Another Infrared Picture Set

I wanted a different place to take pictures yesterday so I ventured out further west on my bike and stopped at Ontario Place. Ontario Place was a great amusement park when it opened some 40 years ago, but it has remained pretty much the same for four decades. Consequently, the number of visitors had been down each year and it was closed couple years ago. That's what happens when you become complacent. Not really sure what they are going to do; improve it? Get rid of it completely?

All pictures below were taken with the 20D & Pentax-M 20mm f4

The (Forgotten) Fun of Infrared Photography

Ontario Place in False IR Colours -- Canon 20D IR Modified & Pentax-M 20mm f4

While importing my old pictures into Lightroom, I realized how few picture I took using the IR modified Canon 20D, and almost none for the whole year of 2011, and I really should be using it more.  Why?  Because it's fun! The IR filter used in my 20D does not completely fall into the infrared spectrum.  There are still some visible spectrum that go through the filter.  I love the mix of visible light and Infrared, because of the weird colours you can get, whereas a true infrared filter will give you only infrared pictures (B&W).  When the weather turns warmer, and the vegetation comes back, I will sure be out there more often with this camera this year.

Ontario Place

Ontario Place celebrates its 40th birthday this year (2011).  Opened to the public in 1971, Ontario Place was one of the largest tourist attractions in Ontario.  The trade mark Cinesphere which houses North America's first permanent installation of the IMAX theatre.  When I was in awe the first time I saw a film on it.  It was totally awesome.  Ontario Place attracted a lot of visitors in the first few years of operation.  But time matches on, and things changed.  Ontario Place hasn't kept up with the change of time and in 40 years except the price of entry which kept going up.  It basically looks the same and only minor changes in 40 years.  To celebrate it's 40th anniversary, Ontario Place has free admission all summer, but you still have to pay for all the rides.

Cinesphere with IMAX Theater -- NEX-5 with Kit zoom lens. Click to see larger

We visit Ontario Place pretty much each summer and last year we bought a summer pass for each member of the family.  We visited it again today, but the older boys already find it too boring. I don't believe we will be visiting it often unless there are major changes.  It's a shame, as I really do like it.  It's very well designed, just not enough to attract people back often.

Closing for the day -- NEX-5 & Kit zoom lens. Click to see larger.

As of today, many of the attractions, rides were removed or not working.  They are starting a face lift, but we will see how much.

View of Downtown Toronto. NEX-5 & Kit zoom Lens. Click to see larger.

In previous years, I would carry my 1D II or 5D or 30D or whatever current Canon camera I had, and a 70-200mm f2.8, 100-400mm zoom lens, plus a few primes.  It was murderous.  The last two years, I brought only a kid lens and a couple of small wide angle primes.  It was just as well.  Today, I used mostly the 18-55 kit lens, and occasionally the 16mm pancake, and only a few pictures with the Leica-R 35mm f2.  My only complain about the kit lens (and the 16mm pancake) is that the distortion is horrible, especially on the wide end for the zoom.  I find the sharpness quite acceptable for both lenses.  This is true for the Canon 18-55mm IS kit lens as well.  I guess we can not expect too much from a cheap lens.  What they offer is already pretty good for the price.

The Marina -- NEX-5 & Kit zoom lens.