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Ottawa Interior Photographer – Back Lane Cafe

Back Lane Cafe

I live in a part of Ottawa known as Hintonburg. Anyone following me on Twitter will know I’m strongly community oriented; so, along with lots of photography related stuff, I chat to and about those in my neighbourhood.

The gentrification of the main strip of Wellington West in Hintonburg is nothing new to folks who live here. I like to think everything went uphill starting from when I moved here four years ago (prove me wrong!). This has meant an absolute deluge of new restaurants into the neighbourhood, a welcome addition to my palate, less so, my wallet.

One such restaurant has notoriously earned the scorn of my saving’s account has been Back Lane Cafe. I’m no foodie, but I’d describe it as higher end, well put together, comfort food… and that description is not doing it justice (I’m a photographer, remember?). I’ve been there far more than my pay-grade should allow, but thankfully a stable seat at the bar helped me get to know the owner, and in his infinite wisdom, he contracted me to Photograph the place.

Even these photos can’t properly show the amount of detail that went into the place, the reclaimed wood, the solid concrete bar (notice how the lamps are right in there?), it’s a comfortable space, with comfort food that has been consistently impressing me every time I go. It’s my new neighbourhood local and can’t recommend it enough. I’m also honoured they asked me to do the first set of official shots for it.

The lead image of this post I actually shot separately, since the best light inside of the restaurant, didn’t match the best light for the outside. I came back at dusk and shot a 6-bracket HDR to get all the great detail of the building and right into the restaurant. I mistakenly brought my kids along, though, and was lucky my eldest didn’t knock my camera over as he insisted on break-dancing directly under my tripod.

If you’d like to see these larger, check them out over on Flickr. Do you have a favourite restaurant that you’d like to photograph? Maybe just the food? sound-off in the comments.

2 thoughts on “Ottawa Interior Photographer – Back Lane Cafe

  1. Anna says:

    Lovely Justin!! I just wish Back Lane Cafe had been there all those years ago when I lived on Irving. Back then, it was a scary place to live… trust me…

  2. @amwaters says:

    Nicely done. You've captured the feel of the place. Homey but not slouchy. And certainly not stiff. I really like its welcoming ambiance.