I am Bidong

The Lesson Plan He Can't Recall

2012-01-27T10:23:00.003-05:00

The teacher stands in front of the class
But the lesson plan he can't recall
The student's eyes don't perceive the lies
Bouncing off every fucking wall
His composure is well kept
I guess he fears playing the fool
The complacent students sit and listen to some of that
Bullshit that he learned in school

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Man on Spire

2012-01-26T00:01:00.000-05:00

Pilgrimage: The Wall

2012-01-25T08:56:00.002-05:00

It is said that you are not yet a man until you have conquered the Great Wall. I don't know where it came from or who said it (come to think of it, maybe it came to me in a dream) but I absolutely had to visit this place when I was in China.

Packaged tours generally take you to the closest part of the wall in Balding. I'm told it contains more tourists than views. I wasn't going to to find out on my own. I, of course, opted to take in some of the more quaint (and original pieces of the wall) in Jinshanling. It was worth the extra effort. There may have been 50 people in the entire 10-12km stretch.

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The Divine

2012-01-24T09:19:00.001-05:00

Sprouting Lots

2012-01-23T15:17:00.003-05:00

Window Pains

2012-01-22T09:52:00.003-05:00

Someday My Pain

2012-01-21T10:19:00.003-05:00

Control Room at a Russian Nuclear Reactor...

2012-01-20T12:03:00.003-05:00

Peeping Tomms

2012-01-19T00:17:00.001-05:00

When I look at it this way, we're just a bunch of Peeping Tomms when we're on these rooftops. Here's a nice one of a penthouse balcony (that's easily three times the size of my entire condo...which I guess isn't saying much when you live in the world's smallest penthouse).

Come to the CITY LIMITS exhibition Thursday January 19th in Toronto!!!

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Painted Sinatra Blue

2012-01-18T01:15:00.003-05:00

A Wannabe Gursky

2012-01-17T00:01:00.004-05:00

It's been a long time since I revisited some of my images from early in 2011 when I was a lonely heartbroken traveller. This is a shot looking down at the lobby of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Shanghai. One of Andreas Gursky's most famous images was taken at this location.

View my Top 8 of 2011.

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500px'ed

2012-01-16T09:09:00.002-05:00

Almost Forgot Myself Again

2012-01-15T10:56:00.002-05:00

A Brian Day Kinda Sky

2012-01-14T00:01:00.003-05:00

If you're familiar with the work of Brian Day (who isn't?) you'd know that epic sky formations seem to be able to creep into his photos almost on demand. Maybe it's a new Lightroom Preset or something, I dunno.

This shot taken in Philly at an abandoned hotel reminded me of a 'Brian Day kinda sky', so perhaps these cloud formations are simply an American thing.

Live in Toronto? Come to the City Limits launch of the Toronto Liberty Project!

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Working Class Heroes

2012-01-13T00:08:00.003-05:00

Finally spreading the love for the working class heroes that are building some of Toronto's hundreds of skyscrapers. I think this is one of my favorite images I've snapped so far in 2012, but it definitely needs to be viewed in large to appreciate fully.

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Front Row Seats

2012-01-12T00:21:00.002-05:00

Two Blocks of Six

2012-01-11T00:01:00.001-05:00

Two Hours in Prison

2012-01-09T22:20:00.005-05:00

After a couple of months of back-and-forth emails with people from the Philadelphia Prison System, I was finally granted access to photograph the abandoned Holmesburg Prison. Tomms, Proletar1at and I jumped in a car last week and drove from Toronto to check it out.

Holmesburg has an incredibly interesting history marked with prison dermatological experiments funded by DOW Chemical and Johnson & Johnson. One such experiment saw 70 prisoners injected with dioxin to test their chloracne product. Holmesburg was also the site of the double murder of both the Warden and Deputy Warden in 1973 during a prison riot.

Read more here.

Panopticon |paˈnäptiˌkän| - a circular prison with cells arranged around a central well, from which prisoners could at all times be observed.

Mattress |ˈma-trəs| - a usually rectangular pad of heavy cloth filled with soft material or an arrangement of coiled springs, used as or on a bed.

