Friday, May 1, 2026

Bob’s Guide to Cameras, Lenses… and Why None of It Matters (But Also Totally Does)

Alright, let’s get this straight right away…

Every time Bob shows up on a photo walk in Toronto, someone asks:

“Hey Bob… what’s the BEST camera for street photography?”

And Bob usually says…

“The one you actually bring with you.”

But since you asked… let’s open the camera bag and see what’s rattling around in there.

Sony a6000 – The Workhorse

This is Bob’s main camera.
Fast auto focus, lightweight, and has seen more Toronto sidewalks than most shoes.

  • Great for quick street moments
  • Reliable in all conditions (including those “why am I outside in February?” days)
  • Pairs with almost any lens

If Bob had to pick ONE camera… this is it.


Sony a5000 – The Underdog

This camera has survived more winters than it was designed for.

  • Flip screen = sneaky waist-level shooting
  • Still produces great images
  • Proof that old gear still works

Also doubles as Bob’s “I can’t believe this still works” camera.


Sony RX100 – The Pocket Ninja

This is the camera Bob brings when he doesn’t want to look like a photographer.

  • Fits in a pocket
  • Perfect for candid shots
  • Nobody takes you seriously… which is perfect

Street photography superpower: invisibility.


Sony NEX-3 – The OG

Bob bought this back when mirrorless cameras were basically science experiments.

  • Manual lenses
  • Focus peaking
  • Pure “slow photography” vibes

Makes Bob feel like his great-great-grandfather (newspaper photographer, obviously).


16mm – Wide and Close

  • Great for getting right in the action
  • Makes viewers feel like they’re standing beside you

Warning: You will need courage (and maybe a fast walk away after).


30mm – The “Natural Eye”

  • Closest to how we actually see
  • Perfect storytelling lens

If Bob is telling a story… this is usually on the camera.


50mm – The Detail Hunter

  • Isolates subjects
  • Great for portraits and moments

👉 When Bob doesn’t want to get too close (or it’s awkward… which happens).


18–105mm G – The Everything Lens

  • Used for events (and that one wedding Bob survived)
  • Covers everything from wide to zoom

If you only want one lens… this is your Swiss Army knife.


55–210mm – The “Across the Street” Lens

  • Compression
  • Candid moments from a distance

Also known as the “I’m definitely not in your personal space” lens.


So… What’s the BEST Setup?

Here’s where Bob drops the truth bomb:

Best Camera:

Sony a6000 (or anything similar)

Best Lens:

30mm (or anything around 35mm equivalent)


Bob’s Real Answer (Camera Club Winning Advice)

The best street photography setup is:

  • A camera you’re comfortable with
  • A lens that matches how you see
  • And the willingness to actually go outside

Because Bob has learned this after 15 years of walking the streets of Toronto:

It’s not about sharpness…
It’s not about chromatic aberration…
It’s not about what YouTube says…

It’s about the moment.


Final Thoughts from Bob

Bob has shot with:

  • Expensive lenses
  • Cheap lenses
  • Old cameras
  • Cameras that should have retired years ago

And guess what?

The best photos always came from:

  • Being in the right place
  • Waiting
  • Watching
  • And pressing the shutter at the right time

The Bob Rule of Street Photography

“F8… and be there.”

Or in Bob’s case:

“Whatever settings… just don’t stay home.”


If you see Bob out there walking around Toronto with an old Sony camera, a slightly confused look, and probably talking to himself…

Don’t worry.

Bob Wins the “Not Blowing Out Windows” Award at Hart House


 Well folks… it finally happened.

Bob has officially peaked in his photography career.

I have won the prestigious, highly competitive, absolutely life-changing Camera Club Award for:
👉 “Not Blowing Out Windows.”

Yes. You read that right.


The Scene of the Crime (a.k.a. Hart House)

There I was inside Hart House — one of those places where every photographer walks in and immediately thinks:

“Well… this is going to be impossible.”

You’ve got:

  • Dark wood everywhere
  • Moody lighting
  • And windows brighter than a TTC driver’s high beams at 5 AM

Classic trap.

