Happy Holidays! (and a huge turkey)

This is usually my favorite time of year. It can be stressful, I admit that, with all the shopping and food preparing and making everything clean and nice and entertaining people.

But somehow this time of year, that has a special spirit and despite all the work, it's worth it.

This whole week was actually exiting - in both good and bad ways. It started bad with my visa complications, resulting in not sleeping for two days and a great depression.

Luckily, I've managed to solve the issue on Wednesday, so I had good day and a half to actually relax and do those last things before Christmas. Like last minute shopping and figuring what the hell are we going to eat.

With a little help aside, we decided it's going to be a turkey on Christmas eve - and don't judge - nobody eats fish around here, and even if we do, I wouldn't know how to make it.

Also, a friend of mine was working on Christmas day, so we decided to go with Christmas rituals day before, on Christmas eve.

So, while I was working for half a day and running around to get wine and other necessities, Ana came with a 10 lb turkey. She said she took the smallest one available.

It barely fit into the oven. I don't even have a proper size dish for that kind of animal.
It took it 5.5 hours to get it done.
We were starving.

In the meantime, we made mulled wine and enjoyed that for the whole afternoon. It was delicious.

So, six hours later, we had the dinner!

By that time, one of the guys ended up being on another party and another one went to bed. So Ana and I ate alone.

After we were so hungry and had a huge meal, the turkey still looked as if we just took it out of the oven.
You can't even tell someone already ate it. We're gonna be eating it til New Year's eve probably.


We opened the presents that evening too, and spend huge amount of time to get her fitness tracker working.

I got a kitchen scale, which I've been really missing, considering that I've been using my sixth sense and a feeling to measure stuff till now :)

Christmas day was quiet and relaxing, and we ended it in the theater watching the new Star Wars movie. BP8 was cute.

So all in all we had nice and relaxing Christmas. With plenty of food. And cookies I've made :)

I hope you did too! So have nice rest of the holidays and a killer New Year!

Xoxo!

Christmas Spirit and Hot, Spicy Wine

Nothing is like December! I'm not a winter person, but December brings out that holiday joy and Christmas spirit all over the place.

And I'm not viewing this from religious point of view - whatever religion you're in, or if you're not religious at all, I'm talking about the unique feeling of holiday atmosphere.

Holiday lights on the streets, ornaments on Christmas trees, the general look of the city at this time of year, everything sparkling and smelling of cider and wine - the whole Christmassy feel.

You can hear Christmas songs everywhere, see ideas for presents in every store you walk into and feel that special warmth of red, gold and silver colors, so significant for these holiday moments.



Even though the commercialization of Christmas holidays has taken it too far, with companies decorating and pushing gifts sales already in November, and people feeling pressured about the whole thing, it still doesn't diminish that very holiday sensation that's spreading like a virus as soon as you see the first holiday lights on the streets.

The best place to enjoy the atmosphere in Toronto, at this moment, is definitely the Distillery District.

With the Toronto Christmas Market that is held there every December for the whole month, up until Christmas day, Distillery District becomes a magical place (magical more than it usually is).

Various artisans and vendors are participating and there's nothing you can't buy in their little booths.

You can find hand-made ornaments, gifts, candles and other Christmas merchandise. If you're hungry, you'll be able to enjoy German sausages, roasted nuts, baked goods and plenty of other seasonal stuff.



To keep yourself warm, I strongly recommend the popular mulled wine - which was delicious! So very tasty, just like the wine from back home, which my family used to make every Christmas and which we regularly enjoyed during the whole Christmas season.  I really missed that so I made sure I got enough. Don't overstep your boundaries though - it's stronger than it tastes :)

All in all, a very nice evening out - I loved it! If you're around, make this place a number one on your visit list. Soon.  Even the holiday hater will enjoy :)

The only thing that's missing is snow, to make the whole experience more fulfilled. But, until then, this is the perfect place to hang out one of these evenings, before Christmas, while there's still mulled wine available...



Oh and yes. A huge Christmas tree :) Who doesn't love that?

Cheers! Xoxo

It's getting cold!

Yes, the winter is coming. It's not really so tough, considering we're in Canada and still haven't had a proper snow.

One would say it's unusually warm for this time of year.  I'm actually glad because for once, Croatia is full of snow, and we're not :)

Still, getting colder and colder every day.

That means my cat doesn't want to spend nights outside anymore, and wants to curl up on my bed to sleep there.