Cell |ˈsel| - a single room (as in a convent or prison) usually for one person

Prison |ˈpri-zən| - a place of confinement especially for lawbreakers; specifically : an institution (as one under state jurisdiction) for confinement of persons convicted of serious crimes

Porn |ˈpȯrn| - material (as books or a photograph) that depicts erotic behavior and is intended to cause sexual excitement

Nature |ˈnā-chər| - a kind or class usually distinguished by fundamental or essential characteristics

Architecture |ˈär-kə-ˌtek-chər| - the art or science of building; specifically : the art or practice of designing and building structures and especially habitable ones

Watchtower |ˈwäch-ˌtau̇(-ə)r| - a tower that is used by a person who guards or watches a place

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Anything for the Shot

2012-01-09T09:08:00.003-05:00

Clearly, JenT of Pencilprism will do anything for the shot. She also stays still for long periods of time, even without being instructed.

Note: This may or may not have been Gaddafi's TO residence.

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Mother of All Auditoriums

2012-01-08T09:36:00.004-05:00

Divinity

2012-01-07T10:34:00.002-05:00

Someone Call a Vet...

2012-01-06T01:14:00.003-05:00

Cowboys and Chindians

2012-01-04T23:41:00.003-05:00

Time 2 Touch My Penis

2012-01-03T21:14:00.003-05:00

Cyborg

2012-01-02T09:54:00.002-05:00

Triumph of the Will

2012-01-01T16:05:00.001-05:00

So everyone needs a New Year's resolution. My resolution for 2012 is to simply take and post better images. This is one of my favorites taken from last year and could have easily made my personal Top 8 of 2011 list and it very well could make my Top of 2012 now. There's so many reasons why I love this. Believe.

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2011 Out With a Bang

2011-12-31T10:34:00.003-05:00

Flat Iron'ed

2011-12-30T10:20:00.002-05:00

An image from ground level that isn't of (or inside of) a dilapidated building. What a concept. I used a 10-stop ND filter to get a slow shutter speed but the cars decided they weren't having any of it.

View Bidong's Top 8 of 2011.

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Rocky IV

2011-12-29T12:35:00.002-05:00

Bidong's Top 8 of 2011

2011-12-28T00:01:00.001-05:00

2011 was an epic year for me in so many regards. My Top 5 of 2010 seems like a life ago; I've accomplished so much in the last 12 months:

1. Travelling for over five months to Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, and Australia. I got meet a lot of incredible people along the way, but also spent a lot of time reevaluating my life and its priorities.

2. Discovering my roots by visiting the abandoned island refugee camp in Malaysia where I was born and being able to share my experiences with others who once called Pulau Bidong home.

3. Continued to explore my city with my good friends Tomms, Stinky Tofu, Zen, JenT, Hi-Lite, Jono, and Proletar1at. Without any prejudice, I must say that we're all on top of our games right now.

4. Visited Detroit on multiple occasions and being inspired by the works of people like Brian Day, Rob Monaghan, and Jon DeBoer -- three of Detroit's finest.

5. Had my first, second, third, and forth public exhibitions.

6. Established a growing love and appreciation for street photography thanks in part to an introduction to the work and passion of Eric Kim. Eric and I have since become BFFs.

7. I wrote an eBook on Urban Exploration Photography. More than 3,500 downloads. Not bad.

8. Finally made the decision to make photography dream come true by shooting full time.

As you can see, I have a lot to be grateful for this year and am extremely optimistic for 2012. I tried to narrow my images down to the Top 5, but only managed to cut it to eight. So here's the Top 8 of 2011...

8. WALKING INTO THE SUN

Cracking the top 8 this year is perhaps my most successful commercial image to date (which isn't saying much!). It is appearing on the cover of a Canadian infrastructure magazine early in 2012, my second magazine cover in the last 12 months. The publisher also purchased a 32x48 inch print for their office and it is one of the nicest prints I've had the pleasure of delivering. Plug to 44 Wide for there exceptional print services. Highly recommended.

7. FISHING FOR NYPD

I visited New York at the end of September and stumbled upon the Occupy Wall Street protest. The Occupy Movement was in its infancy at the time, so much so that I didn't even know about it prior to arriving in NY. During one of my two visits to the protest, I saw a man with a fishing rod and realized he had a donut attached to the end of it. I snapped one frame before the donut fell apart into pieces on the ground.

