In the second installment of the Montreal excursion I present you approximately 400 or so words on why I love this city and to go along with it a handful of images. Normally I like to give some sort of back story or history lesson with my posts but Montreal is an old city and I don’t feel like typing that much! For a 6.5 hour drive it does not leave you wanting more, the locals are so friendly it is almost scary and the city is cleaner than most I have been to. We shacked up at the Le Meridien which was within walking distance to Mount Royal Parc. Those of you who pay attention to my posts already know that this park was landscaped by Frederick Law Olmstead who also designed Central Park. Although we went after the foliage was in full bloom the park was still beautiful and full of life. We managed to make it to the summit and visit the deck of the Chalet for a wonderful view of the city.

Naturally at an area like this there are tourists taking a million pictures (guilty) but you honestly can’t help it once you get up there. Inside the Chalet is an architectural gem with ceilings meticulously crafted and old world chandeliers.

One of the most amazing things about Montreal is it’s similarity to Brooklyn. Old stone everywhere, young, hip crowd and everywhere you turn there is an art gallery. As a photographer I can appreciate a city with so much art, be it graffiti (which there is plenty of) or fine art on display. We had a wonderful first day roaming the streets and taking it all in, needless to say we had arrived and could not wait to see more. We decided that the next day was going to be spent in Old Montreal. There was so much to see and do there, plus the metro was $8 for the whole day so why not take advantage? To start the day we ate a small cafe on Rue Notre Dame where the food was just amazing and so where the people there. We thought it a good idea to fuel up since we had a long day ahead of us.

After breakfast we walked across the street to pay a visit to the Basilica Notre Dame. James O’Donnel was commissioned to design the new structure when the congregation outgrew it’s old building. Ironically he was a Protestant at the time and did not later convert to Catholicism until he was on his deathbed. Many believe it is because he came to the realization that he could not be buried in the church he designed. He was and is still the only person buried in the churches crypt. The main construction took 5 years to complete with the inside was finished in 1879. It was the largest church in North America for the next 50 years. You can visit the church for a $5 donation and take photographs while there. To be honest I couldn’t wait but while inside I did take a moment to appreciate what was in front of us. This was hands down one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. It actually made me stop in my tracks because of how overwhelming it was to see the inside.

When we finished we decided to head over to Olympic Stadium and see another piece of history. The summer games of 1976 were here and they had a good amount of fun facts to go along with them. The US had what was considered the greatest boxing team of all time. Nadia Comaneci scored a perfect 10 at the age of fourteen and Canada had no gold medals which was a first for a host country in the summer games. It was a nice thing to be able to walk around where the olympics were held and I felt a sense of pride saying that I was able to go there. After we finished the tour we tool a ride in the olympic tower which sadly was not finished in time for the games but still in operation. It goes up about 500 feet and gives you great views of the surrounding areas including the old olympic village which they have since turned into housing. The rest of day two was spent wandering around Old Montreal taking in the sites and enjoying some much needed time from work. Day three was our last and as it turns out we headed out of the way to Little Italy to check out the local market.

There were all kinds of vendors with everything from produce to a butcher shop. Funny as it sounds, you can go to Fairway or the weekend farmers market in town but when you are traveling the market always seems better. Maybe it is a nostalgia thing or maybe it is a way of telling yourself “I made the trip so it had to be better” either way we enjoyed it and picked up a few things to bring home.

While it was an amazing journey that we both were glad we took, I feel like we only scratched the surface of what Montreal has to offer. It goes without saying that we will be back and spend some time finding more amazing things to see and do. As always I will leave you with a few parting shots and appreciate the support from my loyal followers.    

I know I promised more on our recent trip to Montreal, but after we took a trip to Central Park I couldn’t help but write about it. The only justification I have tying the two together is that Frederick Law Olmsted was the landscaper for Central Park as well as Mont-Royal Parc in Montreal. As a matter of fact he also designed the layout for the Wolrd’s Colombia Exposition also known as the Chicago Worlds Fair. Central Park is iconic, beautiful and a staple of New York City. In a city that is defined by one of the most recognizable skylines in the world there is a world that lies beneath and behind that skyline that is awe inspiring. Central Park was the first landscaped public park in the United States and built mainly for well to do residents who wanted a place comparable to parks found in London or Paris. Their theory was that it would give the city more notoriety and reason to be viewed as worth visiting. Construction of the site required over 20,000 workers who spread more than 3 million cubic yards of soil and planted more then 270,000 trees and shrubs.

