The Week That Was #24
April 26th to May 2nd, 2026
Welcome to this week’s edition of The Week That Was, a collection of images that I’ve taken the previous week.
You may find that this post is too long for you to read in your email. So, to see it in all of its glory, you might have to view it in your browser or via the Substack app.
Often when I go out to do some street photography I take along my Olympus EM5ii instead of my Nikon Z6. It’s small and lightweight, making it easy to carry, and less obtrusive than the larger Nikon making it ideal for candid shots. In addition to its basic functions it also has a feature called Art Filters which can be used to add a variety of effects to photos such as soft focus, sepia, pop art etc. I very rarely use them because most of the effects don’t appeal to me, however, there is one that I like to play with on occasion. I really like high contrast images with deep shadows and bright highlights. The Olympus has an Art Filter specifically for this look. I haven’t used it for a while but decided to last week for a little project featuring basketball hoops. While walking through some of the laneways in my neighbourhood, I noticed there were hoops everywhere. Ordinarily, they didn't look particularly interesting. However, through the Grainy Film filter they suddenly, to me at least, looked pretty good.
I realize that this type of look isn’t to everyone’s taste but I really like it and, in the end, that’s all that matters, right? Anyway, let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Now for something different. Last week the Sakura trees in High Park were in full bloom. For those of you that missed my post last year about the trees, you can read it here:
Anyway, here’s a few images of this year’s blossoms.
And, finally……….a couple of lost items that aren’t gloves, shoes or glasses. Btw, the colours are a bit weird because I took the photos with my phone. Either that or my colour blindness is messing with me.
That’s all for now, folks. I hope you all have a great week!
Love the high contrast in those hoops shots.
Haha I always end up with a smile on my face when I read your post Mark - those final two images certainly brought the smiles on this evening! As for the basketball nets - I like them, in particular the second and fourth ones. I think the gritty look really suits them - a bit film noir...who'd have thought you could make a mini project out of them but this proves you can. As for the blossom it's beautiful - such an uplifting sight!