Author Archives: Robert

Selfie anyone?

Posted on November 3, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. On November 1st, George Dunbar dropped me a brief email extolling these rare photos of times past. While none is Canadian, the pictures themselves show the way were were about a century ago when photographs were mostly taken by … Continue reading →

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an Automat for photos not food

Posted on November 2, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. The folks at Lomography just keep on creating. Like many of their products, this beautiful retro camera uses the Fuji Instax Mini instant film to create the old fashioned Polaroid style photos. Flash, sensors, dual lens settings and automated … Continue reading →

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… but it works!

Posted on November 1, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. When the Canadian Anti-spam Law (CASL) was enacted, I saw more red tape to keep track of requests for our newsletter. After reading Michael Geist’s article in today’s Globe on the progress of CASL,  I was impressed. Indeed, the … Continue reading →

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Eaton’s – Cameras & Photographic Supplies

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. When I was a kid and a young adult Eaton’s was the store in Canada. Eaton’s and Simpson’s were on either side of Queen West at Yonge Street. The new Eaton’s College Street blocks north on Yonge never caught … Continue reading →

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everyone’s a photographer

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. Realizing the massive shift in photography today, I found this image from George Dunbar speaks volumes. When Justin Trudeau became our Prime Minister, he was enthusiastically received world-wide. In this picture, he is walking along a building inside its … Continue reading →

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Richard Avedon at Hot Docs next Month

Posted on October 29, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. Rita Godlevskis of PhotoEd magazine sent me a nice email the other day. In it she highlights various photographic items such as the next issue of her magazine, PhotoEd, out next week. One item is the Hot Docs presentation … Continue reading →

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and who made your camera?

Posted on October 28, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. You do know don’t you? No? I thought so! Photography has a long history of camera makers, lens makers, film manufacturers, paper makers, etc. In the 1930s to 1950s photographers argued heatedly about Zeiss and Leitz and who made … Continue reading →

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awash in ink 1896 – from photos and sketches

Posted on October 27, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. My thanks once again to George Dunbar for this century plus drawing in the Toronto Public Library (TPL) archives. It is a wash drawing made from photos and sketches by William  Thomson Freeland. The drawing shows the launching of … Continue reading →

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those were the days.

Posted on October 26, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. In 1958 Leitz came out with the Leica M2 shown at left. This was four years after the popular M3 and following tradition, the M2 was less expensive with fewer features than the M3. But most importantly, it had … Continue reading →

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1949 Leica Ad

Posted on October 25, 2017 by Robert

Toronto. Leitz NY published this ad for Leica cameras in the March 1949 issue of Popular Photography as they tried to capture the magic  these little cameras had before the war intervened. My friend George Dunbar sent along this wonderful old … Continue reading →

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