Archive for the ‘people’ Category

mourning faces

Posted: August 29, 2015 in events, people
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Zombie Funeral and Wake

Today there was a zombie funeral and wake, a celebration of the undead afterlife.   The funeral was held at the Royal Cinema on College St. West.  This ceremony was followed by a procession of the walking dead towards the CNE.

people dressed up as zombies - a woman dressed in black including lacey veil, Her chest is full of wounds and so is her forehead

people dressed up as zombies - Robin, the boy wonder as a zombie

people dressed up as zombies - a woman with white wavy hair, black lacy parasol and black necklace

people dressed up as zombies - a man with a reddish beard, up close photo with only the bottom part of his eyes in the picture

people dressed up as zombies - a man with black eyes and a chewed up face

people dressed up as zombies - a woman with long hair and glasses, wearing a white shirt and black tie, with a bullet hole in her head.

people dressed up as zombies - a man with grey ashen face, red lips, wearing dark sunglasses and smoking a cigarette

people dressed up as zombies - a man with a beard, bloody face, and white framed sunglasses. He is wearing a pink and white garland of fake flowers around his neck

people dressed up as zombies - a man and a woman with pirate hats and costumes

people dressed up as zombies - a young woman with dead looking empty eyes and blood dripping from her mouth

people dressed up as zombies - a zombie with a greenish face and missing a nose

people dressed up as zombies - two zombies, a woman in a blue dress waving a white hanky and behind her a man looking directly at the camera

people dressed up as zombies - a man with a necklace made of fingers and bones, covered in blood as he munches on a finger.

people dressed up as zombies - a young woman with white face, and mouth painted to look like it's been stitched together

people dressed up as zombies - a young man with his face painted like a skull on one side, is screaming into a woman's smartphone as she takes a picture of him

people dressed up as zombies - a woman with a black head scarf over the top of head and forehaed. She has long auborn hair and she's smoking a cigarette

people dressed up as zombies - a very green faced zombie biting on brains, there is a knife stuck in the plastic brains too

people dressed up as zombies - man with green hat and holding two large leaf like poles, standing in front of a leafy plant

people dressed up as zombies - a man hams it up for the camera as a zombie pretends to atrtack him from behind

saluting the sun

Posted: August 23, 2015 in events, people
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

4th annual Yogathon,
Rise for a Cause – 108 Sun Salutations

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group - looking toward the stage where the leaders are, arms stretched upwards, YOnge Dundas Square in Toronto

The event started with some warm-ups, some laughter yoga and some Bollywood style dance moves.

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group - a young man in a pink turban, as well as some other people, laughing as they warm up to the yogathon while doing some laughter yoga

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group, warming up to dance music, swinging arms

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group - women laughing as they warm up to the yogathon while doing some laughter yoga

Money raised through the yogathon here in Toronto (along with 45 other cities) helps to support Care for Children, a program dedicated to providing free education  to rural youth in India.

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group - most people are in a lunge position except for one woman who is standing with her arms raised

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group - a yoga instructor is helping another woman with her upward dog position

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group, a young woman with palms of hands pressed together, fingers spread apart

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group, in downward dog position

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group - downward dog time

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group, women in lunge position with arms down and fingers on the ground

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group, woman with ganesha tattoo on her calf

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group - a man stands with his hands around his ankles, knees straight.

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group, two women in downward dog position

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group - arms stretched to the side, standing, getting ready to practice yoga

men and women at a yogathon - doing yoga outside in a large group, young girl sitting on the ground and eating a cookie while her mother does yoga.

#riseforacause

41 Esplanadians

Posted: August 15, 2015 in events, people, public art
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

FORTY ONE the Esplanadian Connection,
an exhibit inspired by the book ‘FORTY ONE Neighbours’

The book was published earlier this year and there was a book launch at St. Lawrence Hall back in April.  The book is a collection of 41 portraits, one person from each country participating in the Pan Am and Parapan Games.  Each portrait is also of a person with a connection to the Esplanade community. Fifty three students/authors from The Esplanade neighbourhood wrote the stories.

A poster on a lamp pole, a picture of a woman and two boys playing with a ball (pretending to fight over it)

For the exhibit, the portraits were re-enacted by local residents.

A picture of a girl with a dog on a bench is posted on a lamp post as part of an exhibit for the Pan Am games, a bench in the park is in the background

Each portrait consists of three sides.  Two sides have photographs on them – one side with a Esplanadian person or family and the other side with a PanAmerican resident.

An exhibit on a street in Toronto that consists of a three sided sign wrapped around a streetlight pole. Two sides can be seen in this photo. One side is a picture of a woman sitting in an otherwise empty auditorium with red seats. the other side has the word calmness in English and then the translation of that in 4 other languages, French, SPanish, Dutch and Portugese
The third side has one word written in five languages.
From top to bottom – Dutch, French, English, Spanish and Portuguese.

