Pandemic Hoops
Photography and Covid-19. It’s time to talk about this. I’ve been putting it off since it all went to hell. No disrespect to those that have lost loved ones. I don’t mean to downplay the seriousness of the situation, make light of it or, add any emphasis on how it affected me. Everyone is suffering, in one way or another. But this is about how it’s affected not only my hobby but other Photographers who make a living at Photography.
Essentially, the Photography world has ground to a halt. Some have ventured out onto the empty streets to document it, whether it be for clout or actual documentation, I’m not here to judge one way or another. I can only say that I’ve pretty much stayed at home, save for the odd occasion when we ventured out into nature to maintain our sanity. But they really didn’t even let you go anywhere at the onset. You could to a park if there weren’t many people there. But you couldn’t get to any trails or the Scarborough Bluff’s for example because the parking lots were closed. Even as late as last weekend the lots were closed.
Humber Bay Shores
We tried to get to Humber Bay Shores for the Sunrise on Sheri’s birthday but the parking lots were closed and it made it difficult. I wasn’t exactly thrilled at the spot we chose to stop and view/take pictures in the beginning but even still the images turned out pretty good. I used my Sigma 16mm 1.4 in crop mode for these.
Trillium Park
We tried to get to Trillium Park last weekend for another sunrise. This has been one of my favourite locations. The Park didn’t open until 6 am. The sunset started at 6:46 am. So we had to settle for a location that again was less than optimum. I did however get a few shots that I was quite happy with. A few of them didn’t actually include the sunrise but I was especially drawn to this particular scene. More than the sunset actually. Probably because of the spot we got stuck in. All in all, though it turned out to be a nice morning. It’s always fun when the 2 of us go out, regardless of the hurdles we encounter.
Goodbye Photo-walks
I’m accustomed to going on Photo walks by myself in downtown Toronto, but so far there’s been none of that. I’m too far from the best spots down there and there’s no way I’m jumping on the TTC to get down there. Not a chance. I’m not even sure how I’ll feel about it when all this blows over. The buses, streetcars, and subways seem like virus magnets on the best of days. Shout out to the people that still need to ride them to get to their essential jobs though. Glad it’s not me.
Twitter Community
I’m pretty heavily into Twitter right now and when all this began, the Photography Community got hit pretty hard by it. I’m talking about those that do it for a living and those that had a singular income from it. Whether or not that’s a good idea is not for me to say. I will say that I am still drawing a regular income. A lot of them are coping by setting up print stores and selling their images. Some seem to be doing pretty well with it. I wish them all the best of luck.
Anyway You Can
I have managed to get out a little bit with my camera. I can’t really complain too much. Sheri is working on her website and requires some images so we’ve gone out a couple of times to shoot some portraits and content for her web pages.
We did finally get a chance to shoot at Bluffer’s Park at Scarborough Bluffs. It was a bit crowded but people seemed to be keeping their distance, unlike the incident at Trinity Bellwoods Park a couple of weeks ago. That scene made me cringe. I hope everyone there is as healthy as when they made the decision to crowd in like that.
I did also get a chance to visit Tommy Thompson Park at the end of March. It also was quite crowded. We never went back after that.
I had a blog post on that trip on a previous site. But I lost it, do the incompetence of my previous web host. But now is not the time for that topic.
Incidentally, if you have any plans on buying a hosting plan from Ionos…don’t!
At the end of it all, it’s been a rough ride for everyone. If you’re reading this, I don’t need to tell you. But sometimes personal stories and how events like a Pandemic affect us makes it easier to get through. Photography and Covid-19, we need to get along!
I could be wrong.
Photography and Covid-19, we need to get along!
Until next time…
