A flying legend drops in

Riveting
St. Thomas, ON
June 2018
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Late on a mid-June afternoon a few years back, I was lucky enough to be wandering around the apron at St. Thomas Municipal Airport when a flying piece of history screamed out of the sky and landed.

A small crowd of onlookers gravitated to this stunningly preserved aircraft as the pilot shut the engines down and the ground crew settled her in for the evening.

I had never seen a Beechcraft Model 18 in the metal before that memorable day, and I recall thinking at the time how photos simply didn’t do this design justice. It first flew in 1937, and they must have snuck some artists in among the engineers.

This airframe once flew for the Royal Canadian Air Force, and as luck would have it our aerial defenders celebrated their 100th anniversary on April 1st.

I hope whatever they end up flying in their second century is as timelessly lovely as what they flew during their first.

#stthomas #ldnont #london #airport #ontario #canada #throwback #airfest #airshow #aviation #beechcraft #model18 #rcaf #flight #aircraft #aviationphotography #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #planespotting #instaplane #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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Mirror on a memorable day, July 2009

Caption This 128, July 2009

Vapor trails, July 2009

Ugly is the new beautiful, July 2009

Old meets new, June 2007

Finding light above the horizon

That hopeful glow
London, ON
February 2024
This photo originally shared on Instagram

If we have the power to choose, choose kindness and light.

On second thought, we always have the power.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sun #sunset #twilight #sky #tree #trees #optimistpark #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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Sunset on Sunningdale Drive, November 2017

Forged in history

Carry the weight
London, ON
August 2018
This photo originally shared on Instagram

75 years ago, in a gigantic foundry that towered over an industrial corner of Montreal for generations, this section of rail was cast in fire by workers who are in all likelihood no longer among us.

Today, this ribbon of steel carries trains safely to and through this station in southern Ontario, the signature of its origins invisible to all but the most curious.

The forged messages from another era linger silently in the shadows, proof that echoes from the past are everywhere.

We just have to look for them.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #throwback #1949 #dominion #viarail #train #track #perspective #downtown #travel #streetphotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #google #pixel #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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The Warthog flies away for good

The Devil's Cross
London, ON
September 2020
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Earlier this month, the U.S. Air Force confirmed that the upcoming 2024 air show season would be the last for its A-10C Thunderbolt II Demonstration Team.

The announcement is hardly surprising, as the USAF has pushed for years to retire the venerable tankbuster in favour of the F-35A Lightning II. The prevailing theory is that a slow, non-stealthy aircraft designed for the Cold War won’t stand a chance in a modern-era contested battlefield where stealth is life.

So with the beloved Warthog being drawn down in advance of a final sunset sometime later this decade, it makes little sense to fly it at air shows.

Bummer that, because it’s always been a fan favourite, and an example of thoughtfully robust design and engineering that doesn’t seem to be much of a thing anymore.

I captured this image in 2020, during the plane’s most recent demo here in London. And as it isn’t scheduled to return during this farewell year, all we’ve got left here are pixels and memories.

I’ll miss the Warthog. I’ll miss the spirit of those who maintained and flew her even more. Thanks for always having the backs of those whose lives depended on the unique capabilities of a remarkable aircraft.

Oh, and thanks for the brrrt.

#ldnont #london #airport #ontario #canada #SkyDrive #AirShowLondon #aviation #fairchild #republic #a10 #thunderbolt #warthog #flight #aircraft #aviationphotography #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #planespotting #instaplane #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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The analog information age ends

Boxed up
London, ON
August 2018
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Not so long ago, these were everywhere, rainbow-coloured anchors of the information economy.

But like pay phones and parking, they’ve slowly disappeared from the streets, victims of the Information Age and the do-it-all smartphones that now consume our every moment. It’s an especially silent transition, one most of us don’t realize is even happening until it’s all over.

We had these in college and university, and I remember the giddy sense of accomplishment when my byline was visible through the dirty glass. The fresh newsprint smelled particularly welcoming, even if I was the only one who noticed.

