Gary Baker, a School of Continuing Studies student, took this photo from the northeast corner of Bloor Street and Bedford Road looking east. He was enjoying a morning coffee with his wife, who is a business officer at OISE, and felt inspired to capture the contrasting architecture of the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal at the ROM.

“I have always been a fan of older architecture, and the U of T neighbourhood is the best place in the city for that,” says Baker. While he’s still not sure he likes the aesthetic of the crystal, Baker believes it’s a refreshing design for Toronto. He favors architectural photography for two uncomplicated reasons: “Buildings stay still, and you don’t have to get them to smile.”

A lifetime Toronto resident, Baker works as a graphic designer. He and his wife have one daughter who is a U of T alum, and two dogs who are not.

Visit Gary’s Flickr page