A Trip Back in Time at Toronto's New AutoPhoto Museum!

Who says you need a digital camera to have fun taking pictures?

Last week, a new photography attraction opened in Toronto — the AutoPhoto Photo Booth Store and Museum. Naturally, Bob had to check it out!

Being a photographer who loves old cameras and photographic history, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see some vintage photo booths and discover how they worked before digital photography took over.

Remember When Photos Came Out of a Machine?

Walking into the museum was like stepping back in time. There were old photo booths from different decades, complete with curtains, little stools, and signs advertising four photos for just 75 cents!

Back then, you climbed into the booth, pulled the curtain closed, made four funny faces, and waited for your pictures to appear.

No smartphones, no Photoshop, and certainly no ChatGPT fixing your bad photos!

What's Behind the Curtain?

One of the most interesting things was getting to see the machinery inside an old photo booth.

I photographed the mechanical equipment, chemical tanks, wiring, and moving parts that made these machines work.

These old booths were basically miniature photographic darkrooms. The machine took your picture, developed the photographic paper using chemicals, and delivered a strip of photos.

All that machinery just to produce four little pictures!

Today, we can take hundreds of photos with a digital camera and see them instantly. But there was something special about waiting for those little black-and-white pictures to come out.

Bob Gets Into the Picture!

Of course, I couldn't visit a photo booth museum without trying one myself!

I climbed inside, pulled the curtain, and got ready for my four poses.

First, the surprised look. Then a big smile. Next, the serious photographer look. And finally, a face that probably shouldn't be seen in public!

The result was a wonderful strip of four black-and-white photos.

And the best part? No editing, no retakes, and no AI! Just Bob being Bob!

Photography History Is Still Alive

What I enjoyed most about the AutoPhoto Museum was seeing how much photography has changed.

From mechanical photo booths using chemicals to today's digital cameras and smartphones, photography has certainly come a long way.

But one thing hasn't changed — people still love having their pictures taken, especially when they can make funny faces!

I'm glad Toronto now has a place where people can experience this wonderful part of photographic history.

Bob's Photography Thought of the Day:

Sometimes the best photographs aren't the sharpest, the most perfectly exposed, or the most carefully edited.

Sometimes they're just four silly pictures taken behind a curtain!

And that's what makes photography fun.

Keep clicking, keep exploring Toronto, and don't forget to smile for the camera!

 

Election Sign Confusion in Etobicoke – Maybe I'll Vote for the Snow Plow Guy!

It must be election time in Toronto again! How can I tell? Just take a walk down the street and look at all the election signs popping up on every patch of grass.

I decided to take my camera for a walk around Etobicoke North and photograph some of these signs. But the more photos I took, the more confused I became!

You see, I live in Ward 2, but Ward 1 comes right down to Ward 2. South of Dixon Road, Martin Grove Road is the dividing line between the two wards.

So depending on which side of the road you're standing on, you could be looking at a completely different group of candidates!

So Many Signs, So Many Candidates!

Walking along the street, I spotted signs for Vincent Crisanti, Kristian Santos, Saima Babar, Alaa Adib, Norman Hamilton and Robert Pella.

Blue signs, red signs, orange signs, purple signs. Everybody wants my vote!

Some signs promise to get things done. Others talk about our future. One even asks if I'm worried about my children's future.

I'm beginning to wonder if I need a GPS just to figure out which ward I'm standing in!

Then I Spotted the Snow Plow Guy!

Right in the middle of all these election signs was a big purple and white sign advertising snow removal.

RELIABLE EVERY STORM – SNOW BLOWING FROM $550!

Now there's a campaign promise I can understand!

No speeches, no debates, no political promises. Just somebody offering to clear the snow from your driveway when winter arrives.

And unlike the politicians, the snow plow guy even puts his price right on the sign!

Bob's Final Thoughts

After photographing all these election signs, I still have to figure out who is running in my ward and who is running across the road.

Maybe Toronto should put up signs saying:

WELCOME TO WARD 1 – YOU ARE NOW LEAVING WARD 2!

At least that would make things easier for us photographers.

But after seeing all these campaign signs, I'm starting to think I've found my candidate.

Maybe I'll just vote for the snow plow guy!

