My first photos of 2022! On New Year’s Day, we decided to go down to Ashbridge’s Bay by the lake for some fresh air. Even though it was very cloudy that day, the water was so turquoise! I was anticipating murky grey or blue water to match the sky but the lake looked beautiful that day. It reminded me of Navy Pier from our trip to Chicago a few years back. Had the lake been its usual cloudy day colour, I don’t think I would have enjoyed taking these photos as much.
Toronto welcomed its first snowfall all the way back in November 2021. After taking some photos at the local park, we decided to head off to Evergreen Brickworks as the winter scenery is always gorgeous there. I’m always thankful that my love of photography brings me to these beautiful spaces.
Hello Niagara-on-the-Lake, it’s been a while! This small town is one of my favourite places due to how quiet and quaint it is. It had been a while since we last visited so we decided to head down one weekend. It’s hard to believe these photos were taken in late October. In previous years, red and orange leaves were already in full swing everywhere. This year, it has been unseasonably warm which has prolonged the green leaves of summer. The nature lover in me is ecstatic she could finally capture a people-less photo of the gazebo but the fall foliage lover in me is disappointed she couldn’t take autumn versions of these photos. I thought back to the reds and oranges filling up my phone’s camera roll during October of last year and couldn’t help but feel disappointed. I knew eventually that the weather would cool down and that we would get red leaves but it’s very concerning that it had taken so long.
I was wishing for a vibrant sunset to photograph over the lake and got this moody and gloomy waterscape instead. I was a little disappointed until I got to editing and realized I loved how melancholic this photo ended up looking.
It’s been a month since this photo was taken and I still wish I could have seen it at one of my usual sunset viewing locations. Even more so since I had a hunch that that evening’s sunset would be on the more intense side. That afternoon, the clouds had that hazy quality to them that I’ve begun to assciciate with vibrant and intense sunsets. In the evening, I looked out the kitchen window just before sunset and was simultaneously elated and disappointed with what I saw. So I grabbed my camera and rushed outside to the backyard to photograph whatever I could. I’m thankful I was able to capture something, at least. It always becomes a little bit more difficult for me to go sunset chasing when the days get shorter and shorter. Winter hasn’t even begun yet and here I am missing those long, warm, summer nights.
My first visit to Toronto’s Shrine Peace Memorial. The memorial serves as a symbol of friendship and peace between Canada and the United States. It’s located on the CNE grounds and there are flower gardens nearby.
The sky was very hazy on the day we chose to visit. This resulted in really lovely subdued even lighting. Overcast skies are my preferred choice of lighting whenever I’m shooting outdoors. It’s easier to achieve soft and well exposed photos. Sunny days usually result in harsh shadows and uneven lighting which isn’t what I’m usually trying to achieve.
When photographing the allium flowers (the circular flowers that look like fireworks), I unluckily walked into a spiderweb. I felt something on my face and went to wipe it off. All I remember seeing is a speck of black on my palm with many legs. Maybe it was an ant. But with my luck and fear of spiders, it was probably a spider. I didn’t check to see what it was as I immediately started shaking my hand. Did I shriek a little? Why yes, yes I did.
This sunset. This sunset. This one is for the books. This one tells all the others “all right, pack up, it’s time to go home.” I’m just still so amazed by it and so so SO happy that I was able to see it with my own two eyes and to photograph it. Unfortunately, I was unable to head to one of my usual sunsetting spots but I was lucky enough to have an okay vantage point from home. I keep thinking back to all the photographs that could have been but I’d rather have images than no images at all. The last time I remember seeing a sunset with clouds like this was probably around 2014/2015 if my memory serves correct. So it’s been a long time coming.
It was just so surreal to look up at the sky and to see those rare mammatus clouds forming. That’s when I knew I needed to go grab my camera and quick. Not only did I want a shot of those clouds then and there, but I knew that if conditions didn’t change, what was to follow was going to be brilliant. And brilliant it was. Slowly, colour started to seep in and once the sunset was in full swing, colours and clouds were changing every few minutes. I felt delirious trying to get every photo I could just in case. Sifting through all those images was Future Gina’s problem. But I’m glad I did as I got a wonderful selection of images.
Mother Nature really outdid herself with this one. Bravo.
I really loved the way the sun looked as it set over the lake. I really wanted a starburst effect so I shot this image at f/22 and 1/1600 sec to achieve it. I love sunsets of all kinds but you have to admit that ones by the water are truly special.
I brought my camera with me to the cemetery and found a bunch of lovely flowers to photograph. We usually associate flowers with spring but there are definitely some gorgeous ones that pop up in the summer!
The first sunset of summer! We were definitely blessed by Mother Nature on this evening. The clouds in the afternoon looked wispy and hazy and I had a strong hunch we would be getting an intense sunset. And let me say, I really love it when I’m right!
One of my favourite things is just seeing the sky transform and change during sunsets like these. The sky changes from yellow to orange to red to pink and purple. I’m always snapping away, taking a million photos and trying to balance that out with trying to enjoy the spectacle before me.
I can only hope we have a bunch more of sunsets like these ahead of us!
Gina Staios Photography 