Bill Smith's Photography

I have a weak spot for this cottage community and the SS Bigwin, a restored water taxi for the Bigwin Resort. When I drive up to Billie Bear on a Thursday, Dorset is super quiet. I don't have to worry about tourists getting into the shot. The lighting was interesting with the sun/cloud mix, which meant I had to meter, and meter often to get the exposure right. I didn't shoot a lot of black and white on this trip, just the roll of Tri-X in Uxbridge and Cannington, the roll of Rollei Superpan 200 in Huntsville (coming up) and this. Camera: Series E 3.5 Planar Rolleiflex Twin Lens Reflex Camera. Film: Fuji Neopan Acros 100, Tmax 1+4 developer.

I look forward to this trip every year as a respite from reality. The further north I drive on 35 towards Dwight, and ultimately Billie Bear Resort, I feel lighter when I hit Dorset. Camera: Olympus OM-2n, Zuiko MC 50 f1.8 lens. Film: Kodak Ektar 100

Cannington Ontario is a special place for me. My branch of Highland Scots Smiths settled here in the 1820s and my great grandfather owned the town feed store where the Cannington mural is today, sadly the building burned down back in the 1990s. This is real small town Ontario, not cottage country hamlet or a little tourist town like Elora. Canadian author Timothy Findley had a country place near town. You blink and you probably miss Cannington. What I need to figure out is where my great granddad lived, sadly, again, I have very little information but I'm tracking down someone from the local historical society, stay tuned. I shot Tri-X 400 and it handles the bright morning sun well and I made a good call taking my Olympus OM-2n's with me this time. Camera: Olympus OM-2n, Zuiko MC 50 f1.8 lens. Film: Kodak Tri-X 400, Xtol 1+1.

I walked Trillium Park a few weeks ago with some fellow film photographers, I like what the landscape design team did to honour the nations, namely the Mississaugas of the New Credit that called the land home before we showed up and as the park matures over time, the features will look even better. Ontario Place, however, it needs some work, what it should not be is a casino, a proposal from certain political quarters proposed a few years back that was shot down thankfully. I did read the Cinesphere is re-opening. I hope that's true. Camera: Canon F-1N, FD lenses. Film: Cinestill 50D.

I'm going to need some time to process, scan and post process what I shot up north in Muskoka this past weekend. In the meantime, I present to you my travels through Liberty Village a week ago this past Sunday when it felt like late July in late September. Camera: Canon F-1N, FD lenses. Film: Cinestill 50D.

I'm off the beaten path somewhere in Northern Muskokas for a few days taking pictures with friends. Camera: Nikon F3HP, Nikkor Ais 50 f1.8 lens. Film: Fujifilm Pro 400H

I got my Nikkormat FT2 back from my new repair tech and I wanted to try it out. After a run to Burlington Camera, I went over to Brant Street and shoot my last roll of Bergger BRF 400. The camera works fine, the meter overexposes by a stop but no big deal. What got my attention with Burlington's downtown was downright hopping compared to Lakeshore Road in Downtown Oakville which is currently suffering from at least 24 vacant storefronts. Burlington and Oakville population-wise are roughly the same size, both are on Lake Ontario between Toronto and Hamilton, both communities could not be more different. Burlington allowed condo, office and apartment development in its downtown to co-exist with low-rise retail and heritage buildings. Another observation, Burlington's Town Hall is downtown and is front and center. As a result, downtown Burlington has a much lower commercial vacancy rate and a more diverse retail cross-section than downtown Oakville. As a long time Oakville ...

I love wandering North of Queen St. Camera: Olympus OM-1md, Zuiko lenses. Film: Lomography F Squared 400