PhotographyCategory Archives

Vegan Meal Prep

Making roasted vegetables each weekend is my new thing. The process really shows off how much work vegans have to do to eat healthy, not including growing the food, of course.

Peel the carrots.

Chop the colourful carrots.

Mushrooms are easy. Just throw them in a bowl.

Don’t forgot to preheat the oven!

Play with your vegetables for some fun:)

Meanwhile, press the tofu with an improvised tofu teapot press.

“Finish” the press job.

More vegetables to go! Take the sweet potatoes for a mood-lighting photo because they’re so pretty.

Mix then salt and pepper the veggies.

Same for the tofu cubes.

Finally, ready for the oven.

Do the dishes while you wait for the veggies to cook.

Remove from the oven 40 minutes later.

Check if they’re done.

Behold the beauty the oven does and try not to eat them all this minute.

Make yourself a small bowl to eat now and of course take a pic before the light disappears.

Pack up the veggies for the week – can’t resist one more beauty shot.

Ms. G

November 10, 2019

Photography

0 comments

Fall is Creeping In = Red

There are bits of red here and there at the cottage.

Unfortunately, this Economist cover for Sept. 21-27, has an unmistakably red section, too, representing how much we have worsened temperature creep since the 1990s. Even The Economist admits: “It [climate change] is not a problem that can be put off for a few decades. It is here and now. … Its losses are already there and often mourned – on drab landscapes where the glaciers have died and on reefs bleached of their coral colours. Delay means that mankind will suffer more harm and face a vastly more costly scramble to make up for lost time.”

Ms. G

September 29, 2019

Photography

0 comments

Zim Sculpt

Truly beautiful works of art, sculptures by Zimbabwean artists at Edwards Gardens. Each one is perfectly placed in just the right location in the extensive gardens. There are a few other photos in my July post. I’ve been twice now and would love to go back at dusk.

https://torontobotanicalgarden.ca/enjoy/special-events/zimsculpt/

This is not the first time I’ve seen Zimbabwean sculpture. Near our cottage is ZimArt: Rice Lake Gallery, another fantastic place to see outdoor art.

I love the variety of subjects: human, animal and geometric.

Ms. G

August 3, 2019

Photography, Summer

0 comments

Before July Disappears

A few pics from July.

Forgotten Bean Salad

I had some friends over to the cottage for a bbq and forgot to serve the bean salad. It sat languishing in the fridge after I had worked to perfect the tarragon dressing using our own tarragon from the herb garden. And so, the bean salad deserves its due: a study in bean salad.

You’ll notice that I propped it up, de-propped it, moved locations, changed lighting conditions, and, finally, ate it.

An Eye for Photography

This person has one. I wish I could see like that.

Tapestry of Leaves by Susan Butler, York, England.

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2019/apr/28/international-garden-photographer-of-the-year-black-white-photo-project

This is all I’ve got.

Olives at St. Lawrence Market, March 2019.

Withrow Park clubhouse, March 2019.

Queen’s Park protest, Apri, 2019.

Food Photos

I’m learning how to take photos of food. It is not easy. Here are some of my favourite concoctions from the last two weeks.

: It all starts with beautiful produce from the two Peterborough farmers' markets.

: Plums alone are photogenic.

: Patty pan squash is sculptural.

: This was vegan salad nicoise minus the olives (Val doesn't like them).

: Panzanella was one of my first tries.

: Patty pans finally got stuffed with black rice.

: Ingredients on their own are sometimes just as pretty.

: Black rice with peashoots.

: Cucumbers with lime and tarragon from Saladish.

: The cucumber lime dressing with black sesame seeds.

: Tofu with a chili garlic sauce.

Brentwood Bay

About half an hour outside of Victoria can be found Victoria Butterfly Gardens and The Butchart Gardens. Both are incredible places.

First we went to see the butterflies in their indoor tropical playground. Then we were equally wowed by the beauty of Butchart Gardens.

: The foliage is as sensational as the butterflies.

: Texture galore in tropical leaves.

: This was one of the most popular plants amongst the butterflies.

: Someone stood still.

: They have animal life as well, including birds, turtles, flamingos and lizards.

: You can almost feel the smoothness of the petals.

: Yum, nectar.

: Just resting on a leaf.

: Tropical plants have very intriguing features.

: Leaves overlap in beautiful ways.

: Like a spiral staircase down.

: It was rare to see the blue inside this type of butterfly's wings.

: The stunning view from atop the sunken garden, built in a former quarry.

: Hungry bird at dusk.

: We went through the sunken garden twice, once later near dusk, because it was so spectacular.

: I love seeing this little sign all over the garden.

: The foliage combinations just weave into each other.

: Stunning greens.

: Hummie at dusk.

: They have many varieties of hydrangeas - these pink ones are so pretty.

: Interesting usage of old quarry equipment.

: Stairs to views.

: Incredible layers of green.

: The golden hour didn't quite hit this garden but it found that one tree.

: The Japanese garden had an intriguing little scene every direction you looked.

: Cute little bamboo fences like this were all over the Japanese garden.

: Bridge to green.

: Even the garbage cans are beautiful.

: Bamboo gateway.

: One of many ponds in the Japanese garden.

Victoria

We just returned from an amazing holiday in BC. It started with our first ever trip to Victoria. What took us so long? It’s a beautiful, friendly city.

: Beacon Hill is a beautiful park full of ponds home to friendly ducks.

: Moon over BC legislature.

: BC legislature carriage house at night.

: Fan Tan Alley in Chinatown was adorable but closed early at night and not very Chinese.

: I love cargo ships - seeing this one off Ogden Point was good luck.

: Indigenous mural at Ogden Point breakwater.

: Working boats at Fisherman's Wharf.

: One lone seal.

: Aptly said at the end of a row of floating houses at Fisherman's Wharf.

: Japanese school boys at Mount Doug.

: Val found this tiny pocket beach at Cattle Point. A family came to swim at it.

: The view from the summit of Mount Doug.

: Market Square where there is an entirely VEGAN restaurant.

: Victoria is very proud of its naval history.

Human-made March Break

I usually take a few pictures of whatever looks pseudo-alive on our visit to the cottage at March Break. This year I went in the opposite direction, searching out macro snapshots of manufactured items. See if you can identify the following:

reflectors, fence measurements, road safety sign, fence label, pattern on telephone box, wire coil, fence hinge, community mailboxes.