It wasn't until I got home that I realized there was an NYPD officer walking by in this scene. I like how it illustrates the whole idea of the "decisive movement" in street photography...as well as the concept of luck.

6. THE CITY IS CHROME

978 feet. That's the highest rooftop in Canada. A select few got to shoot it. We didn't spend a lot of time up there, but it was memorable in so many beautifully random ways. This is as high as you can go in this country. There was something very poetic about this whole experience.

5. ON LOOKOUT

When I first started photography, I didn't really have a style or niche to call my own. I arguably still don't. My goal during the early stages was to make the ordinary seem extraordinary. I was inspired by Sam at Top Left Pixel and his ability to produce quality images on a daily basis -- typically of scenes that we regularly pass by each and everyday. I went away from that style the last year or so, but still like to think I have the ability to capture beauty in the mundane...such as this shot looking down on the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Shanghai.

4. RIP OFF/STOLEN MATERIAL

When I first saw this image executed by Hi-Lite, I was completely floored. It had become one of my favorite images taken by one of my peers. At the time that he took this, I didn't think I had the skills (aka balls) to replicate it. Once I gathered enough courage to dangle off the corner of this building, I realized that I had overcome a huge hurdle...fear. I still get pretty spooked out sometimes when I go rooftopping, but it is this fear that keeps me alive. I am glad I was able to replicate Hi-Lite's shot, but this is very much stolen material/a rip off.

3. YOU'RE MY NEW FAVOURITE

Last year, I managed to capture a pretty iconic image of the Farwell Building in Detroit. The problem with that shot is that it isn't original. Everyone and their mother (maybe even grandmother) has that image framed and composed almost in the exact same manner.

I had the opportunity to go back to the Farwell Building with the goal of capturing an original image. The image I captured second time around was one that I had not yet seen from this location, a small yet significant change in composition. It remains one of my favorite images to date.

Note: there was some recent news that the Farewell Building had received some funding to undergo renovations/restoration. At around the same time, it had been further vandalized with the railings from the first 3-4 levels being removed and thrown into the bottom of the atrium.

2. PIGGY BACK

While waiting for a friend for dim sum one afternoon, I happened to see an unbelievable scene play out before my eyes. There was a cube truck with a fridge full of dead pigs waiting to be hand-delivered to a Chinatown BBQ restaurant. I caught this image during one of his trips from the truck. I like how the pigs are perfectly on top of one another almost with playful grins on their faces. It's images like this where you can "smell the streets". These are the everyday street scenes of my life that define my city and documents my personal growth as a street photographer.

1. RACCOONS ARE MORE THAN CAPABLE ROOFTOPPERS

This year in roofopping, I incorporated the use of reflections quite often. Toronto's glass towers offer the perfect reflective surface of the streets below. Most people didn't realize that the bottom left of this image is actually a reflection of the city. There was also some confusion with regards to the title of this shot, but it is really straightforward -- we ran into a rooftopping raccoon.

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World Inside a World

2011-12-27T00:07:00.002-05:00

11 Years

2011-12-26T00:01:00.002-05:00

It was exactly 11 years ago today. The day that changed everything. Getting 'the call' that evening: "Dennis has been in a snowboarding accident, you should go see him in the hospital." I thought it was a minor injury, perhaps a few broken bones at worst. When I walked into the hospital and saw the looks in the eyes of his friends...I just knew. Dennis, I miss you brother. Life has not been the same without you.

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Another Lonely Day

2011-12-25T09:47:00.004-05:00

It wouldn't have worked out any way
So now it's just another lonely day
Further along we just may
But for now it's just another lonely day

[not exactly the most festive image for Christmas Day]

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Re: Stacks II

2011-12-24T02:17:00.003-05:00

Having a beautiful view of the port located on the sidelines of the Saigon River got me quasi-obsessed with the geometry and vivid colours of shipping containers. I had a pretty nice view of this place from a buddy's condo. What a total win. I really miss Vietnam...

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Conspireacy

2011-12-23T00:01:00.001-05:00

Live Bait

2011-12-22T00:01:00.001-05:00

To the shock of many urban explorers, they actually discovered that Detroit is a City and not just a series of incredibly poetic abandoned buildings. Rumor has it that the live bait is for fishing. Whodathunk?