Either:

  • You expose for the room → windows turn into nuclear white portals
  • Or you expose for the windows → everything else looks like a ghost story

Enter Bob’s Secret Weapon: HDR (a.k.a. “I Refuse to Lose This Battle”)

Now let’s get one thing straight…

Bob did NOT just “discover” HDR.

Bob has been using HDR on his Sony cameras longer than some YouTube reviewers have been alive (or at least it feels that way).

With the in-camera HDR on the Sony A3000, I let the camera do the heavy lifting:

  • Multiple exposures
  • Blended together
  • Boom… details inside AND outside

No blown-out windows.
No crushed shadows.
No crying in the corner.


The Winning Shot

This photo right here?

  • You can see the detail in the windows
  • You can see the chair
  • You can feel the light

And most importantly…

👉 The windows are NOT blown out

Which, apparently, is now award-winning material.


The Camera Club Judging Panel (Highly Scientific)

I imagine it went something like this:

Judge #1:

“Wait… I can see outside AND inside???”

Judge #2:

“This breaks the laws of photography.”

Judge #3 (me, mentally):

“That’s HDR, baby.”


Bob’s Pro Tip (Write This Down)

If you’re shooting interiors like this:

  • Turn on Auto HDR
  • Keep your hands steady
  • Let the camera stack exposures
  • Don’t fight the light… outsmart it

And most importantly:

👉 Never accept blown-out windows as your fate


Final Thoughts from an Award-Winning Photographer (Important Title)

This award means a lot.

Not because of prestige.
Not because of fame.

But because somewhere out there…
another photographer is staring at a bright window thinking:

“Well… guess I’ll just blow that out.”

And Bob is here to say:

No. You don’t have to live like that.


Next Goal

I’m now aiming for:

  • “Properly Exposed Ceiling Award”
  • And the elusive…
    👉 “Didn’t Forget to Check White Balance Award”

Stay tuned.

Bob out. 📸

Saturday, April 25, 2026

Bob Buys the Future (Accidentally, Of Course)


There are two types of photographers in this world.

  1. The ones who carefully research the future of camera technology.
  2. Bob.

Guess which one I am.


It Started Like Every Good Story… With an Old DSLR

I remember walking into the store and picking up the Sony A200 like I knew exactly what I was doing.

Big camera.
Serious grip.
Buttons everywhere.

Perfect.

I thought:
"This is it. This is what real photographers use."

And for a while, I was right. I was out there shooting everything—streets, parks, probably a few confused pigeons wondering why this guy with a big black camera was crouching in front of them.


Then Sony Went… Weird (and Bob Followed)

Next thing you know, Sony says:
“Hey Bob, what if we got rid of the mirror… but not really?”

Enter the SLT cameras.

So of course, I bought into it.

Because nothing says confidence like explaining to people:

“Yeah, it has a mirror… but it doesn’t move… but it’s still a DSLR… but also not.”

Totally normal conversation on a Toronto sidewalk.


The Upgrade: Sony A58

Now we’re getting serious.

The A58 showed up and I thought:
"This is peak technology. They’ve figured it all out now."

  • Electronic viewfinder?
  • Translucent mirror?
  • Still looks like a DSLR so I don’t get funny looks?

Perfect Bob camera.

I was out there shooting like I worked for a newspaper that didn’t actually hire me.


Then Bob Saw the Future… and It Was Small

And then… I saw it.

The tiny little camera sitting there like it didn’t belong.

The NEX-3.

No mirror.
No bulk.
No pretending to be anything.

Just… the future.

I probably stared at it for a solid 10 minutes thinking:
"There’s no way this little thing can replace my big serious camera."

So naturally…

…I bought it.


First Mirrorless in the Bag

And let me tell you, the first time I walked out with that NEX-3, something changed.

  • Lighter camera
  • Less attention
  • More freedom

Suddenly, I wasn’t “guy with big camera.”

I was just Bob… quietly taking photos of Toronto like I belonged there.

