2020

The endless wait, April 2020

Where we come across a bus stop, April 2019

Parking lot playtime

Whenever creativity hits
London, ON
April 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I call this playtime.

It’s the kind of random, spontaneous photographic exploration that happens when you don’t have time for a dedicated shoot.

It’s what you do when you have a few free minutes and a surplus of synapses firing in your brain.

It’s what happens when the little voices of inspiration start reaching out, begging for you to pay attention to the neat little things that always seem to happen during these so-called in-between or in-the-margins moments.

It’s what happens when life gets too busy for words, but that itch still needs to be scratched.

And so it was in a downtown parking lot long after the sun had gone down, and long after I should have been home. The sight of time-worn concrete under harsh streetlights felt mournful, but I couldn’t look away. Soon enough, the smartphone came out and I started to play with angles, textures, and light.

The entire thing lasted a few minutes, if that much. But it was just enough to scratch that itch and get me back into that place, that zone where it was just me and a flash of an idea.

Because sometimes you need some adult playtime. And even if this doesn’t look like much, it turns out to be just the escape I’ve been needing.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #via #viarail #train #rail #urban #city #downtown #travel #travelphotography #stella #red #color #texture #carporn #parking #lot #night #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins