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2013-01-19 06:06:23 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 21 +1s)

5 Seconds

A little background information about this photo... It was taken in January of 2012 on a Charity Coat drive / photo-walk coordinated by a group of Google+ New York photographers. It was also the weekend of Chinese New Year's celebration and we were in Chinatown.
When I first posted this photo, I stated it was my favorite photo to date, and there was little fanfare. It was not my most popular photo of 2012 by any means, but it remains one of my favorite for what it shows; a very brief moment of joy for those who witnessed it.

It was over in a few seconds. Although, I'd like to think that for those who saw, it will have a lasting memory.
____________________
#PlusOneCollection2012

2013-01-17 05:15:45 (10 comments, 0 reshares, 42 +1s)

#PlusOneCollection2012  
http://plusonecollection.com/

Spadina Avenue

2012 was a very important year in the development of my own tastes in photography. I spend a great deal of time taking photographs at night on a street in Toronto called Spadina Avenue. I felt it was only appropriate that I put forth this submission for the 2012 edition of the wonderful photo book project we have here on G+. I spent the coldest months of the Canadian winter in 2012 walking around the same few city blocks. Spadina was my go-to place.

The shadows, light, contrast, and general atmosphere that I felt on this street and the surrounding neighborhoods was something really unique. I am someone who constantly over-analyzes the minutiae of life. I found that my night photography on Spadina was the first thing that really helped me clear my mind and feel a certain peace that  Ididn&... more »

2013-01-17 05:07:41 (11 comments, 1 reshares, 42 +1s)

University and King

Passengers boarded a streetcar in downtown Toronto as I walked along King St. Something I was amused by this winter was how some people passing by wouldn't pay any particular attention to their surroundings, until they noticed people taking photographs of the beautiful holiday decorations around the city. Suddenly, many of them looked up and started appreciating all of the ornamental lights and started to get it.

I generally only noticed this with older people, and with those that I suspect are long-time Toronto residents. The younger crowd, as well as the out-of-towners from the surrounding suburbs that flocked to the city, seemed to be the ones who most enjoyed posing in front of Christmas trees, skating on the ice at city hall, and enjoying their time off from school or work.

I have to admit that if I wasn't looking through a viewfinder... more »

2013-01-05 18:28:38 (9 comments, 1 reshares, 44 +1s)

Bay Street Winter

Last night I was was wandering around downtown Toronto and enjoying the January air. I originally planned to spend more time doing long exposures, but forgot my gloves at home which made it rather unpleasant to fiddle with the tripod. I decided to just bump up the ISO and go with the flow, enjoying moving around instead of freezing in one spot.

On another note, I am always amused at how strange glass from skyscrapers can appear in images. The reflections that appear in them cause them to seemingly have warped geometry, and buildings sometimes appear strange and crumpled-up.

#Toronto   #Canada   #financialdistrict   #baystreet   #Nikon   #D700   #nikon1424   #blackandwhitephotography  

2012-12-30 01:00:38 (12 comments, 0 reshares, 34 +1s)

Let the Lights Dance

As luck would have it, despite having some days off and wanting to go out and shoot more nighttime street scenes, I am sick and stuck at home. Hope I'm better by 2013. Looking forward to ringing in the new year with new photos :)

#Nikon   #D700   #85mm   #nikon85mm14g   #longexposure   #longexposurephotography  

2012-12-20 23:57:15 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 40 +1s)

Just Another Rainy Day

I'm sitting around sorting through a set of photos I took last night, and listening to the relaxing sound of rain. Today was a good day.

#Nikon   #D700   #85mm   #85mm14g   #rain  

2012-11-12 17:30:12 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 24 +1s)

Vertical Rat Race

The denizens of destiny were blinded
the eventual collapse of thought arrived
the ill-prepared faltered with stupidity
and none were left alive

replacing abundant sense of reason
with borderline remorse of revelation
not one would dare to speak
their unwritten expectations

those not knowing and not willing
to accept their time had come
each strayed from their realities
and left them one by one

#nikon   #d700   #nikon1424   #ultrawideangle   #financialdistrict

2012-11-01 17:53:53 (14 comments, 0 reshares, 39 +1s)

Autumn Above

I really love seeing all of the yellows, oranges, and reds of autumn. It's easy to rush past these colors in everyday life. In comparison, the green leaves of summer just don't cut it. Almost every composition looks like a painting; quick strokes of brown and black for trunks and branches, and golden flakes of oil paint for leaves. One day when I have a day to spare, I will dig out my own brushes and oils. I'll have fun on a canvas I have lying around my place just waiting for color.