We live in an ephemeral age now, where technology has replaced the tactile with fleeting images on screens, gone with the swipe of a thumb. Printing news on paper and fetching it from a metal and glass box seems so quaint in retrospect.

Back then, we lingered around boxes and papers and newsstands. Nobody lingers anymore. As efficient as we’ve become, I can’t stop thinking about what it felt like to have so much physicality around us.

And what we’ve lost now that it’s just about gone from our midst.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #throwback #wonderland #southdale #walkabout #newspapers #journalism #streetphotography #photography #canon #canonphotography #canon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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The view under the stands

Geometric history lesson
London, ON
May 2023
This photo originally shared on Instagram

The oldest continuously operating baseball stadium on the planet happens to be in our town.

Labatt Memorial Stadium isn’t just a place to watch a game. It’s history, comfort, and community, all rolled into one.

So of course I had to go underneath the stands to better understand what makes it as strong as it is.

Places matter. We’re lucky to have them.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #throwback #labatt #memorial #stadium #baseball #sports #sportsing #wood #structure #monochrome #photography #canon #canonphotography #canon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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Publish Day - Schools target Big Social

My latest #ThoughtLeadership article is now live. Four of Ontario's largest school boards have sued Meta, ByteDance, and Snap over the mental health impacts of their products on students - a move that should give long-overdue pause to us all. Enjoy.

Ontario schools sue Big Social over mental health. Should they?

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Looking for order among the trees

Twins?
London, ON
March 2024
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Every time I walk through the woods, I peer through the impossibly random chaos of trees and branches and leaves.

And I look for order.

It’s never easy to find. But I walk and look anyway, because I never know when I might stumble across a pleasant surprise, a slice of patterned goodness amid the mess.

Truth be told, I never find patterns or order or predictability. I never find what I seek.

Yet I walk here, again and again, all the same.

Because the goal isn’t so much the final image as it is the process followed in pursuit of that image. And if the image I carry in my imagination is never realized in actual pixels, I’m strangely fine with it.

Because order is overrated. Because the mess before me has virtues of its own. I just need to change my imagination a little to appreciate it.

Hmm…

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #heritage #forest #tree #trees #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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Like Wonka's great glass elevator

Go your own way
London, ON
March 2024
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Some days, it can be difficult to know which direction to take.

This one’s giving me Wonka-esque, great glass elevator kinda vibes.

Perhaps a spontaneous adventure awaits.

So long as we press the correct button.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #elevator #abstract #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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The most beautiful stairwell of all

Boring, but...
London, ON
March 2024
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Whenever I find myself in a multi-floor building, the first thing I do is look for the stairwells.

They aren’t exactly the prettiest places to visit. Developers don’t devote decorating resources to these rarely used concrete-and-steel necessities. Fire code says they need to be safe, not pretty.

Yet pretty isn’t necessarily a collection of lovely art on the walls and soft lighting overhead. Pretty can also be the ability to get to safety. Or a daily floor-challenge climb to maintain heart health. Or a quiet place to go when life feels overwhelming.

I’ve been looking for stairwells for as long as I can remember, often skipping the elevator entirely so I can make my own way up the dimly lit stairs, instead. These overlooked spaces have their own beauty, I suppose, their own structure and story.

Pretty, then, by another definition.

Perhaps we’re not just talking about stairs.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #building #architecture #architecturephotography #buildingporn #architectureporn #geometry #stairs #geometry #monochrome #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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Frozen berries by the road

That springtime glow
London, ON
March 2024
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Winter stole some time from spring the other night. By morning, she had painted this impossibly intricate scene in the shadows beside our neighbour’s driveway.

Calli the Wonderschnauzer gently sniffed the snowy grass while I played still-life photographer, a scene she’s been a part of countless times since we first brought her home. She seems to instinctively know when it’s time for a spontaneous photo shoot, and will patiently stand by until I tuck the camera away once more.

We don’t have many mornings like this left. Warming temperatures into spring mean no more fleetingly temporary ice in the margins. Maybe winter will gift us with more when she returns. Or not. Perhaps summer will steal some of that time back.