That means making tea occasionally and dishes that you eat with the spoon.

That means less walking and less nature photographing. Hence, more hamster and indoor stuff.

I was just cleaning Shelly's cage the other day, so while she was out, I decided to take a few photos again.

The only apple I had in house was huge, and she was obviously overwhelmed with the size.

I had to bite it off so she could continue nibbling it.
Surprisingly, she showed more interest towards my camera than the apple.









We also had another photo shoot in the garage, with a beautiful model and a great make-up artist. Again a great experience. Lovely girls. Had issues with the lights again though. How I wish it was summer and we can shoot outside...

The other day, it was nice and sunny, so I wanted to get some fresh air.



I took a walk, and the path that I'm usually taking surprised me with great reflections in the lake, that I haven't noticed earlier.

I have also been dealing with the domain and the website, so beachofhope exists no more. I have a new website that you can see here.

Still working on it though, don't be judgy.

Considering I have no idea what I'm doing, it getting along pretty good. :) I had some help from my hosting service agent who was kind enough to make my day. Thank you, Colton!

So, with all that was happening, between the work, photo shooting, little business I started on the side which will stay top secret (literally, it's better if you don't know), new website and all - it was a pretty busy week. 

It's time to think about Christmas holidays and presents now.

Stay warm!

XoXo

Santa and some raw art

This was a busy week. With all that's normally going on, there was a Santa Claus Parade in downtown Toronto, last Sunday, which I wanted to see. Also, I went to see the Raw Artists exhibition on Thursday.

Santa Claus Parade was, well... fun. For all those under 10.
Nevertheless, it was nice to see it once, get some shots and leave it at that. I was surprised by how many people were there. It was a nice, warm day so I guess that contributed a lot.

The streets were closed, security guys everywhere, children jumping around, parents holding thermos bottles with coffee sitting on sidewalks, cushions, blankets, strollers, sandwiches and lots of reindeer horns on people's heads.

Apparently, people arrive early in the morning to save the spot for their family, so that they can sit in front row and see the parade.

The parade alone lasts for couple of hours, but to have a nice watching spot, you should be there hours earlier.





To be honest, it was actually more interesting before the parade showed up, because of all the people and kids mingling on the streets. Put some children on the middle of the empty street and give them some crayons and there you go. Art as you've never seen it.

I didn't wait to see the Santa though - it was enough for me to witness Frozen characters, clowns, girl with the goose, people in dog's costumes, Lego figures and other, I must say, lame and totally unrelated characters to something that's called Santa Claus Parade. 

The only thing they all had in common were Christmas songs. I didn't see a single reindeer :O or one of Santa's elves, for that matter. Or anything related to actual Christmas holidays. Too many commercial banners and sponsor signs for my taste though. It was like watching commercials on TV.

However, it was obvious the children were enjoying it. They don't care about rules or names or commercials or appropriate costumes. They spent the day dancing and drawing in the streets of Toronto. What can be better than that?

For something more to my liking, I visited a more adult event going on in MOD Club on College Street this week.


There was a Raw Artists Uprising event with numerous artists showing their work. Some of Toronto's photographers, painters, jewelry makers, make up artists, film makers and musicians were presenting their best pieces and had fun in connecting and browsing thru other spheres of art. It was quite interesting to be mingling around some extraordinary individuals. Here's more on that, where you can see the artists involved and some of their work.

All in all, a fun week. I was surprised by some snowflakes yesterday, and that doesn't seem like fun at all. Soon enough it'll be snowy and (more) cold and I'll have to stay in and shoot the hamster again...

Stay warm!

Thought of the day - fairness

My very first post on this blog was about moral question I couldn't get out of my head.
I don't know whether you've seen it or remember it, but long story short - I photographed some skater kids and was concerned later if I'm allowed to send them the photos (for the mere fact that they were underage). I have just started with the whole photography thing and up until that day I never even thought about that kind of stuff. They were just skaters - 10 or 11 year old kids with a skate and nice manners. I did my research and found the solution for the question that was bothering me, and I did the right thing.

But my point is, I was asked by one of the boys to send him the shots because he has a skater blog and wanted to post the pictures.

And then he said something that surprised me.

"Make sure you send us your name, lady (lady?! :O ),  so that we can give you credit."
And I'm like, "Credit?"
"Yeah, credit, for the photo, you know."

I knew what he meant, but...

