Bill Smith's Photography

The Don Valley is one part of Toronto I really haven't explored all that much. I've been to the Brickworks a few times before the big renovation and to a few events afterward, I have also explored a few ravines to lead into Rosedale and Moore Park over the years. This is the dividing line of the city in some regards, a large channel of green space and a transportation corridor. The fun part was exploring some abandoned bits of infrastructure, a mothballed spur line now owned by Metrolinx that connects Union Station with the Canadian Pacific main line through Toronto. Yes I got my "Stand by Me" moment on the rails. The other urban artifact is the abandoned Eastern Avenue Bridge, you've seen if it you were travelling on the Don Valley Parkway. The highway when it opened in the early 1960s re-directed Eastern Avenue. I have always wanted to check this bridge out ever since I first saw it from my parents' car driving down the DVP in the early 1980s. You can get...

Like I said last post, I only shot one roll of black and white film this year on the Algonquin road trip. I also wanted to shoot some medium format this year too so my new to me Rolleicord Vb came along for the ride. I chose my colour film carefully, Kodak Ektar 100 and Fuji Reala 100 for out in the open shots and Kodak Portra 400 for more sheltered locations and used a 35mm circular polarizer most of the time on my Nikon gear to make the colours pop. I could not believe the stretch of perfect weather we had this past weekend, sunshine and a high of 25c, it contrasts with last year which was cool and wet. You can't ask for nicer weather. Camera: Nikon FE, Nikkor Ais 35 f2, 105 f2.5 lens, B+W Circular Polarizer. Film: Kodak Ektar 100 Square Photos Camera: Rolleicord Vb with a 75 f3.5 Xenar lens, Film: Fuji Reala 100

Been a while since I last shot Fuji Reala 100, unfortunately it's no longer being made so it's time to use up the film stock I got left. The real challenge is how C-41 films scan differently, so if I switch between Ektar 100 and Portra 400 (both easy to scan) to Reala and Pro 400 H, I find I have to be very mindful while in Vuescan. Camera: E Series 75 3.5 Planar  Rolleiflex TLR, Film: Fuji Reala 100.