zhangling❤photography

You know how when you live in a place you don't really go out to explore because you live there and those touristy things are for tourists? That's the way it was for me growing up in Toronto. Aside from someone else visiting and me tagging a long, there's a lot I still haven't seen.  mix of old and new I moved to Ottawa five years ago as of this September (I talked more on the differences between Toronto and Ottawa in  this post ) and for a long time it still felt like Toronto was home. When I first made the move to Ottawa, back in 2014, I was heading back to Toronto practically every week. In the last year, I've tried to head back at least once a month but sometimes even less if it's inconvenient because daily life is in Ottawa now. When I do go back to Toronto nowadays, it's a totally different experience. It's a rather peculiar feeling like I don't recognize certain things but I know where I am. For example I still know all the...

I've heard too many times now the age-old crack about Ottawa and how the only good thing about it is its proximity to Montreal. Now that Ottawa has earned a special appreciation in my heart, I'm a bit tired of the joke. Still, I am thankful at the convenience to Montreal, which I've visited and revisited time and time again. Earlier this month, I got to go again on two separate occasions and was pleasantly surprised once more. It seems like there's never a shortage of something to see, and even places I've been to before will take on new meaning, show an alternate perspective. revisited this spot and got my shot this time!  this ceiling!  walkway under Square Victoria Being in Montreal always makes me feel extra in tune with my creative side. The city's culture is like a giant incubator for creative energies and artistic types. Everywhere I turn, I'm blown away by the talents of fellow creatives. street market vendor st...

Due to unexpected delays, this post is actually more timely now than originally planned. On this date exactly one year ago, I had just finished my visit to my birth city and parental hometowns. The photos from my trip sat on my hard drive for a whole year until I started writing this post. Millennium Lucky Bell (千年吉祥钟) in Yellow Crane Tower Park (黄鹤楼公园) My initial reaction at first review of the photos was the familiar sigh and groan at the sheer volume. I try not to be too trigger-happy when shooting but it's easy to lose track in this digital era. I did a quick scan and filtered out the ones I liked most. However, on my second pass, I felt this sinking feeling in my chest. These were my first couple picks (that I still really like): Historic sites and an ancient village (古镇) But the sinking feeling was this weird sort of delayed shame. There were historic reenactors at one of the historic sites but all the photos I picked were of actual people going about their...

I don't usually travel for work so when the opportunity arises to go somewhere new, it's still fresh and exciting to me. However, I quickly realized that it wasn't as glamourous as I had anticipated. I was actually really looking forward to seeing Vancouver again -- specifically, the beautiful scenery and delicious foods -- but in reality, I only got to see the office and my hotel room (not that those weren't nice in their own way). On Friday, I managed to squeeze out two hours until my train down to Seattle and I was determined to make the most of it. So I picked up my luggage and trekked out into the signature west coast rain. Telus Garden I found myself alternating a lot between my phone and camera, partly due to the fear of rain getting on my camera, but also feeling the need for a wider lens for the architecture shots. It's really amazing how good phone cameras are getting nowadays and it's a good reminder for me to stay grounded to t...