Which, let’s be honest, I do.


Looking Back (Bob Was Ahead… by Accident)

Here’s the funny part.

I didn’t plan any of this.

I wasn’t chasing trends.
I wasn’t reading tech blogs.

I was just buying cameras that looked interesting.

And somehow…

  • I went from DSLR
  • to weird SLT experiment
  • to one of the first mirrorless systems

Like I knew what I was doing.

I didn’t.


The Bob Philosophy (Now Official)

You don’t need the newest camera.

You don’t even need to understand the technology.

Sometimes you just need to:

  • Pick it up
  • Walk the streets
  • And take the shot

Because at the end of the day…

It’s not about the mirror.

It’s not about the sensor.

It’s about Bob… standing on a street corner in Toronto…
waiting for something interesting to happen.

And trust me…

It always does.




 

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Bob vs. The Columbia House Book Club: A Lifelong Game of Hide and Seek









So I was flipping through an actual book today—yes, a real one, not a Kindle, not a phone, not something with a battery that dies halfway through chapter three—and it got me thinking…

Is the Columbia House Book Club still looking for me?

Because let me tell you… I may have moved across Toronto, across Ontario, probably changed postal codes more times than I’ve changed lenses on my Sony a6000… but those guys? They had commitment.

Back in the day, you’d sign up for what seemed like the greatest deal ever:
“Get 12 books for a penny!”

And young Bob—future street photographer, part-time documentary legend, full-time deal seeker—thought:
This is it. I’ve beaten the system.

A stack of books shows up. Hardcovers. Real ones. Smelled like knowledge… or maybe just warehouse dust. Didn’t matter. I was now officially a “reader.”

Then came the fine print.

Suddenly, every month:
 A new book shipped automatically
 A bill
 And that little card you were supposed to mail back if you didn’t want the selection

Now let’s be honest—Bob in those days was not mailing anything back. I barely remembered to change film, let alone send postcards to cancel books about gardening in England or the history of naval warfare.

So what does Bob do?

Simple.

I move.

New address. New start. New identity.
Bob the Reader disappears… Bob the Street Photographer emerges.

But here’s the thing…

I sometimes wonder if somewhere out there, in a dusty office, there’s a Columbia House employee still flipping through records:

“Bob… Robb… last seen somewhere between the Quebec border and Lake Erie… possibly hiding behind a Sony camera… owes us for The Complete Guide to Bonsai Trees.”

And now here I am, years later, walking the streets of Toronto, documenting life, telling stories, shooting thousands of photos…

And I realize something:

I may have escaped the Book Club…

…but I still ended up surrounded by stories.

Just not the ones they were trying to send me every month.

Mine come from the streets:
– A guy fixing a bike on Queen Street
– A crowd waiting for a train at Union
– A hidden laneway no one notices
– A bookstore window with a display that looks better than anything Columbia House ever mailed me

And yeah… I still buy books sometimes.

But now it’s on my terms.

No monthly surprises.
No mystery packages.
No running from the mailman like I’m dodging a bill.

So if Columbia House is still out there…

Bob’s ready.

I’ve got a camera, a blog, and about 3,000 photos from this year alone.

If you want to send me something, make it a photo book.

Otherwise…

Good luck finding me.

I’ll be somewhere in Toronto…

Probably in a laneway…

Telling stories your catalog never could.

 

Bob vs The Dark Arts of Hart House (Featuring HDR Magic)











Alright… Bob went back to Hart House again.

Now normally, Hart House is where photographers go to suffer.

You walk in… and BAM—

  • bright windows like the gates of heaven
  • dark corners like a medieval dungeon
  • wood paneling that just eats light for breakfast

Classic dynamic range nightmare.

And Bob, being Bob, showed up with his trusty Sony A3000
aka “the camera YouTube reviewers forgot but Bob refuses to.”


The Problem: Your Camera Hates This Place

Every room at Hart House is basically a test:

  • Expose for the windows → everything else turns into a cave
  • Expose for the room → windows blow out like nuclear flash

Bob tried this the normal way once…
Let’s just say the photos looked like:

“Welcome to the silhouette museum.”