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Downward Dog [Bowl]

2011-12-21T00:01:00.001-05:00

Puff

2011-12-20T00:01:00.002-05:00

After I hit up this epic rooftop for the first time ever, I seriously thought of retiring from the activity I love so much. I knew I would never be able to replicate this experience and any other roof would be so minute in comparison. My life as a rooftopper has changed forever. Thank you Donald.

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McTheatre

2011-12-19T00:01:00.003-05:00

Heidelberg

2011-12-18T00:01:00.000-05:00

T-Shirt Weather

2011-12-17T00:01:00.001-05:00

Digital Film

2011-12-16T00:19:00.003-05:00

I've been playing around recently with a new Lightroom add-on called Color Efex Pro. There's a lot in this program that I love, including something called "film effects". It allows you to choose from a list of popular film types and apply it to your digital image to replicate what it would look on film. For this shot, I used the Kodak Ektachrome 64. I dig it.

This view overlooking Dundas Square and parts of Ryerson University was new to me when I shot it. I attended Ryerson but never realized how massive "The Quad" was until I saw it from this vantage point. Pretty neat.

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Yes, We're with the Film Crew

2011-12-15T00:01:00.001-05:00

A summary of events:
1. Door to residence is locked
2. Guy working the bar says "Are you with the film crew?"
3. Liger says "yes"
4. Door opens
5. Another man who was previously wearing a box on his head escorts us into the elevator
6. I pretend to talk on the phone with someone in the building hoping the elevator escort doesn't actually follow us onto the 20th floor
7. Escort talks about how Detroit is built on cantilevers (we pretend to be interested)
8. Elevator door opens and the escort says his goodbyes (a relief)
9. Pretty much wide open to the roof
10. Successful rooftop experience

[image shot with a 50mm f/1.8 -- the best $100 money can buy]

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Boblo Honey

2011-12-14T00:01:00.003-05:00

One of my most memorable moments in Detroit came from an encounter I had at this building. Liger and I were exploring one of the floors when I saw a giant mound of blankets covering a man sleeping on a mattress. It startled me for a second until a friendly voice under the blankets acknowledged our presence.

He didn’t want any trouble or ask us for anything; in fact, he told us to be careful and even offered us some of the little food and drink he had with him. I didn’t see any 40oz beers, liquor bottles, or any drug-related items. He was getting by in his own way and sharing an incredible warmth and spirit with everyone he passed by. Liger and I gave him a few bucks and he thanked us for allowing him to get something hot in his stomach.

A couple of hours later, we run into this man on the way out. He looked rejuvenated, said he just got a hot meal in him and thanked us again. He told us to pop by any time we were in the area for a snack or drink in his little space. This is just another shining example of the incredible kindness I see in the people of Detroit. Despite having nothing, they ask you for nothing but will give you what they have. People everywhere can learn a lot from this man.

Note: This story has nothing to do with the picture. The image is a three shot stitch with a 24mm TS-E lens.

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The Corner Lot

2011-12-13T08:32:00.002-05:00

Man on Whittier

2011-12-12T08:15:00.003-05:00

I Was Not Magnificent

2011-12-10T00:01:00.000-05:00

Re: Stacks

2011-12-09T00:01:00.001-05:00

Re: Stacks

I keep throwing it down two hundred at a time
It's hard to find it when you knew it
When your money's gone
And you're drunk as hell

On your back with your racks as the stacks as your load
In the back and the racks and the stacks are your load
In the back with your racks and you're unstacking your load

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Epic Industrial Shit

2011-12-08T00:21:00.003-05:00

My Miniature 1815 Foot Pole

2011-12-07T00:52:00.004-05:00

I figured I might as well use the "tilt" function in my tilt-shift lens one of these days. What this lens does is it changes the plane of focus, creating weird (gimmicky looking) miniatures. In moderation it can be useful. Must not over-do it.

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Hoarders

2011-12-06T00:01:00.004-05:00

So I was asked to appear on an episode of A&E's Hoarders but I refuse to believe I have a hoarding problem. I just like my luxury goods.

