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http://www.beingtoronto.com/ is a fascinating example of the Toronto that Torontonians knows is out there, but sorta kinda keeps eluding most of us.

The project grew out of a Contact Toronto Photography Festival exhibit into what initially was dubbed the Diversity Project and has now hit the ground running as BeingToronto].

Thursday Sept 10, 2009

The Riverdale neighbourhood is known well to Michelle Gibson, one of the two tag team photographers taking portraits, as she grew up there. John Beebe is the other half of the portrait taking BeingToronto team.

They set up their workstation and portable studio at the north-east corner of Gerrard Street and Broadview Avenue for the day, just in front of the Riverdale Library.

By 1 p.m. they began taking portraits.

Passers by were engaged in conversation and by day's end at 7 p.m., with a waiting list to boot, sunset was only 45 minutes or so away and BeingToronto had to call it a day.

This location marked the first instance of a collaboration between the Diversity Project and Building Equitable Environments ( B.E.E. ).

B.E.E. filmed portrait participants as they waited for turn to be photographed. These conversations will be shared as a further dimension to the what BeingToronto is aiming for.

It does cost cash to mount these, about $1,000 minimum per day to set up the bare single workstation. They are exploring options for sponsorship and perhaps neighbourhood BIAs may step in.

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