Enter: In-Camera HDR (Bob’s Secret Weapon)

Now here’s where Bob gets clever (dangerous, I know).

The Sony A3000 has Auto HDR, which basically means:

The camera takes multiple shots at different exposures
Then smashes them together into one image
And boom—detail everywhere

No tripod. No Light room wizardry. No crying later.

Just Bob… pressing the shutter like a professional (in Auto mode, of course).


What Bob Saw (And What HDR Fixed)

1. The Sitting Room Setup

Those chairs by the window?
Without HDR:

  • Chairs = black blobs
  • Window = white void

With HDR:

  • You see the leather texture
  • You see outside detail
  • You look like you know what you're doing

Bob calls that a win.


2. The Gothic Window Hallways

Those tall windows are beautiful… and evil.

HDR lets you:

  • keep the structure of the arches
  • see the stone detail
  • still hold the outside light

Without it?
You’re basically photographing glowing rectangles.


3. The Piano Room (a.k.a. “Instagram vs Reality”)

Nice grand piano. Moody lighting.

HDR:

  • keeps the shadows rich
  • lifts detail just enough
  • doesn’t turn it into a washed-out mess

Bob looked at the back screen and thought:

“Wow… I might accidentally be good at this.”


4. The Big Hall

This is where HDR really shines.

  • dark wood paneling 
  • bright stained glass 
  • rows of chairs 

Everything stays balanced.

Without HDR?
You get either:

  • spooky haunted hall
    OR
  • overexposed wedding disaster

Bob’s Super Technical Advice (Don’t Blink)

Here’s Bob’s “pro settings” for HDR on the A3000:

  • Turn on Auto HDR
  • Let the camera do its thing
  • Shoot handheld like a rebel
  • Try not to spill your coffee

That’s it.


Bob’s Deep Thought of the Day

Back in the film days, you either:

  • nailed exposure
  • or cried in the darkroom

Now?

Bob walks into one of the trickiest lighting environments in Toronto and just goes:

“Yeah… HDR will fix that.”

And it does.


Bob Camera Club Award (Obviously)

Bob is awarding himself:

“Master of Not Blowing Out Windows Award”

A very prestigious category.


Final Thought

Hart House isn’t just a building…
It’s a lighting boss battle.

And with HDR?

Bob didn’t just survive…

He exposed it properly.


If you’re shooting places like this—churches, old buildings, anywhere with crazy windows—
turn on HDR and let your camera help you out.

Because sometimes…

Even Bob admits:

“Maybe the camera is smarter than me.”


 


 

Sunday, April 19, 2026

Bob’s Laneway Project: The Toronto You Never See








Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Bob Stops for a Crane Lift on Wellington Street




So there I was… classic Bob move… supposed to be on a nice calm Saturday photo walk in downtown Toronto, minding my own business, maybe grabbing a coffee, maybe pretending I’m “on assignment” with my imaginary media badge…

…and then I see a crane.

Now listen—if you’ve followed this blog long enough, you know there are two things Bob cannot walk past:

  1. A good street scene
  2. A bunch of workers doing something complicated with heavy equipment

This had both.


The “What’s Going On Here?” Moment

I’m walking along Wellington Street and suddenly the road is partially blocked off, cones everywhere, and this massive yellow crane is set up like it owns the place.

Outriggers down.
Boom up in the air.
Workers standing around looking very serious.

That’s when you know something interesting is about to happen.

And sitting right there in the street?
A big industrial unit—looked like some kind of HVAC system—just waiting to be lifted up like it’s catching an elevator to the penthouse.


Bob the Construction Correspondent

Now most people walk by and think, “Oh, construction.”

Not Bob.

Bob turns into a full-on street documentary photographer.

