I actually forgot it was 4/20 yesterday, that's how much of a square I've become in my old age.
Once I was reminded, I realized there was an opportunity for some great images waiting just a few TTC stops away! The weather was warm, the sun was shining, and all I had was cameras and spare time!
Recently I've discovered something. Many of my shoots become a series of images, I like telling a story that way, but sometimes that one photo, the one that tells the story in a single image isn't as strong as it could be. So with that in mind I headed down to Dundas square mid afternoon with a goal in mind: Tell a more complete story with a single image.
I felt certain the moment would present itself right at 4:20, as the 14,000 people crammed in and around Dundas Square all lit up together. I had spotted this young man earlier in my travels, his reflective sunglasses and giant joint piquing my interest, so I returned to his area a few minutes before liftoff.
I usually don't do this, but I asked if I could take his image at 4:20. Though marijuana is all but legal in Canada, it still isn't, so I wanted to make sure he trusted me and was comfortable as I hoped the image of him would tell the story the way I envisioned. He agreed without hesitation and when the magic time arrived he did his thing, and I was lucky enough to get a frame that represented what I had envisioned.
While I didn't do anything drastically different during this shoot, I found focusing on a single type of image instead of being concerned about telling the story with many images allowed me to create stronger photos overall. I was a little more selective with my shooting and I think the results were pretty positive.
So goal achieved.
Also I'm fairly certain on the train ride home more than a few people notice I smelled a lot like like Otto's jacket...
