Best of March

Once again, The Star photo department (as edited by Steve Russell) offers up the Best Pictures of the Month. From city politics to news to features to sports, Star photogs cover a variety of assignments bringing their unique eye to the photograph.

TARA WALTON - A Toronto Police Officer stands watch over a taped off area on the edge of Toronto's Don Valley Golf Course Thursday March 1, 2012 near the 401 and Yonge Street .  Human remains were found in the area on Tuesday and are rumoured to be those of missing girl Mariam Makhniashvili, who disappeared Monday September 14, 2009 before school.  

Return to work

Rick Madonik, Staff Photographer

Last Friday I returned to work, after an abscence of almost two months. Maybe some of you noticed, but wouldn't be offended in the least, if you didn't. (I expect I will one day write about why I was off, but for the moment its safe to say it was work related.)

I was a bit apprehensive about returning, if only because I hadn't been in "the swing" of things for a while. It usually takes a few days, a few events, to get my head back "into it" when it comes to the daily requirements. For sports, it also takes a bit of time to regain the timing, and anticipation of play, that is needed.

Although I wanted to "ease" back into it - and working weekends and nights usually helps that equation - I found myself doing just about a bit of everything in the first week. From sports coverage (Leafs, Raptors and Rock), to breaking news (train derailment and TTC shooting), to portraiture (hero kid) to general news (Toronto Hydro demonstration, subway flood, Mayor Rob Ford talk radio show) and even a bit of a feature hunt (Icefest). It was a smorgasbord of assignments, and after a week back on the job, it kinda feels like I never left.

Via Rail train derailment in Burlington, Feb 26, 2012

 

Toronto Star Photo department, good news and great pictures in the shortest month.

February, the shortest month did not leave the Toronto Star photo department short of good news or great pictures.

The Photo Department is now under the direction of a new Visuals Editor, Taras Slawnych. We are pretty excited about that.

We have also won four Society for News Design awards of excellence for photography. So before we get into the February highlights, here are the four winners:

LUCAS OLENIUK - A protestor, unconscious and not breathing, was rushed away from Bahraini security forces after being shot in the head moments earlier.  A group of Shiite anti-regime demonstrators drew fire from Bahrain security forces near Manama when they tried to march downtown to the Pearl Square from the town of Budaiya Friday evening.  A state sanctioned pro-regime rally was underway in downtown Manama when the clash occurred. Read about the story behind this image here!

Burlington Via Rail train derailment in photos

 

Aerial pictures from the scene show the train zigzagged off the tracks, with one car flipped onto its side after sliding into a nearby building. RICK MADONIK/TORONTO STAR

Eight crazy days at the Toronto International Auto Show.

Steve Russell - Staff Photographer - @RussellPhotos

For the final three days the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto will have to get along with out me.

I've put my time in, for the past eight days I've been The Star's Auto Show shooter.

I have been living the life of Bill Murray in Ground Hog Day,

Every day has started off the same way,

ALARM. Snooze. ALARM. Snooze. ALARM. Wake. Shower. Eat. Kiss kids. Drive. Park. Gear Up. Enter. Walk Past the Bugatti, Bentley, Bentley, Bentley, Fisker. Toronto Star mobile newsroom. Sit. Read Wheels daily show tabloid. Wonder how I'm going to fill the photo holes again.

The Wheels section of the Star decided to put out a daily tabloid section during of the Toronto International Auto Show, kind of a a show newspaper! That meant that I, along with a pair of reporters, had to fill 24 pages each day.

How do I take pictures of the same event differently each day was my dilemma.

Every single technique was used over the week as was every lens in my bag including a tilt-shift.

Trying to make different and engaging pictures was hard but was nowhere near the challenge that negotiating the holiday weekend crowds. 

Things that I hope to do without over the next couple days, new car smell, slamming door and trucks and PC Decadent Cookies!

I had to walk by this car every day. (disclaimer, not my legs pictured above) The 2.1 Bugatti Veyron, 2.1 refers to its price not its engine, the car sells for 2.1 million dollars. It is on display in the Auto Exotica exhibit in the North Building at the Toronto International Auto Show.

Jeremy Lin, the human basketball portfolio

Steve Russell - Staff Photographer

It was LINcredible!

It was LINsane!

It was LINsanity ot LINSAN17Y!

It was hashtagLINNING or #LINNING!

What a vaLINtine for Toronto!