I start circling the scene (from a respectful distance… we don’t want Bob becoming part of the lift). You’ve got:

  • The crane operator doing precision work from the cab
  • Workers guiding the load
  • That perfect contrast of old brick buildings and shiny glass condos
  • And the bright orange cones… Toronto’s unofficial city flower 

Honestly, this is peak Toronto storytelling right here.


The Shot

You’ve got everything in these photos:

  • Leading lines from the street pulling your eye into the scene
  • Big bold shapes from the crane and equipment
  • Reflections in the glass buildings
  • And that deep blue sky… the kind you only get on a perfect Saturday

This is why I always say—you don’t need a special event to get great photos.
Sometimes the story is just… happening.


Waiting for the Lift

Now here’s the funny part.

I stood there for a bit thinking, “Alright, I’m going to catch the exact moment this thing lifts.”

You know… National Geographic style. Pulitzer Prize stuff.

But crane lifts are like fishing.

Lots of waiting… lots of standing… lots of “almost.”

Still worth it though. Because even without the dramatic mid-air shot, the setup tells the whole story.


The Bigger Picture

This is what I love about shooting in Toronto.

People think the city is just:

  • CN Tower
  • Rogers Centre
  • Streetcars

But the real story?

It’s the workers keeping the city running.

Every building, every condo, every office tower—there’s a whole operation behind the scenes. And if you slow down for five minutes, you can capture it.


Final Thought from Bob

Sometimes the best thing you can do on a photo walk is…

Stop rushing.
Stop looking for the “perfect” location.
Stop thinking you need something special.

Because right there on Wellington Street on a random Saturday…
a crane, a crew, and a piece of machinery turned into a full story.

And Bob?

Yeah… Bob got the shot. 


 

Friday, April 10, 2026

Bob’s Blog: “Yeah… But Did They Walk It Like Bob?”


So I was hanging out with my brothers today—just a couple of guys solving the world’s problems from the comfort of a driveway chair—and the topic somehow drifted to my photos.

Now, this is always a dangerous moment.

I casually said,
“Yeah, I’ve got a pretty big collection of camping photos from all over Ontario.”

And right on cue, one of them fires back:
“Yeah… lots of people go camping and take photos.”

Ouch. Direct hit. No filter. No HDR to smooth that one out.

But here’s the thing…

Yeah, people go camping.
Yeah, people take photos.

But not everyone has walked the stretch from the Quebec border all the way down to the shores of Lake Erie… and over to Lake Huron… and up north past New Liskeard into Chapleau country.


And Then… The Wall

Because here’s where I just point inside the house.

“See that wall?”

Yeah… that wall.

That’s not decoration. That’s not Pinterest. That’s not “influencer aesthetic.”

That’s proof.

Every single one of those Ontario Parks stickers?
My brothers and I stayed there.

Not drove by.
Not Googled.
Not “Top 10 Hidden Gems in Ontario.”

We packed the car, drove the miles, set up tents, dealt with bugs, rain, questionable washrooms—and came back with a sticker.

And over time…

That wall filled up.


This Isn’t Just Camping

This is:

  • Bon Echo mornings with mist on the water
  • Algonquin trips where you swear you hear something in the woods at 2 AM
  • Lake Erie sunsets that make you forget your phone even exists
  • Northern stops where it feels like you’ve driven off the map

From the Quebec border…
To Lake Erie…
To Lake Huron…
And deep into the north…

That wall is basically a map of everywhere we’ve actually been.


Meanwhile… The “Travel Influencers”

Here’s the part I didn’t say out loud (but definitely thought):

You go online and see all these travel blogs—people flying around the world, posting beaches, mountains, and “secret spots.”

And I always think…

Have they ever actually explored their own backyard?

Because Bob has.

While they’re posting from Bali, I’m standing in a provincial park in Ontario with a coffee, watching the light come through the trees.

While they’re chasing hashtags, I’m chasing fog on a lake that doesn’t even have cell service.

And honestly?

I’ll take the sticker wall over a passport stamp any day.


The Bob Difference

Anyone can take a photo.

But not everyone builds a wall like that.