The word performance on a green and blue sign. It is also written in 4 other languages, Dutch, Spanish, French and Portugese

The words were chosen from the stories in the book, one symbolic word from each portrait.

sign on a lamp post that says hope in 5 languages with a basketball court and murals in the background. On the Esplanade in Toronto

The signs are mounted on lamp posts along the Esplanade.

poster on a lamp post with the picture of a mother and her son. Park is in the background. Part of an exhibit in association with the Pan Am Games.

Toronto selfies and other poses

Posted: July 28, 2015 in locations, people
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Overheard at Nathan Phillips Square on Saturday:
“There must be 10,000 photographs being taken here as we speak”.
I suspect that he was right!

A view of the 3D Toronto sign from the southeast corner of Nathan Phillips Square showing the lights on the arches above the water as well as the Panamania pink and yellow covering on the lights and sound system for the stage.

I think that there is something intriguing about what people will do when there is a camera in front of them, how some people are comfortable while others are not.    The photos that I took by the 3D Toronto sign at Nathan Phillips square on Saturday were of people taking selfies or posing for pictures.  None of them were posing for me, but for their friends or families.

A young couple sits in one of the O's in Toronto while another person takes their picture with a smartphone.

There is also something intriguing about how people behave when they have a camera in their hand.

A toddler sits on her father's shoulders. He is holding onto one of her arms. She is looking at a pink smartphone being held up by a selfie stick almost to her level.

A young blonde woman is posing inside the O of the Toronto sign.

A couple takes a selfie beside water. He has long hair, a beard and is wearing sunglasses.

Two Asian women sit on a concrete wall beside water. They are probably mother and daughter. They are posing for a photograph.

A middle aged man and woman are looking at a selfie that they have just taken on a cellphone.

Three sets of photos taken beside water. Two boys are sitting crossed legged right at the edge. A young woman is posing with her hands in the air and her fingers in peace sign. A south Asian couple are looking at a picture that they have taken on a smartphone.

A family of four, mother, father and two sons, are taking a selfie.

Many people are standing in front of the 3D Toronto sign at Nathan Phillips square. There are also many people standing around the pool.

A young woman with long black hair and an Aeropostale T-Shirt stands beside the water with her arms raised to shoulder level.
three South Asian women are standing beside the Toronto sign. A few other people are in the picture because they are sitting on the base of the sign.

A young man has climbed up the side of the N in the Toronto sign as is sitting on top of it.

A couple poses beside the water in Nathan Phillips Square.

A group of Pan Am games volunteers in their orange T shirts pose in front of the 3D Toronto sign.

A young woman gestures towards the Toronto sign (which is not in the photograph).

A woman with long brown hair and wearing a red T shirt poses beside the water. The 3D Toronto sign is in the background on the other side of the pool.

Two women check a picture on a smartphone. They have just taken a selfie.

Six people, a man and five women, are talking a selfie with a phone on a selfie stick. Two of the women have small Canadian flags. Another woman has her arm up in the air.

#share3DTO  #hostcity2015

kissing in traffic

Posted: July 26, 2015 in events, locations, people
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

The intersection of Yonge and Dundas as a location for a few wedding pictures!

A quick google search shows that it’s not the first time a couple has chosen this location to shoot a few wedding pictures but it’s the first time that I have encountered it!   Yesterday afternoon….

The bridegroom in his black suit dips the bride in her white wedding dress in the middle of a pedestrian crossing across Yonge St. at Dundas in TOronto.
A bride and groom are standing on the corner of Yonge and Dundas streets in Toronto. They are talking to a woman in a white dress who is organizing the wedding photo shoot.

A bride is standing in the middle of an intersection in downtown Toronto, wearing a long white wedding dress, she has her arm up and is beckoning to the groom.

Streetfest on the Beach, 2015

Posted: July 25, 2015 in events, people
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

The annual Streetfest on the Beach,
on Queen St. East between Woodbine and Beech,
23rd, 24th, and 25th July

A young Asian boy is on his mother's shoulders. He is looking back. He is wearing a greyhat with a red band, as well as a tie.

A crowd is on Queen St in Toronto as they have come to listen to live music as part of streetfest at the beach, intersection with Glen Manor Road

looking east, Friday evening

.
Three brass players performing outside. Two men on saxophones and a woman playing a trumpet

A couple sitting a bench laughing. They were taking a selfie when they noticed 4 photographers taking their picture. She is embarrassed and is covering her face, he is laughing.

young black man, drummer, laughing as he plays the drums

Isaiah Gibbons, drummer, Saishubi

.

a group of older people dancing to the music on the street at a street music festival

blog_streetfest_dancers

three musicians performing outside. Two women singers and one male singer

the Arsenals

.

young man in dreadlocks and a yellow Tshirt waiting to perform at a music festival

A black woman with shoulder length curly hair and a bright pink top is singing into a microphone. A woman in green is watching her

Mae, singer in Grace, Toronto’s all female funk & soul band

.

