Delicious Cheese….

I’ve decided to do a couple other miscellaneous posts between now and when I get through the photos of my friends  wedding in Kingston, Ontario.  The other day I was able to go to a somewhat celebratory lunch with some friends.  They of course were just recently engaged; This directly translates in a future blog post next year when they get married!  However, that day was dedicated to the Distillery and more specifically enjoying great food from a local pub.  Though I do frequent Mill St. Brewery often, I rarely get a chance to have a sit down meal there.  That day I ordered the Steak and Stilton Pot Pie.  It was absolutely delicious.  In fact writing about it now is making me somewhat hungry.  The stilton definitely gave me a good punch.  Though more known for it’s infamous “terror dreams” that it induces in some; it was used as a sharp accent on this meaty pie.  

Wedding number One….

This summer is the summer of weddings! Mind you, next summer is already quickly filling up so the record may be surpassed…until then, this summer is the summer of weddings.  I count 6 in total that I’m aware of thus far that I will be attending.  I’m no where near polished enough to be considered a wedding photographer, but I do enjoy taking photos at a friends wedding just to capture moments and often they appreciate this effort.  The season kicked off with my coworker’s (Martin) wedding.  It was one of the smaller ones I’ve been to, but this allowed for it to be very intimate.  Everyone had a blast and I was able to come away with several images I was proud of.  Apparently others also liked the images as the floral designer for his wedding wanted to use some to showcase what they did at the wedding.  Dahlia Floral Design based out of Toronto approached Martin to use a few of my shots in their Wedding section of their Portfolio page.  After getting my okay he told them yes and now they’re up in their wedding section of their portfolio page under “Heidi and Martin”.  It’s always nice to see your images up on another site, at least it is for me still. 

     

With 5 more weddings to go, I’m sure it’ll be a busy summer. Next one up, Kim and Sheldon this Sunday

Winter shooting....

The winter in Toronto has not proven to be very winter-like.  I was hoping to get more images of snowflakes and snow covered streets and locales this year, however Mother Nature seemed to have a different plan.  This past week provided a bit of snow to Toronto and surrounding parts and I tried to take advantage of fact it lasted all of 24 hours.   I was able to head up to Main St. Unionville to take some images of Too Good Pond.  It’s often a place where hockey is played by locals and just a nice area to walk around in the summer.  I was able to get a few nice shots here and there, as well as stalk a flock of various ducks that seemed to be congregating on a hill not too far away.   I was dressed in full waterproof attire as I figured I’d be getting some good snow picks, but it proved even more useful when I took a little step/fall into a river near the pond.  I quickly up righted myself but the waterproof gear proved highly useful, as I had no water damage to my equipment or myself as a result.  Note to self… look for thin ice signs.

A fond farewell...

A friend the other day left for the big city of New York on a job adventure.  I know I usually blog about photography and various aspects but I thought I’d mention this little diner/charcuterie that we discovered in Toronto’s West end.  It’s called “the black hoof” and has two locations, across the street from each other.  On one side you have a more formal establishment with a plethora of meats to choose from paired a delicious wine and beer menu.  Most unique would be their mixed drink menu as they create their own specialty drinks that their staff most prefers, not the usual blend of spirits.  On the South side of Dundas West we have the Hoof Café which has a trimmed down menu and more of a diner feel. The friend staff welcomed us with open arms at 12am and provided what proved to be a delicious array of meats and cheese.   I’d highly recommend both places for their ambience and friendly staff, it’s a place I hope to venture to in the near future. Farewell Nard and have a great time in NYC.

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch relay hits Toronto…..

Today was lucky enough to be able to be a witness to a bit of history. A friend of mine invited me to watch his mother participate in the 2010 Olympic Torch relay. I also found this to be a great photo op! The relay has thus far been a well-oiled machine while traveling through Canada. The portion I was able to witness was in the Markville Mall area of Markham as it was on its way to Toronto. I was able to push my way through to the road and find a few excellent photo opportunities as my friend’s mother was passed the flame and walked her 300m to the next torch runner. Of course, you’re not supposed to be standing/crouching in the middle of the road so I was escorted to the side but not before I got several wonderful shots of Mary Jane Torrie as she possessed the torch and flame as she began her walk. Her courageous story can be found here. I found out later that some protesters created a little detour for the torch run as it was proceeding down to City Hall. I’ve never heard of this, but they SPLIT the flame such that it would be able to still continue on to The Hospital for Sick Children as well as City hall, just an hour behind schedule. I’m lucky to have been able to witness just a bit of history. February is just around the corner and perhaps I’ll find myself in the midst of the Olympic drama. I guess only time will tell.