Returning to the beginning for me. One of my very first, actually my fourth image ever shot on 4×5 film was of this building, Hamilton’s Lister Block. The original block was constructed in 1886, but it was burned to the ground by fire in 1923, undaunted a fireproof (it was proven many times over its abandoned years) building was completed in 1924. This beautiful brick and terracotta structure is one of the more iconic on James Street. After it was abandoned, I explored the first building in Hamilton; many a Saturday night was spent wandering her empty halls. But unlike many structures downtown that endRead More →

I sadly was unable to participate in the week long celebration of Instant Photography last year because I was in the Chicagoland region, but this year I went full force and worked on reducing my stock of expired Polaroid and Impossible material! I got the shooting started early over the weekend before ‘roid week so I’d have two days worth of material already stocked up. Day One – Jaite Depot Anniversary Speed Graphic – Fuji Fujinon-W 1:56/125 – Polaroid Type 79 Located in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, the Jaite train depot one served the company town, the town’s surviving building now serveRead More →

Probably one of the most photographed buildings in all of downtown Niagara-On-The-Lake. The Niagara Apothecary operated as an actual practice from 1820 to 1964. Today still serves partly in that role but mostly acts as a museum, restored to how it would have looked in 1886. There were stares as I setup the camera in the middle of the street, don’t worry, I wasn’t blocking traffic. But a big monorail camera certainly cuts a figure. “Looking for cast members?” one of the many tourists asked. While the Sinar F2 is a great camera, and I understand the monorail camera’s value, there’s too much bulk toRead More →

When I was booking my hotel for the last leg of my seven-day adventure through the southern United States, I intended on getting a hotel in Morristown, WV; for some reason, Hotels.com ended up showing my hotels in Chambersburg, PA, I thought the two towns were closer together. Well, they weren’t. But it turned out that Chambersburg is relatively close to Gettysburg. Yes, that Gettysburg, the site of a vicious battle during the American Civil War in 1863. So I decided that I would visit it. I had never been before, so I asked my friend Ryan, who had participated in the 150th-anniversary reenactment ofRead More →

Many people have heard me complain about lugging around the large format gear, a heavy tripod, lots of film holders, and all the extra gear that comes with shooting large format. But I keep on shooting it. So many ask why…so in response to Mat’s blog on the subject. And while it’s complaining, it’s nothing compared to when Mat and I drove around the Cleveland Flats in 2013, and he had the massive Sinar P2 8×10 camera. So why do I shoot it? Because the results are outstanding, I find that it disciplines me; I can go out with ten sheets of film and comeRead More →

Man, the trouble is We don’t know who we are instead One of my favourite bands is Jars of Clay, on their fifth studio album; my favourite album cover is “Who We are Instead.” The cover features the band in front of these old silos; I was drawn to this as a fan of abandoned buildings. When a fellow band fan noticed on Facebook that I was passing through Nashville, TN, this past week, and my original planned photo for week 16 was stopped by a paranoid sheriff, she pointed me at the actual silos. Sadly, I realised that the image on the cover isRead More →

With spring here, that means it’s the start of hiking season, and my area of the province has some beautiful trails and conservation areas to enjoy. But the last vestiges of winter are still clinging to the ground. Limehouse Conservation Area is no different; as I set up this shot, I fell into a snow bank; the camera was saved, but I was a little damp on the backside. The little community of Limehouse wouldn’t even be on the map if it wasn’t for these old 19th century lime kilns, and I wouldn’t have known about it if it wasn’t for my friend Jenica mentioningRead More →

So despite the fact I was using an untested film holder that caused light leaks, I’m still pretty happy with this shot! I found this rail line in the rural areas surrounding my town and was immediately drawn to, behind me, an old metal bridge that takes the road above the right-of-way. It reminds me of Cobalt, ON, but without the silver mine. After a long hard cold winter, it’s nice to have some warm weather (I was out in my spring jacket) and some bright blue skies. Always, Always, Always test out your film holders on ‘throw-away’ sheets before putting your expensive Tri-X inRead More →

I figured because it was TLR Tuesday I’d share some photos I took last year in the abandoned Rochester Subway. The subway has always fascinated me since I first visited it back in 2007. But on this particular trip I was armed with my trusty Rolleiflex and a roll of Kodak Panatomic-X. The main draw for the subway is the viaduct over the Erie Canal. This area is covered with some of the best graffiti art I have come across in my explorations. And it’s not just the usual garbage, this work is just that, works of art! It’s also the area with the bestRead More →

Still in Rochester for Week 13 and continuing with the Kodak Love! Again we have the guest camera from Andrew featured here in Week 13! The George Eastman House is now a museum dedicated to preserving the art of photography. Not only can you see the images but also the iconic cameras that created them. The famous photo of US Marine raising the Stars and Strips on Iwo Jima shows the original print at the GEH, and the Speed Graphic used to create the image. You can also tour the home of the man who brought Photography to the people. Sadly I arrived too lateRead More →