Hard to believe it is November already. Soon the last of the leaves will be on the ground and the barren trees will line the horizon. I'll probably be busy photographing the lights and decorations of the holiday season in the city to make up for the lack of the dull natural palette of winter.

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#fallcolors   #fallphotos   #fall  #autu... more »

2012-10-15 15:11:49 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

Angular Confines

I am always fascinated by how a slight variation in tone or color cast on an image can drastically affect the perception the viewer has. Different colors have different cultural and personal meanings behind them.

One of the reasons I was drawn to photography was because of how I started studying color while digital painting. I was really interested by how colors interact with one another, and what contrasts they produce.
Photography allows me to escape from worrying about perfecting physical forms and shapes, while letting me experiment with hue, saturation, and contrast. Sometimes these colors come from the scene completely unaltered in post-production, and other times I feel the need to intervene.

Many argue that such drastic alterations to images do not belong genuine photography, but I am not here to argue such things. I am much morei... more »

2012-10-07 20:15:09 (28 comments, 2 reshares, 48 +1s)

It's my birthday today, and I am mostly relaxing, but here's a shot of Toronto I took a little while ago :)

Toronto Monochrome

http://sivanov.smugmug.com/Portfolio/Exploration-of-a-City/23279899_35Lnj6#!i=2134445437&k=55w2Dx6

tags:

#Toronto   #Canada   #CNTower   #SkyDome   #RogersCentre   #nightphotography   #cityscape   #cityscapephotography   #nightscape   #nightscapephotography   #Nikon  
#D700   #50mmf14   #50mm   #buildings   #skyscrapers

2012-09-29 15:46:38 (13 comments, 1 reshares, 52 +1s)

Banque de Montréal

I have always wondered if the buildings in financial districts around the world are designed in order to make the individual feel small and insignificant. That is generally the impression I get from them.

Greek columns and glass monstrosities seem prevalent. Towering over all to see, are these symbolic beacons of financial dominance. The architecture is designed to scream authority, stability, and outright control—and it does.

#Toronto   #Canada   #nikon1424   #ultrawideangle   #nikon   #d700   #financialdistrict   #architecture   #architecturephotography  

2012-09-27 17:50:11 (6 comments, 1 reshares, 25 +1s)

Patty King

I miss all of the free time I had in the summer, walking around taking shots of various street scenes. The sun warming my back, the aroma of spices in the air, and blue skies with fantastic white clouds.

It was a shame I didn't take advantage to take more images, and I find it funny that I was the most active during the coldest parts of winter. The sidewalks are definitely less crowded, which can be both a good and bad thing.

I have a good amount of images I have yet to go through, but I am getting waaay too picky. There's no sense only posting once in a blue moon, since I never really intended for this stream to be a portfolio :)

Hope everyone has a wonderful end to their week!

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#nikon85mm14g   #nikon   #d700   #85mm   #85mmcandid   #Toronto   #Canada   #kensingtonmarket   #streetphotography  #blackan... more »

2012-09-21 14:28:33 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

We're famous! ;). I am with the #DigitalPainting101 crew in this Google video. That's me in the hat, the second guy in the commercial. Later, we are all drawing together in one of the Drawing Hangouts! Hello +Dave Veffer, +Aaron Wood, +Serge Ivanov, +Rodney Pike!

2012-09-10 20:29:21 (11 comments, 0 reshares, 31 +1s)

Vast Skies Above

Starting today, I am going back to university to finish my degree in computer science. As August ended, my work contract was up, and I had a relaxing week off. I've  attended a few classes already this morning, and it sure is looking to be an interesting year. Coming back to school after working for 16 months is a bit strange, and I am sure it will take a few weeks to adjust.

I am still going to try to post as much as possible, and will try to get back to people on comments or messages. Sometimes life gets busy, so you will have to excuse me :)

Here's a shot taken at the main University of Toronto campus a few weeks ago. The clouds were spectacular.