Not everyone:

  • Goes back year after year
  • Travels across the province instead of just across the globe
  • Turns every trip into a story

And definitely not everyone is doing it with:

  • A 10+ year-old Sony camera
  • A trunk full of camping gear
  • And a mindset of “let’s see what’s out there this weekend”

Brothers Keep You Honest

Now don’t get me wrong—this is what brothers are for.

You show them a wall full of parks, miles, and memories…

And they still say,
“Yeah… other people camp too.”

Fair enough.

But not everyone has that wall.


Final Thought from Bob

So yeah… maybe lots of people go camping and take photos.

But not everyone can point to a wall and say:

“We stayed at all of these.”

That’s not just camping.

That’s a lifetime of trips, stories, and miles across Ontario.

Anyway… I’ll keep taking the photos.

And we’ll keep adding stickers.

Because I’m pretty sure we’re not done yet.

Bob Goes Off the Beaten Track – Mount Dennis Edition








Sometimes, as a street photographer in Toronto, you realize something…

You’ve walked the same streets.
Shot the same corners.
Waited for the same TTC streetcar to roll into the same frame for the 500th time.

And that’s when Bob says… “Alright, time to get lost.”


📍 The Start – Mount Dennis Station

You start somewhere new. For me, it was Mount Dennis.

Clean platforms, fresh concrete, that “this took 15 years to build” energy in the air. A place most people just pass through… but Bob? I stop and shoot.

Because even an empty platform tells a story.


🌳 Then You Walk… And Keep Walking

You leave the station and suddenly—boom—you’re not downtown anymore.

No suits.
No crowds.
No lineups for $9 coffee.

Just a trail… a family walking… kids running around… and if you look closely—Easter eggs scattered in the grass.

That’s the thing about going off the beaten path.
The photos aren’t chasing you… you have to find them.


🏪 The Real Toronto

Then you hit a corner like this:

A small convenience store.
Lottery signs in the window.
A bit worn, a bit real, a bit perfect.

This is the Toronto that doesn’t make postcards… but probably should.

Bob always says:

“If it looks a little rough around the edges… it probably has a better story.”


🚒 The Unexpected Finds

You keep walking and suddenly you're standing in front of a fire hall.

Canadian flag waving.
Garage doors closed.
Quiet.

No action… but you can feel the stories inside that building.

That’s street photography too—not just action… but atmosphere.


🚦 The Big View

Then you hit a hill, look down the road, and there it is…

A whole neighbourhood stretching out in front of you.

Traffic lights hanging.
Cars moving slow.
City skyline just peeking in the distance.

That’s your “pause” moment.

Take the shot.
Look around.
Realize—you would never see this if you stayed downtown.


🍁 The Layers of the City

Then there’s the Legion.

Old brick.
History on the walls.
A reminder that every neighbourhood has roots deeper than any condo tower.

Mount Dennis isn’t trying to impress you.
It’s just being itself.


🛣️ The Street That Keeps Going

And finally—you hit a strip of shops.

A pub.
A few storefronts.
Cars passing by.

Nothing flashy. Nothing viral.

But this is where people live.

This is where stories happen every day without anyone noticing.

Except Bob… walking around with a 10-year-old Sony camera like he just discovered the place.


📸 The Bob Philosophy (Again…)

Here’s the thing…

You don’t need:

  • A new camera
  • A big event
  • Or even good weather

You just need to go somewhere different.

Somewhere you don’t usually go.
Somewhere no one is telling you to photograph.

Because that’s where the real photos are hiding.


🧠 Final Thought from Bob

Downtown Toronto is great…
…but it’s only one chapter of the story.

If you want the full book?

Go to places like Mount Dennis.
Walk the side streets.
Look at the details.

And most importantly…

👉 Get a little lost.

Because Bob never finds good photos when he knows exactly where he’s going.



 

Bob’s Guide to Cameras, Lenses… and Why None of It Matters (But Also Totally Does)

Alright, let’s get this straight right away… Every time Bob shows up on a photo walk in Toronto, someone asks: “Hey Bob… what’s the BEST ca...