THE YEAR IN PICTURES: The Favourites

This week the Toronto Star photography department showcases a selection of its best work.

Al Gosling poses for pictures at the Sherbourne Community Health Centre in Toronto. Gosling, 82, was evicted from community housing for not filling out an annual declaration of income. He later died. (Toronto Star/Andrew Wallace)

Every year neighbours of Sorauren Park in Roncesvalle Village bring their pumpkins to the park after Halloween. (Carlos Osorio/Toronto Star)

Bare Oaks, a year-round, family orientated naturalist park hosted the 6th Canadian Naturalist Festival this past summer. The park is privately owned and run, and all activities are clothing optional, of which, no one (but a lone photographer) chose to wear clothing as people participated in an array of discussions and seminars to outdoor activities featuring volleyball, body painting and swimming. (Rick Madonik/Toronto Star)

Randall Reid stands in Richview Memorial Cemetery, a pioneer cemetery dating back to the early part of the 19th century. It has become an urban anomaly situated between the forks of the 427 Hwy just below Hwy 401 near Eglinton Ave. Reid who in 2004 was the Cemetery Restoration Project Coordinator has several relatives including his great, great, great grandparents among the 300 locals (mostly farming people) buried there. (Rick Eglinton Toronto Star)

Kees Van Berkel, 61, is shown in a portrait made when he fired the remote cable release on a camera mounted by photographer Rick Eglinton on the strut of this Triplane.  (Rick Eglinton Toronto Star)

Six hundred litres of water encased in Plexiglas. One pair of handcuffs. One pair of shackles. Three locks. And two minutes and twenty seconds until your next breath, if all goes well. Kristen Johnson does her Water Torture Cell Escape twice daily at the CNE. She has performed the stunt more than 600 times to date, second only to Houdini. On one occasion she was pulled unconscious from the tank by partner and husband Kevin Ridgeway. (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star)

Toronto has had more than its fair share of wet weather this summer.  A pedestrian is seen making his way along Danforth Ave. just east of Victoria Park Ave. past a leopard print carpet on display at Brothers Carpet Ltd. (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star)

Keegan Shawana, 14, is out practising his skateboarding and enjoying the sun in Stan Wadlow Park in the Woodbine and Cosburn area. To the left, looking on is his friend Cody Costa 16. The strong sunny weekend is perhaps a harbinger of spring on the way. (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star)

A pedestrian is framed in tulips at Queens Park. Although most tulips had dropped their petals, one bed at Queens Park remained fully in bloom. (Richard Lautens/Toronto Star)

Faith Holmes cries during the prayer at the beginning of a concert program. Hundreds of thousands gather around the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial, and behind the Washington Monument, for an afternoon free concert. President-elect Barak Obama, and family, and Vice-President elect Joe Biden, and wife, are on hand for the festivities. (Rick Madonik/Toronto Star)

Captain Tim "Donor" Woods, of the CF18 Demonstration team, flies east along the Toronto lakefront during a media ride prior to this year's CNE airshow. (Rick Madonik/Toronto Star)

Singer and Oscar winning actor Jamie Foxx performs his Blame It tour at Sound Academy. (Rick Madonik/Toronto Star)

The Austria 2 sled makes its way through turn 1 during Men's bobsleigh action at The Whistler Sliding Centre, during World Cup competition. (Rick Madonik/Toronto Star)

This former battery hen had been rescued at the time of slaughter and relocated to Cobble Hills Farm Sanctuary, near Stratford, where at-risk kids are given the chance to be directly involved in healing the hens.  Owner Christen Shepherd says the hens arrive nearly bald, thin, weak and unable to walk. (Randy Risling/The Toronto Star)

The United States Air Forces' high agile and powerful F/A-22 Raptor creates vapour and contrails as it turns hard during the third day of the Canadian International Air Show at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. (Toronto Star/Steve Russell)

Hareda Mohamud, the maternal aunt of a young Somali killed, reacts to the news that the trial against the alledged shooter in the murder and wounding of five others was dismissed after all the witnesses refused to testify. (Toronto Star/Steve Russell)

Using a tiny pair of binoculars, 12-year-old Maria Taylor watches planes making their final approach at Pearson Airport, runway 24R. The spot, a favourite for plane spotters, is a family tradition. Her grandfather, Michael Policelli, an Air Canada ground handler for 30 years, brought Maria's mother, Anna Policelli, when she was a child. Now the circle is complete as Maria enjoys her first plane spotting experience. (Bernard Weil/ Toronto Star)

 

Four hearses carrying the bodies of four soldiers killed in Afghanistan pass by farmland along the Highway of Hero's after their return to Canada. The hearses are on their way to the Coroner's Office in Toronto. Rick Madonik/Toronto Star

Veronique Marcoux, centre, props technician for the Cirque Du Soleil walks past the workers as they erect the big tent at the Portlands. The reflection is a small puddle in the foreground. (Rene Johnston/Toronto Star)

Comments

[Stephane Deschenes]

Nice pictures! I'm glad to see that the Bare Oaks Family Naturist Park photo has finally been published. I thought that Rick had captured a wonderful moment last August. But I was saddened that the Star's management was so sensitive to public opinion. (a concern that I do not think was warranted)

Contrary to what the photo caption says, Bare Oaks is NOT clothing-optional. Nudity is very important to our philosophy and is therefore required if environmental conditions are favourable. To understand why, read: http://www.bareoaks.ca/Bare-Oaks/Why_nudity_is_required.html

We did make an exception for Rick. We tried to talk him into it but he couldn't quite get there.

Lastly, we are naturists not naturalists. I think that most naturists would consider themselves naturalists. But the reverse is not true.

[Rick Madonik]

My apologies if I left the impression Bare Oaks is a "clothing optional" environment. When I first phoned to inquire about doing a photograph I asked if it was necessary I be naked. The decision was left to me and I chose to remain clothed. Stephane pointed out I would certaintly stand out from the crowd if I chose to remain clothed. I didn't mean to imply it is clothing optional, as Stephane writes. And for the record, I did feel quite out of place but not out of place enough to shed my attire. It was evident, from my viewpoint, those I encountered were quite comfortable going about their daily routine with only a pair of shoes on (and some sunscreen). Although I can admit I felt some admiration for their lifestyle, my comfort level never approached theirs.