Digital, 2022.
A row of swans swim across a partially frozen Lake Ontario during golden hour on a chilly, winter evening.
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Digital, 2022.
If you read my previous post, I mentioned that my next would contain the sunset from that same evening. What I was expecting was definitely not a sunset this vibrant. I ended up shooting these photos at another spot a little ways off. To get down to the shore to achieve that, I had to go down a steep and snowy hill. I’m so glad I wasn’t alone as that made the trek easier lest I fall on my face into the snow.
When I looked up at the landscape before me, I felt like the main character in a movie. It was so unreal, I couldn’t believe it. I was also really relieved I had this vantage point, as I wouldn’t have been able to see the sunset in its entirety like this had I stayed in my original spot. Shout out to my brother who found this area while I stayed to take photos in the other one!
When the swans came out to play, I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. A vibrant sunset and two swans playing around in the lake? How lucky was I? I really wanted to get a photo of the both of them above the water but it’s almost as if they were teasing me. When one would resurface, the other would lower its head into the water. After a while, the sunset faded enough that there was no point in waiting any longer. But even so, I was far from disappointed!
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Digital, 2022.
A trio of another few of my favourite images. This frozen landscape felt so quiet and serene that I almost felt like an intruder being there. I found a spot to sit and observe the beauty around me since these aren’t sights you can experience year round. In the back of my mind, I was hoping be treated to a sunset but I didn’t want to ask for too much, either. Truthfully, with the current cloud cover, I wasn’t expecting a memorable sunset at all. But since I was already there, I figured might as well wait. Even if I got some blue hour photos, I wouldn’t have been disappointed. You won’t see it in these images but in the next just how vibrant the sunset turned out to be. The glowing horizon only added to this landscape but honestly, with ice textures like this, any time of day would yield beautiful results.
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Digital, 2022.
A cold winter day by a frozen Lake Ontario. I love the way winter and frigid weather can transform a landscape from something unassuming and typical to something mesmerizing.
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Digital, 2022.
A frozen and icy landscape during a deep freeze in Toronto. It was around -20°C on this evening and it didn’t take long for exposed skin to turn pink. Observing this landscape, I felt so calm and at peace. All I could hear was the gentle lapping of the water in the distance, restless birds, and the sounds of the ice cracking from one side of the shore to the other. I thought it was super interesting how the ice resembled water lapping up the shore. Obviously, this was the way the water froze but the jaggedness of the ice was fascinating to me as other frozen areas of the lake consisted of smooth ice. When we visited after a few “warmer” days, the ice had melted a bit, so I’m very glad I got these shots when I did.
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Digital, 2022.
When it comes to getting the right photograph, sometimes you have to be at the right place at the right time. This was one of those instances. The sun was starting to set and I was so excited at the possibility of seeing a beautiful sunset while here. The lighting began to turn a lovely purple-pink colour and with the reflections on the blue ice, the scene looked magical. When I looked off to the side, I noticed a group of four swans swimming to the icy shore. They kept coming closer and I kept taking photos. Eventually, they swam off to the side but I was extremely happy and eager to get home to see the outcome of my shots.
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Digital, 2021.
As a self proclaimed sunset chaser, I knew I had to go down to the pier and get some shots of the sunset while the lake was still frozen. Did we get that brilliant, the sky is on fire type of sunset? Sadly no, but in this case, I’m not picky at all. The reflection of the sky and sun in the frozen lake was just gorgeous. I feel like even the most “boring” types of sunsets would look stunning against this backdrop.
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Digital, 2021.
Born and raised in Toronto and somehow, I’ve never seen the lake frozen over. Granted it’s only frozen near the harbour and the ice is nowhere near thick enough to skate on (despite what some people are doing on Instagram…), but it’s still such a beautiful sight. I don’t even know what I was expecting to see when I went to visit Polson Pier in person but I was still blown away. When we visited, it was only my mom and I. It was such a nice day, and we were able to enjoy some sunlight and nature while enjoying the views of the city. She also enjoyed throwing some chunks of ice overboard. I almost wish I could visit every day just to soak in the sights before it inevitably all melts.
We visited Cherry Beach after and the whole beach was frozen over! Instead of sand, we were met with very slippery ice and huge chunks of it. Honestly, us Torontonians are so lucky to have places like these in our own backyard.
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Digital, 2021.
Lately, many places in Toronto have frozen due to the crazy cold weather. The pond at Brickworks is one of those places. The ice was visible in some parts but due to the snowfall the day before, the pond was mostly covered in snow. It was such a beautiful scene and one that’s strikingly different, even in winter.
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Digital, 2018.
These are some of my favourite photos ever. I love Niagara Falls and have visited during every season, but nothing will ever beat this. In a rare deep freeze, the water down below froze solid. The ice covering the branches was a few centimetres deep. I honestly have never seen anything like it. It was like the ice storm in Toronto x10. It felt like something out of the movie Frozen. I’m sure these photos look cold enough, right? I can assure you it was so much colder in person. I was worried about my camera malfunctioning. The watery mist was no where to be found and in its place was a light sprinkling of snow. I was wearing mittens and while they kept my hands warm, I was constantly taking them off as operating my camera became difficult with them on. Which lead to my hands becoming beet red and numb. It was a process but would I do it all over again? Absolutely.
Gina Staios Photography 