Every time we have friends over we try to do touristy things. This time we booked a helicopter ride above #Toronto and it was fantastic. It also marked the first time in a while that I picked up my camera for some #photography these days.

I've been biking along the waterfront a lot these days, enjoying the sunny and warm weather. My #infrared camera has been my trusty companion on most of these rides lately. This shot is a good example. It captures the high-rises at Humber Bay and Humber Bay Park West of Downtown #Toronto. Thanks to IR #photography it combines stark contrasts with a very unique color palette.

Humber Bay has an interesting history: The area was once home to Sunnyside Amusement Park, a popular destination in the early 1900s known for its rides, bathing pavilion, and lively atmosphere. The park closed in the 1950s, and the area has since transformed into a mix of modern high-rises and beautiful #waterfront parks. Humber Bay Park, split into East and West, was created on land reclaimed from the lake in the 1970s. I'll definitely come back there to take some night time shots of Toronto's main #skyline.

I truly love how the entire city of #Toronto adorns itself with rainbow colors during #Pride Month. There are numerous installations and public artworks celebrating freedom, love, and individuality. While this diminishes slightly for the rest of the year, it never disappears entirely. For instance, most churches here display Pride posters, and various versions of Pride flags can be seen all year long. What I also love is the recognition of an idea from the First Nations, Canada's Indigenous peoples—the concept of "niizh manidoowag," commonly translated as "Two-Spirit" and often shortened to "2S." The term refers to people who embody both a masculine and feminine spirit, encompassing sexual as well as spiritual identity. On Canadian Pride flags, this is sometimes depicted with two black and white feathers.

#Photography

This is the Gooderham Building, also known as the Flatiron Building, and probably after the CN tower #Toronto's most photographed landmark. It is part of the St. Lawrence neighbourhood and was completed in 1892. It is named for the founder of Worts distillery, William Gooderham and was the company's headquarter until the family sold it in 1957.

#urbanphotography #architecture

"I need to see some nature!" said my wife, pointing accusingly at the concrete jungle around us.
So we opened our copy of "Day Trips around #Toronto", booked a car and drove the 60 minutes to Mono Cliffs. Another 30 from there we also visited the Happy Valley Forest trails.
Mono Cliffs was a disappointment but the happy valley forest deserves its name. We even saw wildlife and I brought a picture as proof...

Let's talk about the CN Tower...
It was built by the railway company Canadian National in 1976 which means it is about my age. It was classified as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1995. About 80 times per year lightning strikes and there's a revolving restaurant and the highest wine cellar in the western world. And it looks stunning, especially because of the amazing light system that turns it into a truly futuristic sight.
Since it's just 10 minutes walk away from my apartment I'll have a challenge to find increasingly unique ways to portrait it...

#architecture #Toronto #photography #urbanphotography #cntower

I started the day extra early today and carved out a quick trip to High Park to see the #cherry #trees which are in full bloom now.
Ever since Japan gifted 2000 of these trees to #Canada out of gratitude for reopening the borders after WWII it is a tradition to celebrate these 4-10 days and every Torontonian knows when it happens.

There is a "Bloom tracker", maps of the locations of these trees and signs throughout the city.

Only few people were this early in the park. It was a bit cold but sunny and lots of birds and squirrels were busy doing bird and squirrel things.

I could practically feel how my mental battery started upping its charge.

#Toronto #CherryBlossom #Spring #Mastoart #photography #naturephotography

I had some time at my hands today so I joined the #Toronto Photo Walk for a visit to #Cabbagetown which is a historic neighborhood in central Toronto, known for its Victorian architecture and the largest area of preserved Victorian homes in North America. Originally it was settled by Irish immigrants and used to be a poor neighbourhood until the 2000s. Today it is the most expensive area in the city…