Autumn on the Toronto Islands (a photo essay)

The Toronto Islands have always been my favorite spot to slip away from the city for a few hours. It's just a quick ferry ride, and you're transported to a place that's quite unlike the Toronto most of us experience everyday. In autumn there's no hustle, no bustle here — just one cafe is open and the people are few are far between. It's the perfect spot to work on contemplative photography.

One of the things I enjoy most about the Islands is the sheer variety of the trees on display. There must be a hundred different types. New this year, is the Canadian Tree Tour which is a free self-guided tour of dozens of the Island's trees with a map you can print out or GPS coordinates you can download to your smartphone. Trees may not sound that sexy, but there's something incredible about them this time of year, and the tour helps one to understand the different varieties and where they originated.

This particular visit to the Islands was fascinating because of the wide range of fall colours on offer. Some of the trees are already completely leaf-bare, but often right beside them are others at peak colour. The sheer variety of trees and the quiet landscape make for one of the best day trips a city dweller could ask for.

PHOTOS

Brilliant leaves

Alone on the boardwalk

Skyline from Snake Island

A gingko bursts with colour

Life slows down on the pier

Complementary colours courtesy of autumn

Ducks on a pond (the Disney sequel to Snakes on a Plane)

More explosions of colour

Uneven distribution of fall colour

Long Pond in fall

Under St. Andrew by the Lake

Bright tree rendered in infrared

Long Pond in infrared

Guest contribution from Frank Lemire. To see more of Frank's work and find out about his shooting strategies, check out our previous interview with him.