The End. (At TCN)
My time here as Metroland’s summer photography co-op student at Toronto Community News is over. Today is my last day, my last assignments have been filed and tomorrow I’m moving things to Belleville. School orientation starts this week and it is going to be a crazy year.
I’ll start this blog post in mid-August. Two Thursday’s ago I went to Albert Campbell Square in front of Scarborough’s Civic Centre. It was India’s independence day, so the local Indian community came out to celebrate.
Yog Gulati holds an Indian flag outside Scarborough Civic Centre at the Hindu Cultural Society of Canada’s celebration of India’s Independence on Thursday. (August 15, 2013)
As the sun was setting it was a great time for pictures, with some dramatic light.
Tandra Mantri, left, applies make-up to dancer Akantsha Baish before a performance at Scarborough’s Civic Centre during the Hindu Cultural Society of Canada’s celebration of India’s Independence on Thursday. (August 15, 2013)
Also interesting dances with great symmetry can make nice pictures.
Dancers perform at Scarborough’s Civic Centre during the Hindu Cultural Society of Canada’s celebration of India’s Independence on Thursday. (August 15, 2013)
And then Ghanafest was happening in North York. A colourful day celebrating all things Ghanian.
John Kamassa dances with a Ghanian flag at the second annual Canadian Ghanian festival of art an culture on Saturday in Earl Bales Park. (August 17, 2013)
On Sunday I went to a car wash in Parkdale (over)run by zombies. The Toronto zombie walk was there washing cars in blood, then soap, although one zombie told me blood was preferred over soap…
A zombie menaces passengers in a car during a zombie car wash at The Classic Coin Wash on Sunday to raise money for the Toronto Zombie Walk. (August 18, 2013)
I capped off the day with a trip to a multicultural street festival on Eglinton Avenue. It was actually pretty empty and low key when I got there, however, I found these steel drummers performing under and awning and the main drummer
Leroy (Ants) plays the steel drums at the York – Eglinton International Street Festival on Sunday. (August 18, 2013)
When I returned next week on Thursday I started off heading to the renaming of Toronto’s island ferry terminal. It was renamed for the late-leader of the opposition Jack Layton.
Olivia Chow, MP for Trinity—Spadina and wife of the late Jack Layton, speaks at the unveiling of a statue of the late leader of the NDP at the Toronto Island Ferry Terminal renamed the Jack Layton terminal in his honour on Thursday. (August 22, 2013)
Members of his family, unions and supporters were on hand, and they unveiled a statue of him riding a tandem bike.
Ward 19 Councillor and Jack’s son Michael Layton smiles after the unveiling of a statute of his late father Jack Layton at the Toronto Island ferry terminal, now renamed the Jack Layton ferry terminal in his honour on Thursday. (August 22, 2013)
It’s the back to school season as well. So I was sent to shoot a portrait of a school principle in a newly renovated wing of his building. I confess portraits are still a weaker point of mine, I thought I would be shooting more of them this summer but I didn’t. We tried a couple of things but I figured this one was my favorite, nice and simple.
Carmelo Nanfara the principle of Cedarvale Community School sits in the newly renovated wing of the school on Friday. (August 23, 2013)
In a sure sign my summer was ending, later that day I was sent to cover an exhibition game between the University of Guelph and University of Toronto baseball teams.
University of Toronto Varsity Blues’ Oshima Yusuke checks for an umpires call after safely sliding into third base during an exhibition game against the University of Guelph Gryphons on Friday. Toronto defeated Guelph 7-6. (August 23, 2013)
The day after was a day of ethnic celebrations. The Toronto Chinatown Festival kicked off with politicians, Chinese dragons and traditional music.
A young girl peaks out from under a Chinese dragon costume at the opening of the Toronto Chinatown Festival on Saturday. (August 24, 2013)
Later that day I drove north to Downsview Park and Rastafest. It was a hot day in direct sunlight, but pretty interesting nonetheless.