A woman's back is to the camera as she watches live music outside. Her black hair is tied in a short ponytail, she is wearing a white hat and a white sundress. She has a large tattoo on one shoulder blade.

two young boys sitting on the sidewalk watching a drummer play in a band in a street music festival performance

A young boy looks longinly at his sister who is drinking coconut water from a coconut with a straw. He is trying to reach his own straw

man playing the guitar outdoors at a street music festival

Paul James band

.
A man is squatting on the sidewalk with two girls on his knee. Both girls have balloons. They are part of a crowd watching a band perform in a street music festival

saxophone player playing in front of many microphones at an outdoor music festival

saxophone, Blue Room

.

lead singer for Blue Room, grey hair and beard, Hawaiian shirt, black hat, singing at streetfest at the beach

Brian Neller, lead singer, Blue Room

.

A man has his arm around a woman's back and her hand is on his shoulder as they watch a musical performance outside along with a number of other people

Dr. Draw playing his violin in front of a crowd, outdoor street music festival

Dr. Draw

.
Dr. Draw and his backup guitar player, streetfest at the beach,

keyboard player in Conor Gains band playing at Streetfest at the Beach, Queen St. in Toronto in July, summer evening

Conor Gains Band

.

A man is buying food from a food truck

 

color me rad

Posted: May 31, 2015 in events, people
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Color Me Rad, 5 km walk/run
Downsview Park, Saturday 30 May 2015,
in aid of Big Brothers and Big Sisters
15,000 participants of all ages

shoes covered with orange powder, and socks and legs

color me rad run near the start of the race when everyone is still clean

color me rad run, runners running under three inflatable orange banners

women wearing tutus in color me rad run

A man wearing a red baseball cap is running through a haze of purple powder - color me rad run

color me rad run through Downsview Park, on the path, past newly planted young trees, some runners are on the path running towards the camera while others are on another path running in the opposite direction

Two young men get hit with orange powder bomb, one of them gets it in the face

Young women wearing sunglasses, color me rad run

running through clouds of orange powder, color me rad run

running through clouds of orange powder, color me rad run - a woman in blue is throwing orange powder at a group of runners who are wearing white. Two of the women are wearing white shorts with big letters spelling RAD on the back

Four runners running past a direction sign on the color me rad run

A child holds its mother's hand, color me rad run

color me rad runners

man with arms raised as a woman throws purple powder at him.

A child hold its father's hand, color me rad run

Two women wait with orange powder bombs in their hands, as a group of runners approach them, color me rad run

running through clouds of orange powder, color me rad run - three kids, the boy in front is clutching his arms to his chest and he is smiling. A girl is beside him and smiling as he gets covered with orange powder

A young girl with a pink flower on her hair band, and wearing pink sunglasses is running through a cloud of orange powder, a couple of men are in the haze behind her

A young woman in pink shorts is jumping as she goes past those who are colour bombing in the color me rad run. Her hair is standing on end.

One woman throws purple powder at another woman whose arms are raised above her head.

A woman with a lot of yellow and orange powder in her hair raises her arms as another woman throws purple powder at her.

Three color covered people are lying on the grass, heads together in a triangle, while a man takes their picture from above.

running through clouds of orange powder, color me rad run , a woman with 'Northern' written on her Tshirt is getting hit with orange powder.

running through clouds of orange powder, color me rad run - a group of runners

The orange powder station from a distance in the color me rad run. Many runners are heading towards it.

One woman is throwing purple powder at another woman

Three women are walking through a cloud of purple powder, color me rad run

A man in yellow sunglasses who is covered in orange and red powder is throwing purple powder at his girlfriend

A woman runs out of a cloud of purple powder, her arms raised, many people behind her in the haze, color me rad run Toronto May 2015

A young girl in a frilly tutu and blue sunglasses is holding a spray can of colour and she is spraying the people around her.

sunglasses splattered with orange powder on the face of a smiling woman

color me rad run finish line with a few people crossing over it at the end of the race. People are standing behind blow metal fences to watch the finishers.

A man is on stage and a lot of people are standing in front with the arms raised waiting for him to throw packets of coloured powder their way

urban mud hero

Posted: May 26, 2015 in events, people
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Mud Hero – Urban Toronto
Ontario Place, 23 May 2015

6km course with more than 20 obstacles,
with lots of water and mud!

A row of muddy legs with very brown socks and filthy shoes, after the Mud Hero race

Ontario Place cinesphere, the dome, with an obstacle course being run in front of it

At Ontario Place, looking towards the meeting area for the Mud Hero race - where the race starts and finishes. Some competitors are just heading out and some muddy runners are just coming back in.