So on the Saturday night of my last trip to Detroit, Brian Day asks me: "what are your plans for tomorrow?". I respond: "Going out with Detroit Liger". Brian: "you never know where you'll end up with the Liger." This is where we end up; there was far more human feces there than I would like to admit.

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I'm Spinning

2011-12-05T00:01:00.002-05:00

I'm spinning, oh I'm spinning
How quick the sun can drop away
And now my bitter hands
Cradle broken glass
Of what was everything
All the pictures have
All been washed in black
Tattooed everything

My favorite song ever written. It's been a great 20 years with Pearl Jam.

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Saturday Night Lights

2011-12-04T00:29:00.002-05:00

Basketball Jones

2011-12-03T01:10:00.002-05:00

Above Rush Hour

2011-12-02T01:34:00.006-05:00

Damn it Feels Good to Be a Commie

2011-12-01T00:10:00.002-05:00

So I was speaking with my friend Blake tonight and he outed me on my lack of street photography shots I've been taking lately. Blake is a mad awesome explorer and we had met while I was travelling in Asia earlier this year. We had one particular incident that still stands out as the craziest thing I've ever done. Amazing times.

Anyway, here's a shot of the square where the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is housed (Hanoi, Vietnam). His frozen dead carcass is a couple hundred feet to the right of this image.

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Glass. Highways. Rooftops.

2011-11-30T00:18:00.002-05:00

If I Had a Gun

2011-11-29T00:01:00.000-05:00

Four Engimas

2011-11-28T00:01:00.004-05:00

Tens of Thousands

2011-11-27T11:05:00.002-05:00

Tens of thousands flood City Hall in Toronto for the Cavalcade of Lights. Four people decided to Occupy Rooftops.

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Unnerving?

2011-11-26T09:49:00.001-05:00

Life is a little unnerving when you're 700 feet about ground level. At certain times, I am still fearful.

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Double You Tee Eff Happened?

2011-11-25T00:01:00.002-05:00

The glory days when I saw photos of this beautiful ballroom with the pristine piano (with keys intact) and blank white walls are officially gone. Still, I can't help but be drawn to this place despite its current condition. Maybe next time I will bring my own paint to reclaim the walls.

Note: This photo was stitched together from two exposures.

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Pack Hard

2011-11-24T00:01:00.001-05:00

It's sad to see this place literally disappear with every visit. I am told that metal scrappers actually keep their equipment onsite. There's a corner of the property that is storage for those who come here to rip the place apart. Only in Detroit. I wonder how long before it all just caves in?

This plant, by today's standards, was remarkably unique. The entire car was made in this one location -- from the engines to the bodies to the tires, it was all done from one central location. Originally, the plant consisted of some 60 buildings all serving a unique purpose. If you haven't been here to see this place with your own eyes, you can just imagine the enormity of the property.

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A Love Letter to Toronto

2011-11-23T00:01:00.001-05:00

Maybe I was born to hold you in these arms.

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My Detroit is Chrome

2011-11-22T08:59:00.003-05:00

As an occasional "urbex tourist" to the city of Detroit, I often feel as though I'm not seeing enough of the city and not representing the city in the right way. Not all of Detroit is derelict buildings and burnt out houses (unfortunately there are truly too many of these). Thanks to Jon DeBoer and Brian Day for taking us out on Saturday night. We had a lot of fun seeing you guys in action and getting a tiny glimpse of what really is Detroit. Special thanks to Brian who escorted me from the parking garage to the nearest bathroom...that was a mighty close call!

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Two Minutes in the Life of MCS

2011-11-21T11:43:00.002-05:00

What can I say but "thanks" to everyone Peter, Alex, and I met up with in Detroit this weekend -- you all know who you are. It was awesome hanging with both familiar faces and new friends. I will be back soon!!! This is the farewell postcard I took while leaving your beautiful city. Can't wait to be back!

About the shot: it was taken with a two minute and something exposure.

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All Lines Lead to the Giant Space Needle

2011-11-19T00:01:00.001-05:00

Nothing witty to say today other than you've probably seen a version of this shot six times before from everyone who was there that night.

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Dear Detroit...

2011-11-18T00:08:00.002-05:00

Dear Detroit,

I've been dreaming about you for some time now. It's been many months since I last saw you in person, but I've seen pictures of you since and you are as beautiful as ever. I can't wait to see you this weekend.

