Friday, January 1, 2016

City Daily Photo Theme Day: Photo Of The Year

The first day of each month is always a theme day for members of City Daily Photo, and as is always the case with January, the theme happens to be Photo Of The Year, a theme chosen by Jack. You can see which favourite photos other members chose from at this link.

As usual, I can't narrow it down to one, so here we start roughly chronologically through the year. Winterlude is our February festival marking the best season of the year, and ice carvings can be found in Confederation Park as part of the celebrations. This one was my favourite ice sculpture.


Another major Ottawa festival is the Tulip Festival in May. This first shot is from the tulip beds on Parliament Hill.


This second tulip bed is across the Ottawa River in Gatineau, facing the Hill and the Ottawa skyline, from the grounds of the Museum of History.


This bust of one of our former governor generals, Lord Elgin, was on display inside the museum as part of a temporary exhibit. I wasn't supposed to be taking pictures (again, sorry, didn't see the sign until I was leaving), but the way the bust is lit like this had such a dramatic look to it.


In June, we had our annual weekend Doors Open, which sees more than a hundred buildings of significance opened to the public to come and have a look at. This year I stopped at Earnscliffe, the official residence of the High Commissioner of Great Britain. Back in the day it was home to our first Prime Minister, John A. Macdonald, who died in one of its rooms.


I stopped a couple of times at Rideau Hall, the official residence of Canada's Governor General. The first shot is from the outside. The second shot is within the Ballroom.


It seems appropriate to end this with a curtain call. Allison Blakley is a member of the Ottawa Dance Directive, and here at Arts Court, she was putting on a performance mixing together a child's bedroom, the pinata, and Beethoven's Sixth Symphony as part of the one night Nuit Blanche arts festival. Allison's take on Fantasia was my favourite act of the evening, and her expression just makes the shot work marvelously.

43 comments:

  1. Excellent shots! The first is my favorite, with #2 and #3 tied for next place.

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  2. I like the ice sculpting and the beautiful tulips.

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  3. I especially love your first two photos, William! They would make for great calendar images! :)

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  4. It is too hard to do just one---but I did. I like the ice sculpture and can't wait until you can show us more.
    MB

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  5. The tulips are so lovely. Happy New Year, William!

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  6. Another year full of wonderful photos and commentaries. Keep it up! And Happy New Year.

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  7. The third picture, for me, is the most beautiful of all.

    Tomás.

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  8. Good choices William! I think the third one is my favorite. Happy New Year.

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  9. Love your choices. They´re all great pictures! Best wishes for 2016 from Valladolid.

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  10. Your ice unicorn is fantastic!
    Here's to many more good things to see and to photograph in the new year!

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  11. Well, for sure the unicorn is a super photo!

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  12. @Linda: thanks!

    @Nancy: I knew they would draw attention.

    @Linda: thanks!

    @MB: Winterlude will be back soon!

    @Marleen: thank you!

    @Stuart: thanks.

    @Tomas: it is a great vantage point for photography.

    @Sharon: that one seems popular.

    @VDP: thank you.

    @Dina: I should have stated that it was a dragon.

    @EG: thank you!

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  13. Yes, these would make good photos for a calendar! Happy New Year!! May 2016 bring you good health and much happiness!

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  14. A very nice set of photos. It would be hard to choose just one. I'm looking forward to seeing what else you come up with this year!

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  15. "As usual, I can't narrow it down to one" I know what you mean! They are different and wonderful.
    Sorry you're under the weather. Red blamed me for his illness! :-)

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  16. So 12 monthly photos are better than one of a year. there's something about the ice sculpture that makes it a favorite for me. Have a great year photographing Ottawa.

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  17. The ice sculpture and the tulips get my vote!

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  18. I remember the first and I still like it very much!

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  19. I love the second and the last one.
    Many thanks for all your comments at MuDP during last year.

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  20. @Kate: thank you!

    @Lowell: I am looking forward to continuing.

    @Jennifer: it is a nuisance being ill over the holidays

    @Red: soon we'll see this year's Winterlude.

    @Jackie: I knew that would be popular.

    @Jose: thank you!

    @Norma: thanks!

    @VP: thank you.

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  21. Nice set of pictures, the ice sculpture is my preferred.
    Happy New Year 2016, William !

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  22. Wonderful ballroom! Ready for a little New Year's festivity.

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  23. You started this new year showing us lovely photos.
    Hugs

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  24. Great variety pack of photos! Happy New Year! Thanks for all the kind comments in 2015.

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  25. Happy new year, William!
    Those are truly great photos. I look forward to enjoying more of your wonderful photos and stories!

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  26. Happy New Year William!!! Lovely pics!!!

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  27. Happy New Year William, hope to share more beautiful photos with you this year!

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  28. @MDP: thank you!

    @Karl: I look forward to this year's carvings.

    @Revrunner: I wonder if the governor general does that.

    @Orvokki: thanks!

    @Joan: you're welcome.

    @RedPat: thank you!

    @Tamago: I look forward to sharing more.

    @Chieftess: thank you!

    @Marianne: thanks!

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  29. You certainly picked some beautiful shots William! Happy New Year!

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  30. Oh William that's a difficult choice, the ice sculpture is so lovely and charming but I really like the drama and lighting of Lord Elgin...

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  31. a wonderful array of images
    love the ice sculpture

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  32. These are all great shots. I think I especially like the framing in the third one. Lord Elgin is great (even better: a forbidden shot!). And I agree that Allison Blakley's expression, and her stance, are wonderful.

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  33. Happy New Year- all great choices with interesting background stories too.

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  34. @Lois: thank you!

    @Geoff: Lord Elgin would be pleased!

    @Tammie: thank you!

    @Kay: I hope the Museum doesn't mind!

    @Chrissy: thank you!

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  35. Hard to choose, eh? Very nice selection William. Keep up the good work!

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  36. Nice overview of the year, I specially like the shot of Lord Elgin's bust.

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  37. A lot of good choices, William. I always enjoy the tulip beds.

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  38. Oh brilliant choices William, the ice sculptures were incredible, the tulips glorious!It really is impossible to pick one for this theme :)

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  39. @Mari: thanks!

    @Nathalie: thank you!

    @Jan: I was glad that one came out so well.

    @Jack: thank you! I'll look forward to seeing this year's tulips.

    @Grace: thanks!

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