Parkwood National Historic Site

In 1917 R.S. McLaughlin, the founder of General Motors of Canada, moved his family into Parkwood. Its 11 acres of grounds and gardens give me a different backdrop at every stop: the Formal Garden's long pool, the colonnade, the terrace and the mansion's curved wing of tall arched windows.

I start at the colonnade and walk past the rose beds into the Formal Garden. Then come the lawn under the big trees, the mansion with its curved bay of tall arched windows, the terrace, and the hedged garden last. The photo pass gives us two hours, and the loop fits if we keep moving.

The gardens close at 5 pm. This is a daylight location, not a golden hour one. Midday sun is hard on the open Formal Garden. I use it anyway, for wide frames and spins, and soften it with motion blur and grain. The colonnade and the big trees on the lawn hold the only real shade. I would pick late summer into early fall. On 12 September the roses and dahlias were still out and one tree had already turned orange.

Maninder and Parneet came that Saturday, her in a white dress with a long sheer cape, him in a camel suede jacket. He twirled her beside the pool, and under the big trees the cape opened like wings. On the terrace she looked back over her shoulder, her hand still in his. None of it needed golden hour.

Practical notes: a professional photographer needs a photo pass, booked in advance. The outdoor pass is $300 plus HST for two hours. The grounds are free to walk and close for winter. Parking on site is free but very limited. Paths are gravel and flagstone, so wear shoes you can walk in. It is 50 to 75 minutes from downtown Toronto by car.