Digital, 2022.
I thought these pink budding flowers were so pretty. I loved how their softness came through in these photos. The white sky in the background paired nicely with them as well.
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Digital, 2021.
The last lilac blooms of the season! Aren’t they gorgeous? I’m so glad I got to photograph them in the late afternoon/early evening light. I was really happy with the way the soft warm lighting illuminated the blooms. The last photo especially is one of my all time favourites.
I’ll never forget photographing this series for a very specific reason. While I was shooting these, I kept hearing footsteps in the grass across from me. I wasn’t able to see what it was since the lilac tree was pretty tall and there was a tombstone blocking my way. I thought nothing of it and automatically assumed it was my mom, playing a joke and coming to sneak up on me. I told myself not to jump when she inevitably would shout “boo!” Except… it never came.
I finished taking my photos and walked back to where my dad and brother were standing a little ways away. I asked my dad where mom was because I kept hearing those footsteps. While asking, I turned around and there she was, behind me, a few metres away. My dad joked that maybe it was a ghost, curious, and wanting to see my photos. I laughed it off and grabbed my mom, wanting to show her the pretty lilac tree. Only… to be greeted by a coyote!
Yeah, that’s right!
He was a few feet away from us (thanks for social distancing!) and turned around to look at us before trotting off. At first we thought he was someone’s pet but there was no leash and no other human around and he did not look like a domesticated dog. We’ve seen another coyote in the area but that one was very malnourished looking with a damaged tail. This animal was big and clearly capable.
I wanted to take my phone out to record everything but I was rooted to the ground. My brain shut down, total deer in headlights mode, until my brother yelled at us to get to the car and to go now. So that’s what we did, being careful that we weren’t in eyeshot of the coyote. We’ve visited a few times since then and we haven’t seen the coyote since. It’s funny to think that while I was taking photos and thinking it was my mom playing a joke on me, it was actually a coyote very close by.
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Digital, 2021.
Soft lilac with a shallow depth of field. I don’t know what it is this year but I feel like I have flower mania. I see a flower and have this urge to take a million photos of it.
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Digital, 2021.
Purple lilacs look so mysterious against a dark backdrop.
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Digital, 2021.
A purple tulip with pointed petals. I wasn’t sure what kind of flower this was and my mom suggested a tulip. I looked it up and lo and behold, there are tulips with spiky petals!
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Digital, 2021.
Some gorgeous pink flowers blooming in the trees. I’m not sure what kinds of flowers these are but they’re gorgeous! I always love when I find things to take photos of when I have my camera with me, it’s like it’s photographer’s luck. I passed by this tree a week to two weeks later and sadly, all the blooms were gone. I love spring for all the beauty it gives us but it really doesn’t last.
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Digital, 2021.
An intense and vibrant sunset from the beginning of May. The clouds turned yellow and then orange and I was able to capture some stunning shots of the Toronto skyline and the surrounding areas.
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Digital, 2021.
Some French lilac flowers blooming in our backyard! Right at this moment, lilac season is already over. I thought they would be around all summer but that just goes to show how little I know about flower seasons. Also, did you know you could make lilac lemonade?? Because I sure didn’t! I’m hoping I remember this for next spring.
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Digital, 2021.
These photos are the reason why I always bring my camera with me whenever I go to the cemetery. Surrounded by nature, you never know what you’re going to see. For example, on this day, I was not expecting to step out of the car and see pink where I wasn’t anticipating it. I had no clue that this tree was a cherry blossom tree so you can imagine my shock and excitement upon seeing it. The cherry blossoms in other places in Toronto (including the ones I photographed at this location) I had visited previously already withered a while back. Cherry blossoms only last around a week so be sure to act quickly if you want to enjoy them and take photos.
These are truly my last cherry blossom photos of 2021 and I miss them already. I can’t wait to be blessed by the pink flowers again next year!
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Gina Staios Photography 