#Nikon #D700 #nikon1424 #14mm #ultrawideangle   #university #uoft #universityoftoronto #stgeorge

2012-08-27 16:19:01 (12 comments, 0 reshares, 42 +1s)

Passing on the Love of Photography

+Celeste Odono sharing the love of the medium with a new generation. Image was taken during the G+ 1 year anniversary Toronto photowalk this summer.

Submission for #monochromemonday  curated by +Jerry Johnson, +Manuel Votta, +Nurcan Azaz, +Hans Berendsen, and +Steve Barge.

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Tags:
#Toronto   #Canada   #torontophotowalk   #Canon   #Nikon   #D700   #85mm   #85mmcandid   #nikon85mm14g  

2012-08-25 00:30:48 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 30 +1s)

Drive Among the Lights

With the D700 being discontinued, I find this an interesting time as I wait for its true successor. Yes, the D800 exists, but by all means it is not to the D4 what the D700 was to the D3. The rumors flying about the D400/600 are interesting, but again, not quite what I am looking for.

The D4 is a Nikon low light beast, but I can't help wonder what the D4s will be like as well. As I wonder what combination of letters and numbers will be strewn across my next camera body, I can't help but think, what I have now is pretty damn good. The AF-C/AF-S/M and AF Sensor modes switches that were stolen from the D800/D4 have a comforting presence on my D700. Perhaps it is from an era gone by, where SLRs were still cameras, and where video recording functionality was a gimmick. Sure, you can thumb through the dials, but one can question the decision of not... more »

2012-08-09 16:37:41 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 21 +1s)

Sometimes Silence Finds Us

Modernity is the loud, bold, unapologetic assault on the senses. The violent color, the tempting aromas, and the incessant  noise wrap around us and bleed into our mind.

Design, typography, and aesthetics are intertwined with the city. Advertisement reigns king in a land where symbols and slogans have the power to bring down nations without ever launching a missile or firing a rifle.

One is hardly aware of the audiovisual noise unless they are suddenly free from it. Life needs no psychologically-manipulative background track. Sometimes, there is nothing left to listen to, and nothing left to say. Sometimes, the silence finds us.

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Just sharing an image and collection of thoughts today.

#Toronto   #Canada   #Chinatown   #Dundas   #Nikon   #D700   #85mm   #Nikon85mm14g   #85mmcandid   #nigh... more »

2012-07-24 22:17:08 (10 comments, 0 reshares, 28 +1s)

Photo with the Saigon Girl

Here's a grainy ISO 4000 image of myself from this past winter during one of my night time photo-taking missions. I feel like this one captured the mood and feeling of the cold months of 2011-2012 when I forced myself to head out and take photos while everyone was inside and warm.

I didn't think the image was clean enough, so I didn't post it earlier. Sometimes I need to relax and learn to love the digital noise.

I'm trying to regain the motivation to go out and shoot again. I have images framed in my mind already, I just need to go out and take them.

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tags:

#Toronto   #Canada   #Nikon   #D700   #50mm   #50mmf14   #blackandwhite   #blackandwhitephotography   #streetart   #kensingtonmarket   #chinatown   #spadina   #dundas  

2012-07-10 15:47:21 (8 comments, 3 reshares, 30 +1s)

Kensington Green Yellow Red

Portrait of a man I ran into a little while ago. We talked a bit about music (Augustus Pablo, Jr Gong etc.) among other things. I am trying to get better at using the 85mm, and hope this summer will provide me with more interesting opportunities.

Submission for #PortraitTuesday  curated by +Laura Balc.

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#Nikon   #D700   #nikon85mm14g   #Toronto   #Canada   #KensingtonMarket   #Chinatown   #85mm   #street  

2012-07-09 22:20:58 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 23 +1s)

314

Toronto firefighters called in to Yonge and Dundas Square, just outside the entrance to the Dundas subway station.

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#monochromemonday  - a nice little theme that my buddy +Jerry Johnson co-curates

#Nikon   #D700   #nikon85mm14g   #85mm   #Toronto   #yongedundassquare   #dundasstation   #dundas   #yonge   #Canada   #blackandwhite   #blackandwhitephotography   #streetphotography  

2012-07-08 01:01:06 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 32 +1s)

Portrait of myself taken by my father. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

#Nikon   #D700   #85mm   #portrait   #nikon85mm14g   #blackandwhite  

2012-07-04 15:29:47 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 24 +1s)

And the World Keeps Spinning Without Me

I need to get away from the light pollution of populated areas one day. The stars will be so much more impressive. This was just a test with the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8, and nothing too special.

