Toronto Architectural Photographer | Vaughan Metropolitan Centre with the Fujifilm GFX100S II

Apr 23

As a Toronto-based architectural photographer, I’m always testing new gear in real-world environments to see how it performs under pressure. For this spec shoot, I headed to Vaughan Metropolitan Centre—a striking example of modern transit infrastructure designed by Grimshaw Architects and Adamson Associates. It’s one of the most architecturally compelling subway stations in the GTA and a space I’ve been meaning to photograph for a while.

This shoot was my first outing with the Fujifilm GFX100S II, and I wanted to see how it would handle in a handheld, natural light situation with limited tools. At the time, the only lens I had access to was my Canon 24mm TS-E tilt-shift, adapted to the GFX mount.

For those unfamiliar, the GFX100S II is a medium format camera with a sensor size larger than full-frame (43.8mm x 32.9mm). This introduces a 0.79x crop factor when adapting full-frame lenses. That means the 24mm Canon tilt-shift behaves more like a 19mm equivalent on the GFX system—pushing the perspective even wider while still retaining that signature tilt-shift control over converging lines.

That combination—the field of view and the ability to correct distortion in-camera—was ideal for the scale and geometry of Vaughan Metropolitan Centre. With no tripod or off-camera lighting, I leaned on the GFX100S II’s excellent IBIS and low-light performance, shooting handheld at high ISOs and slower shutter speeds. Most images were taken around ISO 1000–2000 at 1/30, and the files held up beautifully in terms of clarity and tonal range.

This wasn’t a commissioned shoot, just a self-initiated test to get familiar with the new system in an environment that demands precision. And even with the minimal kit, the results were exciting—clean files, flexible raw data, and a compelling interpretation of a space that’s designed to impress.

If you’re an architect, builder, or designer working on projects like this in the GTA and beyond, I’d love to connect. You can reach out to see more of my work or talk about how I can help you document yours.