This weekend was, at least for Toronto, the first real weekend of spring. The sun was bright, the sky was clear, the temperature was comfortable, and people poured into public spaces to enjoy the change. Their happiness was palpable and I was fortunate to capture some of that with my camera.
The first image is my favourite and may end up in my portfolio gallery. I was walking along Bloor St. and saw this guy sitting on a bench blowing bubbles. Ever since the Toronto G20 summit and the whole “Officer Bubbles” affair, I’ve come to regard bubble-blowing as a mildly subversive activity. So this man piqued my curiosity, especially since the building behind him is the Munk School of Global Affairs. As I knelt to take some shots, a man approached looking very serious and talking on his cell phone. Perfect! It’s as if the bubble-blower is shaming the man for refusing to stop and enjoy the sunshine. The serious man stares down with laser eyes and one of the bubbles bursts. You can see the spatter off the bubble-blower’s right shoulder.
The next shot happened on Queen Street West.
A café had opened its windows and people on the inside were chatting with people on the outside. As I passed, they were posing for a woman with a cellphone. In a split second, I swooped in for my shot. The man cracked a joke. I smiled and laughed. Then I was gone. The interesting thing is that, even though the encounter lasted less than a second before the shutter released, that was enough time to draw their gaze away from their friend. All three responded the same way. The result is that I got a shot that shows the openness and pleasure of spring.
The third shot is a girl holding balloons outside the YWCA at Elizabeth & Elm. I assume there was a birthday celebration. Whatever the case, she looked happy and was delighted to pose for a photo.
Finally, a spring day wouldn’t be complete without motorcycles everywhere. I shot this couple waiting at a light on Yonge St. at Alexander. They say Toronto is called Hogtown because Joseph Flavelle used the town as the hub for his pork export empire. Don’t believe what the historians tell you.
