livingwithsomewhatless

[livingwithsomewhatless]

I was reminded the other day that it’s important to congratulate yourself occasionally. I sometimes hesitate to talk too much about myself or praise myself. But since this blog is more for me than it is for anyone else, I’m just going to do whatever feels right.

So, here are some significant changes that I’ve noticed lately in my minimalism / zero waste / simple living journey:

1. My space is tidier. Richard used to get so annoyed with me because I always had a pile of clothes in the corner of our bedroom. Why were they there? Because I knew that some of them were laundry, but others were clothes that needed to be put away, and I hated putting away clothes. My closet was overflowing and so were all of my drawers in the dresser. Putting away my clothes meant trying to shove them into a space that was already too full, and it stressed me out. After simplifying, it’s easy for me to put my clothes away, because there are always extra hangers in my closet and extra room in my dresser. Dare I say that folding and putting away my clothes sparks joy? IT DOES. 2. I take out the garbage and recycling less often. In April I decided to challenge myself to stop buying single use disposable plastics. My friends all wanted to know how I was buying yogurt. The short answer? I wasn’t buying it. I wasn’t buying anything that I had to put in my recycling bin or my garbage can. Even in April, I was still putting things in both of those bins because I was using up what I already had. But I was emptying them less. Emptying the garbage is an annoying task, and one of the benefits of striving for a zero waste lifestyle is having to do that task less often. We took our garbage out ONCE between the beginning of May and the end of June. 2 months! Our recycling went out a little bit more frequently because we still had some cardboard boxes and glass containers to discard, but recycling is collected every other week, and we only put our bin out on the curb once a month because it doesn’t get full as quickly these days. The first time that Richard said, “We don’t have to put the garbage bin out on the curb because there’s nothing inside of it!” I felt sooooo proud. It’s a tangible way to see that the changes that you’ve made in your life have made a difference.

3. Grocery shopping is less stressful.  I thought that shopping for groceries would be more stressful because I’d be trying to find alternatives to plastic-wrapped items. But in truth, it’s much easier. Making choices requires energy. If you don’t go down any of the prepared food isles, you eliminate a LOT of decision making. I don’t have to muster the self control to not buy a bag of chips or a tub of gelato. Those things aren’t options for me anymore, so I don’t even think about them. I shop around the perimeter of the store, and sometimes I can go a week or more without going into a grocery store at all, because we have a CSA all summer long and I get most of my dry goods like flour, pasta, rice, etc from a specialty bulk food store. Imagine not having to go grocery shopping! It’s freeing.  4: I have more time for things that matter. I used to spend at least a few hours in a week doing some form of shopping. Sometimes I was looking for the perfect throw pillows. Sometimes I was buying cleaning supplies, hoping they’d motivate me to clean my house. Sometimes I was literally just wandering around the mall or a cool neighbourhood wondering what I needed to buy to fulfill whatever need I had that day: To make myself feel better when I was down, or to reward myself for accomplishing something, or to give myself a sense of accomplishment when I hadn’t accomplished anything... You get the idea. I would shop for the sake of shopping, shuffling through store after store, looking for something that would give me a dopamine rush when I took it to the checkout. Inevitably, by the time I got the thing home (and sometimes even before that, on the subway on the way home or as I was walking out of the store), I’d feel a deep sense of guilt or anxiety, wondering if I had bought the right thing, or if I really needed it, or if I had spent too much money on it. And I knew that I’d have to either justify the purchase to Richard or try to hide it from him, which was the worst feeling of all. Choosing to buy more intentionally and trying to buy used items whenever possible has changed my relationship with shopping. I do it much less frequently and with more intention. When I do buy something now, I know that I need it and I don’t feel any regret or guilt afterwards. And all of those hours that I freed up? I spend those hours going for long walks, or sitting at my favourite coffee shop with a book. The free time is so much more valuable and meaningful than any of the things that I used to bring home from the mall. 

5. My mind is clearer and I’m more focused. Again, removing as many meaningless choices from my everyday life as possible has cleared up my mind for more important decisions. I don’t have to choose between 40 t-shirts every morning. I don’t have to decide between getting take-out or cooking a meal at home. I don’t have as much visual clutter around me, so I have fewer things tempting and distracting me from the task at hand. I turned off all of the push notifications on my phone (except for my text messages) so when I unlock my phone to do something, I do it right away instead of getting distracted by notifications and getting sucked into a black hole of Instagram stories for an hour and then realizing that I no longer remember why I got on my phone in the first place. 

I have suffered for years with anxiety and depression, and simplifying my life has made my everyday life so much easier. I still have low mood days where I struggle to get anything done, but having less to do in general makes me feel less guilty about those days when I do have them. I have way better coping strategies now, too. I’m definitely not saying that minimalism is going to cure your depression, but I am saying that it has helped me deal with my own depression and anxiety. I still feel like I have a long way to go in my minimalism and zero waste journey, but my life is definitely simpler now. Listing the ways in which my lifestyle has helped me grow just reinforces how far I’ve come, and reminds me why I keep striving for simplicity. 