..."so that we can give you credit"?

That's what an 11-year old said to me.

An eleven year old.

ELEVEN (11) (or ten, or perhaps twelve, it doesn't matter. A kid).

So, the kid knows that it's nice to give credit when you use someone's photo. That kid knew. A lot of my friends know that. Lots of other people know that. It feels like common sense, right?

And yet, there I am yesterday browsing through Instagram and finding my own photograph in someone else's gallery. Come on! No credit, no name, no "repost".  And not a kid, an older guy.

I know it's not a big deal - it's just one photograph. Whoever put's their content online knows that this can happen. But seriously, don't you have any doubts about whether that's right? Is there any moral and social obligation in your mind that might trigger the "maybe I should put an artist's name underneath it" alarm? No, I guess people don't have those alarms.

Maybe he didn't know? Or he didn't think it was a big deal. Or maybe I'm too f* nice sometimes. He should have known better. We have a word for him in Croatian - magarac.

And even though it's flattering that someone really liked my photo, I'd still prefer that they don't just post it under their name. It's actually a steal. By all means, if you like my photo - you're free to reshare it - as long as you say who's photo it is.

So I asked the certain individual to either remove it or to put my name underneath it (I mean, there is my watermark on the photo right there!), but he never replied. And what can you do? Except to report the post as a spam, or to fill in the copyright violation form and submit it to Instagram.

I did both.

If everything else fails, I have snapshots of the individual so I can publicly expose him. But that's not gonna help either.

I know there's a lot of people struggling with the same problem out there. And I'm not a professional photographer, but it still doesn't feel right. Especially on a platform like Instagram, who's whole purpose is to show your visual arts, photographs and videos. It makes it even worse, actually, because it diminishes the whole value of  Instagram idea.

It just happened so, that I really like that photograph because it took me some time and effort to make it the way it looks (the photo underneath). It's a matter of principles. It's collective common sense and proper conduct that everybody needs to lean forward to, but I guess that's Utopia.

So, be nice, work hard, play hard and stay fair. That's my thought of the day today.

XoXo

Models and pumpkin (soup) as the highlights of the week.

This was another busy week. Lots of shooting, lots of Halloween, lots of work.

(Here's a picture of my pumpkin, so you can start laughing immediately and forget it before you finish this post).




So, back to the beginning.


We had another photo shoot this week which I really enjoyed.

It's always nice to work with professionals and every time it gives me new experiences.

As winter approaches and it's not warm anymore, the shootings become more indoor than outdoor which is a challenge for me.

I rarely shoot inside, I never use the flash and I hate it when I don't have enough light. Yes, it sounds lame and it means I'm not good at it. That's true.

However, I managed to end up with some sweet photos.

I do realize more and more how I like to work with models. I want to do some more of that stuff. At least my cat and hamster will be off the hook for a while.

I also need a proper place to make a studio. And get lights. And the rest of the equipment. And the models. The ideas I already have. For some reason, I didn't get into that yet. And why is that?

It's not really easy. When I tangle up myself in umbrellas (not mines) and lights (again, not mines, borrowed), all I think about is how I'd like to switch places with a model. Then I get a good shot and that changes.

I've been a model a few times - fun, but it doesn't give you the same rush as photographing does. 

It was the same thing when I first started riding my motorcycle. All I could think was where to park, remind myself not to drink, being concerned about where to leave my helmet and stuff.... it was so much easier when I was a passenger. But, one nice ride, alone, on a sunny day, on the countryside road, and that all disappears.

It's better to be in control. Everything else can be adjusted. 

On another note, this week has been wrapped up in Halloween flair and naturally, I bought a pumpkin (!). 

Little did I know what to do with it, let alone how to carve it out. No, I'm not trick or treat child and have no idea how to carve a pumpkin. I've seen people doing wonders with it :) Look up the first picture to see how NOT to carve the pumpkin.

I just made a pumpkin soup, I dried out the seeds and I carved it the best I could without cutting it to pieces. Fun? Perhaps. Will I do it again next year? Probably not.

I look at people all dressed up, at neighborhood houses looking like deserted castles with graveyards in front and I'm thinking - how nice of people to nurture that tradition. Somebody has to. I'll leave that up to professionals.

I enjoyed the soup though. And I still enjoy the autumn colours outside, which I've been shooting lately too. More you can find on Instagram as usual.

