The following is Part II of a two part photo series of Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A description of the historical cemetery, as well as additional photos may be found in Part I. The day this series was shot was awe inspiring. The graveyard was tranquil; the wind was blowing softly and the sun was making its way through the rustling leaves. I have no idea if, upon another visit to Mount Pleasant Cemetary, the experience can be duplicated. I did my best to try to capture it as I felt it that day. All photos were taken with a Sony Nex 3. I've included the address and operating hours should you be interested in visiting the cemetery's grounds. Please let us know … [Read more...]
PHOTO SERIES
Who knows what will happen when I have a camera in my hands. Many of the photos in the following series were shot with the intent to bring attention to the overlooked, be it people, places or a feeling some try to avoid. This doesn't define the entire category, but it does highlight, in addition to beauty, what I generally gravitate towards. I love finding grace in what others discard.
In regards to photos series by other contributors, I'll let their work speak for the artists represented. Please enjoy.
Photo Series: Mount Pleasant Cemetery
Mount Pleasant Cemetery is one of my favourite places to visit in Toronto in the autumn. The grounds are impeccably kept while allowing for nature's rhythm to simply be. Over-groomed cemeteries often feel manufactured to me, a physical representation of one's attempt to fight against the natural order of death, a vain pursuit to control it. That's simply my own projection, but a projection that steers me away from cemeteries that smell of fertilizer and grass and towards ones that smell of dirt and leaves. Mount Pleasant Cemetery is one of Canada's most historical cemeteries. Built in 1876, it serves as the final resting place for some of Canada's most famous and infamous players. … [Read more...]
Photo Series: Approaching All Hallow’s Eve, Toronto
The following photos were taken at Neutral Night Club in Toronto, Ontario, Canada days prior to Halloween. The night featured a performance by Glenn Love, a Toronto based industrial / dark electronic musician signed to Sonic-X Records. It was my first taste of Halloween festivities since returning to Canada from years spent in Thailand. Halloween wasn't celebrated or even discussed in the Thailand I experienced; the night in Neutral's black basement was a great introduction back. For more information on Glenn Love, visit: Glenn Love on Reverbnation Glenn Love on YouTube Glenn Love on Facebook Neutral Night Club's … [Read more...]
Photo Series: Belle Isle, Detroit, USA
As a kid growing up in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, the Canadian border city to Detroit, Michigan, USA I would hear of Belle Isle. Friends would sometimes travel with their parents on Sundays as I remember it; Belle Isle became a family day sort of place to me. Upon visiting it now, it seems like little had changed. Belle Isle (as of 2013 Belle Isle Park) is a Michigan State run island park resting in the Detroit River. It sits between both Windsor and Detroit. The island, covering 982 acres (1.534 square miles), is home to the Belle Isle Aquarium, the James Scott Memorial Fountain, the Belle Isle Conservatory, the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, the Detroit Boat Club, a … [Read more...]
Photo Series: Detroit 313
Detroit, Michigan, USA played a pivotal role in shaping my perception of the world. As a kid growing up in neighbouring Windsor, Ontario, Canada at a time when cable television and the internet didn't exist, I, like most, if not all children in Windsor, grew up on Detroit media. To this day, despite being Canadian, I still can't internalize measuring temperature in Celsius. I feel Fahrenheit and intellectually understand Celsius. Despite not living in the area for over 15 years, I find myself occasionally being asked if I'm American because of my perceived accent. Detroit, to me as a child, was another planet. There was the America I saw on TV - the national … [Read more...]
Photo Series: John R Park Homestead
I suspect most kids who grew up in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, like myself, took a school trip to John R. Park Homestead in nearby Essex. The homestead serves as an opportunity to experience aspects of domestic Canadian life as it was lived in the 1850s. I remember churning butter, the smell of the smoke house, and the blood I found on one of the needlepoint (pillows?) in the main house. I also distinctly remember a childhood friend relay the story of how she ran screaming out of one of the upstairs bedrooms, down the stairs and out into the safety of the yard because she was convinced there were ghosts present in the home. Rumors of ghosts at John R. Park Homestead persist; I've … [Read more...]
