heipel

Pretty Busker

2008-08-27T22:00:00.002-04:00

This guy and others were hanging from big balloons doing acrobatic stuff. I just missed the show as he was lowered upside down back to the ground, hanging from a trail of red fabric.

Thought his powder smudge on the nose was cute.

Death of An Angel

2008-08-24T19:26:00.002-04:00

A fellow photographer (another Steve) asked that I try this shot in b&w and also suggested the title, which I like as it was that juxtaposition I saw when framing the shot -- the wings (e.g angel) and the old testament violence of the sword...

Anyway, both work I think, although I'm still a bit tenuous with the b&w conversion decisions.

Too Lazy to Post Here, As Well

2008-08-24T10:48:00.002-04:00

Please visit here for the other Buskerfest shots:

Toronto Buskerfest 2008

2008-08-23T21:23:00.002-04:00

1) Some guy on stilts
2) The Space Cowboy -- a sword swallower who also juggles, which is what he's preparing for here; having a flaming torch thrown to him to juggle along with a couple of sharp objects while blindfolded AND maintaining balance atop a 3 metre unicycle.

I'll post the sword swallowing shots later.

Graffiti

2008-08-12T14:44:00.003-04:00

The fiery stuff on a wall next to a parking lot on Queen West. The devil in a back alley nearby. The water from across the street on the wall of a car wash -- marketing not graffiti precisely speaking.

It Just Does Not Get Any Better Than This. Period.

2008-08-12T09:57:00.003-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w9F7zf_2mM&feature=related

Don't worry I'm not going to get in the habit of blogging links to youtube, but this has to be shared with those who will not have heard this song or these two singing it (KK wrote it, of course, he being one of the best song writers on the planet) through some misguided idea that C&W music is inferior.

And, sorry, you'll have to cut and paste the URL as blogger refuses to work with Apple or some such technie annoyance.

Moped Heads

2008-08-08T14:42:00.001-04:00

Window transparencies, across from Moss Park; an empty retail space.

Electric Blue Flower

2008-08-04T10:20:00.002-04:00

This blue's gotta be only more shocking in the rain...

When In Doubt Go to Dog Photos

2008-08-02T21:12:00.002-04:00

Ruby asks, "Do you really need ANOTHER photo of me?"

Just one more Wakestock 2008 shot

2008-07-30T20:27:00.004-04:00

I love how this guy seems to be jettisoning fuel from his board prior to a rough landing :)

Get me outta here!

2008-07-30T20:03:00.002-04:00

Ruby shows her displeasure with veterinary science's lack of creativity in keeping her from her stitches..

The hood came off today, seconds after this shot was taken; the stitches about 30 minutes later. A very ugly scar -- she has already asked about canine plastic surgery...

More Wakestock

2008-07-28T23:08:00.003-04:00

Smokin' Crack at Wakestock 2008

2008-07-28T13:12:00.002-04:00

Ahem...

Anatomy of a Fall

2008-07-27T20:03:00.003-04:00

Wakestock 2008. Toronto Island

(Just a reminder that a click will give you a larger image)

Kid, board, levitation

2008-07-26T17:35:00.002-04:00

At the exit from the Island ferry terminal.

Duck Spin Cycle

2008-07-25T22:46:00.001-04:00

by popular demand -- okay I got one email -- the sculpture in colour

2008-07-24T21:13:00.003-04:00

"River God"
myles lowry
cast and painted cotton fibre

Celtic river god

2008-07-24T20:16:00.002-04:00

The first bit of "fine art" I ever purchased. Rendered here a bit more mysterious than usual with depth of field choices and high contrast b&w.

Spider water storage?

2008-07-23T20:44:00.002-04:00

Cruised!

2008-07-22T21:48:00.002-04:00

From the file marked, "dang, shame I'm taken!" :)

Street shot from Toronto Gay Pride 2008

Painted Cement Wall

2008-07-22T08:30:00.002-04:00

Bits of a mural, east side of Mt. Pleasant Blv on cement wall of Bloor St. underpass

Hail, hail the Nikon 50 mm 1.4 lens. Hail!

2008-07-21T19:21:00.002-04:00

Cheap (in price) little lens. 50 mm used to be the standard length most SLR cameras would come with, or most started with; many famous photographers shot nothing but 50 mm during their careers. The 50 mm length is called a "normal" lens as (wrongly from a strictly technical standpoint) it is said to mirror the human field of vision. At 1.4 it is very fast (meaning it can shoot in low light) too. But the wonderful thing is because 50 mm used to be so ubiquitous the optical work is all but perfected by people such as Nikon and so for the price of a medium priced pair of shoes (which I had my eye on at Holt's) you get this kind of crispness.

This blogger in no way endorses Pears shampoo :)

It just happened my favourite camera shop (but not where I bought the lens, for while my favourite they are also the most expensive camera shop) had a light box set up (white walls lit from outside the box to provide profoundly even, shadowless light) with this shampoo bottle in it. As I waited to be served, I fired off this shot to test the sharpness of the lens. WAH! Keep in mind this is a pretty low res copy, as well, so blogger won't throw up and prevent me from posting.

50 is also apparently a superb full length portrait lens; plan to FINALLY do some formal work with a model while on holiday in early August. I also owe the Markham family with grand patience a family portrait.

Monday Approaches (or The Hostas are Nervous!)

2008-07-20T18:15:00.004-04:00

With the weekend ending this profoundly annoying and anger making rain is surely about to clear into a stifling hot and sunny Monday. Stuck inside with the recuperating dog I slipped outside with camera between assholishly long and heavy downpours to capture a snail on a small retaining wall (curb, really) in our courtyard.

We have:

1) A snail veering at the last moment to avoid a precipice
2) A sharp left turn for the thrill of it
3) A snail unfurling from its house after being plucked from another location so as to be in front of someone's camera

From a Sunnier Day

2008-07-20T11:25:00.002-04:00

A bee fly (apparently -- as I suck at bug identification) cruises a very yellow flower.

Post-op waterdog

2008-07-18T22:12:00.003-04:00

Heightening my guilt and my dog daddy worry, Ruby flashes her fresh stitches lineup... This effectively keeps her from any show ring, as well. Which I'm okay with, but several Portie owners have told me she's the cutest they've ever seen with her facial markings... And who am I to disagree :)