A TV series shuts down, bargain hunters emerge.

Steve Russell - Staff Photographer - @RussellPhotos

When a TV series winds down, the end is marked by a huge prop sale, when Nikita stopped production four years of movie making props, furniture, wardrobe and set dressing items are for sale at 721 Eastern Avenue in Toronto.

The sale covers two huge sound stages.

The sale ends today, October 22, 2013. 

 

Before the doors open at 10 am, prices are marked for a huge TV and movie prop sale.

Record Setting Toronto Waterfront Marathon

A runner makes a last minute pit stop before the race begins.

Rick Madonik - Staff photographer - @Rmadonik

Three photographers dive in with tips for shooting at the Ripley's Aquarium

Bernard Weil, Rene Johnston & Steve Russell - Staff Photographers

Believe it or not, the aquarium at the base of the CN Tower has finally opened.

The aquarium operated by Ripley's features 450 species of fish swimming in 5.7 million litres of water!

The aquarium also offers challenges to photographers.

"This place is awesome," says Rene Johnston who reported on the progress of the aquarium for the Star's Layar edition, "Great fish and challenging light." See Rene's video on Pepper the Giant Pacific Octopus

His offers this advice for shutterbugs trying to get great pictures, "The biggest problem will be crowds. Photographer should go early in the mayor go later when crowds are lighter." The aquarium will be open 9 to 9 daily.

Bernard Weil also part of the Layar edition says, "now that all the exhibits are operating. With more than 16,000 marine animals on site, there's definitely a wow factor going on here."

As far as photography goes, "Shooting inside is fairly easy. If you want more than a silhouette of your kids gawking at the creatures, bring a flash, but watch out for reflections against the glass."

As for me, a scuba diver, the displays reminded me of dives I had made in the past.

I was impressed with the tanks, there are a lot of tanks with curved glass so I was worried about reflections. The layout and lighting design are great and there are very few reflections of from other tanks, lights or exit signs. With reflection in mind, a trip to the aquarium is a great day to leave the white shirt hanging in the closet and wear something darker.

My advice is to try to shoot as square as you can to the tank glass to minimize distortion. 

                                                                                                                    -Steve Russell 

 

RENE JOHNSTON - A shark swims past the underwater tunnel in the massive tank named Dangerous Lagoon.

 

Wow, Toronto Maple Leafs win again

Steve Russell - Staff Photographer - @RussellPhotos

Leafs drop the Wild 4-1!


 Nazem Kadri sprints out onto the ice as the Toronto Maple Leafs play the Minnesota Wild at Air Canada Centre.

 

A win over the Edmonton Oilers gives Maple Leafs best start since 1993-94 season

Richard Lautens, @rlautens & Steve Russell, @RussellPhotos - Staff Photographers

 

STEVE RUSSELL - Jonathan Bernier and the Leafs get ready to take to the ice.

Nuit Blanche 2013 and the Ai Weiwei bikes

Carlos Osorio, Lucas Oleniuk and Steve Russell - Staff photographers

 

A few of the more popular exhibits from Nuit Blanche

 

CARLOS OSORIO -  "Forever Bicycles" by artist Ai Weiwei at Nathan Phillips Square during Nuit Blanche.

 

LUCAS OLENIUK - "Garden Tower in Toronto, 2013" constructed from old chairs by Tadashi Kawamata from Hokkaido, Japan.

 

LUCAS OLENIUK - The interior of "Garden Tower in Toronto, 2013" by Tadashi Kawamata from Hokkaido, Japan.

 

LUCAS OLENIUK - "Tanks, 2013" made by Cal Lane using old oil tanks shows at Metro Hall.

 

LUCAS OLENIUK - Artist Simon Frank as "Burrman" toured King Street west with his handlers during Nuit Blanche.

 

CARLOS OSORIO - "Forever Bicycles" by artist Ai Weiwei at Nathan Phillips Square during Nuit Blanche. Ai Weiwei is under house arrest in China.

 

CARLOS OSORIO - "Forever Bicycles" by artist Ai Weiwei is one of six exhibits that will stay up for most of the month.

 

CARLOS OSORIO - "The rose is without why" by artist Boris Achour at Nathan Phillips Square.

 

 CARLOS OSORIO - "Little People" by Workparty at Toronto City Hall Lobby during Nuit Blanche 

 

It took 15 days to assemble Forever Bicycles

 

STEVE RUSSELL - Wheels are installed on all the 3,144 bikes that make up the sculpture designed by Ai Weiwei.

 

CARLOS OSORIO - The 3,144 bikes on Nathan Phillips Square are 10 times the number that the City plans to build under the square.

 

STEVE RUSSELL - Almost all the wheels on the bikes can spin.

 

STEVE RUSSELL - Workers take their refreshments on the sculpture as they work through a maze of bicycles most which will have wheels that can spin.

 

STEVE RUSSELL - Forever Bicycles

 

STEVE RUSSELL -  A pigeon cools off in the empty pool as workers assemble a sculpture consisting of 3,144 interconnected bicycles.

 

STEVE RUSSELL - A cyclist looks on as workers assemble a sculpture consisting of 3,144 interconnected bicycles. The undergound bicycle parking will also include four showers for commuters.

 

STEVE RUSSELL - Workers assemble a sculpture. The wheels on the ground don't spin.

 

STEVE RUSSELL - The top of the sculpture takes shape as workers who are assembling are tethered for safety.

 

STEVE RUSSELL - The final sets of bicycles are added to the sculpture.

 

STEVE RUSSELL - The lighting is tested and adjusted after workers finished assembling a sculpture.

 

STEVE RUSSELL - The work lights illuminate the sculpture consisting of 3,144 interconnected bicycles titled "Forever Bicycles".

 

STEVE RUSSELL - Workers begin to adjust the lighting on "Forever Bicycles".

 

 

 

 

 

September 2013, summer ends, boys of summer out, Leafs rise.

 

STEVE RUSSELL - Rose and Amin Ghaemi hang upside down on the apex of the Bonsai ride  during the final weekend of the Canadian National Exhibition.

Tribute to the fans that rode the Toronto Blue Jays roller coaster of a season.

Remember Opening Day, so much promise,

 

DAVID COOPER - Captain Blue Jays - aka - Warren Baxter of Oakville gets ready for the game as  the Toronto Blue Jays play their home opener against the Cleveland Indians.

Goalie fight breaks out at Leafs versus Sabres

Andrew Francis Wallace, @awallacethestar & Steve Russell, @RussellPhotos        - Staff Photographers

Less than 24 hours after an Ultimate Fighting Championship octagon had been dismantled at centre ice after UFC 165 it seemed that the blood letting had not finished.

An otherwise uneventful, well, boring game erupted in the third period to a series of bloody brawls that climaxed in a goalie fight.

ANDREW FRANCIS WALLACE - Aquired in the off season Jonathan Bernier stretches prior to Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres NHL pre-season game at Air Canada Centre.

 

Praying for pictures as Jon Jones defends his UFC Light Heavyweight title

Steve Russell - Staff Photographer - @RussellPhotos

 

The photo positions beside the octagon at the Ultimate Fighting Championship 165 presented me with a new wrinkle. It was something I had never seen before, rather than photographers standing beside the octagon platform, or sitting, we had a low padded bench. 

The bench is to kneel on, much like the kneelers in church pews.

It was appropiate though, because shooting a fast moving sport through the octagon cage had me praying for a picture.

The fence was a little more of a challenge because it is painted with a black glossy paint which reflects light like crazy and makes an irresistible target for our autofocus cameras.

The solution is to use a combination of autofocus and manual focus.

 

 Alex Caceres lands a knee on Roland Delorme.