At least when he says he's going to clear things up, he's talking about my driveway!

Until next time, keep your camera ready, watch where you're walking, and remember – just because there's an election sign on your street doesn't mean you can vote for that candidate!

 

Bob Beats the Tripod Police in Toronto

Who Says You Need a Big Tripod to Get Great Group Photos?

If you have been photographing Toronto as long as I have, you know there is one thing that can stop a photographer in his tracks.

The Tripod Police!

You walk into a beautiful building, see a fantastic staircase or an interesting background, and think, "This would make a great group photo!"

Then you pull out your tripod, and suddenly somebody appears.

"Sorry, no tripods allowed!"

Well, Bob has found a way to get his group photographs without carrying a big tripod around Toronto.

My secret weapon is my Platypod Ultra and my trusty Sony a5000 camera!

A Small Camera and a Flat Tripod

On a recent Toronto photo walk with my friends, I decided to put my Platypod Ultra to work.

I brought along my Sony a5000 with the 16–50mm kit lens and my Platypod.

No big tripod, no bulky camera bag, just a lightweight camera and a flat metal plate that fits easily into my pocket.

The Platypod lets me position my camera on tables, benches, ledges, or even the floor.

And the best part?

It doesn't look like a traditional tripod!

Of course, I still respect the building's photography rules.

Getting Everybody Into the Picture

During our walk, we visited several interesting Toronto buildings with beautiful staircases, stained-glass windows, and historic architecture.

Normally, somebody has to stay behind the camera to take the group photograph.

Not anymore!

I placed my Sony a5000 on the Platypod, framed the photograph, and used the camera's self-timer or compatible remote control to get myself into the picture.

We took group photographs around a large table, on modern staircases, outside a historic Bay Street building, and in front of a beautiful stained-glass window.

We even used the old wooden benches inside one building to create another interesting group photograph.

The best part was that everybody could be in the picture, including Bob!

Why I Like Low-Angle Photography

One thing I discovered is that the Platypod lets me take photographs from angles I wouldn't normally use.

Putting my Sony a5000 close to the floor makes staircases look bigger, brings interesting foreground details into the picture, and shows off the architecture.

Using the wide-angle setting on my 16–50mm lens lets me capture both my friends and the beautiful buildings around us.

Instead of just another group photograph, I get a picture that tells a story about where we were.

Did Bob Beat the Tripod Police?

Well, I didn't need a big tripod to get my group photographs!

My little Sony a5000 and Platypod Ultra did the job.

After more than 15 years of photo walking around Toronto, I am still discovering new ways to take photographs.

And I have learned something important.

You don't need an expensive new camera or a backpack full of equipment to take great photographs.

Sometimes all you need is an older Sony a5000, a little Platypod, and some good friends willing to pose for another one of Bob's photographs!

The Tripod Police may not like big tripods, but Bob has found a smaller way to get the shot, wherever the building rules permit.

And years from now, when we look back at these photographs, we won't remember the camera settings.

We will remember the places we visited, the laughs we had, and the friends who shared the day.

Keep walking, keep exploring, and keep taking photographs!

 

Bob’s Saturday Night Power Check at Manby Transmission Station

Some people spend their Saturday night watching a movie, going to a restaurant, or sitting in a pub.

Bob goes out to make sure Toronto still has electricity.

On this Saturday night, I found myself outside the Manby Transmission Station in Toronto, camera in hand, looking at an incredible forest of transmission towers, steel structures, insulators and power lines stretching in every direction.

Of course, I wasn't really there to check the electricity. I figured the professionals probably had that covered. But somebody had to stand outside with a camera and make sure all those wires were still there!

And there were a lot of wires.

What caught my photographer's eye was the complexity of the place. At first it looks like complete chaos—power lines crossing other power lines, towers behind towers and steel structures filling almost every part of the frame. But the longer you look, the more patterns you begin to see.

The late Saturday light made it even better. The blue sky gave me a clean background while the low sunlight picked out parts of the towers and insulators. Some structures were glowing in the warm light while others had already fallen into shadow.

This is exactly the kind of place where I enjoy looking for photographs. You don't need a famous Toronto landmark in front of you. Sometimes an electrical transmission station, a parking lot and a maze of wires can provide all the subject matter you need.

