iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

I'm not on this platform enough to have a feel for it. People followed me because of the slow art list. I haven't been posting much work here, but I am doing the work. I'm mostly sticking to the visual platforms. — Here's a recent pull from the archives. 08.2006, on the 501 streetcar.

August 7, 2006. View from a seat near the back of a 2006-era TTC streetcar. There are some passengers, each seated alone in a row. We only see the back of their heads. It is mid-day. Out of a window the sign for the Skyline Restaurant in Parkdale, Toronto, is partially visible.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

880 Queen St W, 2010-2025 I’m mostly posting on [audio] visual platforms. I’m still working hard. I hope to be printing and shipping “Queen West Complete, Summer 2015” soon, and then to have news of another printing of Spadina to Bathurst.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

20 YEARS AGO TODAY My cat Xena sat in a box, and I took a picture. The picture was bleh in colour, so I made it black and white. I added text to the box, and posted it online. It was liked on Flickr, but I didn'tt know it would become my most-seen photo. Widely distributed but unattributed.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Toronto folk, if you are going to Parkdale Day on March 28: I will be at 1267 Queen St W to promote my projects & get used to meeting strangers again! There will be "Queen West Complete, Summer 2015" postcards (see next) Fingers crossed, I will have proofs of the 3 posters at actual size.

3 similar vertical posters, arranged in a row. Each poster has many rows of elevations of city streets, and a label at the bottom. Each shows part of Queen West Complete, Summer 2015. Left: south side, Middle: north side, Right: Parkdale, both sides

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

My vintage website has been offline for many months, but it's back online! For years, I was a top result for searches of "Kevin Steele" — I might have been the first Kevin Steele online — but my Google ranking is trashed because my site was offline. This link is good now, and it IS a good read.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

I’m glad Max Scherzer gets to be a Blue Jay this year.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

What am I missing about Kyle Tucker? Did I just not see enough games when he played for Houston? If I saw more of him would I believe he’s one of the best instead of just good? I feel like the Blue Jays dodged a bullet when Tucker signed with LA for a ridiculous amount of money. #bluejays

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Queen West Complete, Summer 2015 PROJECT MILESTONE! 4.6km of street, each side in a single frame. I've been building these since 2023. I had an idea what they would look like, but I had to do the work to discover the result. I’m pleased! #documentaryphotography #toronto

Collage of 14 rows of narrow horizontal photo strips of urban landscapes, showing varied buildings against blue skies. It is a 4.6km stretch of the south side of Queen Street West in Toronto, summer 2015

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

Recently on Portraits of Queen West 660 Queen St W December 5, 2025 & December 6, 2011 #documentaryphotography

Storefront with a gray facade and glass windows displaying snowflake decals. Harlot's Gair Salon, but the sign is broken, and only the painted window can be read. A bare tree stands on the sidewalk, and pigeons wander nearby.

Storefront of Harlots hair salon with large windows, displaying interior hair cutting activities. A person walks past with a dog, carrying a green bag.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

Funded! Thank you, all! Preorders and contributions are still welcome, of course !

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 29/11/2025

DRAKE YOU HO was late 2005. I have pictures of this address before this date, but when I saw this graffiti, I didn’t have a camera with me—and I didn’t make it back in time. MANY people did get the shot, and I'll find a way to include it when I get to that book. 1092 - 2001.01.06 & 2005.10.27

Storefront of a tattoo parlor on the left with bold yellow and red signage reading "Tattoo" and "Coulson." A neon sign shop is on the right, in a building with an old theatre marquee. Both have "Open" signs.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

All the Starbucks on Queen Street West in the summer of 2015. → Some were close enough together that it felt like there was a Starbucks every two blocks. → Today, there are no storefront Starbucks on Queen West. Details from "Queen West Complete, Summer 2015" #documentaryphotography

A collage of six Starbucks storefronts displays various architectural styles, from historic brick buildings to modern glass facades.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

A detail from Queen West Complete, Summer 2015 A couple of blocks in Parkdale. #photography

A long panoramic collage showing two city blocks made up of varied two and three-story buildings.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