[livingwithsomewhatless]

I need SPACE

Are you addicted to your phone? Do you have the twitch that makes you reach for it whenever you have an idle moment? Do you often unlock it to do something important, then 20 minutes later you realize that you’re scrolling and scrolling through Instagram or Tumblr with no recollection as to why you unlocked it in the first place?

We’ve all been there.

We all wish that we could put down our phones more and spend more time connecting with real people or getting deeply focused on our tasks. SPACE is a perfect app that helps keep us accountable by counting our unlocks and the amount of time that we spend on our phones. In addition to cumulative tracking of use and unlocks, SPACE can also be set to remind you when you’ve spent more time on your phone than you want (with a time interval can be chosen in the settings), and give you positive motivation to put your phone down and go and do something more worthwhile.

Download it here.

(image by https://findyourphonelifebalance.com/)

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Location scouting for next month’s wedding - finally visited Underpass Park!

Credit: @sharpphotoweddings

[livingwithsomewhatless]

How to Maintain Minimalism

People often ask: “Now that I’ve minimized my stuff, how to I make sure that things don’t pile up again?” It’s about your perspective. Here’s a quick piece of advice:

Often when we have an impulse to buy something, we’re asking ourselves this question: “How can I make my life better?” Or, to put a finer point on it: “What is missing from my life?”

We bring things into our lives because we hope that these things will make us complete. We get a rush of dopamine when we bring home that thing that promises to help us achieve our aspirations. That beautiful copper flower pot. Those really minimalist-looking bluetooth speakers. That natural cleaning product. All of these things are aspirational purchases. We buy them because we want their magical powers of transformation.

What if, next time you felt an impulse to acquire something new, you asked yourself what you could get rid of instead? What if you could get that same dopamine rush by reducing your stuff? Having that perfectly clear workspace that allows you space to think. That expertly curated record collection that allows you to find your favourite album right away. That clear countertop that doesn’t collect dust. These are minimalist aspirations that don’t require consumption. I’ve learned to crave them instead of the magical powers of new stuff.

Instead of asking what’s missing from your life, ask yourself this: “What’s getting in the way of what I really want?” What’s weighing you down and stopping you from focusing on what’s really important? You might be surprised to realize that you don’t actually NEED anything else. 

[livingwithsomewhatless]

Starting Fresh

I started this blog a long time ago. Like, a decade ago. I started it as yet another outlet for shameless self promotion. 10 years ago I was spreading seeds all over the internet hoping to get work from anyone who would hire me. It’s not a method I recommend, and I’ll get to that in another post. But for now, I wanted to say hi and start fresh.

Here’s what you can expect from this blog now:

My favourite photos, either from shoots that I’ve done or personal work that I’m proud of. 

Posts sharing tips & tricks for living with less stuff.

Stories about my attempts (and failures) to try to live without plastic.

Thoughtful, well researched posts about things that matter.

Here’s what you won’t find on this blog:

Black and white photos of designer chairs against empty white walls and other “minimalist” imagery.

Posts sharing tips & tricks for putting together a capsule wardrobe or anything else related to womens’ fashion (or mens’ fashion for that matter). 

Recipes for homemade natural deodorant and toothpaste and advice on how to pack your kids’ lunches without Ziplock bags

Unscientific gobbledygook

But if you are looking for any of the things in the second category, there are lots of blogs that have that information and they’re great! They’re just not what I want to talk about here.

I want to talk about minimalism from a female perspective. I want to share inspiring photos, most of which I want to create for you instead of just sharing them from other sources. I want to spread my excitement about working towards living plastic-free, and I want to do all of that in a way that’s not boring or tacky. Hopefully I can pull it off!

Does that all sound good to you? Great! I hope you’ll follow me and I hope that you’ll add your voice to the conversation when I get around to creating real content instead of just talking about what I do and don’t want to create. 

[livingwithsomewhatless]

I did a family shoot in Kensington Market this weekend. I really love that location because it's so bright and interesting. I'll definitely have to do more shoots down there in the future!

[livingwithsomewhatless]

Remember baby Mika? Around 6 months after my newborn shoot with her, I did another shoot with her and her lovely parents. I love how these turned out.

[livingwithsomewhatless]

Scenes from the weekend.

My friend Nadine, a fellow photographer and foodie, is visiting from Austin TX. Here's what our weekend has been like so far:

[livingwithsomewhatless]

Tonight I was photographing an event for the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers at the Ontario Legislative Building in Queen's Park. After the event wrapped up I tried to leave the building, but the doors that I came in through were locked!

I have to admit that I wasn't very worried about leaving the building with any haste. It's so beautifully decorated and royal-looking. I would have snapped pictures all night long if I knew what the rules were about being a photographer in a government building after hours!

[livingwithsomewhatless]

Juan matches our hardwood floor very well. You'd almost believe that he had evolved a sort of camouflage. 

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George Eastman House - Toronto Newborn and Family Photographer

Yesterday I visited the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film. Someone that I know once called George Eastman "the big yellow father." And he is! If the name George Eastman doesn't sound familiar, the name Kodak probably does. George Eastman invented roll film and changed photography forever by making it accessible to the general public. Kodak's slogan in the early days was: "You push the button, we do the rest." Many people regard him as the father of consumer photography. I visited the museum once as a student, but it was wonderful to go back as an adult and see it again. I got a lot more out of it this time!

