When I get out early enough I often catch the passing parade of people walking their pets. Usually dogs, sometimes a cat or two , and even the occasional ferret. When they’re not being walked you often see them waiting for their owners to return as is the case in these photographs. Dogs tend to look alert and baleful, while cats look rather cool and collected.
You don’t have to look very far to find examples of public art. I saw the first piece on the campus of a Montreal university. I liked its vibrance and its nod to diversity. In the second photo, the influence of my talented mate is rubbing off – in that I noticed the play of light and shadow before I even saw the ironwork on display.
When I feature more than one photo per post, they usually share a common theme. Although these are two very different subjects, I think they both evoke a feeling of quiet watchfulness. The brick wall backs onto a vacant lot, it’s been empty for years. So far developers have shown no interest, just the wildflowers.
Every couple of months the wall art changes at this construction site. Passing by the other day I was struck by this vibrant painting. It’s fun to see the locals (two and four legged) walk by. The man was intent on checking his phone, maybe the mural was no longer a novelty for him but I loved it.
We took a walk through the entertainment section of Gatineau, Quebec this summer and came upon these umbrellas. It was a brilliant sunny day and the umbrellas provided a perfect awning. As colourful as they are I preferred the photograph in black and white, as it emphasized shape, form and contrast.
The “musical trio” struck my fancy for their enduring and endearing nature. They appear to have weathered many seasons, yet the band plays on.
As I’ve mentioned before, birds have been rather scarce this year so we’ve been doing quite a bit of street photography. In the first photo, a Victorian bird cage in the window of a local business had some lovely elements to it. In the second, I thought the red of the brick wall as well as the bird theme made for a nice pairing of the two photos.
The colour and texture of this weathered looking house caught my eye and when I saw the sign I smiled and took the shot. Taking an alternate route in a familiar neighbourhood can be an adventure. The second photo was the result of a similar walk. These houses were ordinary but the city laneway reminded me more of one in the countryside and was well worth some attention.