A team dressed in bright pink tops await their turn to start the race at the course start line.

Two young women pose for the photo, being taken by a man whose back is to the viewer in this photo, before they start a race

A man with his back to the camera watches team mates jump through, and off the side of, old wooden boats that were once part of a tourist attraction at Ontario Place

Two young women, mud hero participants, pose for the camera

runners in a race around Ontario Place go through the old "loading zone" area. Toronto skyline and CN tower in the background.

Two runners are holding hands as they cross a very tippy and wobbly floating bridge, many runners are behind them, waiting their turn to cross

runners on the beach with the Mississauga skyline in the distance

A couple is helping each other over the top of a wood A-frame climbing frame as they come over the top and change positions to go down the other side

crossing over the top of a green wood climbing frame.

A race organizer in a bright orange jacket stands on a platform between two large tanks filled with muddy water as racers wade through the chest high water

a group of people are wading through deep muddy cold water and they don't look happy about it

wading through deep muddy cold water

A young man stands on top of a car with his arms upraised in triumph as he proceeds through an obstacle course

A group of people running over some wrecked cars as part of an obstacle race. They are muddy.

A couple holds hands while running across the roof of some wrecked cars

runners at Ontario Place, with part of the dome and white metal structures in the photo, only 2 runner, one coming down a blue ramp and one in the immediate foreground. The man in the foreground is running to the right and is almost out of the picture

Competitors climb over the top of a very large and very tall rope climbing frame

people climbing over the top of a rope climbing frame

A muddy man balancing on a metal beam as he makes his way past some large green punching bags

People balancing on metal beams as they walk through many punching bags, as part of an obstacle race

The front of a Tshirt on a competitor at the end of the Mud Hero race, along with the medal earned for completing the course

A very muddy couple walks past the shower area after the Mud Hero race in Toronto, many people are trying to get the mud off themselves using hoses and cold water

A woman covered in mud poses for a photograph while a couple of people give her strange looks.

a person is holding a muddy pink running shoe, close up shot of the hand and the shoe

legs, we walk on them

Posted: May 15, 2015 in locations, people, public art
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Figures and Models of Surfaces,
by Isabelle Wenzel,
on King St. West at John (by Metro Hall).
Part of CONTACT Photography Festival.

Six people walking on a sidewalk. They are walking past a row of large pictures of legs in various strange poses on bodies with no upper parts.

“I’ve got two legs from my hips to the ground
And when I move ’em they walk around
And when I lift ’em they climb the stairs
And when I shave ’em they ain’t got hairs.”

 “I’ve Got Two Legs” by Monty Python’s Terry Gilliam

That’s the sort of thing that went through my head as I took these photos.

A man in brown pants and a brown and white striped shirt is holding a drink in his hand as he walks past two large pictures of legs.

a man's leg and black boot stick out from under a picture of a woman's leg with a yellow shoe, on a bright orange background. A man is sitting on a ledge behind the photo.

All photos are self-portraits of the photographer.
Legs as sculptural elements – colour, shape and composition.
Legs as objects – objectification of the legs is now complete.

people in front of 4 large photos of legs by Isabelle Wenzel. A couple are saying goodbye, two men in suits are walking together, a woman is looking at the pictures as she walks past and another woman is walking out of the photo on the right.

These legs were made for walking.  Not.
Just walk on by.
More silly thoughts as I watch people walk past the pictures.

Two young women are alking past a few large, larger than life photos of legs. The women have their arms up in the air.

below:  The blue tones of Metro Hall provide a backdrop.

A tall bluish colored glass building with a sidewalk in front. Along the sidewalk is a row of short young trees with new leaves. There is also a row of large photos of legs on the sidewalk between the building and the street.

Fun.  Great installation.

surrounded by the colours of Kensington

Posted: April 19, 2015 in graffiti and street art, locations, people
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
0

On a warm sunny Saturday in April.
People out and about in Kensington enjoying the day.

Two women are posing in front of a mural in a Kensington lane while a man takes a picture and another man watches.

In a dead end Kensington lane with a car parked at the end of the lane. There is street art on both sides of the alley. One man is leaning against the wall on one side, taking a photo of a man who is leaning against the other wall.

Reflections of people walking on the sidewalk, reflected in the side windows of a red vehicle.

A couple is posing for engagement photos. She is sitting on the hood of a red and white Mini Cooper. He is leaning against the front of the car. The car has big eyelashes over the front headlights. The car is parked on a street in Kensington.

A couple is sitting on the sidealk outside a row of boarded up houses. The houses are brick and are painted in bright yellow, orange and red.

A couple is sitting by a window inside a restaurant. The exterior wall of the building is covered in a mural of brightly coloured little monsters. A woman is standing outside by the window as she checks her phone.

Older Entries
Newer Entries