I made a one-of-a-kind, complete record of Queen West ten years ago, as part of a much larger project. 🗓️ 20 days left to preorder a book or poster, to help make a print run happen. 👍 At 50% of goal. 🔥 Preorder a digital edition & support for as little as $10. 🔗 Link in bio to preorder & info

1042 Queen St W, Summer 2015. Vertical image. A straight-on shot of one of a row of old two-story brick buildings. This shopfront and one next door are boarded up. This shop has a mural that fills the plywood space, of a man holding a salmon in front of his face, as if he hopes to eat the fish. The boarded-up shop next door has event posters.

1426 Queen St W, Summer 2015. Vertical image. A straight on shot of a row of connected 3-story brick buildings, with ground level storefronts. This “slice” has the Skyline Restaurant at its base. The second floor has a large window slightly taller than wide. The third floor has a large arched window lined with decorative brick. Neighbouring slices are similar but varied.

2 Spadina at Queen St W, Summer 2015. Vertical image. It is a very square two-story urban McDonald’s that is built to the edge of the sidewalk, on a street corner. The sky is blue.

Text above: Ten years ago, I shot every address on Queen West. I’ve assembled the pictures into a series of continuous collages of Queen from Simcoe to Roncesvalles (4.6km) Now I’m making a book and three posters from this work.

The centre shows an example page from a proposed book, Queen Street Complete, Summer 2015. The book features two matched and opposite collages of each side of a city block, with the addresses of the shopfronts in red below the pictures. The images are arranged so that page has to be turned to see the other side of the street upwards.

Text below: Learn more, pre-order: Https://crowdfundr.com/queenwest2015

Text in a starburst: Digital Edition Available! Support POQW for as little as $10!

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

Queen West Complete, Summer 2015, is the latest work from Portraits of Queen West, my project documenting over 20 years of change on one of Toronto’s most iconic streets. Pre-order book or posters to help bring this work to life & contribute to the project, overall. Please share. Link in bio.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

Queen West from Euclid Ave to Palmerston Ave Detail from Queen West Complete, Summer 2015 – a series of continuous collages of each side of the 4.6km length of Queen West. I'm making a book & 3 posters. Pre-order/crowdfunding link in bio. Please share and help bring this work into the world.

Panoramic view of an urban street with historic brick buildings. Shops and cafes line the sidewalk, with bicycles parked out front. Blue sky above with thin clouds.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

I made this post when it looked like they'd win, not once victory slipped away. Days later, it doesn't feel like the Blue Jays lost. They didn't win the championship, but they won everything else. They were part of a legendary series, and new and old fans are excited for 2026.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

Queen West Complete, Summer 2015 presale/crowdfunding campaign is now live! The book will feature the complete work, a snapshot in time of a 4.6km stretch. Three Posters: North side — Roncesvalles to St. Patrick South Side — Simcoe to Roncesvalles Parkdale — Dufferin to Roncesvalles, both sides

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

Detail from Queen West Complete, Summer 2015: Brock to Noble I’m creating a book & 3 posters from this work. The crowdfunding/presale campaign describes the book & posters, & goes live tomorrow. crowdfundr.com/queenwest2015 I’ll be featuring many of these blocks over the coming weeks.

Panoramic street view of historic brick buildings of an entire city block under a clear blue sky. The image is a photocollage made up of multiple photos taken from across the street. Various shops with colourful facades line the sidewalk. Trees and pedestrians are visible.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 01/11/2025

Whew! It took 2 years, but I've built all 70 city blocks that make up "Queen West Complete, Summer 2015!" I'm making a book and 3 posters. The book design (below) is an homage to Ed Ruscha's Every Building on Sunset Strip (1966). Crowdfunder launches on Nov. 4 crowdfundr.com/queenwest2015

A sample two-page spread from a book showing linear panorama photocollages of both sides of a street for a few city blocks. One set of collages is upside down, so that the whole page could be turned around to read it. Addresses are labelled under the storefronts.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 01/11/2025

I remember shortening variables in a HyperCard script, just to get the stack to fit on an 800k disk. I just installed a piece of software that was a 1 GB download and takes up 3.5 GB on disk. I can't help wondering how much of that is just bloat. What's in a modern app that takes up so much space?

