3 galleries
In early 2016 I felt a strong need to photographically explore a 15-block area in Toronto, known as the Financial District. I wanted to better understand the environment where 250,000 people worked and commuted each workday, in its unique Canadian context. In particular, I wanted to understand the people who worked in this district, the characteristics of our society reflected in this influx of working people, and the nature of Canada’s largest financial district.
Toronto’s financial district, a concentrated 15 block urban area consisting of the tallest buildings and highest urban density in Canada, is a critical driver of the Canadian economy. It is the headquarters for all of Canada’s big six banks and is the second largest financial district in North America after New York City. Further it is the eight largest financial districts in the world after such cities as: London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul and Zurich. Toronto’s financial district contains the highest concentration of workers in the country, most being employed in the financial and insurance industries.
The importance and distinct nature of this highly concentrated district to Canada and the mass movement of people in and out of the district daily intrigued me as a photographer. It is a unique phenomenon to the Canadian culture, one that hasn’t been extensively photographed. I set out with a camera in early 2016 to capture the district and the people that inhabited it during the workweek. Having photographed for over 40 years, I was however new to the genre of street photography, the style in which I wanted to photograph this project. Workshops with two master photographers and an extensive study of the history of photography had shown me the importance of including people in my photographs. Making photographs of people on the street seems simplistic, as it is easy to capture people walking in a busy urban area. Yet the reality of this form of photography is that it is difficult and extremely challenging to obtain good photographs. Candid moments that capture emotion, humour and unique gestures, are moments in time difficult to find and almost impossible to photograph successfully.
The more time I have spent photographing and strolling in this district the more familiar the area has become resulting in better photographs. Capturing the true character of this 15-block area, has involved making photographs of the commuters, people walking, taking breaks and interacting. Support workers and financial workers. Photographing in the lobbies, through the windows, on the streets and back alleys. Walking, exploring and keen observation have conceded many interesting moments, some compelling, while others just part of ordinary life, yet all genuine and real. Undeniably what I love most about candid street photography is the moments shared that are part of everyday life, unfiltered and seen by me, the casual observer.
27 imagesTorontonians is a series of candid documentary photographs of people on the streets of Toronto. It is an unexpected series of photographs that took shape during my financial district series, Transitory Inhabitants. It came into being because of m wider ranging walks through the bigger downtown area of Toronto, outside of the financial district. On these walks I began to accumulate photographs of interesting people either on there own or interacting and moving with others. More and more of these candid photographs were made over the time frame from 2016 to 2023. I decided to create this series in colour and to conscientiously step back from subjects in order to capture more of the surrounding streets. This move to colour was a much-needed challenge as it forced me to work harder and change my way of seeing. Up to this point I had been working and thinking in largely a black and white context.
16 imagesIce forms and melts, a temporary beauty amongst the rapidity of weather. Jewels of ice take form, to be awakened and shaped by water. Ebbs and flows, created in the sculpture of the moment. Lakes, rivers and streams play a part in the cold vigor - an evolution of season and altered time. Cold Vigor reflects a connection with change, and a constant state of movement. Moments of Life are always passing, never the same. Fleeting moments reflecting in the birth and death of evolving ice. Nature reminds us that everything is temporary, that change is the only certainty, and everyday brings a small but important evolution. The reality of todays climate change is fewer days of cold vigor and a sad reduction in the natural beauty of ice jewels. This is a tragic loss for all, but especially for those who dare explore these natural treasures with a camera.
21 imagesConvenient Inspiration is a series of photographs made over many years of life in the country. Its essence is in the natural and human experiences I have witnessed on our rural Ontario acreage. Initially the photographs were made with a casual thought pattern, taking the camera with me on daily walks. Yet as the project came into a great focus, I took a more organized approach, with a serious thought to subject matter, use of a tripod and more consistent photography. In essence I challenged myself to go out on to the property and make serious photographs, even on days when the light was poor and my will to make a photograph was lacking
3 galleriesIn early 2016 I felt a strong need to photographically explore a 15-block area in Toronto, known as the Financial District. I wanted to better understand the environment where 250,000 people worked and commuted each workday, in its unique Canadian context. In particular, I wanted to understand the people who worked in this district, the characteristics of our society reflected in this influx of working people, and the nature of Canada’s largest financial district. Toronto’s financial district, a concentrated 15 block urban area consisting of the tallest buildings and highest urban density in Canada, is a critical driver of the Canadian economy. It is the headquarters for all of Canada’s big six banks and is the second largest financial district in North America after New York City. Further it is the eight largest financial districts in the world after such cities as: London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul and Zurich. Toronto’s financial district contains the highest concentration of workers in the country, most being employed in the financial and insurance industries. The importance and distinct nature of this highly concentrated district to Canada and the mass movement of people in and out of the district daily intrigued me as a photographer. It is a unique phenomenon to the Canadian culture, one that hasn’t been extensively photographed. I set out with a camera in early 2016 to capture the district and the people that inhabited it during the workweek. Having photographed for over 40 years, I was however new to the genre of street photography, the style in which I wanted to photograph this project. Workshops with two master photographers and an extensive study of the history of photography had shown me the importance of including people in my photographs. Making photographs of people on the street seems simplistic, as it is easy to capture people walking in a busy urban area. Yet the reality of this form of photography is that it is difficult and extremely challenging to obtain good photographs. Candid moments that capture emotion, humour and unique gestures, are moments in time difficult to find and almost impossible to photograph successfully. The more time I have spent photographing and strolling in this district the more familiar the area has become resulting in better photographs. Capturing the true character of this 15-block area, has involved making photographs of the commuters, people walking, taking breaks and interacting. Support workers and financial workers. Photographing in the lobbies, through the windows, on the streets and back alleys. Walking, exploring and keen observation have conceded many interesting moments, some compelling, while others just part of ordinary life, yet all genuine and real. Undeniably what I love most about candid street photography is the moments shared that are part of everyday life, unfiltered and seen by me, the casual observer.