Love,

Bidong

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Stinky Tofu: Blade Runner, The Sequel

2011-11-17T09:08:00.003-05:00

Did you hear about the new Blade Runner movie? Harrison Ford is being replaced by Stinky Tofu. This may or may not be a true story. I am leaning towards the latter.

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Best Seats in the House

2011-11-16T09:16:00.003-05:00

These are quite possibly the two best seats in the house in all of Toronto.

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Sector 7G

2011-11-15T01:49:00.002-05:00

Homer Simpson's playground or what's left of the control room at the RL Hearn Generating Station following the filming of Resident Evil: Retribution? This is a three shot stitch using the 24mm TS-E lens, which makes nailing panoramic shots like this very easy. I can confirm that the original image would look frickin' incredible blown up massively on someone's wall.

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You're Giving Me Wings So I Don't Have to Jump

2011-11-14T00:01:00.003-05:00

Will you come with me
And we'll be ourselves
And we'll walk into the light
And you can colour yourself
In golden wings

Thanks to Ronnie for acting as my remote shutter release. To all you worried parents out there...without giving anything away...this shot is not as dangerous as it looks.

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Caution: Generic Staircase Shot

2011-11-13T09:34:00.003-05:00

There's just something about winding staircases that scream "photograph me!". The result: the generic staircase shot taken at an abandoned sanatorium near Buffalo, NY. And yes, that is a caution sign at the base of the stairs.

Note: This image is a three shot stitch using a 24mm TS-E lens. I was playing with a square crop, which was virtually the resulting ratio after I stitched the three images together.

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Two Minutes in the Life of Malt

2011-11-12T08:50:00.002-05:00

One great thing about living across the street from Canada Malting is that I only need to cross the road at any given time to get an image like this. One bad thing about living across the street from Canada Malting is that I only need to cross the road at any given time to get an image like this. That was not a typo.

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See Gee Eye

2011-11-11T09:16:00.003-05:00

Apparently, my CGI skills are getting better every single day.

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All Lines Lead to Tomms

2011-11-10T00:01:00.003-05:00

No matter how you look at this photo, all lines lead to Tom from Blursurfing Photography. He joked about why I've been Photoshopping him into my images lately, in which I responded that one image I took of him got me a cover of a magazine...and subsequently him on the cover as well. Story to be continued.

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Murder Under the Oculus

2011-11-09T09:53:00.001-05:00

At this abandoned tuberculosis sanatorium near Buffalo, the amazing dining room was capped with an oculus taken from the Temple of Music at the 1901 Pan-Am Expo. What is unique about this oculus is that it is the very domed structure that President William McKinley was assassinated under. The more you know.

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While You Were Sleeping

2011-11-08T09:49:00.002-05:00

While you were sleeping, this happened. It is reason enough for me to never want to sleep again.

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Church of Dork

2011-11-07T00:36:00.002-05:00

At the Church of Dork, "You shall say God did it." Don't get angry at me, I'm just reciting passages from the church graffiti. This is another one of Detroit's churches left to deteriorate.

PS - I am planning a trip to Detroit for the 19/20. Hope to see/meet up with some of you there.

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Things Found on Nature Walks

2011-11-06T09:42:00.003-05:00

My first love is urban decay. I've been less than inspired by what's available in the Toronto area, but I guess that is good news for the city if buildings aren't left abandoned for, say 40 or 50 years. I got to make new friends and be re-inspired...all thanks to a nature walk gone bad.

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The Giant Claw

2011-11-05T21:20:00.003-04:00

A late Saturday posting as I clearly ignored to do it early this morning...

It's been awhile since I've gone out street shooting with my friends Tom and Jen. We picked a beautiful sunny day with lots of great light peaking through the buildings of downtown Toronto. The long shadows that were cast...amazing.

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Concrete Sprouts, Vietnam Style

2011-11-04T10:07:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I posted an image from Toronto's skyline that made the buildings look a bit like concrete sprouts coming out of the land. Today, these sprouts are on foreign soil; courtesy of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), brought to you in Technicolor. Back in 1995, the tallest building in Vietnam was the Sun Wah Tower (middle of image) at just over 300 feet and 21 floors.

