Skateboarding

 I remember when my cousins first introduced me to the art of skateboarding with this video, fondly encapsulating my mind with dreams of being Rodney Mullen. I got my first board, a Birdhouse deck with Canadian Grind King trucks and my little brother followed suit, skating at the various skateparks in the GTA for years. The waxed curb outside my old house is still there, according to an old neighbour. Though I haven't skated seriously since 2006, my good friend Gabe, pictured here, is definitely a formidable skater, and still skateboards these days. Here's a picture I took of him in the summertime. I would love to shoot more skaters doing their thing. It really is a beautiful pastime, one I hope isn't on its way out.

Here's a phenomenal skateboarding vid of Kilian Martin, perfectly exemplifying the focused proficiency this sport demands, and the ability to make these near-impossible movements seem effortless.

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P.S. For those who care, I've been recently signed on to contribute to POUND magazine, so be on the lookout for some of my writing there! There's a bunch of good stuff on their site, and I'm really proud to lend my name and efforts to a publication that keeps it as real as these guys do.

PHOTOS: Inside Allan Gardens

Walking around the botanical garden in Allan Gardens is one of the few secret treasures in downtown Toronto. Most people pass by it without second thought, but thankfully, I had it brought to my attention by a good friend who lives right across the street from it. It's almost like stepping into a different, nature-filled world. It feels like the Garden of Eden at times, not only because of the sheer diversity of the plantlife in there, but also because it's just peaceful. Definitely a good place to go to calm down after a stressful week.

REVIEW: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

A new Kanye West album always comes with some... let's call them, preconceptions before listening. Aside from the obvious award interrupting, media influenced judgments one may carry, the last major release from Yeezy was an auto-tuned, down and out, sad kind of record. And although 808s and Heartbreak was a success, fans with roots grounded in rap were taken aback by West's decision to completely drench the LP in a synthy, robotic sing-song, with few traces of hip-hop found anywhere.

Walking around Toronto

In one of my classes today the instructor had us bring our cameras to the lab and go out and take "newsworthy" pictures, like ones you would see that preface an article in the paper. Naturally I was ecstatic about the endavour, as I've been delving into photography for several years now and think I've gotten steadily better. It's a very fun hobby of mine, and one that I am constantly trying to get better at.

Here are some of my pictures I took today.

This little kid (complete with Buzz Lightyear action figure and gramma) was a pretty cool dude.

Streetcar was moving.