A moody spring day in Toronto, Canada. We headed down to the beach for a little bit for some fresh air. Soon after, we headed to Polson Pier so I could take some skyline shots with the storm clouds in the background. As we were driving there, the clouds looked particularly angry with lots of movement. By the time I got there and was ready to shoot, they had mellowed down a bit, which was a little disappointing. Since summer is just starting, I’m hoping to catch some angry storm clouds soon!
The Scarborough Bluffs is one of my favourite places ever. With Lake Ontario being partly frozen, we decided to venture out to the Bluffs for some sights and fresh air. The day was definitely on the colder side so I’m glad I bundled up. The water wasn’t as frozen here as it was down by the pier. It’s possible that it was and eventually thawed with slightly warmer temperatures. Only the water right by the beach had turned into ice. I was hoping for a fully frozen lake here but it’s still February, so who knows what will happen in the future.
As the sun started to set, we ventured up top and I was able to capture some gorgeous scenes of the sky over the lake.
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.
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.
A few days after Toronto got its fair share of snow, I decided to venture out to the Scarborough Bluffs in the hopes of finding some stunning scenes. It was great timing on my part as the weather warmed up in the next few days after that and most of the beautiful snow had melted.
Up top, it was frigidly cold. My fingers nearly froze taking just by taking a few photos. Honestly though, it was 100% worth it. A little while later, we made our way down to Bluffers Park below. I didn’t want to waste too much time up top as we would be losing light soon and I knew the trek to the beach was a longer one, even with the car. The pathway there was covered in snow (obviously) but there was a bunch of ice from a ton of foot travel. It’s best to give yourself a lot of time and to take it slow because wiping out there does not sound ideal.
But when we finally emerged on to the beach, man oh man was the view worth it. The sun was starting to set and its orange light was glittering on the water’s waves. During the summer, the sun is hidden behind the landscape so it was quite a treat to see it this time. I wanted to stay for the complete sunset but unfortunately, that would require us staying for another hour or so. The cold wasn’t an issue down by the beach but it was too long of a wait for us. Hopefully on my next visit, I’ll be able to catch one of those stunning sunsets that everyone talks about for days later!
The Scarborough Bluffs are one of my favourite places to be. It’s sometimes hard to believe that a place like this exists in Toronto. It’s like a little pocket of paradise within a busy, bustling city.
I have never been to the bluffs during sunset so I was really excited to capture some photos during this time.
This was my second time visiting Rouge River. It’s hard to believe that the first was back in 2014 for my university thesis. To me, this is one of those places that I feel like I have visited multiple times. I had always wanted to come back but never found the time. For many of us, all we have right now is time so we made an afternoon of it.
Rouge River in autumn is stunning. If you’re lucky to be here during golden hour, you’re in for a treat! For the majority of our stay, the sky was cloudy and it even started to rain at one point. This didn’t bother me as I love shooting under overcast lighting and the rain made for some lovely gloomy shots of the lake. Cue everyone running for shelter and me with the biggest smile, camera aimed at the lake.
Not too long after, the sun came out and bathed everything in a warm, orange glow. You can see which photos were taken during this short lived golden hour and which were not. The foliage glows yellow and orange and the whole scene transforms into something more ethereal.
When we visited again a week later, the leaves didn’t look much different. I’d like to visit one more time to get the leaves at their peak but as I write this, it is late October, and it just might be a tad too late. I would love to go back during winter or right after a snow storm to capture winter shots for the first time. Fingers crossed!
This was my first time visiting Woodbine Park. Born and raised in Toronto, I can’t believe I haven’t visited here before. The skyline was in full view and even though the sky didn’t light up the way I thought it would, I still really love the way the shots came out. I can’t wait to come back and visit when a more promising sunset is on the horizon.
Gina Staios Photography 