Also, I've been playing with my original website lately and turned it completely around. It's still in process, but you can take a peek here.

Happy Halloween!

Soaking up some art

I live and breathe motorcycles.

Garage, noise, dust, exhausts, parts, chrome, filters, rat bikes, shiny bikes, gasoline, paint, tools, tires, chains, oils, powder coating, engines.

In an environment like this, it's easy to forget you have other aspirations too (or that you're a girl, for that matter).

There is some art involved in this motorcycle world, I have to admit (actually, plenty of it). 

But that should be another topic altogether.

My point is, I need a break occasionally, as well as other stuff (not involving motorcycle culture) too. Which is why I'm writing nonsense posts about my cat, hamster or current weather conditions.

I love bikes, but I love apple pies too and I don't eat them every single day. So I find  my escape in photographing and walking around the city, to satisfy my hunger for diversity.

The truth is, I need whatever - as long as it's something else. Preferably, something inspiring.

With that in mind, I was wondering the other day where should I go to change the environment a bit, and it was chilly and windy that day so I didn't actually want to spend the day outside. 

Then I remembered AGO, the Art Gallery of Ontario I haven't yet visited. 

After taking into consideration other alternatives, visiting AGO soon got up on top of my list. 

The moment I walked in I was impressed by the size of it and was eager to explore every corner of the gallery.

Currently, there are some really interesting exhibitions and collections holding, like Camera Atomica and AGO Photography Prize exhibition. 

The architecture inspired me as much as exhibited art pieces, most of all the famous Italian gallery and beautiful curvy designed stairs in the middle of the building.

I was never really a museum person (hello, I'm putting the polar bear with the radio as the main photo of this post), so it surprised me how much I was yearning for it.

One one hand, I mostly wanted to see the gallery from the inside due to beautiful architecture and design, but the exhibitions dragged me into them and it's impossible not to get intrigued by various artists and their pieces on the other hand.

Those foxy ladies were pretty awesome too. I kind of missed what was that all about, but the big, spacious room filled with skins looked cool.

Anyhow, a great afternoon filled with great art. I'm strongly recommending to anyone who's near Toronto to see it for yourself.

There is an upcoming exhibition on American photography and film early next year which would be nice to see if I get the chance.

More on AGO's stuff you can find on their website.



Until then, there are a few other places I still need to discover. More on that soon, I hope. But first, some apple picking.

@sharoncocaine

Walkin' downtown

This was an awesome warm weekend and of course, I wanted to spend it outside.

I haven't been downtown for a while and I really wanted to take a serious walk and get out for a whole day. Since I have a guest here (her majesty, Ana Flo), we decided to use this nice weather and go somewhere I usually wouldn't go alone.


I wanted to go apple picking, but Ana didn't feel like it. So we agreed upon spending some time in High Park and some time downtown. I haven't been downtown for a while so we were curious at what's there to see.

Turned out, there's plenty to see, especially if you're bored and yearning for a little city hype.

I wanted to visit Brookfield Place to see a World Press Photo Exhibition, so we headed there first.


Some nice, some interesting but mostly sad stories told thru photographs by award winning artists and photojournalists made a strong impression on both of us. I recommend to go and see for yourselves.

We took a walk towards the lake and on our way there we stopped at Union Station - the place I've seen only from the outside until now, so we decided to walk in and take a peek at what's in there.

Outside, hungry pigeons chilled on the Union Station sign.



Soon enough we found ourselves by the lake and enjoyed the sun and warm breeze.

We entered the Power Plant gallery where we took a look at three standing exhibitions, but I was most impressed by "Black Cloud", an installation by Mexican artist Carlos Amorales. 30000 black moths cut out of paper and placed on the walls of the gallery made a splendid view.

More about him and his moths you can find here

After coming back towards Eaton Center and a huge meal, we needed a break so we had a coffee on Nathan Phillips Square. Plenty of people was there, despite being the Thanksgivings day, and they laughed, took pictures by the Toronto letters, posing for selfies, smiling, chattering and enjoying a beautiful afternoon. I do love to look at people sometimes. When they're happy.

We spend some time in High Park (as if that was a fair alternative to apple picking), but it was nice. Crowded, but nice. We barely found a parking spot after a while of driving around, just before we almost gave up. I swear, half of Toronto was there that afternoon.

We even made it to the Cherry beach.

It was a good weekend. I hope this weather will last.

I want to make an apple pie, so I still have to go apple picking...