With some sunsets, you blink and you miss the whole thing. With others, they keep going on and on, their colours changing every few moments. Both are beautiful in their own right but with summer approaching, I really can’t wait for those vivid sunsets that make you thankful for being able to exist in that moment. This spring sunset feels almost like a sneak peak!
These are all old photographs that I went back and reworked into infrared inspired images. I think at this point, I’ve exhausted all older photos that would work well with this edit and where I ended up liking the final result. With the greenery of summer, I’m hoping for some new images soon!
This was one of those days where just by looking at the clouds in the evening, I could tell we would have a brilliant sunset later on. Sometimes I’m wrong since Mother Nature has a mind of her own, but I really love being right!
When we got to my spot, we could see the clouds rolling in and in no time at all, the sky opened up and unleashed a downpour onto the city. I was super lucky as I was out taking photos just seconds before! I headed back to the car, closed the door, and was just stunned at how the rain pelted down seconds later while the wind really picked up. Since we were by a hill, we could see the wind moving the rain horizontally. For a second or two, the rain streaks on our windshield were all completely horizontal!
After the rainstorm and a few short videos of the rain later, the sky began to turn pink and then orange. Soon after, some of the clouds gained definition and turned red. It’s not the most intense sunset I’ve seen but I’m not one to turn a sunset opportunity down! I’m really happy I got to go out to capture this beautiful scene.
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.
In winter, nothing is greater than when the bright sun illuminates the blue sky and the snow on the ground. When you’re not blinded by the light, it almost feels like spring is right around the corner!
Another Toronto snowfall! Getting photos of when the snow is freshly fallen is really something special. Undisturbed and with no tracks, the scene always looks so calm and peaceful.
So, not only did I want to take photos at Brickworks during winter, I got to do that AND do it on Christmas after a snowstorm the night before! This may sound super cheesy, but it really felt like being inside a winter wonderland, or a snow globe after all the shaken snow settled. The snow clung to the trees in a way that doesn’t always happen and the atmosphere was silent. The only sounds in the air was distant chatter and the crunching of snow underneath your feet.
Since this year has been very different, we decided to do something different. Other families had the same idea but luckily, it wasn’t super crowded and people stuck to themselves or their group. I think it’s safe to say that absolutely everyone was in awe at the beauty of nature around them.
I hope that I’ll be able to visit again after another snowstorm. And let’s be frank, in Toronto another snowstorm is guaranteed. I only wish that I’ll be able to get there soon enough before all that fresh snow gets stepped on.
Just my luck that when I am able to venture out in hopes of a sunset, I’m greeted with a scene like this. It couldn’t be more of a rejection from Mother Nature. The Toronto skyline really does look so very different without the CN Tower and with so many skyscrapers being covered by fog. To a Torontonian, scenes like this always look like something from out of a dream.
Gina Staios Photography 