Toronto Food Drink and Product Photography | Getting the Shot

Toronto Food Drink and Product Photography | Getting the Shot

Yes I know this is not the work that I normally post but it is a part of what I do and an example of being prepared to capture a vision no matter what I am shooting. Most photographers know that the best light can happen even before the sun pokes out over the horizon. Getting up early is only part of the equation. This spot on George Lake in Killarney Provincial Park is quite accessible and relatively close to the campground but I still made point to visit the day before and scout the location. With my dog accompanying me I knew there was a bit of a rock obstacle in our way and he would need help with a small climb, so I was prepared for that in advance. With the coming of fall light sunrise happens in a much shorter time frame than mid summer, so its important to pick a spot to shoot from as time may not allow a change of location, so again preparation is paramount. In my personal artwork I like to present it in large and non standard formats so in this photo shooting a panorama is much easier when you not only have the right gear, but knowing how to set it up and do it efficiently. Once that process happens I can let myself get immersed in the moment, create art and experience the vision I came with.

This shot was an added bonus and with a lack of a portfolio quality sunset on my first night, I looked for something else. In this case I found a shot of these fishermen in a canoe and I think it represents the romance and mood of Ontario's outdoors perfectly. But again I was prepared to shoot this both by having the right gear (in this case a 70-200 zoom) and the knowledge of how to use it, getting a sharp in focus shot in low light.

As a photographer I try to be prepared in anything I shoot and I take a lot of time to develop my skill to the point where I believe I can shoot in almost any situation both in nature and in the studio.

I do sell my fine art photography as a separate business from my commercial work and you can view this work at www.robertgreatrix.com or on our Instagram feed @robertgreatrix Our fine art sales are handled through our friends at Liss Gallery at 112 Cumberland in Toronto's historic and trendy Yorkville neighbourhood.

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Evergreen Brickworks at Night

As many of you may or may not know I have done occasional volunteer work with the Toronto group Evergreen for a number of years now. To learn more about them just go to www.evergreen.ca they are a fantastic organization. And if you go to either of my websites you know night photography is a major part of my work.

So this past Sunday night the opportunity came up to photograph the lighting of the chimney court at the Evergreen Brickworks. The Brickworks is a former industrial site that has been rehabilitated into an important cultural and natural educational center. Again please visit the Brickworks part of the Evergreen site, you will find it very interesting and you may see some of my photography used there.

I met Terry Queeley who is the technical director of Q ideas. www.qideas.ca. Terry is a lighting guy who provided all the amazing colors to illuminate the Brickworks for the photographs. Although it was frosty night we managed to pull off a few great shots and it was a pleasure to work with him. If you need any corporate or event AV look Terry up.

As a first attempt I am quite pleased with the photos and have gotten some great ideas from this shoot. Please enjoy a few shots from the evening and if you have any questions drop me an email at at robertgreatrixphotography@bell.net or visit my websites www.robertgreatrixphotography.ca or www.torontophotographs.com. Cheers.

Chimney Court in Purple

Chimney Court Rainbow

Chimney Court Red and Green

Teepee and Chimney Lighting

View of Chimney and Buildings

Aerial View of the Brickworks Illumination

Again thanks for the views and for event or corporate photography email me for rates and availability.

Couldn't resist taking a city view while I had the opportunity!

All photos copyright Robert Greatrix Photography 2013.

SS Keewatin Port McNicol Ontario Part 1

I recently had the unique experience of touring the SS Keewatin a veritable floating museum currently docked in the small town of Port McNicol Ontario. The town was once home to a major Canadian Pacific Railway Great Lakes Port and many ships including the Keewatin sailed to and from here. The journey of the Keewatin and its history is fascinating and is best experienced and absorbed in person. To read more about the Keewatin please visit SSKeewatin.com (after looking at my photos of course).

I was greeted on the day by the man instrumental in returning this marvellous vessel to its former home, Eric Conroy. His knowledge of the ship is extensive to say the least , having served as a waiter on the ship as a young man. So here in photos is what I will call Part 1 of my visit to the SS Keewatin as I will be returning again this year to continue my photography of this amazing piece of Canada's sailing history.

Barber Shop

One of my favourite rooms was the retired barbershop. here it is a journey back in history as you can almost experience a shave and haircut in the onboard shop.

Many of the staterooms are decorated with period costumes and items. The photographers suite obviously caught my eye. The Keewatin is a museum in more ways than one as all the items are authentic and are donated by the community and others.

Kitchen
                                                         

       

The galley is as interesting as any place on the ship. The walk back in time is completed with utensils cookware and appliances from the time period the ship was in service.

The grand appearance of the dining room is stunning as one can imagine what it would be like to dine here. My host having worked as a waiter here had some very interesting insights to his experiences and has book based on them, titled "Steak in a Drawer". 

Chopping Block

A well used chopping block resides in the walk-in freezer located just off the Kitchen. One can imagine the activity that used to happen here.

Elegenace

I guess one would call this the main deck. I will try to clarify. One can see the room on the sides of this elegant hall and the beautiful open ceiling letting in light from the upper level. 

An incredible number of the staterooms are decorated in various themes and time periods. This room was occupied by the RCMP when on board and the authentic uniform was donated by them. I was astonished at the level of detail and the staging in each of them

This sign on the door reminds us that the classes were very much segregated in the times of these sailing ships and the paying customers would have little or no contact with those who toiled on the ship. 

As I said in the beginning I plan to return to the Keewatin in the near future and get much more information on this giant of a vessel. It is much larger than I ever imagined so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw her. My next visit I plan to visit more areas of the ship including the engine and mechanical rooms. In the meantime you can also visit my website www.robertgreatrixphotogrpahy.ca and browse under travel where you will find a few more photos of the Keewatin and be sure to visit and check out SSKeewatin.com as well. 

If you are interested in purchasing prints of my images from this blog or would like to license them for commercial purposes please contact me at robertgreatrixphotography@bell.net.