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The province of Ontario is more than big urban centres. Plenty of small towns retain their rich heritage of the 19th Century. One of my personal favourites is the former village of Elora. Unlike some small towns that are mere shadows of their former selves, Elora has maintained their architectural and industrial heritage with a twist on modern-day tourism. Add to this the natural beauty of the Elora Gorge, a fantastic craft brewery and distillery, and you have the perfect day trip on the Canada Day long weekend. A deep gorge marks the junction of the Grand and Irvine Rivers, a territory once the traditionalRead More →

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It has been a long time since my family, and I have taken a proper vacation. And while this trip was mainly to visit family, it was a vacation. The past few years have limited how far we can go from home. So taking advantage of parental leave, we took a flight out west to visit family who won’t be coming out east soon. We crossed the 100th Meridian into the great plains and visited Queen’s City, Regina, Saskatchewan. Formed out of an ancient sea, the great plains that spread out across the middle of North America saw their earliest human habitation, 6000 BCE. TheRead More →

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The city of Toronto offers many photographic opportunities, and doing a general Toronto post would be incredibly difficult. So instead, I will try to break it down into bite-sized pieces of history. So having to go into the city for an appointment at Sick Kids and being close to my birthday, we all headed out for a lovely walk over to one of the best examples of Victorian-era industries that survived in the city, the Distillery District. The history of the creation of alcohol dates back to the earliest parts of human history, but distilling spirit alcohol is something a little newer. First recorded inRead More →

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If there is one city in Ontario that I always like to visit on projects, it is Stratford, Ontario. While far smaller than most cities in Ontario, Stratford offers a glimpse of what cities looked like in the 19th Century, with plenty of historic buildings scattered throughout. The city still holds onto some of its historical past with the railroad and furniture making. But also fully embraces its Shakespearian tourist present. The part of Ontario where Stratford is found was once home to the Attawondernk Civilisation; these indigenous peoples were lumped together under the Neutral name by the first French explorers and fur traders whoRead More →

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There is nothing more essentially Canadian than maple syrup. And while Canada doesn’t have exclusive rights to this sweet and slightly sticky condiment, it certainly is wrapped up in the Canadian mythos, at least for us here in Ontario and Quebec. Plus, several American states, especially Michigan and Vermont. And through the middle of March and into April is the season where the sap starts to run, and the sugar bushes are filled with steam as maple syrup is made. And while there are many large-scale producers, there are also many spots that host festivals where you can learn about the history, the process, andRead More →

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It is always a plus when a mid-week vacation day also results in beautiful weather. So taking advantage of this, the family and I packed up and headed to Niagara Falls. While we did stick to the more tourist-oriented area, this stunning area is home to a lot of history and a natural wonder of the world, the titular Niagara Falls. It all began at the end of the last great ice age. The retreat of a glacier formed the Great Lakes and reveiled Niagara Escarpment. A river connected Lake Erie and Lake Ontario and ran down the great cliffs of the escarpment at Queenston.Read More →

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Today Bill Smith sits down with Amy Jasek, better known as Texas Girl Photography across the wide Internet World and is a regular contributor to the Film Shooter Collective. Amy and Bill talk about her inspiration from her father in the wide world of photography. Her first camera and the lessons he taught her on developing and printing in a darkroom. Even if it was only hanging out with her dad and growing up with photography, her passion for the craft came in her 20s. Also, the importance of dabbling and photographing what you love and are interested in photographing. The love of cameras, printing,Read More →

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If you’ve been following along with my photography for a while, one of my favourite places to visit and take photos is the historic downtown of Milton, Ontario. I’ve called Milton home for forty years and have never tired of photographing the downtown. While I need to drive these days to get here promptly, where I grew up, I could walk here without difficulty. So as an introduction to a group of potential new blog viewers, I look into my hometown for the first month of 2023’s Frugal Film Project. The modern town of Milton, Ontario, sits upon the traditional territories of the Neutral, Huron-Wendat,Read More →

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I love a good photography project, and while most of my projects have been a solo affair, I have been a part of group projects a few times. A couple of my fifty-two roll projects were shared projects with other photographers. But this one is interesting because I am not the one starting the project. Instead, I’m joining in after it has been around the block several times. Initially created by my good friend and fellow film photographer and podcaster, Sherry, it is trying to keep the cost of film photography as low as possible while still being realistic. And while I love working withRead More →