Butt Out

Butt Out, originally uploaded by Michael Mitchener.

Ha, looks like my butt shot made The Daily Photoist on The Torontist website :) This was taken through a window of the Ontario College of Art & Design on the way to an Art Gallery of Ontario visit.

The Daily Photoist: November 30, 2009

Crunch Time

Crunch Time, originally uploaded by Michael Mitchener.

If you feel like you're starting to see shopping buggies everywhere, you are but it's almost over as voting winds down for my entry in the Canadian Climate Change category of the Metro Global Photo Challenge.

• Voting ends this week, so if you've already voted, thanks!
• If you were thinking of voting, but haven't, now is the time to vote.
• If you haven't contacted everyone you've ever known and asked them to vote, now is definitely the time.

Just click on one of the vote links in this message and then click on the Vote for the winner link on the Metro website to register your vote and make a difference. The end is nigh (and I mean it this time).

Thank you for your ongoing support and indulgence.

[Image generated using Photofunia.com]

Exercise Your Right

Exercise Your Right, originally uploaded by Michael Mitchener.

Modern Consumerism (2009)

This image has been short-listed by a panel of judges in the Metro Global Photo Challenge contest and is one of ten remaining photos in the Climate Change category. One winner within this category will be identified based on voting by YOU with global winners selected by judges from the winner list between November 30th and December 3rd. The grand prize per category is a trip for two to anywhere that Global publishes. Giddy-up.

Please VOTE for your favourite photograph in this category (hint: it has a shopping cart in it) and spread the word. Thanks for your support!

Consumption

Consumption, originally uploaded by Michael Mitchener.

It's sad to see an abandoned shopping cart on the steps of the Palace of Purification however I thought it made for an unlikely and interesting composition. I don't have to mention that the waves were absolutely crazy that day. Dudley had no interest in getting any closer to the surf than I made him. Dogs are smart that way. Humans, not so much.

A Free All-Night Contemporary Art Thing

The Night the Earth Stood Still, originally uploaded by Michael Mitchener.

I attended this year’s Nuit Blanche along with fellow flickrites, Jude, Scott, Ron, Rick and Jeff. While I had been to this dusk-to-dawn event a couple times in the past, I had always gone solo and it was a welcome change to see it in a group. We met up around 7:00 pm at a downtown coffee shop before we took off into the night. We covered a lot of ground, a number of installations and ended the evening at some funky chicken shawarma joint near Richmond and Spadina.

Soon afterwards, we parted ways on Queen Street where I attempted to catch a streetcar home. You'd think the streetcars would be fairly quiet around 1:30 am but that wasn't the case with most cars filled beyond capacity and few and far between. I eventually ducked down to King and caught a short-turned streetcar over to Parliament where I was then able to walk up to Queen and catch another streetcar. Needless to say, I slept well and didn’t get to look at my shots until the following evening. I may post a few more over the next few days. Thanks Jude for organizing a great event and I look forward to next year’s Nuit Blanche.

The Palace of Purification

Best Friends, originally uploaded by Michael Mitchener.

Those of you who know me, know that I like to visit and photograph the Waterworks at the end of the Beach - a lot. More formally known as the R. C. Harris Water Treatment Plant, this facility supplies Toronto with over 45% of its drinking water and has done so since it opened its beautiful Art Deco doors in 1941.

More importantly, it is possibly the best place in Toronto to walk your dog with lots of beach, steep hills and a view to die for. If you haven't been, treat yourself and your furry pal, and make the trip. Check out my Waterworks Collection for a sample of what you'll see. You'll find this treasure where Queen Street East meets Victoria Park and trust me, you won't be disappointed.

The View From Here

We went for a late season paddle on the lake this morning, departing from Cherry Beach and wandering around the western shore of the Leslie Spit. The sunrise was spectacular, the water was relatively calm, the company was great and the cameras stayed nice and dry. What more could you ask for other than maybe three more months of summer and a few million dollars.

Broken Red Umbrella

It was raining this evening and we debated whether it was worth taking Dudley to the Waterworks but it seemed to clear up so we made the trek. The Waterworks for anyone not familiar with Toronto is heaven on earth for dogs and close to the same for photographers. It's perched on the steep shore of Lake Ontario and was built at a time when public architecture was more than just functional. Check out this art deco treasure if you get the chance and be sure to bring along a mutt or two.

Leuty Will Set You Free

I, like a lot of photographers, have a thing for Leuty. Leuty is a lifeguard station in the Beach at the bottom of Leuty Avenue (go figure) and it is one of the most photographed landmarks in the area. Is it a cliche to photograph Leuty or does it challenge you to find that one overlooked perspective or interpretation? I choose the latter and say, give into the lure of Leuty and fill that 10 GB card with as many images as you can cram onto it. You just might find something that someone else missed.

Modern Consumerism

Dudley and I recently came across this abandoned shopping cart on one of our Waterwork walks. While it was sad to see a cart littering this section of the beach, I thought it made for a striking scene and took a shot of it from the retaining wall above the beach. Since the image was taken from above, I thought it might be a good candidate to try tilt-shift processing, which places the focal point where you specify and can give a overall miniaturized feel to the image.

We haven't seen the shopping cart on our more recent trips and I hope it's been returned to whatever grocery store it came from but the cynical side of me thinks it's probably at the bottom of the lake by now.