Nothing is ever guaranteed, after all. So we stop what we’re doing and enjoy it while we can. Before it’s gone for good.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #onstorm #water #ice #frozen #winter #walkabout #actofdog #nature #naturephotography #abstract #stilllife #blue #monochrome #photography #apple #iPhone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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Cagey moment in a Costco

Industrial disease
London, ON
March 2024
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Scene from a Costco: we’ve come to this overwhelmingly crowded big box store to fill up on the minutiae of everyday life.

Chaotically twisted lines of people pushing overloaded carts and overtired children snake their way back from the exits, the overworked attendants checking everyone’s receipts at the door.

We pull over to the side to wait for our son to catch up with us, and as we wait, I alternate between watching the endless flow of people - like salmon spawning up the stream - and taking in the massive concrete warehouse architectural masterpiece that serves as the stage for this never-ending performance.

Maybe masterpiece is an overstatement. But it still fascinates me.

So I pull the smartphone out of my pocket and start to size up the chain link fencing that borders the floor-to-ceiling shelves that dominate this monotonously grey landscape. I’ve never played with light and angles in this part of this store before, and I now see what I’ve been missing.

My ever-understanding wife smiles gently. She’s watched this scene play out countless times over the years, and magically she’s always understood the why. I smile gently back at her as I finish shooting and show her the initial results. I’m an insanely lucky human.

Soon enough, our son finds us again and we’re on our way, the grey warehouse aesthetic tucked back into our memories, at least until our next visit here.

This may not have been a place or a moment normally worthy of its own narrative. But I’m starting to believe that in a world where things feel less than normal by the day, where we draw those lines is entirely up to us.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #grocery #bigbox #store #costco #shopping #retail #architecture #monochrome #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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Structure in the trees

Held up
London, ON
February 2024
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Never let it be said that there’s no structure in nature.

The proof is all around us.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sun #sunset #forest #tree #trees #branches #optimist #park #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #texture #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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The things we see in the waves

Everything eventually ends
Port Stanley, ON
September 2023
This photo originally shared on Instagram

We see many things in the few seconds when a wave rolls up on shore, then disappears.

Order.

Chaos.

Transparency.

Mystery.

Power.

Vulnerability.

Life.

Endings.

Maybe we see what we want to see.

#portstanley #beach #ldnont #ontario #canada #throwback #great #lake #erie #water #waves #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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Window to the sky

Pull up for the show
Winnipeg, MB
August 2023
This photo originally shared on Instagram

It does the soul good to look out the window and wonder about what’s out there.

Some of it may be visible. Much of it won’t be. All of it will be remarkable.

#ldnont #london #ontario #yxu #winnipeg #manitoba #canada #ywg #throwback #travel #travelphotography #travelgram #flair #flight #flying #aviation #boeing #boeing737 #avgeek #plane #planes #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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A futile search for frozen chicken

The view from the inside
London, ON
March 2024
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Either there was a serious run on frozen chicken strips last week, or the truck that delivers them was delayed when the driver had a hankering for an A&W Mama Burger combo.

Whatever the reason, it meant the display case had a rare stretch of open space not seen since the Great Early-Pandemic Shortages of 2020.

Which meant it was time to get to work.

Now, this particular photo was taken one row over from my now-infamous run-in with store security years ago. In that earlier case, they weren’t too pleased when I pulled out a DSLR with a long-ish lens near the milk fridge.

Thankfully this shoot was uneventful. I composed the scene from inside the very chilly display case before anyone knew what I was up to. Stealthy smartphone photography is a thing. Who knew?

I’ll add this one to my growing pile of strange-meets-everyday pics. I never know when the little wheels will start turning in my head, but the fact that they turn at all is the only thing that matters.

Now, go let your own wheels turn. Maybe I’ll see you near the frozen chicken section. #ldnont #london #ontario #canada #grocery #store #walmart #frozen #chicken #shopping #retail #stilllife #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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The things we find in gutters

Frozen in the abstract
London, ON
March 2024
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I call it gutter ice, and we came close to having none of it over the course of this bizarrely warm, El Niño-fed, climate-change-tinged winter.