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

Can anyone please explain? The signage at the top of this brick building reads "1478Q Lofts" The street address is 1480 Queen St W. The grey building next door is 1478. I'm bothered by this because my label below is correct, but the sign makes it appear as though I've made a mistake. #Toronto

Street view of three adjacent buildings in an urban setting. Monty's Grocery, a Tim Hortons, and another storefront, under a partially cloudy sky. Under the image, there are labels for the street addresses, 1482, 1480 and 1478. The middle building, at 1480, has signage on the third floor that reads 1478Q Lofts.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 25/10/2025

Queen Street West near Lansdowne 1478 & 146 Queen St W, 2006-2025 2006.06.17 #documentaryphotography

Storefront with "99¢ Zone Plus" sign, featuring a Canadian maple leaf inside the O. A man in shorts walks past, with dresses and colourful items in the window.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

South side of Queen from Shaw to Dovercourt, 2015 I've built the last segment of my complete record of Queen West in the summer of 2015. It was a challenge keeping scale consistent and finding points along the plane at the back of the sidewalk to align to. Now to put all 4.6km (x2) together.

Extremely wide panoramic photo collage, divided into four segments and stacked, depicting a series of urban street views with park area, a long mid-rise building, a small section of Victorian buildings, trees, power lines, and clear blue skies. This is the CAMH facility in Toronto.

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Reposted by Kevin Steele

Avard Woolaver @avardwoolaver.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

Pape Avenue, Toronto, 2024 #photography #toronto

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

I've been receiving "I'm [name] from [recruiting company] and I have a job for you" text messages over five times a day, sometimes simultaneously. I used to get these only a few times a week. Is this normal? Has my number been put on a "Please harass" list, or has this scam gone viral?

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

The death of humankind will be the result of poor reading comprehension, autocorrect, or some unfortunate interaction of the two.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

I achieved a new milestone. Someone commented on one of my Instagram posts, "You suck. Click bait bullshit!" In my 25 years of posting pictures of Queen West to the Internet, this is a first. I'm sorry for all the controversial people who must put up with a rain of shit.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

My portraits_of_queen_west Instagram account recently got more viral. I'm gaining Toronto followers hourly & they're sharing anecdotes in the comments. My record of Queen West has aged past a nostalgia tipping point. For now, Instagram remains the first and best place to see POQW photos.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 04/10/2025

Today on Portraits of Queen West 241 & 243 Queen St W September 2025 & July 2014 #documentaryphotography

Street scene with brick storefronts, featuring a cannabis shop with a "Hollywood Hi" sign. Two pedestrians and a dog walk on the sidewalk. This is a T intersection and the traffic light is red.

Street view of Queen Street West with a "cannabis culture" shop named "Friendly Stranger." This is 2014 and cannabis is not yet legal — this is an old school head shop with everything but cannabis. Two bicycles are parked outside. Three pedestrians walk by. This is a T intersection and the traffic light is red.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

My arm hurts because it was rammed by the handlebars of a cyclist passing me as I walked ON THE SIDEWALK. I hate being mad at a cyclist.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

I'm getting so tired of keeping track of how everything works, and constantly having to relearn things that I don't do often enough to remember. I know some of that is me, but there's so much transient bullshit being created daily for us to wade through, and I'm not talking about art.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

I found the source for this block in my “rejected” pile—too many cars, not enough shots. Those reasons don't matter now, so I built it. Documentary value outweighs other concerns, now that I’m working on BATHURST TO STRACHAN. Queen St West from Walnut to Strachan, June 2007, Assembled 2025

Panoramic view of a city street, made up of a series of images, featuring historic buildings with diverse facades, trees, and cars. In the middle of the block is a five story brick condominium that has been built around a historic house that is set back from the side walk with a large lawn. It's a sunny day with a clear blue sky.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

703 & 703A Queen St W, June 2010 & August 2024 Tibet Arts was a few years old in the first picture. #documentaryphotography

Storefronts on an urban street, including "TIBET ARTS" and "ODD AND ENDS." A person with a dog stands outside the narrow junk shop, filled with shelves of trinkets.