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Concrete Sprouts

2011-11-03T11:42:00.003-04:00

From the proper vantage points and with the right angles, the city is nothing but an endless number of concrete sprouts.

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705 Feet

2011-11-02T00:36:00.003-04:00

This is perhaps the largest chimney Santa Claus may ever enter through...in Canada anyway. That 705 foot ladder to the left looks very tempting I must admit, especially considering how few people have ever reached its pinnacle. I don't think I am brave enough to be one of them. I guess even I have limits. Would you climb a ladder 70 floors high? Yeah, I didn't think so either.

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As Seen in Kensington Market, Halloween Edition

2011-11-01T09:58:00.004-04:00

There's no shortage of interesting characters in Toronto's Kensington Market on any given day, but when you multiply that with the Halloween factor, you really get to see some unique and interesting things. In this series of images, I try to capture the essence of Kensington Market as they celebrate Halloween on the last Pedestrian Sunday of the year.

The Last Person Who Was Caught Stealing Cupcakes

Punk Rock Bulldog

A Furry

I Think She Likes Me

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All the Clocks Give In and the Traffic Fades

2011-10-31T11:36:00.002-04:00

All the clocks give in
And the traffic fades
And the insects like, like a neon choir
The instant fizz
Connection made
And the curtains sigh
In time
With you

You, the only sense the world has ever made
Early evening June
This room and radio play
This I need to save
I choose my final scene today
Switching off with you

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Former South African President Gets a Face Lift

2011-10-29T23:56:00.004-04:00

It started off as an exploration into an elementary school undergoing renovations, but it turned into something more. As I was going through my images and researching the history of this school, I stumbled upon some fascinating research into the education system in Ontario, courtesy of the Fraser Institute.

I was particularly interested in the correlation between a school's ranking with regards to parent income level. In the inner city, it was no surprise to see low income schools with low rankings and those with double or triple the parental income appear higher on the list.

Somewhat surprising to me was when I looked up schools in the city where I attended high school. In this instance, there was no real correlation between household income and a school's ranking. Perhaps the sample size was too small, I don't know.

Lastly, the #1 ranked high school (St. Michael's Choir) has 0% of its population listed as an ESL student. Though it is a Catholic school, I found it quite the statistic given its location is in the heart of downtown Toronto. That being said, the #3 ranking school Pierre Elliott Trudeau in Markham has nearly 25% of their population listed as ESL. This being said, the parental income of the Markham students was rather high, making me believe that income and economics plays perhaps the largest role in all of this.

None of this is made possible without urban exploration. The more you know.

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Tribute: The Regal Constellation

2011-10-28T08:37:00.003-04:00

I decided to go into the archives looking for images of the Regal Constellation since it now appears that demolition is nearing completion. This hotel was built in 1962 and was renovated as recently as 2001 but suffered a huge loss during the SARS crisis and by 2004 it had been sold off. There were plans for additions to the hotel, but nothing ever got done, even during the long demolition phase. It appears now that virtually everything there is gone. This is one of my favorite rooftop signs ever. Bye bye Regal.

Here's more from the Regal. Most images suck since I didn't know what the hell I was doing back then.

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Review: Eric Kim Toronto Street Photography Workshop

2011-10-27T09:15:00.007-04:00

I entered into the Eric Kim Street Photography workshop knowing more about Eric than I knew about street photography. To make a long story short, through a string of coincidences, I had recently discovered that Eric was dating a friend of mine. This friend, Cindy, had found me through this blog a few years ago while searching for "Pulau Bidong"; the name of the abandoned island/refugee camp where I was born and had revisited earlier this year. I was introduced to Eric's work only weeks earlier through my friend Tom before I found out he was dating a friend of mine. The world is a tiny place.

I've always considered myself to be a notoriously bad street photographer. I didn't feel comfortable approaching strangers and generally avoided confrontation (or the potential for confrontation) at all costs. During the course of the workshop, I realized that photographing people up close and personal is far less creepy than sniping them from across the street with a telephoto zoom lens. Your reaction and communication with the subject can make all the difference in the world. A simple "thank you", "I really dig your style", or "I think you're beautiful" can go a long way in making subjects feel comfortable. It definitely removes the creep factor! Making intentions clear when street shooting one of the key points I learned over the weekend.