First we were given a tour of George Eastman's mansion. He was a hunter and a music enthusiast in addition to being an amateur photographer. All of his passions are apparent in his house, especially his love of hunting and going on safari. The elephant bust in the sitting room was a real elephant back when old George lived here, but it was taken down and replaced with a fake one when the house was turned into a museum.

George Eastman was never married (although our tour guide assured us that he had plenty of female company), and his mother lived with him. I enjoyed browsing the items in her closet and bathroom immensely. I imagine that she was a very classy woman.

And, of course, everywhere you look in the house you find old Kodak cameras and paraphernalia, as well as other vintage items. I was in heaven!

In addition to a house tour, we were also given a small tour of the archives. The George Eastman House keeps archives of images created with different photographic processes and buy out large collections of images when the price is right or the subjects or photographers are too good to turn down. One of the archivists took us down to one of their work rooms and showed us 10 prints from their massive collection. All of them were just in mats without glass, so it was a really unique opportunity.

I saw a Julia Margaret Cameron albumen print of Sir John Hershel (he invited cyanotypes and fixer). It was such an engaging photograph. It had so much emotion and energy! I've admired Julia Margaret Cameron since I first learned about her as a student. It's such an inspiration to see her work up close and without glass! They had also brought out 2 massive prints of the Hotel De Ville in Paris. One showed the building before the war and one showed it after, so that you could compare the two and understand the scale of the damage. They were contact printed from glass negatives, which would have been an amazing amount of work! The detail in them was unbelievable! And they showed us a large daguerrotype, which was the very first photographic process. Most daguerrotypes are quite small - usually the size of a business card or post card - but this one was larger than 8x10! Daguerrotypes are always amazing to look at. They're prints that are made directly onto a polished silver plate, so they're actually negatives, not positives, but the way that the glass plate reflects light they look like positives. They also look almost 3D! The archivist talked about the fact that they seem to have more of a sense of the person in them than other images made with negatives, because with these daguerrotypes the plate that you're looking at was actually in the room with those people and their energy. I can understand that. We also saw an Ansel Adams print. I've seen his work before when the Art Gallery of Ontario had an exhibition, but I've never seen it out of glass! The piece that we saw showed a mountain range with snowy evergreen trees in the valley and dark, wispy clouds in the sky. The dynamic range of that image was unbelievable. Even using HDR software I couldn't get a digital print to look like that. I certainly wouldn't be able to shoot film like that. I don't know how he did it! And the detail in his images was stunning as well. He also did most of his work through contact printing (meaning that you press the negative right against the paper to expose it, rather than using an enlarger), which meant that he had to take massive box cameras with him when he went on his hikes. Imagine!

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Until March 25th, I’m donating the entire listed price of the prints in my Etsy shop to disaster relief in Japan. So if you buy a print for $15, that whole $15 will go to charity.

My heart is so heavy for Japan right now and I needed to do something. Please reblog this or buy a print. Help me help Japan.

Visit my shop at instantt.etsy.com

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I joined some Twitter foodies today for a coffee crawl through Dundas Street between Bathurst and Ossington - One of the many Toronto neighbourhoods that's now saturated with espresso bars. It was organized by the ever amazing and bacon loving Joel Solish of CommunityFoodist.

I had to head to a shoot in Oakville and I only got to join for 2 places, but they were both good. I had a custard tart at Cafe Caldense and a latte at the Communal Mule.

I think that we should have another one of these coffee crawls down Queen Street East between Broadview and Leslie!

  Cafe Caldense: 1209 Dundas St W, Toronto ON.

The Communal Mule : 984 Dundas St W, Toronto ON.

iflookscouldfill.com

[livingwithsomewhatless]

The Hoof Cafe is closing. It's a sad time for those of us who covet its tongue grilled cheese, but they have an exciting new venture opening in its place and I can't wait to try it.

We went yesterday morning to have a farewell brunch. We finally ordered the brioche french toast with foie gras. It was utter perfection.

[livingwithsomewhatless]

It's a snow day today. I've spent the day huddled inside taking care of some much-neglected tasks, but soon I'll put on my snow boots and head out to celebrate my niece's 6th birthday. Happy Birthday, Ava!

[livingwithsomewhatless]

I finally got a copy of Lightoom 3. I'm an old-school digital photographer (did you realize that such a thing existed?) and I can get a bit stuck in my ways. I've been using Photoshop for all of my editing, but I recently came to realize that my work could be cut in half if I would just stop being stubborn and get Lightroom.

I need to spend some serious one on one time with the program to really learn how to create an efficient workflow, but it has great potential.

Here's an old photo that I just edited using some of the presets. It has a film grain preset! 6 years ago photographers were doing everything they could to remove film grain in their images. Now we want it back. What a world.

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When I was cleaning up my closet full of photo gear I found R’s old Pentax K1000. The shutter is sticking and it’s been out of commission for a while but the next time I visit Vistek I’m taking it there to get it fixed because I miss shooting film on a REAL camera. It’s made of metal, you guys.