Bunched bananas

Potassium for days
London, ON
May 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

The only thing better than one bunch of bananas is many bunches of bananas.

Fact.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #grocery #store #farmboy #fruitography #bananas #yellow #shopping #retail #random #stilllife #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Related:

Bananas in the round, February 2021

A plethora of bananas, August 2020

Orange you glad I didn't say banana? July 2017

Obscene fruitography? July 2007

Bottled up color

Pink Jazz Trancers
London, ON
May 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

If you’ve been following my feed for the past few days, you might have noticed a common theme: color.

They say creativity echoes the soul, and while I have no authority to weigh in on whether that’s true, I know I’m not not the only one seeing darkness these days.

Planet Earth is challenging, and I won’t lie and say everything is awesome. Some days are hard, and I’m not the only one bobbing in the waves. We all are.

It is Mental Health Awareness Month, yet for all the well-intentioned social media messages of awareness and support, I still cross paths with toxic behaviors and people each and every day. We clearly haven’t learned, and we can clearly do better.

So I’m turning to colors to help provide the spark. I find them everywhere - like this scene of pink bottles at the neighborhood grocery store - and I’m sure you can, as well.

In fact, I’m counting on it.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #green #farmboy #grocery #store #pink #glass #bottles #shopping #retail #random #stilllife #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Related:

Turning limes into... May 2022

Magic blue glass, May 2022

A tomato by any other name, May 2022

The colors we find in the most unexpected places, August 2019

Thematic Photographic 156 - Red, August 2011

Turning limes into...

Think green
London, ON
April 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

In the right hands, these limes could become a delicious pie.

For the record, those hands wouldn’t be mine.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #green #sobeys #lime #grocery #store #fruit #fruitography #shopping #retail #random #stilllife #photography #apple #iphone #iphone11 #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Magic blue glass

Attention grabber
London, ON
April 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

I’ve always wondered why blue tinted glass seems to suggest that the water inside is somehow fresher or cleaner.

Marketing for the win.

I guess.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #sobeys #supermarket #grocery #store #blue #glass #shopping #retail #random #stilllife #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

A tomato by any other name

You say tomato...
London, ON
April 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Technically, this tomato is a fruit.

Technically, I think we spend too much time thinking about labels.

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

Same hospital, different lens

Conversation in the sky
London, ON
May 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Hospital campuses are packed with giant buildings where scary stuff sometimes happens.

So I’ve evolved a bit of a habit when I visit them: I take pictures to make it all seem a little less scary. I’ll try to set aside a few minutes somewhere along the way to wander around and see what I see.

Because things look different - less frightening, even - when you look at them through a lens.

Because when you focus on composition and lighting and all the other tiny aspects of getting the right shot, what was once overwhelming can transform into something a little more within your control.

At least that’s how I choose to see it. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems to be working for now.

And here you thought this was just a silly photo of a couple of buildings having a conversation.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #hospital #victoria #lhsc #photography #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Related:

When life takes an ugly turn, look up, March 2019

Empty hospital conference room, January 2019

Empty wheelchair in a long hallway, January 2019

Old man in a forgotten window, January 2019

Found: An American road warrior in the shadows, December 2018

Staring out a hospital window, November 2018

Teletubby takes over a hospital, October 2018

A hallway you don't want to visit, October 2018

The long and winding road, October 2013

Wordless Wednesday - Faded lives, September 2008

Smooth surface, hard journey, April 2006

Another day, another mass shooting

No words. Again.
London, ON
October 2013
This photo originally shared on Instagram

It’s hard to imagine a world where someone can walk into a school and mow down every child in sight. And their teacher.

It’s even harder to imagine a world where this is considered normal, and nothing is done to stop the next one.

Yet we don’t have to imagine either scenario. Because this is the world we now live in.

#enough #uvalde #uvaldetx #texas

Related:

Newtown, Connecticut Shooting - No Words, Many Words, December 2012

Back to green

Fallen but still vital
London, ON
May 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

And just like that, the valley turns itself green.

Just as it does every spring.

And even though this same thing happens every year, that doesn’t make it any less magical when it happens anew.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #forest #medway #valley #tree #trees #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Waiting for her people

Oh so close
London, ON
May 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Homecomings matter. Or at least they should.

Which is one of the many reasons why we have a dog. Because homecomings matter to her. Quite possibly more than anything else.

She’ll sit at rapt attention on the porch, often shaking with anticipation. Her tail will intermittently wag, sometimes so quickly that it becomes a blur. She’ll whine softly as the minutes drag on.

And when the car pulls in and her peeps get out, she loses her schnu mind.

Imagine being loved so much that your dog can’t contain her happiness when she first sees you.

Imagine unconditional love.

Or, in this case, don’t imagine it. Just watch it play out on the front steps.

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

Aftermath of the storm

All that's left
London, ON
May 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

So this tree fell in our forest.

And by virtue of the crowds of dog owners and fitness walkers who gathered on either side of the path it ended up blocking, many people heard it.

It was felled by a derecho, a fast-moving line of intense storms that covered a wide swath of Ontario and Quebec yesterday afternoon. At least five people were killed by the storms that spawned winds up to 120 km/h and left extensive damage in their wake.

It’s yet another example of how powerless we can feel amid forces that can change lives in an instant. And a reminder of how lucky we are to have escaped the worst, that we have the ability to clean up and move on.

Yet on this morning, I felt the need to somehow remember this craggy old tree I had walked past and admired so many times over the years.

As it lay in shattered ruins on the ground, shards of splintered wood scattered around it as if a bomb had gone off, I traced my hand along the knotty bark. This particular spot once towered at least 15 feet over my head, and I always thought it looked a bit like my dog’s head.

It’ll take generations to fill the now-open stretch of sky. The least I could do was try to remember what was once there, and soon will no longer be.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #storm #onstorm #medway #valley #walkabout #forest #tree #trees #texture #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #stilllife #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Related:

A face in the bark, January 2022

Barking up the right tree, May 2021

The not-so-dead tree stump, January 2021

More warts. More wonder, November 2020

Visiting the Wart Tree, October 2020

Craggy bark deep in the woods, November 2017

History written in a tree trunk, October 2017

Aged wood, August 2006

Finding flowers and friendship in the valley

Yellow. Fleeting.
London, ON
May 2022
This photo originally shared on Instagram

The other day while walking the dog through the nearby valley, I came across a grey-haired woman with a friendly face.

She was crossing from one side of the path to the other, looking intently into the wild undergrowth by its edge.

I thought she was looking for a lost something-or-other, so I asked her if everything was ok. She laughed and said she was just admiring the wildflowers.

Relieved, I looked a little more closely and saw them for the first time. We bantered for a few minutes about the fleeting beauty just below our line of sight, and why we should always take the time to go looking for it.

She complimented Calli for being on her best behavior, and was rewarded with a gentle nose bump on the back of her hand. Our dog knows how to turn on the charm.

Before our new flower-admiring friend went on her way, I promised her I’d come back and take a picture. I don’t think she’s big on social media, but I hope she sees this someday and appreciates the simple joy of a random moment with a stranger.

We could all use more of those.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #medway #valley #forest #yellow #flower #flowers #stilllife #nature #naturephotography #landscape #landscapephotography #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded #lifeinthemargins

Related:

Pretty in purple, May 2018

Where I watch a bee do its thing, May 2018

After the rain, May 2018

A new way of looking at the world, May 2018

Thematic Photographic 270 - In the foreground, November 2013

Caption This 117, April 2009

Memorably yellow petals, April 2009

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