I moved around and tried several compositions. In some photographs I concentrated on individual towers. In others, I backed off and let the entire collection of wires and steel become the subject. The repeating towers and lines almost turn the photographs into giant geometric drawings against the sky.

And yes, there were still lights on around Toronto when I left.

Bob's Saturday night inspection was complete.

Electricity flowing: check.
Transmission towers standing: check.
Camera working: check.
Interesting photographs: definitely check.

Sometimes photography is simply about stopping at a place everyone else drives past and discovering that there is a photograph hiding there.

And if anyone asks what I was doing at the Manby Transmission Station on a Saturday night?

I was just checking the power.

 

Bob’s Blog: Stop Carrying the Camera Store on Your Back

Over the years, I have learned something about street photography: the more camera gear I carry, the less photography I seem to do.

There was a time when I thought I had to be prepared for everything. Extra lenses, filters, accessories and, of course, a big backpack to carry it all.

The problem was that most of it never came out of the backpack.

These days, I keep things simple. I carry my Sony a6000 with the little 16–50mm kit lens, my Sony SEL55210 55–210mm kit lens, and my Platypod Ultra.

That's a small kit, but it means I'm ready to shoot almost any photo I come across.

Two Lenses That Cover What I Need

Most of the time, the 16–50mm stays on my Sony a6000. It's small, light and perfect for walking around the streets of Toronto.

At 16mm, I can photograph buildings, interiors and wide street scenes. Zooming toward 50mm lets me concentrate on people, details and the little stories happening around me.

But I also carry my SEL55210 55–210mm lens.

It doesn't take up much room, and suddenly I have a lot more reach. If something interesting is happening farther down the street, across an intersection, on a building or somewhere I simply can't get closer to, I can put on the 55–210mm.

Between the 16–50mm and 55–210mm, I have everything from wide-angle to telephoto covered.

I'm not carrying six lenses because I might need them. I'm carrying the two kit lenses I know I will actually use.

Ready to Shoot Any Photo

That's the important part for me.

When I'm out on a photo walk, I never know what I'm going to find. It could be an interesting person five feet away, architecture across the street, workers high up on a building, a parade coming down the road or some small detail everyone else walks past.

With my Sony a6000 and these two lenses, I'm ready to shoot whatever catches my eye.

Instead of worrying about equipment, I can concentrate on finding photographs.

My Tripod Fits in My Pocket

The other thing I carry is my Platypod Ultra.

There are plenty of places where carrying a full-size tripod is inconvenient—or where the "tripod police" might tell you that you can't set one up.

The Platypod gives me another option. I can put my a6000 down low, place it on a solid surface, use it for a longer exposure or simply use it whenever I need a steady camera.

When I'm finished, it goes back into my pocket or small camera bag.

Leave the Big Backpack at Home

Before your next photo walk, take a look inside that big camera backpack.

How much of that equipment did you actually use last time?

Street photography is about seeing, reacting and being ready. I don't want to spend the day carrying ten pounds of equipment that never leaves the bag.

My street photography kit is simple:

Sony a6000 + 16–50mm kit lens + SEL55210 55–210mm kit lens + Platypod Ultra + spare battery.

That's enough to take me from 16mm all the way to 210mm, while keeping everything small and manageable.

My back appreciates it. I can walk farther. I'm not constantly thinking about equipment.

Most importantly, my Sony a6000 is in my hand, and I'm ready to shoot any photo that comes my way.

That's what a photo walk should be about.

Turning My Sony A5000 Into a Wireless Remote Camera

One thing I like about photography is discovering new uses for equipment I already own. My latest experiment is using a Godox X1R-S wireless receiver with my Sony A5000 so I can fire the camera remotely with a Godox transmitter.

The neat part is that the receiver doesn't have to sit on the A5000's hot shoe to do this. Instead, the X1R-S connects to the camera with a remote-release cable. The Sony A5000 supports a wired remote through its Multi Terminal, so the important thing is having the correct cable to go from the Godox receiver's shutter-release connection to the Sony Multi Terminal. Sony lists the ILCE-5000 as compatible with remote operation through that Multi Terminal. 

