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One of the most controversial and convoluted battle in the War of 1812 is that of the Battle of Beaver Dams. It’s also been my most active posts in the project, at least my original posts. I have received more hate mail and rude comments (both of which will never be made public) so rather than let it stand as it is, I did what any good student of history would do, that is research more and learn more. In doing so I came across two books (both of which are cited at the bottom of this post) that have greatly opened my eyes toRead More →

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While the Battle of Lake Erie was considered the greatest inland naval battle of 1813, the Battle of Plattsburg or rather Battle of Lake Champlain was the greatest inland naval battle of 1814. By fall of 1814 the British army had beaten back Napoleon and was pouring troops into North American at a rapid pace, already General Robert Ross had burning Washington DC and was marching for Baltimore, another force had captured most of what would become Maine. Yeo and Chauncy continued to chase each other around Lake Ontario, and Lake Huron had been secured under British control with the bold captures of the TigressRead More →

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Nothing like making the best out of a bad situation, but at least it wasn’t raining. In week 32, I again lurked around Cleveland, Ohio, for the Northeast Ohio APUG meetup (NEOH APUG) hosted by the wonderful John and Dolly Powers. The Sunday found us at the lake shore trying to get shots of these tug boats, the entire fleet of tugs for the Great Lakes Shipyard nearby. The morning rain storm turned into blazing overhead light, less than ideal circumstances to photograph, but rather than risk it raining again later, I looked around for the best spot in the marina I was in toRead More →

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This happens when you don’t double-check things; you get an awful flare that takes out a whole top section of your photo. But rather than groan about it, I posted it anyways, because that’s a rule I laid out for myself. But enough about mistakes (I should’ve swung the camera around and shot High Falls instead…). This is probably my favourite spot to eat in all of Rochester (Dog Town is a close second), the Genesee Brew House, a brewpub attached to the Genesee Brewery with a full selection of their beers and some pretty fantastic food. Genesee traces its legacy back to 1819, butRead More →

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Located a handful of kilometres from the US/Canada border sits a lonely blockhouse, an odd sight today. Most Blockhouses in Canada are usually attached to some larger fort or remainders from a larger complex. But not just one sitting out at an intersection of two provincial highways. But the Lacolle Blockhouse is a spot, part of the larger border defence between Lower Canada (today Quebec) and the United States that sprang up during and after the American Revolution. The blockhouse was first built in 1781 (yes, this is original) to defend the border and the nearby lighthouse and mill. However, the British and Militia whoRead More →

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It’s excellent when professional jobs can link to a personal project. It happened several times back in my original 52-Roll Project, namely the wedding of Laura & Mark. So when I was approached by the up-and-coming country rock band, A Mad World, My Masters, I inquired if they’d be willing to be featured in this year’s sheet-a-week project. They agreed it helps that the band’s lead singer is an old and very good friend who has graced my lenses in the past. The shoot was amazing. It’s always a plus when you get a chance to work with a fantastic group of really chill artistsRead More →

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When Oliver Hazard Perry defeated the British Squadron in September of 1813 it not only cut the British off from additional troops and supplies coming from the eastern parts of Upper Canada, but it also removed the key supply route up the Detroit River to the distant outpost at Fort Mackinac. By 1813 the British had moved all their northern operations to Fort Mackinac, leaving the old Fort St. Joseph in the hands of the Northwest Company, protected by the local militia. However when William Henry Harrison liberated Detroit, occupied Amherstburg and defeated Procter and Tecumseh at the Battle of the Thames, his eye turnedRead More →

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Then there are times when the shot of the week comes just when you walk out of work, and you see a stunning blue sky with white clouds scudding by. But there are so many condos rising above your head that you can’t shoot without getting them. But such is a fact when living and working in the Greater Toronto Area…Condo Life. These vertical residences seem to grow overnight and are slowly dominating the skyline. Modified Anniversary Speed Graphic – Kodak Ektar f:7.7 203mm (Red-25) – Kodak Tri-X Pan (320TXP) Meter: Pentax Spotmeter V 1/5″ – f/45 – ASA-320 Kodak TMax Developer (1+4) 8:00 @Read More →

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Remember the Tree from back from Week 5? Well, I said it would be back, and here it is! It’s not as dead as I first thought. While I originally planned on shooting it later that evening to get the same shot as I did before, but as I drove past it in the morning, the sun was casting through the branches; having the camera with me, I pulled over and got the shot made up just right. Sure many would frown upon shooting with the sun in front, but it gave me what I was looking for. Modified Anniversary Speed Graphic – Kodak EktarRead More →

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Despite the title, this is not the famous Flanders Field. But instead, the iconic cemetery at St. Ignatius is a well-known spot for anyone who attends the Photostock event held nearby at the Birchwood Inn (Harbor Springs, MI). The Church, a Jesuit mission, was first built in 1741; a fire burned it down in the 1820s, but it was rebuilt in 1823; if you look close enough, you can see the steeple from the M-119 as you drive along it. Before taking this shot, I had visited the cemetery the night before to get a feel for the location, even going as far as toRead More →