It takes a very specific set of conditions for gutter ice to develop: some kind of wet precipitation, just enough - but not too much - water accumulation, followed by a fast overnight freeze.

Then, there’s a tiny sliver of time in the morning to shoot the impossibly thin ice before it either melts or gets crushed by traffic.

It never got cold enough for long enough this year. Until yesterday, when winter decided on a late-season brush of wind and white. I found this one around the corner from the house just before it disappeared in a puddle.

It seems weird to seek random sheets of ice in the dusty corners of crumbling streets. Conventional wisdom, after all, dictates that great photography and great stories don’t take root on dirty asphalt.

I suppose that might be true, but I’ve never really subscribed to conventional wisdom, anyway. And I’d rather choose my own subjects and stories, too.

Even if I have to chase them across dusty, near-frozen streets.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #onstorm #water #ice #frozen #winter #walkabout #actofdog #nature #naturephotography #abstract #stilllife #monochrome #photography #apple #iPhone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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One last round of gutter ice, April 2023

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Magical. Miniature. Frozen. March 2023

Icy duality, February 2023

When puddles freeze, January 2023

Leaf frozen in ice, March 2022

The ice in the gutter, March 2022

Looking for hope beyond the storm

There's always light
London, ON
February 2024
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Beyond every storm, there’s a slash of light that holds hope for a better future.

Maybe it’s hard to see or appreciate, but it’s there. It’s little more than a matter of perspective, really, simply because of where we happen to be standing at any given moment.

Like the skies here, where angry clouds do their best to hide the brilliance behind and above. Soon enough, though, the winds will come along and sweep the fear away.

We simply have to trust forces so often feel beyond our control. That time always seems to find a way to brighten the skies above us.

Feels like a reasonable thought to hold onto on a Monday, doesn’t it?

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sun #sunset #sky #tree #trees #cloud #clouds #cloudspotting #weather #wx #optimistpark #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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Sunset from the parking lot on the hill, December 2017

Sunset on Sunningdale Drive, November 2017

Gloomy, desolate beauty

Monochrome landscape
London, ON
January 2024
This photo originally shared on Instagram

We’re days away from winter giving way to spring, and we’d be forgiven for thinking we didn’t have much of a winter at all this year.

So I’m sharing this image, taken on a gloomy January morning, as a reminder that in between the record-shattering warmth and lack of snow, we had a few fleeting moments where things looked and felt somewhat normal.

All of this begs the question: what’s normal, anyway?

I don’t think that question can ever be answered.

Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #throwcack #tree #trees #fog #weather #wx #onstorm #monochrome #highbury #walkabout #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #streetphotography #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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Trudging through the fog, November 2022

Continuing our walk through the fog, November 2022

Highbury Avenue in fog, November 2022

Looking to the trees for guidance, March 2018

The things we find in the gutter

Halfsies
London, ON
January 2018
This photo originally shared on Instagram

The world can be a pretty ugly place, and proof of that is often as close as the ground beneath our feet.

I found this on a Saturday morning while out with the dog for her first walk of the day. She was happily sniffing the dirt in the gutter - a dog thing, apparently - so I stood beside her, transfixed by the discarded half-smoked cigarette.

It wasn’t so much the singular image that caught my attention. Rather, it was the story behind it, and the things I could not see.

I wondered who tossed it aside as it slowly burned down its length, and concluded this was but one more countless others. Because someone who would mindlessly toss one butt away like this certainly wouldn’t stop at one.

Whoever this stranger may have been, I’m reasonably certain they never gave their actions a second thought.

But I did. Over something I should have been able to quickly set aside, but couldn’t.

The world is indeed ugly. So are some of the folks who call it home.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #throwback #street #streetphotography #cigarette #smoking #belmont #stilllife #roadside #photography #nikon #nikonphotography #nikon_photography #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

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