Another really important point Eric stresses during his workshop is the idea that everyone's style is different. I prefer the Matt Stuart style of street photography more so than the Bruce Gilden, so it was important for me to try and identify and nurture this style. The entire weekend was really about self discovery, learning, and experimentation.

The passion and knowledge that all of the participants brought to the discussion and critiques was amazing! Every single person there surprised me with at least one of their five images. From Robert's iPhone camera to Brian's broken lens that resulted in truly unique images, it was apparent that everyone there had truly embraced Eric's words of wisdom.

So what exactly did I get out of the workshop? Well I got to meet a bunch of talented and passionate street photographers and build camaraderie and friendships with them. I went from being very passive as a street photographer to having the ability to approach and interact with people in a positive manner. I even got the chance to experiment using off-camera flash, something I wouldn't have drenmed of doing only a few weeks ago.

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Metal and Chrome

2011-10-26T10:19:00.003-04:00

In the skies where metal meets chrome.

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Lesson #1: The Tilt

2011-10-25T00:39:00.003-04:00

Poppa has a new toy and his name is Canon 24mm TS-E Mk 1. Today's lesson is "The Tilt". This lens in tilt mode is used to change the plane of focus that blurs out portions of the image that is not necessarily based on depth of field. It is an interesting thing to test out, used more commonly for making miniature scenes. I bought this lens mainly for the shift functions, which I will touch upon later...

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Santa Claus Converts to Islam

2011-10-24T00:49:00.003-04:00

There will be no Christmas this year.

This shot was taken on Day 2 of the Eric Kim Photography workshop.

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Eric Kim Eats Poutine

2011-10-22T00:01:00.001-04:00

Renowned street photographer, Eric Kim, is in Toronto doing a two-day workshop. I have had the privilege of hosting him while he's here as well as observe the man in action. It is quite entertaining, and at times, scary.

My friends Jen and Tom greeted him with a Canadian culinary staple...poutine. French fries, cheese curds, and gravy. Heck yes.

You can check out this short video I filmed of him "flashing" people on the streets of Toronto. Surprisingly, the reactions he gets are quite positive.

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The Real 99%

2011-10-21T10:15:00.001-04:00

More than 80% of the world's population earn less than $10 a day. The average GNI per capita in Cambodia is $650 per year. The more you know.

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The Ladder Made Me Do It

2011-10-20T01:36:00.001-04:00

I blame the ladder.

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Bird's Eye View of Occupy Toronto

2011-10-19T00:01:00.001-04:00

Bird's eye view of the Occupy Toronto protest at St. James Park in downtown Toronto. I've been hearing a lot in mainstream media that the Occupy movement is dying (they keep on focusing on that one small splinter cell that have been showing up on Bay Street in rather small numbers), but my visit to St. James completely made me think otherwise. Though I don't agree with all of your messages, I stand in solidarity with your movement and celebrate the freedoms you all have to peaceful protest.

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A Block Reflected

2011-10-18T10:36:00.003-04:00

The a city block in the Toronto Financial District reflects in the foreground building. Forget Occupy Bay Street -- Occupy rooftops.

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Made of Gold

2011-10-17T00:46:00.004-04:00

Toronto is made of gold, I am convinced. This image is straight out of the camera (with a small crop), taken with an 85mm lens. I loved the warm tones of the lights and didn't want to change a thing.

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Occupy Toronto: Day One

2011-10-16T10:06:00.003-04:00

I popped the Occupy Toronto protest yesterday for a couple of hours (like many other photographers did) curious to see what the turnout would be like. I was surprised to see so many people there (media says up to 3,000 people) as well as their enthusiasm.

I am really conflicted when it comes to this protest. I absolutely believe in their right to protest and think the idea of peaceful demonstration is a right we all have. The problems are global and there is no easy fix. I didn't see many solutions being proposed that are actually feasible. Not to mention the irony of everything is WE ARE THE 1%. The world is a big frickin' place with a helluva lot of poor people. If you're lucky enough to live in Canada, you are already far ahead of the game.

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10:03 on the Last Train

2011-10-15T00:16:00.004-04:00

This is Michigan Central Station in Detroit. Last train departed: January 6, 1988. Now you know. More from Detroit Lives Project.

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