Your experiences in Niagara and Wonderland?

I'll be heading to Niagara way fairly soon. I hope to spend about two days there, but i haven't made any definite plans yet. I haven't been there since I was a little little boy. I have a slight idea what and where I want go; but I wanted to hear what you think.

From the sidewalk, i think i can get a nice straight on of the falls.

Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens (how does it compare to the Royal Botanical Gardens?)

Niagara Parkway. A drive down Fort Erie and Niagara-on-the-lake and some other spots along the road.

Niagra River Recrational Trail.


My objectives consist of landscapes and still life.

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What are your photographic experiences bringing cameras into Canada's wonderland? I hope to bring my voigtlander rangefinder plus a 40mm and a 21mm. It will be enough for my uses but i'm very apprehensive about leaving it in my bag during the rides.

If you like abandoned buildings, forget the Niagara hoopla , hop over the border for a few hours and visit the Buffalo Central Terminal railway station. You cannot enter the main building itself but there is still enough to photograph on the grounds and the surrounding buildings that are not fenced off. Google "Buffalo Central Terminal" for pictures on the web and a route description. I did this last year myself (just me) and enjoyed it.

Next door to the Botanical Garden is the Butterfly Conservatory
http://www.niagaraparks.com/garden-trail/butterfly-conservatory.html

They describe it, “This magical attraction features over 2,000 colourful tropical butterflies floating freely among lush, exotic blossoms and greenery. Paths wind through the rainforest setting, past a pond and waterfall and the Emergence window, where butterflies leave their pupae and prepare to take their first flight!” This is all indoors under a glass roof.

My wife and I enjoyed it very much.

John Powers

I would recommend the Whitewater Walk (http://www.niagaraparks.com/attractions/white-water-walk.html) I also second the motion for the butterfly conservatory, and you want might to pop into Niagara On The Lake.

Enjoy your visit!

You mention that Niagara-on-the-lake may be in your plans. I would highly recommend visiting some of the wineries there and other placed along the Escarpment. Take a look at http://winecountryontario.ca/Niagara-Escarpment-and-Twenty-Valley, and you'll see literally dozens of (mostly) small wineries that are great places for landscape photography. Sweeping vistas down into the valley, rows and rows of vines growing up the slopes of the Bench, old barns etc.

Oh, and wine.

I go twice a year when I make it home. Enjoy your trip.

Both sides of the border have some very nice shooting locations within a short distance. If you go, especially to Seaworld while here, be careful as it is a favorite locale for having cars broken into as they then skip across the border. When I was there in one afternoon some 2 dozen cars were hit including mine and the police had us pick a number and wait out turn. Happily for me at least they grabbed a brifcase that contained nothing but a presentation I had made the day before there to a group of accountants and and a couple of lenses I had left in the car. They did leave the Yashica FX-3 with the home made leather covering. Probably too conspicious and easy to identify. Fotunately I had most of the system with me. I was insulted when they broke into my suitcase and took my suit but left thewing toed shoes. The shoes were worth more than the suit; my wife though supported their assessment that no sane person would want a pair of wing tipped shoes. Go figger.

Go to the Botanical Gardens! I'm good friends with one of students at the School of Horticulture and have been many times to visit. If you like flowers go there. I also second the visit to BCT.

There are two turn of the century hydroelectric plants a fairly short walk upstream from the falls on the Canadian side that are worth looking at in case you might be interested in photographing them. Briefly, the Electrical Development Company one that sits right on the river was built by Sir Henry Pellatt of Casa Loma fame and the building was designed by E. J. Lennox, who designed Old City Hall among other things. Sadly, the building's in rough shape because it's received next to no maintenance for many years. The other one's on the inland side of the parkway and it's owned by Canadian Niagara Power and it's in excellent condition.

I took a trip down to Niagara Falls with a friend of mine back in 2005 and photographed these plants on Kodachrome film along with the usual Niagara Falls stuff. We were lucky and actually met one of the Canadian Niagara Power employees outside the plant while we were photographing and he invited us inside for a brief tour of the 100+ year old operating electric plant. It truly is in beautiful shape, unlike the E. J. Lennox building across the parkway, and from having met and spoken with some of the staff there, it's clear they took great pride in keeping it in excellent condition. Unfortunately, I think the plant's been retired between then and now but that tour really made the day for me both as a photographer and an electronics engineer. I'm hoping to go back to Niagara Falls later this summer or maybe the fall to visit some of the same locations again and shoot some black and white film.