Photo Series: Goats and Deer
The following photo series was shot at Colasanti's Tropical Gardens in Kingsville, Ontario, Canada. Colasanti's serves as a local experience, simply deeming it a tourist attraction or anything other doesn't aptly describe what the Colasanti family has created for the surrounding community. Colasanti's (Colsanti's Tropical Gardens) began in 1941 as a producer of greenhouse crops and vegetables. At the retail level, the business began as a small fruit stand. By the early 1970s, Colasanti's had expanded to included lemon trees, orange trees, tropical plants and cacti. Presently, the business sits on 35 acres of land, 3.5 of which are indoors. This was my first trip to Colasanti's in … [Read more...]
Photo Series: Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara, California, USA
Stearns Wharf was one of the many tourist destinations I visited while spending time in southern California. I took the trip from Ventura with my brother who now resides there. The day trip to Santa Barbara was one I had taken before, and one that I looked forward to. On this particular venture, I was still acclimating from living, predominately in Thailand, for 3.5 years straight. I flew directly from Bangkok to Los Angeles and despite it being early summertime, I was freezing. This photo series, among others I had taken during my time in California, was shot while my brain was still adjusting to North American life. I was hit hard with culture shock and revisiting some of the … [Read more...]
Photo Series: The Beaches Of Santa Barbara, California, USA
Santa Barbara was one of the destinations I investigated while visiting southern California. I had made the trip from Bangkok to Los Angeles after spending a consistent 3.5 years living in South East Asia, most of that time spent in Thailand. I was experiencing a stunning amount of culture shock during my time in California. Thankfully, I was visiting my brother who was an incredible host despite the fact I was a complete freak. The photos in this series, among others shot while in California, reflect my state at the time. I photographed what to me was incredibly different and what I felt was mellow and balanced. I completed the photos in this particular series in Photoshop, … [Read more...]
Photo Series: The Ventura Coast, Ventura, California, USA
Ventura, California was the place where I first stayed after spending close to four consecutive years living in Thailand. I travelled from Bangkok to LA, then to the comfort of my brother's home (my brother may be found in the last photo of this series). Ventura was a weird place for me during this visit. I was experiencing an almost debilitating level of culture shock that I wasn't expecting. I spent much of my time in Ventura watching Western television, bundled in blankets and wearing sunglasses indoors; the bright light and glare I found in Ventura was close to being unbearable. Perhaps I wasn't used to being around that much glass and/or shiny objects. I have no … [Read more...]
Photo Series: Panoramic Ventura. Photos From The Ventura Pier
The photos in this series were taken from The Ventura Pier in Ventura, California, USA. The associated commentary on this piece, essentially, what I'm writing you now, has been done in retrospect, meaning, quite awhile after these photos were posted. Why you may ask? Because I was quite the freak while taking these photos; I was suffering from quite a bit of re-entry shock after spending 3.5 years in Thailand. Ventura was my first destination after leaving Asia as I flew from Bangkok to Los Angeles then rode to nearby Ventura to stay with my brother. These photos, amongst others in the series, are representative of that time. I was having a lot of difficulty writing, … [Read more...]
Photo Series: Ventura, California, USA
I've travelled to Ventura on three separate occasions and every time I go, the experience is different. My last trip, as photographed below, was taken after spending 3.5 years training muay thai in Thailand and the last 2.5 years were spent living in Buriram. Buriram is located in Thailand's north east and lies in the countryside within close proximity to the Cambodian border. Making the transition from traditional, conservative, rural Thai culture to what I found in Ventura was unexpectedly weird. I was weird. Everyone around me was weird. I got hit hard with re-entry shock and couldn't write. As a result, almost two years later, I'm revisiting this post in an effort to give you … [Read more...]