This is a photo that took five or six unsuccessful tries to finally get. Tony's is a barbershop on Queen Street East that I often pass on my way into and out of the downtown, here in Toronto. It took several tries because every time I drove by there seemed to be a problem with the scene; Tony was cutting hair, the shop was closed, or there was a vehicle parked in front, blocking the window. Finally, one weekend last summer, I drove by and the scene was perfect. I parked directly across the street, rolled down the window, shut the engine and grabbed this shot with a long zoom.
As an aside, the lettering on the window is one of the last remaining examples of signwriting done by the "Queen Street Slasher". For many years, the Slasher, armed only with a couple of cans of One-Shot Lettering Enamel and a brush, roamed through this part of the city lettering signs for the local shopkeepers. His work was characterized by its primitive freehand style, the ever-present drop-shadow, and the tendency for the letters to decrease in size from left to right as he ran out of space. I think that the lettering, along with the dirty window adds to the feel of the image.
motorized Nikon FA
zoom-Nikkor 80~200 2.8 ED AIS manual focus
Fuji Sensia II
exposure probably f4 or 5.6 @ whatever
handheld
As an aside, the lettering on the window is one of the last remaining examples of signwriting done by the "Queen Street Slasher". For many years, the Slasher, armed only with a couple of cans of One-Shot Lettering Enamel and a brush, roamed through this part of the city lettering signs for the local shopkeepers. His work was characterized by its primitive freehand style, the ever-present drop-shadow, and the tendency for the letters to decrease in size from left to right as he ran out of space. I think that the lettering, along with the dirty window adds to the feel of the image.
motorized Nikon FA
zoom-Nikkor 80~200 2.8 ED AIS manual focus
Fuji Sensia II
exposure probably f4 or 5.6 @ whatever
handheld
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