Storefronts in an urban setting, featuring "Tibet Arts" with a pink sign and a blue window display, and "Odds and Ends" with a colourful wooden sign of different-sized letters at varying angles.

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Reposted by Kevin Steele

Jeff @themadjeff.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

A #cat I saw 10 years ago. #photography @hipstamatic.app

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

1072 Queen St W, Sept 2009 & Aug 2024 This pair of pictures has a lot, including a kitchen sink. #documentaryphotography

Storefront labeled "Royal" with blue and white signage, displaying washers and dryers outside. A sliver of the shopfront Nextdoor is visible, painted yellow on the first floor, green on the bit of the second floor we see.

Street scene with a wall covered in colourful posters advertising events and products. A Banksy show. Fan Expo. Deadpool & Wolverine. Ketchup & Mustard. “The Marchesa Casati” by Augustus Edwin John, a famous painting of a stunning redhead at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Old building facade with faded "Royal" sign.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

We moved out of province over two months ago. I shook hands with our landlord, and upstairs neighbour, when we left our apartment. Late last night my ex-landlord called me up drunk to harass me because he’s sure my brother and I got away with something.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 06/09/2025

Queen St W from Euclid Ave to Palmerston Ave, June 2007 [assembled 2022] This block is part of the stretch of Queen being covered in the photobook I'm working on now. #panorama

Panoramic view of a complete city block showcasing a row of colourful, historic buildings with varied facades and multiple small shops at ground level. The picture is a collage of six separate overlapping images. There are a few parked cars, but only a yellow sports car is complete as the other cars are all truncated, having fallen into the parallax valley.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

498 to 594 Queen St W, Nov 2012 Still a few more pictures of Bathurst to Strachan to prep for my next book. My process is to prep all the decent shots, then choose the ones that work on the page together. I'm often surprised by which pictures are redundant when I finally choose.

Street view of urban shops includes "Craft Decor," "Barn Restaurant," and "Super Queen's Market." The restaurant is a small two-story building nestled between two larger buildings. Bikes and a scooter are parked outside, with pedestrians passing by.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

Today on Portraits of Queen West, a 2012 picture of Czehoski. The sign dates back to 1924. For decades, this was a Polish deli, then it was a closed deli with a great sign. The sign remained when it became a restaurant, until it closed in 2015 amid its owner's legal troubles as a corrupt drug cop.

A weathered, vintage "Czehoski" sign hangs over a newer wooden facade and awning, flanked by shops and parked bicycles.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 30/08/2025

Recently on Portraits of Queen West A wet day in Parkdale in March 2016 1470 & 1468, 1440 & 1438, 1436 & 1434 and 412

Street view of brick buildings with ground level storefronts. Left: "Top Brands For Less," featuring a large "80% off" sign. Right: "Sizzling Grill" with Mediterranean cuisine imagery. A bicycle is chained to a tree. The Sizzling Grill is on the corner in a one-storey building with a network of ventilation ducts on the roof. The scene is overcast and wet.

Street view of "Lucky Supermarket" with a red and yellow sign, a brick building facade, displays of fresh produce, and a bicycle parked outside. The shop spans two wide storefronts each with a similar sign, as if there are two shops with the same name competing.

Street scene with brick buildings and ground-level storefronts, including "Parkdale Accounting," and a "Lotto Convenience" store on the corner. A person stands on the wet sidewalk, looking to the left.

Street view of two adjacent shops: "Common Sort," a clothing exchange, and "Happy Kids World," a children’s wear store. Pedestrians and bicycles are visible.

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Kevin Steele @kevinsteele.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

I tested an AI app-building program to make a game. I was impressed when it produced a working game from my simple prompt. Each iteration was an improvement, but gameplay was awful. But it's not like Tony Stark collaborating with Jarvis or like someone creating a holodeck program on Star Trek.

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