My setup

I put the A5000 where I want it—perhaps on my tripod or my little Platypod—and connect the X1R-S to the camera with the proper Sony-compatible shutter cable. Then I turn on the camera and receiver.

Next, I set the Godox transmitter and X1R-S to the same wireless channel. Godox's instructions specifically describe the X1R-S being used this way as a wireless shutter-release receiver. 

Now the transmitter becomes my remote control. Depending on which Godox transmitter I'm using, pressing its focus/test controls can focus the camera and then fire the shutter. Godox's X2T-S instructions, for example, say a half press initiates focus and a full press of the TEST button releases the shutter.

And—CLICK!

My Sony A5000 takes the photograph while I'm standing somewhere else.

That opens up some interesting possibilities for me. I can put the A5000 very low to the ground, place it somewhere awkward where I don't want to touch it, use it for group photographs, or set up a shot and wait for somebody to walk into exactly the right spot.

It could also be handy inside buildings. I could put the A5000 on my Platypod, flip up that wonderful A5000 screen to compose the photograph, step away and take the picture without touching the camera. That means no movement from pressing the shutter button—particularly useful for slower shutter speeds.

One important lesson from experimenting with Godox equipment: the cable matters. The X1R-S itself doesn't magically communicate with the A5000's shutter electronically through the hot shoe. It needs that physical shutter-release connection between receiver and camera. Godox's documentation explicitly calls for a camera remote cable between the camera's shutter connection and the X1R-S. 

So an old Sony A5000, a Godox receiver, a transmitter and one little cable suddenly give me something completely different:

A remotely positioned camera that I can fire from across the room.

That's another reason I keep my older camera equipment. Sometimes buying a new gadget isn't about replacing the old camera.

It's about finding another way to use it.

 

I took my fisheye lens into Roy Thomson Hall

Sometimes the best way to photograph a familiar Toronto building is to make it look completely different.

I took my fisheye lens into Roy Thomson Hall, and it turned out to be the perfect place to have some fun with an ultra-wide view. This isn't a lens I use because I want everything to look perfectly straight. I use it because I want to exaggerate the space and show people something they might not normally notice.

Roy Thomson Hall is full of curves, concrete, glass, stairways, railings and interesting angles. With a normal lens, I might photograph one part of the building. With the fisheye, suddenly I'm getting the musicians, the audience, the stage, the windows and the architecture all together in one photograph.

The distortion is part of the fun. The curved balconies become even more dramatic. The stairways seem to sweep through the picture. The huge glass walls wrap around the scene. Even an ordinary railing can become a strong leading line that pulls your eye right into the photograph.

One of my favourite things was simply pointing the camera straight up. That's when the fisheye really showed what it could do. The glass ceiling, steel framework, lights and surrounding buildings all came together into an almost abstract photograph. I've walked through buildings like this many times, but I don't normally stop and look directly above me.

I also photographed the musicians performing inside the hall. Instead of trying to get close and photograph only the performers, I backed up and let the fisheye tell the bigger story. Now the photograph isn't only about the musicians. It's about the musicians performing inside Roy Thomson Hall. The building becomes part of the story.

That's something I've learned after years of walking around Toronto with a camera: sometimes you don't need a newer camera or a more expensive lens. You just need to change the way you look at something.

A fisheye lens certainly isn't for every photograph. But when you're inside a building with architecture like Roy Thomson Hall, it's a great excuse to forget about keeping everything straight and just have some fun.

Bob's photography rule for the day:

If everybody else is pointing their camera straight ahead, sometimes the best photograph is waiting straight above you.

And with a fisheye lens, you can almost get the whole building into the picture!

 

My Old Fisheye Lens Still Has a Lot of Life Left

One of the things I have always liked about photography is that you don’t necessarily need the newest camera or the newest lens to make an interesting photograph.

Years ago, I bought my Sony NEX-3 and paired it with the little Sony 16mm lens. I also bought the fisheye converter that attaches to the front of the 16mm lens. That combination opened up a completely different way of looking at Toronto.

The fisheye became a fun lens for my photo walks. Instead of standing back and taking a normal photograph, I could get right down close to something and exaggerate the shapes, curves and perspective. Ordinary objects suddenly became much more interesting.

