More Spring Flower Abstracts

Here are a few more maros shots of flowers with an abstract bent.

The first is of Magnolia petals.

The second is a white Magnolia.

The third is a flower that I have forgotten the name of. Help appreciated if anyone knows.

The fourth is a Scilla (also called a Wild Hyacinth by some).

All were sot using a Raynox DCR250 closeup lense on the FZ30.

More Flower Abstracts (Macros)

These are more abstracts of flowers obtained by working at very close distances and thereby cropping away most of the more familiar aspects of common spring garden flowers. In all cases the are show is about 2 cm wide (3/4 inch for our American friends). All were taken using a special closeup lense - Raynox DCR250 (for those with a technical interest) in front of the camera lense.

The first is a closeup of what my mother called a "paper white", a type of narcissus.

The second is part of the crown of an unopened yellow-red bicolour tulip.

The third is a daffodil.

The fourth is a grape hyacinth.

Red Tulip Abstracts

Now that spring has actually arrived, the tulips have begun. These are some macros of tulips with a bent toward abstract images.

Ottawa Core Area Architectural Details

These are some details of the architecture in the core area of Ottawa, Ontario.

Going Green for Earth Day

In honour of Earth Day, I present a few macros of insects in my garden here in Grimsby. These were taken last summer.

The bee is an obvious. The rest are of some type of beetle that invaded our garden for a few days, ate holes in many flowers and then promptly disappeared. I do not know the type (any help appreciated here as this is not my forte). As to the nature of their activity, I am undecided whether they are engaging in battle or if this is some more friendly activity oriented to ensuring future invasions of my garden.

Unintended Abstracts, Kensinton Market Area, Toronto

Abstracts are generally intended to be just that. Interestingly, unplanned assemblies of concrete things can result in unintended abstract pieces that are often simply passed by but which can be visually interesting on reflection. Here are four as found in the Kensington Market area of Toronto.

The first is the Hot Box Cafe, with the much more interesting sign over the main window, "Roach-O-Rama". Read the rest for yourself.

The second and third are, respectively, a sign and an isolated detail of some graffiti on that sign. This is beside the entrance to a small back-street fast food place in the Kensington Market area of Toronto.

The fourth image is of the Perola Supermarket. Even the curbside garbage contributes to the patterns.

More Graffiti In Kensington Market

Some more images of graffiti found in various lanes and alleys in the Kensington Market district of Toronto, Ontario.

Urban Art - Intentional or Otherwise

The title says it all.

The first image is a wall in an alley off Yonge Street in Downtown Toronto.

The second image s a fountain in the the park along Dennison Square (Kensington Market area) in Toronto. You may want to be a bit careful with a camera in this park after dusk. People hanging out there get a tad nervous about records of their activities it seems.

The next three are graffiti on walls in alleys and lanes in the Kensington Market area of Toronto.

...and Some More...

The first image is of an air conditioner on an outbuilding of the pump house in Grmsby, Ontario.

The second is some tarps over a pile of earth at a nearby cemetery in Grimsby, Ontario. Probably not good news for somebody.

The third, fifth and seventh images are tight crops of pieces of playground equipment in a nearby community park in Grimsby, Ontario.

The fourth image is of some electrical metering equipment on the side of a local marina's office building (recently demolished) in Grimsby, Ontario.

The sixth image is of a crane counterweight taken at a marina in St Catharines (yes, the spelling is correct) Ontario.

Obviously, I like colour.

More Patterns and Textures

The first image is of the North Tonawanda (New York) Musical Instrument Works "Military Band" organ (a Wurlitzer) at the Balls Falls Thanksgiving Festival (Canadian Thanksgiving that is - much earlier than our American friends).

The second image is of a garage-style door on a plant, fruit and vegetable store in Kensington Market, Toronto.

The third image is of a painted cable reel outdoor table set on end for the season outside a coffee shop in the Kensington Market area of Toronto.

The fourth image is of a section of the neon signs above the Zanzibar Tavern on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto.

A Different Sign of Spring

When I think of spring I generally follow the cliches related to flowers and birds, pretty birds, that is.

Grimsby, Ontario is in a a rather interesting geologic location. The Niagara Escarpment (all 120+ metres of it here) comes within 1.5 kilometers of Lake Ontario, the closest the escarpment approaches water south of the Bruce Peninsula. During the Spring and Fall, raptors migrate north and south and the narrow distance between the Niagara Escarpment and the Lake forces them to fly over Grimsby. Bird watchers spend a couple of months monitoring the migration in each season.

These Turkey Vultures were heading northward but needed to rest overnight. Usually they find trees in the area but instead a few decided the top of the elevator shaft/stair well of an apartment building in Grimsby was the ideal place. In the morning they were just warming up before heading onward.

For the record, the building is a senior citizens apartment building.