Usually covering a highly hyped game or athlete never lives up to the . But, Jeremy Lin did not disappoint! The crowd that cheered the home side vigourously and as the game went on seemed to get behind the Tim Teabow of basketball.

If I had to start a basketball portfolio, this game would be the one to cover. The game made for good pictures and atmosphere at the ACC, one of the best games since the days of VINsanity.

I don't think I have ever seen so many signs for a visiting player or for anyone on the homeside either!

January 2012 in review!

Our favourites from the first month of 2012.

KEITH BEATY -  Bridal dress shot for the cover of Special Section's Wedding Planner Issue.

 

Finding the lighter side of Rob Ford!

Steve Russell - Staff Photographer

"You don't need me in the picture do you?"

"Can you get rid of my second chin?"

"Try to get my good side"

"Try not to make me look too goofy" 

"Can you make me look smaller"

These are a few of the requests I get all the time on assignment. Some of them from people in the public eye all the time.

Like civilians, politicians have the same concerns when a lens is pointed at them.

Unfortunate for them, being in front of cameras is part of the job.

Some politicians are naturals, Jack Layton was one of those that shone in front of the camera.

However, not every politician is that comfortable in front of the camera.

Each politician has his own nuance, Stephen Harper gives the worst thumbs up ever and Michael Ignatieff had some pretty goofy facial expressions before he toned it down.

This brings us to Mayor Rob Ford, it seems that every time we do a story on him or something at City Hall some of the comments readers have made are why do we have to run an unflattering picture of the Mayor.

It's tough, cameras are rumoured to add ten pounds to the subject. Being a guy with a high BMI, I can relate. I'm on the operational end of the camera for a reason! I think my love of taking pictures spawned from how much I dislike being in pictures.

Mayor Ford also doesn't talk to the Toronto Star, which is fine, but it does also mean that us photographers never really have opportunity to photograph him in settings where we can work around the issue and take a more flattering picture. 

I never got the impression that Mayor Ford really cared too much about his weight, but, his recent "Cut the Waist" campaign shows he does. I wish him luck in the endevour. Hopefully he can shed some of the weight while in office like David Miller did.

Some tips on photographing people that are a little heavier than average?

•Try to photograph from a higher angle. Usually you just have to be slightly higher that eye height.

•If you have to shoot from a low angle, at least have the light source coming in from a higher angle. Shadows from the light will hide or minimize any double chin. Try to keep your flash off camera.

•Try to not shoot the subject sitting down and if they have to be sitting down make sure that they sit up straight.

•Selective framing, you do not have to include their entire body.

•Try a shallow depth of field, a selective focus point on the eyes and a sharp drop off in sharpness will bring the reader to the feature that is sharpest. 

Here is a quick look through the Toronto Star photo archive and some of our more flattering Rob Ford pictures.

STEVE RUSSELL - March 25, 2010 - Rob Ford, with his brother Doug on his right registers as a candidate at the Election Services office at City Hall.

Jim Wilkes -30-

After more than 36 years at The Star as a reporter/photographer, Jim Wilkes is taking early retirement at age 60. He leaves today.

In that time, he's won more than 75 awards for writing and photography and has helped mentor many of the profession's young stars.

He has covered stories around the world and around the corner, bringing a personal perspective to events of the day.

The following is a selection of some of his photos from over the years.

1975 – Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau at a campaign stop in Port Hope.

Two journalists two different paths : Best of 2011

They are the same, but different, outside of the obvious difference, of course.

He is Canon, she is Nikon but they are both photographers.

Jim Wilkes and Michelle Shephard's path to photography was much different. Jim was a photographer first who early on discovered he could write. Michelle Shephard, a writer, whose beat and the expense of covering it meant she had to pick up the camera, discovered she had an eye.

Their beats mean they both cover a lot of ground. He puts a lot of miles on a Ford Fusion and she collects a lot of air miles.

They are both based out of Toronto, but their work is rarely in Toronto or about Toronto. It is mostly about what interests the people of Toronto.

Jim covers the Greater Toronto Area, basically everything but Toronto, Beat and Michelle covers the Terror beat.

Here are their favourites from 2011, notice that the Toronto place line is nowhere to be found.

 

JIM WILKES - @newsboy

MISSISSAUGA - Alexander Palubjak, 5, gets relief from 30 Celcius plus temperatures at a splash pad at Mississauga's Lake Aquitaine Park. Kids and their parents beat the heat at pools and splash pads across the city. July 12, 2011.