Adam Malaku waits for a performance to start while wrapped in a Rastafari flag on Saturday at the 2013 Rastafest at Downsview Park. The flag is the same flag used by the state of Ethiopia 1897-1974. (August 24, 2013)
And finally this past Sunday I started down at the beaches, where an organization called surfers healing has been running a free day camp for autistic children. The camp pairs up kids with a pro surfer who teaches them how to stand up paddle.
A surfer helps a camper with on a stand-up paddle board during the second day of Aloha Toronto at Cherry Beach on Sunday. The event, hosted by Surfers Healing Camp is a free camp which pairs up children with autism and professional surfers who teach them how to surf or stand-up paddle. (August 25, 2013)
That afternoon I was in east Scarborough at a private home for a fundraiser for the Scarborough Terry Fox run. There was a family of five there who all agreed to either have their heads shaved or dyed to help raise money.
Piet Weert has his head shaved to raise money for the Scarborough Terry Fox Run at a garden party in the Neilson road and 401 area on Sunday. (August 25, 2013)
Cecilia Avarino from EM Hair Fashion Place shaves Piet Weert’s head raise money for the Scarborough Terry Fox Run at a garden party in the Neilson road and 401 area on Sunday. (August 25, 2013)
And with that I’m signing off. My next post will be about the return to school.
Cheers,
Adam Dietrich
Dog Days
August has dawned, nights are cooler and days are getting shorter, as is my time here in Toronto.
This past week I got to shoot the Rogers Cup. It was my first time shooting a world class sporting event. I’ve photographed University level sports and even professional level hockey with the Belleville Bulls, I even once photographed a Raptors scrimmage in Ottawa but nothing at this level or speed.
Germany’s Anna-Lena Grönefeld returns a ball during the final round of the women’s doubles at the Rogers Cup at Rexall Centre on Sunday. Grönefeld and her Czech partner Květoslava Peschkeová lost to Serbian Jelena Janković and Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik. (August 11, 2013)
To say it was a challenge is an understatement, not only have I not photographed sports at this level before, but I’ve never taken a single picture of people playing tennis. Ever. I had ideas of where to stand and which pics to get but factoring in my ignorance of the game and the insane speed of the players it was a bit of a challenge. After ten minutes of fumbling around and getting lots of pictures of returns with no ball visible I started to anticipate better and they started rolling in.
Romania’s Sorana Cirstea wipes away tears after being defeated by America Serena Williams at the women’s single final of the Rogers Cup at Rexall Centre on Sunday. (August 11, 2013)
My biggest disappointment was not getting to court level in time to see Serena Williams play. I had a job at the same time her match started, and I wanted to do a good job of both assignments. By the time I drove to North York (30 minutes from the previous job), parked, got my media pass and got in she was well on her way. My route to court level took me past the top of the upper bowl so I snapped a few pics just in case I couldn’t get lower in time. As it happened by the time I had all my passes and was in the right place, her match was over. Although I was court-side for her accepting the trophy and for the doubles match which followed. A full gallery of what I filed is online here.
Serena Williams celebrates with the Roger’s Cup after defeating Sorana Cirstea 6-2 6-0 in the women’s single final at Rexall Centre on Sunday. (August 11, 2013)
Earlier that day I attended a Catholic Mass at St. Clare’s church, they were celebrating their 100th year anniversary. It was double booked for me though because the Roger’s Cup Women’s Final started at the same time as this assignment. Somehow I managed to be in two places at the same time.
Father Vito Marziliano, right, accepts a book from a parishioner during a mass celebrating the 100th anniversary of St. Clare’s Catholic Church on Sunday. The church marked it’s centennial with a solemn mass and and unavailing of a new statue of St. Clare. (August 11, 2013)
It was interesting, I find faith and religion fascinating and Catholic Masses are so ornate and full of ritual. Having some degree of access near the alter was really enjoyable.