Anyone out there lucky enough to live somewhere where you can capture the Milky Way?

#Space   #Stars   #starphotography   #startrails   #Nikon   #D700   #nikon1424   #night   #nightphotography  

2012-06-22 16:08:06 (21 comments, 4 reshares, 72 +1s)

I Wonder

Endless rows of lights extend into infinity while I contemplate our attempts at ignoring gravity and the confines of horizontal existence. Modernity is defined by urban landscapes of concentrated Tower of Babel imitations. These behemoths are a constant reminder of the eastern mantra of collectivism over individualism. Here lay the testaments of labor and human achievement by the hands of many.

Forged of fire, sand, and steel, our landscapes grew vertically, stretching like plants growing towards the sun. As the 20th century drew to a close, our cities were forever transformed. What was once built on the back of the glory of industrialization is now carried on by a new type of production. The new breed of worker is less likely to produce anything tangible. Ideas and services are the commodities of the current age, and all is created within the compartmentalized geometry... more »

2012-06-12 17:03:26 (7 comments, 3 reshares, 39 +1s)

Working at the Produce Stand

  #PortraitTuesday curated by +Laura Balc 

Learning to use an 85mm for photographing in the street has been an interesting experience. I am far from being happy with my results, but I am practising. Some may recognize this man from an earlier photo that was taken a week or so before this shot. I tend to revisit the same areas of town a lot. I really like the colors of the veggie and fruit stands, but I am increasingly trying to make people the most important part of my shots. My goal for my photography in 2012 is to improve on people shots. Learning to get close enough is a common psychological limitation for many shooting in the street, and unfortunately is one that I myself have yet to overcome.

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Taken during the recent #TorontoPhotowalk  

#85mm   #nikon85mm14g   #Nikon   #D700   #Toronto   #Canada   #Ch... more »

2012-06-11 15:37:39 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 18 +1s)

Drive Down Dundas St.

I love the red and yellows of Chinatown. They always seem to pop out at me, and I try to convey that with my images. I want to explore other districts of the city this summer, but this colorful place keeps drawing me back to it. This was taken during the recent #TorontoPhotowalk , and I still didn't get around to looking through all of the images.

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You can get prints of this image and others at my new SmugMug page,
http://sivanov.smugmug.com/

2012-06-06 17:43:18 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 20 +1s)

Preparation and Futility

Preparation and futility are the destiny of fools
Separation from humility with emptiness so cruel
The oxygen is burning as the filters melt away
carcinogens are yearning for the pain that’s felt today

broken glass and iron bars lay beneath all our creations
the horizon is now painted with disgusting gray gradation
all it took were a few hands and a pair of keys that turned
while they leaned back in their chairs, and watched the world burn

Gasoline has spilled on roadways that no longer stretch for miles
They hide in flooded restrooms with cries all etched in tiles
The haze of new reality will settle as a blanket from the sun
surrounded by the fallout, and answers will not come

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Shot during the #TorontoPhotowalk  

You can get prints of this image and others at myne... more »

2012-06-05 15:55:24 (11 comments, 1 reshares, 33 +1s)

Cold Glass Amalgamation

We passed by this building during the #TorontoPhotowalk and it certainly made many appearances on G+ recently. I took this one the weekend before the walk when I was testing out my new Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8. I couldn't help but feel like this image made the building look like a spaceship, with thrusters at the bottom, blasting it off into the sky.

I was never able to get these shots when I only had my 50mm, but I always take note of interesting scenes that I would like to revisit when I acquire new glass. Of course, this approach works well for static subjects.

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You can get prints of this image and others at my new SmugMug page,
http://sivanov.smugmug.com/

#Nikon   #D700   #nikon1424   #Toronto   #Canada   #financialdistrict   #architecture   #architecturephotography   #skyscrapers  

2012-05-31 18:56:28 (11 comments, 1 reshares, 34 +1s)

Design, Build, Repeat

#PlusOneIssue1

My very late submission for the Plus One Magazine. Let's see if it actually makes it to the judging phase... I sat on this image for a while, but decided I would submit it after all. I am very new to shooting architecture, and this was shot on the first outing I had with my Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8. Toronto provides my beautiful buildings and lines to play with!

