Fans of The Tragically Hip have certainly seen David Bastedo’s photography, even if they don’t know him by name.

The Toronto photographer, who is based in the east end, has been documenting the quintessentially Canadian band both onstage and off since 2005, and was the official photographer who shot the powerful images when The Hip played its historic final concert a couple of summers ago.

Now, Bastedo is showcasing photos from time spent with The Hip in an exhibition at Leslieville's Leslie Jones starting May 5.

"Love and Admiration" is the overarching title for the body of work that Bastedo will draw from to tell a story about a man, a band and a nation. In a note on the exhibition's website, he writes:

I’ve been on a journey with The Tragically Hip and with Gord for over a dozen years now. It has been an adventure filled with people and music and culture and friendship and family and love and admiration.

I’ve spent the better part of the year revisiting that journey, combing through my archives; trying to extract from them, some magical answer to what it all means — to me, to friends, to fans and to a country.

I’ve cried and I’ve laughed and there have been many smiles; as I remember the places and events surrounding each frame — a vignette of my life, a song in my head — each encapsulating a special moment shared with friends.

These images of Gord are only part of my love story, a part of a poem and a sliver of my heart to all of the experiences, and people and times that were shared and a toast to the times that are still to be celebrated; to the learning and growing and the experiences that changed me; all of us. To a man, and a band, and a country.

The exhibition, entitled "An Abridged Exploration of Love & Admiration. Part 1. Gord.", kicks off May 5 from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. at 1182 Queen St. E. The showcase will run through May and June.

Visit loveandadmiration.ca for more information.