Parishioners pray during a mass celebrating the 100th anniversary of St. Clare’s Catholic Church on Sunday. The church marked it’s centennial with a solemn mass and and unavailing of a new statue of St. Clare. (August 11, 2013)
On Friday I was at the opening of the Taste of Danforth, a huge Greek food and culture festival in eastern Toronto. The festival was opened with an event called the Danforth Dash. Corporate teams of four raced hospital beds down Danforth Avenue to raise money for the Toronto East General Hospital Foundation and to be the winners of the coveted Gold Bed Pan Trophy.
The Amalgamated Transit Union team races a bed down Danforth Avenue during the 7th annual Danforth Dash on Friday. The event opened the Pilaros Taste of the Danforth festival and raised money for the Toronto East General Hospital Foundation. (August 9, 2013)
Rewinding a week earlier, I was out on feature patrol looking for standalone to help fill space. I’d wandered over to the Ashbridge’s Bay Skatepark down by Toronto’s beaches. Usually I have good success with the skateboarders there, but this time there was nothing. So I wandered up to one of the upper bowls in the park and found a scooter team doing tricks, they were really good, so I asked to take some pictures, one kid eagerly hoped in and promptly did a backflip for my camera.
Jack Kelly a scooter rider with Scooters Canada does a back flip in a bowl at Ashbridges Bay Skatepark on Sunday. The Scooters Canada team was on a province wide skatepark tour, doing demonstrations in six skateparks in three days over the long weekend. (August 4, 2013)
The day before I was down at the famous Caribana festival for the grand parade, due to a logistical issue I spent over an hour waiting outside. It turned out the media check-in booth was inside the paid admission area, which I wasn’t able to access until I picked up my media pass from the media check-in which was located in the paid admission area which I couldn’t access…. The only way I got out of that repeating loop was because a photographer friend of mine who had a pass went into the event and came back with mine.
A masquerader performs on Lakeshore Boulevard on Saturday during the Grand Parade of the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival. (August 3, 2013)
That headache set me back and meant I was only able to spend little under an hour at Caribana, and never quite got into the vibe. Maybe next year?
A masquerader performs on Lakeshore Boulevard on Saturday during the Grand Parade of the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival. (August 3, 2013)
My week that week started in the extreme ends of Toronto. On Thursday morning I headed into Etobicoke in Toronto’s west end, it was my first time working in this part of the city. Seems a local boy, Dave Bolland, was in town with the Stanley Cup. Bolland won it playing with the Blackhawks, but everyone there was excited because he had just announced he’d been traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The crowd was a mix a dejected Blackhawks fans and hopeful Leafs fans.
Former Chicago Blackhawk now Toronto Maple Leaf Dave Bolland holds the Stanley cup over his head during a parade down Mimico Avenue on Thursday. (August 1, 2013)
Did I mention it was Etobicoke on the day of the by-elections? Rob and Doug Ford were there leading the parade and campaigning for their guy Doug Holyday who ended up winning Etobicoke-Lakeshore.
Mayor Rob Ford waves at people on Mimico Avenue as he leads the Stanley Cup Parade on Thursday. (August 1, 2013)
That gave me the rest of the day and evening to get across town into Scarborough where another by-election was happening. It was my first time shooting political news, unless you want to count student council election at Carleton University. It was intense because I was fighting with crowds and other photographers. I know a few of the photographers ended up on insanely tight deadlines because Mitzie Hunter arrived late to the after party (by insanely tight I mean they had 15 minutes to shoot, file, edit and transmit). For my part Inside Toronto wanted their pictures that night as well, although I was had more time.
Mitzie Hunter, left, and premiere Kathleen Wynne celebrate a Liberal victory the Scarborough-Guildwood by-election on Thursday. (August 1, 2013)
The last two weeks have been busy but good, with a few bigger assignments. While the stress level is always much higher with these types of events so is the reward.
That being Said I’m now into the last two weeks before school resumes and the summer job ends.
Cheers,
Adam
Adam Dietrich 