Architecture and Photo Ops

Start at Toronto's historical and beautiful castle, Casa Loma. Casa Loma is located at One Austin Terrace near the corner of Davenport Rd. and Spadina Ave.

Toronto would just not be Toronto without this majestic Castle, which was actually built as a family home by Sir Henry Pellatt. Although Casa Loma is not of the grandeur that so many European Castles are, it still is pretty spectacular and impressive and it is a real and genuine castle.

Photograph the amazing castle from all directions as you will find an abundance of architectural elements at every twist and turn, almost too good to be true. Walk the beautiful gardens and pathways there. In the spring, summer and fall the gardens and surrounding grounds gives you wonderful photographic opportunities.

How many cities can say they have a shoe museum? Other than Toronto there are literally only a handfull in the world, and Toronto's is the best. There are over 10,000 pairs of shoes at the Museum from every corner of the world, many of them very old and rare. Hopefully you will get the opportunity to go in and tour this museum some day as it is really worth the time. The reason the Shoe Museum is included on this tour (besides the fact that it is on the way) is the building is quite unique and the window displays are even more unique and make for stunning photographs. It's well worth it walking by the Bata Shoe Museum on your walking tour!

Address: 327 Bloor Street West.

The Royal Ontario Museum is one Toronto's most popular attractions for the historical and cultural exhibits it houses, and also for the structure itself. The museum has gained even more attention in recent years after undergoing a dramatic expansion which culminated with the addition of the much talked about Michael Lee-Chin Crystal. The enormous and demanding transformation the museum went through was apparently one of the most difficult construction designs the city has seen in many years. It was an enormous task that started with a 30 million dollar gift from Michael Lee-Chin to the Royal Ontario Museum. As the process unfolded a world wide search went out to find the architect that would be perfectly suited for this job. Apparently the eventual winner Daniel Libeskind put down the initial stages of his designs on paper napkins while attending a wedding at the Royal Ontario Museum. That was just the beginning of a very complicated and talked about project. The crystal is made out of interlocking, transparent formations and every stage of this design from beginning to end was a huge ordeal. Making a stop on this walking tour to photograph The Michael Lee-Chin Crystal is a must for both amateur and the serious photographer.

Address: 100 Queen's Park

This church dates back to 1856 and is one of the oldest churches in Toronto. It was designed by one of Ontario's most famous architects, Henry Langley. St. Basil's can certainly be described as photogenic, both outside and in. The exterior structure has so much character, and if you are fortunate enough to get inside you will be more than delighted by the truly spectacular architecture. There are huge beams, columns arches and of course those spectacular stained glass windows. This incredible structure that should not be missed, it is a photographer's dream.

Address: 50 St. Joseph Street, at the northwest corner of St. Joseph Street and Bay Street.

The impressive and important exhibits that have passed through the doors of the Art Gallery of Ontario are comparable in status to those at any major gallery in North America. The Art Gallery of Ontario is another famous landmark in Toronto that has gone through a huge reconstruction project in recent years. Frank Gehry was the architect who planned this monumental task that cost over 250 million dollars to complete. The exterior of the building is quite fascinating and the premise behind the construction is supposed to make the passerby imagine a crystal ship, casually floating through the city. You will be impressed at the incredible originality of this building. Use your imagination and let your camera capture every angle of the design.

Address: 317 Dundas Street West

One of the city's most photographed structures is the Flatiron Building. It is located on a triangular piece of land at the intersection of Front, Wellington and Church Streets. This Gothic Romanesque building was as unconventional when it was built over one hundred years ago, as it is today. Originally it was the Goodenham Family who hired an architect to build them this structure, so they would have an impressive building for the offices they needed for their distillery business. It is very much worth reading the history of the Flatiron Building which will delve into facts that will include how New York City is the only other city with a structure like this, although Toronto's Flatiron Building was built ten years before New York's. You will also learn how the building was saved from being demolished, how it was the first building with a manual operated elevator in Toronto, how a tunnel was built to carry cash under the building to the bank, just to name a few intriguing facts. Also another reason to visit and photograph the Flatiron Building is the muriel on the back of the building with it's optical illusion.

Address: 49 Wellington Street