"John photos"

Words, not images, have always been my focus, but I have had the great luxury all my adult life of being surrounded by great photographs. My partner John, a professional photographer, has thought about, talked about and bought books about great photographs and photographers all the decades we have been together. There are great photos on our walls, and our working lives in the newspaper business always included discussions of good, better, best photographs, whether local, national or international. John has taken his share of great pictures himself, winning several awards and having photos published in Life, People and Maclean's magazines, as well as in the papers he worked for. I have always been happy to cede all photography to John, but when I began my blog, I realized that if I wanted to include pictures in it, I'd have to take them myself. And so I carry my iPad on my walking tours around the city, collecting images to illustrate themes that interest me. But every once in awhile, I run across a picture that I know John would take if he was with me. I call them "John photos" because they have an element of his distinctive style: some geometric aspect, something funny or unusual, or an element of locomotion or speed -- anything with wheels is a target for John's camera. So here are two "John photos" taken by me. For the much, much better real John photos, go to http://www.johndenniston.ca/

On a quiet city street, a little red truck with huge tree trunk strapped on.

At the intersection closest to our house, a sofa abandoned on the boulevard.

Our shelves of photo books, including  four with white bindings done by John.