Here's the link to my image in the SmugMug gallery so you can vote for it once voting starts:
http://plusonemagazine.smugmug.com/Magazine/issue1/22992178_G2FCZS#!i=1878015739&k=Jr24zqV

#Nikon #D700 #nikon1424 #architecturephotography #architecture #blackandwhite #blackandwhitephotography #Toronto #Canada #financialdistrict

2012-05-29 15:57:50 (10 comments, 0 reshares, 23 +1s)

Eyes Forward

I often revisit the idea of the road as a metaphor for life. No sane person drives in reverse, and one shouldn’t live like that either. You can take a glance in the rearview and see what’s behind you once in a while, but you should still be moving in the opposite direction. Quite often, simplicity truly is elegance, and there is no reason to over-think anything. What’s passed has passed. Live life like the motorcycle man and keep your eyes forward.

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Taken during +The Great Canadian Photowalk - Toronto.

#TorontoPhotowalk #Toronto #Canada #Nikon #D700 #85mm #85mmcandid #kensingtonmarket #chinatown #blackandwhite #blackandwhitephotography #streetphotography

2012-05-28 00:02:21 (12 comments, 0 reshares, 27 +1s)

#TorontoPhotowalk

+Jim Davis rocking a D4 and what I believe was a Zeiss telephoto lens. Photo of Jim taking a photo of +Gary Munroe during +The Great Canadian Photowalk - Toronto that can be seen here:

https://plus.google.com/115143234371607892983/posts/EZbymRoTK7H

2012-05-28 01:05:05 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 29 +1s)

#TorontoPhotowalk

Shot of +Sudip Ghate taken while having a beer with him and +Ian Thomas during +The Great Canadian Photowalk - Toronto.

I have been playing around with portraits in landscape orientation because I like the sense of space I can get sometimes.

2012-05-27 23:56:31 (15 comments, 0 reshares, 25 +1s)

#TorontoPhotowalk

Photo of +Ian Thomas during +The Great Canadian Photowalk - Toronto, when we sat down for a beer along with +Sudip Ghate.

2012-05-26 02:18:35 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 22 +1s)

End of Day Cleanup

I've mostly been shooting black and white architecture the last week or so, but here's some colorful 85mm goodness. It makes me realize I need some more fresh fruit in my diet...

I am going to get some decent shots this weekend as well. I can feel it.

#Toronto #Canada #kensingtonmarket #chinatown #Nikon #D700 #85mm #photography #streetphotography

2012-05-24 16:28:27 (15 comments, 1 reshares, 23 +1s)

Smile on the Corner

Here's a shot from a little bit of 85mm street shooting from a while back. I have got a ton of photos that I will be processing and posting in the coming days, plus a full weekend of shooting coming up fast.

#Nikon #D700 #Toronto #Canada #streetphotography #blackandwhitephotography #85mm #yongestreet

2012-05-21 23:54:00 (28 comments, 2 reshares, 26 +1s)

Above our Heads

There is a certain fascination to be held over the glass giants that tower above all else in the city. It is easy to pass by without ever looking up, but when one does, the sense of scale boggles the mind. Taking into consideration how many of these behemoths stand in any one city, let alone the world, it is simply astounding.

The compartmentalized structures remind me of beehives, only with rectangular cells instead of a hexagonal lattice. Each worker minds their own business and traverses these structures in patterns that are quite similar day to day. We relish in complexity, but our existence is still governed in part by remnants of a primitive past.

The first epoch of human existence was the exploration of a horizontal nature—the conquering of lands and seas. Today however, stretching as high as they can, these giants prove the undeniabler... more »

2012-05-15 16:51:32 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 20 +1s)

Chinatown Lion

I will be shooting some ultrawide angle stuff at night this coming weekend, but here's a quick little handheld 14mm test shot.

