Today, we go for an afternoon stroll as I experience my first Canadian winter, something that would inevitably be a shock to the system of a person who has spent their entire life in the tropics. I mean, sure, I’ve visited cold countries during the November/December months before, but as we Guyanese like to say: “Come see meh and come live with meh is two different things”. And boy, am I experiencing the truthfulness of these words.

I probably need a little more time before I get to have a proper opinion, but so far, I can report that I don’t actually hate winter. Granted, it’s pretty darn cold – and I mean cold! It’s not uncommon for temperatures to fall to -30 degrees Celsius.

But it’s also so very beautiful! The trees, having shed all their leaves in the fall, take on new life when covered in snow, and everything feels so pure and pristine. It all begs to be photographed!

Today, we take a leisurely stroll around my neighbourhood with my camera. There are no vast landscapes to photograph nor stunning vistas to take my breath away – but I do like the images I was able to make.

It was quite windy otoday, and everything felt strange – it’s almost like I had to learn everything anew. Things as familiar as walking – you can’t just walk – noooo, you have to watch where you’re walking and step carefully, especially when on ice. Quite a few times, I almost fell on my ass cuz’ I didn’t step right and the ground was frozen. Boy, this ain’t normal! I’ve never owned snow shoes before, but I was sure glad that had em.

  

I also find it a little unsettling the way everything carries on like nothing happened – I mean, ice fell from the sky and everything is frozen – how does no one seem bothered? Life goes on as per normal: traffic and construction and pedestrians. It’s all quite odd. And kinda impressive.

As I watched life unfold around me, I found myself grateful that I had the privilege of working from home. Heaven knows that I’d struggle if I had to leave my house every morning in this weather!

Because I’m still new to this place, I still see everything with googley eyes. So while traffic and frozen sidewalks are normal to everyone else, I’m enthralled, and all too happy to document it all. My chosen weapon of the day was my trusty Sony A7iii with an 85mm prime lens, which provides a comfortable focal length for capturing street scenes without having to get too close to the subject. There’s also something very special about the way the 85mm lens compresses everything.

 

Pretty soon, I had lost both the light and the feelings in my fingers, and it was time to head home.I snapped a few more shots but then had to put my camera away and tuck my hands inside my jacket to get some warmth. (Are heated gloves a thing? That would be a good investment!)

All in all, I had a great afternoon. It was quite relaxing to just go for a walk with my camera, with no pressure or expectations and just shoot whatever caught my eye. I definitely plan to do this a lot more in the coming weeks. But until then, you guys stay safe, warm, and creative.

I’ll catch you in the next one.

Damion