Bob Starts the New Year at the Hair of the Dog Photo Walk — Tim Hortons Edition

New Year’s Day always starts a little slower. The city wakes up quietly, the streets still shaking off the night before, and photographers… well, photographers know exactly what’s needed. Coffee. Warmth. And somewhere familiar to reset the rhythm.

So Bob started January 1st the only sensible way possible:

at Tim Hortons, camera in hand, on the Hair of the Dog photo walk.

This wasn’t about chasing fireworks or fireworks-adjacent hangovers. This was about easing back into the streets — documenting the calm after the chaos, one double-double at a time.

The First Stop: Order Here, Stories Everywhere

Inside Tim Hortons, the world feels reset.

Bright menu boards. Stainless counters. The soft glow of display lights bouncing off rows of donuts that look far too cheerful for January 1st.

Bob didn’t rush. He never does.

The counter became the first frame of the year — baristas already in motion, regulars lining up like it was any other day, and that unmistakable hum of a place that never really sleeps. New year or not, the coffee still flows.

This is classic Bob territory:

Working people back on shift

Quiet conversations at the counter

That brief pause before the city fully wakes up

No spectacle. Just real life, back on schedule.

Donuts, Displays, and Street Photography Without Streets

Some photographers think street photography only happens outdoors. Bob knows better.

Behind the glass:

Perfect rows of donuts

A controlled chaos of baked goods

Reflections in curved display cases

Hands reaching in, transactions happening, life continuing

It’s street photography indoors — where routines matter more than landmarks.

The camera isn’t loud here. It observes.

And on New Year’s Day, that observation feels extra honest.

The Hair of the Dog Philosophy

The Hair of the Dog photo walk isn’t about excess — it’s about recovery.

It’s about:

Getting outside even when it’s cold

Carrying a camera even when you feel slow

Starting the year by showing up, not showing off

Bob didn’t need fireworks or crowds.

He needed a coffee cup, a familiar counter, and the reminder that stories are everywhere — even before noon on January 1st.

Same City, New Year, Same Bob

By the time Bob stepped back out into the Toronto cold, the year was officially underway.

The camera was warm.

The hands were warmer.

And the first photos of the year weren’t dramatic — they were honest.

Because that’s how Bob starts a new year:

Not with big promises.

But with small moments, steady steps, and a Tim Hortons coffee to go.

Same streets.

Same curiosity.

New year loaded.I prefer this response