#Nikon #D700 #14mm #Toronto #Canada #Chinatown #Kensingtonmarket #Spadina #ultrawideangle #nikon1424 #photography #blackandwhitephotography

2012-05-03 16:27:33 (29 comments, 10 reshares, 55 +1s)

Cellular Difference

cellular difference of orthogonal proportions
I value the diligence in diagonal distortions
city filled with cynics and they give them more misfortunes
really thrilled to see it is just a big performance

trapped in mazes of lucidity I hold no words of mine
a demon of humanity conditioned worse with time
the construct is contagious and contains all in its mind
the awestruck and courageous are not tainted but refined

this is natural progression built on structures quite divine
they think they offer sanity and so I might decline
the lights will always flicker and entice us with their dreams
but reality is fractured and it splits along the seams
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I have been kind of absent lately. I've been feeling tired and just really uncreative. I'm hoping to get slowly back into the G+ groove.... more »

2012-04-25 16:27:19 (19 comments, 0 reshares, 40 +1s)

Median


The idea of waiting is a concept drifting further and further back into the recesses of the modern mind. Everything must be instant. Computer processing speeds double. Fast food chains decorate cities in absurd numbers. Marriages occur on a whim and last about as long as a season of a sitcom. We live in times of accelerated change.

If it isn’t instant, it is slow, but the definition of “instantaneous” isn’t constant; it is a variable forever eluding approachability, and therein lies the problem. The relative nature of speed has continued to render previous notions of quickness obsolete. Something as simple as waiting for a traffic light to change may now feel like eternity.

We seem to want to prolong life, and yet, paradoxically, we want everything to fly by at a furious rate. Perhaps it is not that simple. We do have times when we want to fightback ag... more »

2012-04-23 16:26:40 (11 comments, 0 reshares, 36 +1s)

Sambuca on Fire II

Nothing too new today, just another frame of my experiments with photographing Sambuca being lit on fire. This one was more about the composition than depicting any interesting flame effects =)

#monochromemonday curaeted by +Charlotte Therese Björnström, +Hans Berendsen, and +Jerry Johnson. Be sure to circle them and check out the other submissions!


#Nikon #D700 #blackandwhite #blackandwhitephotography #85mm #fire #alcohol #sambuca

2012-04-20 19:52:56 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 20 +1s)

Sense of Wonder

I came across an image I took a few months back, and decided to re-upload a closer crop. You often hear great tips on photography floating around, and some of the obvious ones really ring true. Being closer to the action and filling the frame with your subject is so important, because cropping can be used as too much of a crutch.

I am still learning this whole photography thing, so thank you for bearing with me everyone :)

#D700 #Nikon #50mm #Toronto #Canada

2012-04-24 19:55:41 (1 comments, 2 reshares, 1 +1s)

Please help find Michelle Yu, missing person since Tuesday, April 17th, 2012 #findmichelleyu

18 years old, 5'7", 125lbs. Last seen at TD Bank at 354 Bay Street in downtown Toronto. Michelle Yu has been missing for more than 48 hours. Her phone has not been on since Tuesday and her family and friends are extremely worried. I do not know her personally, but I can understand how her loved ones must feel during this difficult time.

If you have any information, please contact their family friend Lily Chen: lilycheng@me.com

Let's put social networks to good use.

2012-04-20 15:44:08 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

The Sky Was Red Today


A crowd gazed as space neglected to contain itself within the claustrophobic confines of our primitive cerebral prison. The whispers echoed into the vacuum as the galaxies reclaimed the acoustic melody.

Stars painted the sky in numbers only expressed in terms mathematical and abstract. We couldn’t see them, but they were there, dancing above our heads. Arrogance caused us to fire our own light back at the heavens, in rejection of its beauty, in retaliation for giving us existence without answers.

Some who stood there were just cogs in the machine, while others were open-minded dreamers whose parents forgot to tell them to grow up. Childlike plasticity of mind allowed them to shape the universe to their will, whether in actuality or only metaphorically. They were the only ones that knew what the word freedom meant—not the politicians,the... more »

2012-04-18 15:44:37 (30 comments, 2 reshares, 42 +1s)

Ornaments of Filaments, LED arrays, and Fluorescent Fire


What is the meaning of a city? Perhaps as some have suggested, it is simply to exist in conglomerate form, devoid of any higher function. Others have argued we are cells in an organism pulsing through routine in an attempt to sustain the ultimately unsustainable. Does anybody really believe in free will? One could argue that the idea of causality is merely a comfort invented for our fragile psyche.

The shocking predictability of the masses is only matched in level of awe when compared to the utter unpredictability of the individual. The passivity and apathy of the crowds as they witness strife, misery, and poverty is endemic of a society where responsibility is distributed and therefore diluted. There is no collectivism here. There is no goal or purpose. Existence is unquestioned.