Central Park officially opened in the winter of 1859 with some interesting rules and regulations. For instance you could not have group picnics on the great lawn and children were required to have a note from their principal in order to use the baseball fields. Concerts were allowed on Saturdays only and this would eventually change. Most laborers from the city, who had also helped built the park, were unhappy with concerts only being held on Saturdays. Reason being was they only had Sundays off and after some convincing, concerts were allowed on Sundays. In 1927 August Heckscher donated the park’s first playground and years later under Mayor LaGuardia there would be many more playgrounds to come.

By the 1970′s a combination of budget cuts and a mounting fiscal crisis had thrown the park into disarray. Upkeep was almost non-existent and attendance along with safety were dwindling. In 1980 the Central Park Conservatory was formed and through generous private donations the park was on the road to recovery. After spending a few short hours there we barely scratched the surface of what the park has to offer. There are bridges galore, the aforementioned zoo, cafe’s and a castle. Carriage rides are at every turn along with musicians, vendors and artists. The views along the outskirts of the park and in between the tree lines are superb. They are a reminder as to why the skyline is so recognizable. Needless to say this will be not the last visit to this wonderful park and it goes without saying if at all possible go see it for yourself. This time of year New York City is something to behold. There are buildings decorated for the holidays, people from all over the world and a buzz you can only get in New York while walking the streets at Christmas time. I will leave you with just a few more from today and wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season. Thanks and enjoy!

So over the next week or so I will be doing a series of posts about our recent trip to Montreal. While there are bunch of things that were shot, I wanted to start with the pictures from the Metro. The Metro is the Canadian version of the subway, but better by leaps and bounds. There are three main lines that connect you to Montreal, Old Montreal and the outskirts of the city. You can ride all day for $8.00 which includes buses as well. The system runs like clock work, is cleaner that anything I have ever seen and could not be easier to use. Now that I am done plugging the Canadian transit system it is on to why I began this.

About a year ago I took on a project for a gallery and based it on subway musicians. I spent a few months riding the subways and capturing performers well, performing. It was such an amazing experience, there were dancers, singers and even a full 5 piece band! As we entered the Metro I got the same sensation I had when I did my last subway adventure. The funny thing is that there weren’t really any performers this time. Maybe because we were there Monday to Wednesday, but I didn’t care. I love to people watch and steal pictures of whoever I can. Some of the people watching always gave that confused look of “what are you taking a picture of?” While most others had no clue. To be honest I don’t care either way. I have come to the realization that posed pictures in a city or urban setting do nothing for me. I love capturing everyday life and people being people, not people being posed by someone who wants to create a vision.

To me there is something about black and white photos of people that makes an impact. Maybe it is some kind of subconscious play on life being so black and white. Or maybe its that when it boils down to it the theory of black and white makes it easy to see the stark contrast of people in their element. I feel that when you see an image of a person and it is done up to make them look like they are in a magazine, it is fitting for weddings, portraits and commercial work. I love these types of shots and love the photographers who shoot them. As a matter of fact I happen to have two very close friends who make this look easy. They are so good at it, but I see life as a much less glamorous medium when it comes to everyday things. One should look beautiful and their best on their wedding or when taking a family portrait, but not when going to work, heading to school or just getting from point a to point b.

Life is a funny thing, no two people really view it the same and time and time again I am always fascinated by seeing a photograph of nothing in particular and realizing that it was there all along. There are so many great photographers who have captured things that I, and most likely you, have never thought to take a picture of and gave it life, meaning and some sort of purpose the moment it was looked at as more than just something you pass by. People watching is a clever way to see what life is all about. Sometimes people don’t even look up from what they are reading to see me take their picture. Other times I feel like I am in a game of cat and mouse or spy vs. spy. At the end of the day, I may only end up with one out of one hundred shots that I like, but that is fine by me.

In closing I will leave you with just a few more, I am really looking forward to posting more from this trip and will do so after the upcoming holiday. I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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