Experimenting with my AF button

I finally discovered how to focus using those little squares in my viewfinder. I feel pretty lame that it took me this long - and even lamer that all my pictures up to now have been focusing on pretty much random things. No wonder I had such hits and misses. Of course, practicing focus points on a moving boat while taking pictures of other moving boats is perhaps not the easiest way, but it sure makes you fast. The Digital Photography School site had a very timely post about this yesterday and they use Canon for display purposes so I was able to follow along and set my camera up so that the AF button would track in AI Servo and I could just fire - the shutter is now a shutter and not a focus button. At least I think that's what I'm doing.

One of those close calls on the race course when a boat from another division crosses your nose. My focus is on the sail numbers.

Here we have put up the protest (red) flag, indicating another competitor has broken a rule. The focus is on the flag.

I saw a plane going overhead and quickly lined up this moving plane with my focus point, held and snapped.

Pedestrian Sundays at the Kensington Market, Toronto

I didn't know about this before! I knew they closed the street to cars on Sundays but I didn't know the whole place turned into a festival. I was out buying a hose at Canadian Tire originally so I was caught without my 50D. All these photos are from my iPhone. Hopefully I can get back next week for some better shots.

At first I thought this was a dance troupe, but when I went by them again about an hour later, they were still in this pose (oh my aching back!). I guess it was a living art installation.

The allure of a puddle sometimes cannot be resisted.

Real feather headress.

Another kind of headress. This guy was actually in the crowd watching the dancer above.

A giant street Scrabble game.

More hats for sale.

Wilson NY

Main street Wilson. Yes, I'm standing in the middle of the street. This is a town with an IGA but no liquor store. According to a fellow we met, the owner of the store used to meet Canadian boats at the marina with cases of liquor. I guess someone put a stop to that. Now the nearest place to buy anything other than beer is Olcott.

One of the main streets in town is called Pettit St. There were a lot of Pettit's in the local cemetery (Greenwood). Here is Enoch Pettit's wife Juliett.

Some other shots from Greenwood Cemetery.

This water element was on someone's front lawn. Like a metaphor for the entire town; going to weed. Although it astonished me how many small town Americans still drive big SUV's.

Surf, or turf? In the playground:

Niagara-on-the-Lake

Picturesque little tourist town, during an annual trip to procure Maple Leaf Fudge (well, that's what I go for).

The big day - Pride Parade

Pride was Hot - in more ways than one! I didn't last the whole parade - the sun got to me. However, I was there for about 2 hours and managed some shots. It was difficult because we were on the wrong side of the street (the sunny side) and getting a good exposure between the heads of people around me meant I had a very small window to shoot in. Once the parade started going by, people would just hold out their cameras and video cameras and often they'd be in the frame. I decided next year to take the "behind the scenes of the Parade" or the beginning or end of the Parade. I enjoyed the street photography part of it much more. It's all a learning process.

The lucky ones; on the shady side, and in a building near toilets and fridges and chairs.

This is my hometown on a Sunday (granted, not a typical Sunday!) I like this photo for a lot of reasons. It is famous Toronto street Yonge Street , the headquarters of the iconic Bay department store is visible at the top of the street, the crowds, the energy. #sfgirlbybaycontest

"I'm melting!"

Love the right arm gesture and the scarf

Teachers who support their LGBT students

MCC Rev. Dr. Brent Hawkes

LGB Canadians can serve openly in the military

I'm not sure why this has anything to do with Pride, but it's a very inclusive day

My camera was hunting for AF for some reason - this shot could have been better on MF

What's the best thing after a long hot march on the pavement in the July sun? A good friend.