Symbols, schematics,... more »

2012-04-17 15:45:29 (22 comments, 1 reshares, 27 +1s)

Reality of Incongruence


"She wanted the freedom, and I wanted the time," he said in a voice filled with dignified but lethargic clarity. The red danced in the air of November as a curtain closed on thoughts never to be revisited again. However, it is inevitable that a mind will wander and it cannot be held accountable for the tangents it chooses to embark on. The question—what effect do surroundings have on the ability of an individual to cope in a situation that he perceives to leave him with little control?

Some define themselves through the collection of artifacts they acquire along their journey. I used to think this was stupid, but then I realized that the alternative is far less tangible, and is fuelled by a compulsion just as uninhibited.

You can spend a whole life attempting to rearrange the crumbs thrown down at you, but they will nevera... more »

2012-04-16 15:24:27 (21 comments, 0 reshares, 32 +1s)

Division

I was playing with my macro extension tubes again on Saturday. It was really windy and getting anything in focus was difficult. I ended up abandoning the use of my tripod and just bumping up the ISO. In case anyone is wondering, the focal length in the EXIF data is wrong and it was shot with a 50mm f/1.4 lens mounted on a few macro rings. It would be much easier to shoot something indoors next time :)

#MacroMonday (+Macro Monday) curated by +Kerry Murphy, +Kelli Seeger Kim, and +Jennifer Eden. Be sure to check out all the other submissions as the quality and creativity of this theme never fails to amaze!


tags: #macro #macrophotography #Nikon #D700 #50mm #water #droplets #petals #flowers

2012-04-12 16:09:43 (26 comments, 1 reshares, 33 +1s)

Sambuca

This was my submission for "Drinks on Fire" for +Chrysta Rae's Photography Scavenger Hunt for March. Special thanks to +Dmitri Farkov for being my assistant for this one.

I hope everyone's Thursday is going well so far!


#sambuca #shots #alcohol #fire #Nikon #Nikond700 #Nikon85mmf14g #85mm #lowlight #longexposurephotography #longexposure

2012-04-11 02:30:30 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 18 +1s)

Here's a portrait of me done in just a few minutes by the very talented +Paul Roustan who is known for his airbrush body painting masterpieces and photography.

If you somehow haven't seen him on G+ yet, go circle him and check out www.RoustanBodypaint.com

Again, I DID NOT draw this, I am simply the subject

Drawn during one of +Daniel Ibanez' #digitalpainting101 live broadcast hangouts.

2012-04-09 15:54:33 (19 comments, 2 reshares, 46 +1s)

Commuters Without Faces


Countless lines extend but find themselves confined
the weary tread on ground, broken from the grind

commuters without faces; anonymity defined
ignoring all the world, and the lives they've left behind

they stay where muscles tear and minds succumb
cynics lead the blind, and the blind — the dumb

they get titles for importance, and they'll end up hating them
they'll be paid until they’re worthless, with the rest degrading them

they wear the uniform of men whose hours are not their own
whose thoughts are only capital; whose cubicles are home

the aspirations that they’ve had, have slowly become alien
as synthetic sun has overthrown, the time once called circadian

----

+Poets Society of Photography by +Claudine de Faÿ
#moodymonday (+Mood... more »

2012-04-05 21:20:34 (11 comments, 0 reshares, 22 +1s)

Monochrome Mentality


Monochrome mentality with minutes passing by
spreads a veil of nervousness, as we laugh and cry

a sense of falsehood emanates from the coffee scented scene
we cast off our humanity to swap with rented dreams

a fistful of dollars and a street of hopes fulfilled
masking all the failed ones that the others had to kill

the foolish fabric of a destiny combined with shallow sight
the lights no longer love us so we think that shadows might

a heavy truth is always carried underneath deceitful face
while we fall asleep to lies and attempt to regain grace

---

With the sun out for longer, I now get to shoot before darkness falls. It is nice to shoot something other than night-time scenes once in a while. Toronto's fashion district is definitely an area I need to explore more.

2012-04-02 15:55:16 (9 comments, 0 reshares, 22 +1s)

510

I still have some great images from the past few weeks to go through before posting them, but here's something I took on a cold winter night several weeks ago. Unfortunately this was handheld and not shot with a tripod, but oh well.