Later, I bought my Sony a5000. The great thing was that I didn't have to throw my old equipment into a drawer and forget about it. I could still use that 16mm lens and my fisheye converter on the a5000.

The photo here is a good example of why I still enjoy using it.

I got the camera down low and photographed through these big circular metal rings. With the fisheye, the circles seem to keep getting smaller and smaller until they disappear down the street. The buildings bend around the edges, and the whole photograph pulls your eye toward the centre.

It almost looks like I discovered a tunnel through downtown Toronto.

That is what I like about the fisheye. It isn't about making everything look normal. It is about taking something you might walk past every day and finding a completely different way of seeing it.

My Sony NEX-3 is old. My Sony a5000 isn't exactly the newest camera on the block either. The 16mm lens and fisheye converter have been around for years.

But they can still take a good photograph.

Photography doesn't always improve because you bought a newer camera. Sometimes it improves because you learn how to get more out of the equipment you already own.

And as long as that old fisheye keeps showing me Toronto in a different way, it still has a place in my camera bag.

 

Sometimes photography gives you a little surprise.

I checked my Flickr stats today and saw 1,767 views on my photos. I had to look at the number twice. Yep—1,767 views!

What makes me smile is that I had more views than any camera club I belong to.

Camera clubs are great places to learn about photography, talk about equipment, enter competitions and see what other photographers are doing. But Flickr reminds me that photography also has another side: getting your photographs out there where people can actually see them.

I’ve never worried too much about having the newest camera or the most expensive lens. Give me one of my old Sony cameras, a photo walk around Toronto and something interesting happening on the street, and I’m happy.

The graph tells an interesting story too. Some days I might get a few hundred views, and then suddenly there is a spike—1,000, 1,500 or even close to 2,000 views. You never really know which photograph is going to catch somebody’s attention.

For me, that is more exciting than worrying about whether a photograph gets a ribbon.

1,767 views means 1,767 opportunities for somebody to stop for a moment and look at my photography.

After all these years of walking around Toronto with a camera, that is still what photography is about for me: take pictures, tell stories, share them—and hope somebody looks.

And today, apparently, quite a few people did!

Improve Your Photography by Practising Localism

One of the best things I have learned from years of photography is that you don't have to travel halfway around the world to find something worth photographing. Sometimes the best photography is right outside your front door.

I call it photographic localism: spending time photographing your own neighbourhood, parks, ravines, streets and the people who live and work there.

On this walk, I found construction workers working on a house, a narrow trail disappearing through the trees, a bee buried in a bright yellow flower, a creek running through the ravine, an artist painting beside the water and a group of ducks enjoying the creek.

None of these subjects required a plane ticket or even a long drive. They were simply things happening locally that day.

Your neighbourhood becomes your classroom

When you photograph locally, you can return to the same places again and again. That's important because photography isn't just about finding spectacular subjects. It's about learning how to see ordinary things differently.

A creek might look completely different after a heavy rain. A neighbourhood changes as houses are renovated and businesses come and go. Flowers appear and disappear with the seasons. The light on a familiar street can make a photograph at 8:00 in the morning that wasn't there at noon.

Even the people change. One day there might be nobody beside the creek. Another day you discover an artist with an easel painting the same landscape you're photographing.

That is when local photography becomes more than taking pictures. You begin documenting the place where you live.

Localism makes you a better photographer

Photographing close to home also gives you permission to experiment. There isn't the pressure of thinking, "I'm only here once, so I'd better get the shot."

You can try a different lens. Get closer. Get lower. Photograph the same subject from another angle. Try macro photography with a bee on a flower. Work on landscapes beside the creek. Practise street photography when you encounter people working in the neighbourhood.

And when something doesn't work, you can come back tomorrow.

That's a tremendous advantage.

After enough walks, you also start noticing things that other people walk past. You learn where the trails go, where the wildlife gathers, where interesting people work and where the light is best at different times of day.

Local knowledge becomes a photographic skill.

I've spent years discovering Toronto this way. The more I walk with a camera, the more I realize that I'll probably never finish photographing it.

So if you're wondering how to improve your photography, here's my suggestion:

Put a camera around your neck, walk out your front door and photograph what is local.

Don't worry about finding an amazing photograph.

Learn to recognize the amazing photographs that were already there.