Bandidas At Festin Culturel Brossard

We're back to Brossard for some more musical entertainment at the Festin Culturel.  After Wesli opened the evening and warmed up the crowd, local celebrity Normand Brathwaite took the stage to introduce a variety of musical acts that would be the headline event of the evening.  One of those bands was Bandidas, a local duo who got together only a few years ago and play a mix of latin music from their shared Brazilian and Mexican culture.  This mix fit in well at this event which celebrated the diversity of meals from different cultures.  Here were two cultures coming together to make music.  The photograph at the top of the page was taken at f/2.8, 1/400sec, ISO 3200 at 200mm.  Here are several more photographs that I took while they played.

f/2.8, 1/400sec, ISO 3200 at 200mm

f/2.8 1/640sec, ISO 3200 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/500sec, ISO 3200 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/500sec, ISO 3200 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/500sec, ISO 3200 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/500sec, ISO 3200 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/800sec, ISO 3200 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/800sec, ISO 3200 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1800sec, ISO 3200 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/800sec ISO 3200 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/800sec, ISO 3200 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/400sec, ISO 3200 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/400sec, ISO 3200 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/640sec, ISO 3200 at 200mm

One of my favourite lines on their website describes this duo as the Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid of music, using guitars instead of guns.  You can find Bandidas either on Amazon or iTunes, so feel free to go out there and discover them for yourselves.

Wesli At Festin Culturel Brossard

As she is so good at doing, My Lovely Assistant found another Saturday night activity.  It seems the city of Brossard was having their 11th Festin Culturel, a festival of food and music from around the World.  Trying different kinds of food isn't really my thing, but there's nothing I like more than a free concert.  Especially one where I can take some photographs.  We arrived at the site kind of late, but I was still able to grab a spot near the soundboard that had a clear view of three quarters of the stage.  The opening act of the evening was Wesli, a singer/songwriter originally from Haiti who made Montreal his home back in 2001.  Growing up, he made his very first guitar out of an old oil drum and some nylon fishing line.  Playing a mix of soul, reggae and world music, Wesli has found himself performing all over the planet, including famous festivals in Toronto, Vancouver, New York and Marseilles.  On this night, has path brought him to Brossard and the Festin Culturel, where he had the crowd up out of their seats several times, grooving to his music and enjoying his very energetic and upbeat stage performance.  The first two photographs were taken at f/2.8, 1/250sec, ISO 800 at 200mm.  Here are several more photographs that I took while Wesli was on stage.

f/2.8, 1/320sec, ISO 800 at 168mm

f/2.8, 1/160sec, ISO 800 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/160sec, ISO 800 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/640sec, ISO 1600 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/250sec, ISO 1600 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/250sec, ISO 1600 at 168mm

f/2.8, 1/500sec, ISO 1600 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/800sec, ISO 1600 at 182mm

f/2.8, 1/400sec, ISO 1600 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/320sec, ISO 1600 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/640sec, ISO 1600 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/500sec, ISO 1600 at 200mm

f/2.8, 1/640sec, ISO 1600 at 150mm

If I could only use two words to describe this show, they would be 'high energy'.  From the opening to closing notes, Wesli was all over the stage, playing a variety of instruments.  He has a new album that came out on August 5th, Rapadou Kreyol, feel free to check it out wherever you buy music or on iTunes.

In The Pages Of Saint-Lambert En Fête

Waking up the morning has never really been one of my favourite activities, but sometimes you get a pleasant surprise or two.  This morning My Lovely Assistant had to head to her Day Job so I woke up early to see her off.  As she was going through her newspaper, I grabbed a pamphlet for Saint-Lambert En Fête.  I like to go and photograph the concerts during what used to be known as Saint-Lambert Days, so I began to flip through the pages looking for the schedules.  My eyes end up catching something that my brain told me was familiar and as my waking eyes tried to catch up it suddenly dawned on me that I was looking at my name next to one of my old photographs. I had taken the photograph way back in 2010 and had entered it in a local contest run by the now defunct Lambert Magazine.  The photograph ended up winning second place and was really loved by the owner of the Taylor's department store.  Here we are eight years later and there it is in a magazine as part of an advertisement.  It was surely a pleasant way for my day to begin.  Below you can see the original photograph, complete with the ugly old watermark I used back in 2012, which was taken at f/11, 25sec, ISO 100 at 38mm.  If you wish, feel free to head back and read the original blog post as well.  Add in a croissant and some orange juice and you have a healthy breakfast for both body and ego.  The pamphlet was delivered to homes earlier this week.  Take a look, maybe I'm already in your house.  Or at least go and rescue me from your recycling bin.  Be sure to take in some of the fun at Saint-Lambert En Fête this year as well.

Montreal International Fireworks - For Your Eyes Only

All good things must come to an end, and last night was the final show for the 2018 L'International Des Feux Loto-Québec.  The final show each year always has a special theme, and this year it was For Your Eyes Only - A Tribute To James Bond.  The fireworks were accompanied by a soundtrack of famous songs that have appeared in various James Bond films over the years.  Such hits as For Your Eyes Only, Live And Let Die, A View To A Kill, Skyfall and Goldfinger.  Putting on the display was Rozzi Fireworks from Ohio.  They have been producing fireworks since 1895 and have twice won Silver Jupiter Awards here in 1992 and in 2005.  I actually didn't stick around for the entire show as there was rain in the forecast.  The rain began to fall around 7:00PM, but after a quick look at 9:30PM, it seemed to only be a slight drizzle.  Since this was to be the last show of the year, and I had a new spot that I wanted to try, I headed out into the night.  Sadly, the good luck I've been having avoiding rain over the last few weeks ran out and the weather got progressively worse as I pedaled to my site.  About fifteen minutes into the show, and completely soaked, I gave up, packed up my wet gear and headed for home.  I was still able to get some nice photographs, but the humidity caused the smoke to stick around, obstructing my view of the bridge and parts of Montreal.  I'll have to try that spot again next year when the weather is a little better.  The first photograph was taken at f/16, 20sec, ISO 100 at 42mm and the second photograph was taken at f/16, 13sec, ISO 100 at 27mm.  Here are a few more photographs that I took of the show.

f/16, 10sec, ISO 100 at 27mm

f/16, 15sec, ISO 100 at 27mm

f/16, 13sec, ISO 100 at 27mm

f/16, 20sec, ISO 100 at 27mm

The third photograph is probably my favourite explosion that I captured this year and in the fifth photograph you can see some people on a passing boat taking in the show under their umbrellas.  For the sixth, I cropped the photograph tighter on the smaller explosions behind the Monster roller coaster ride since the smoke was getting thick.  I kind of liked the way it turned out, so it gets a spot here on the blog.  The competition may be over for 2018, but I've got one last recap update to go.  We'll see it up here soon.

Only A Few More Months

I don't care what all of you warm weather people may think, or if I am in a small minority, but I am sick and tired of Summer.  Some of you out there may not like this image, but 15 days of 30 degree or above weather, not including the humidity, has boiled my last nerve.  For those of you seeking a little relief, feel free to join me on this comfortable looking park bench.  It is my current happy place as we're having a day where the temperature feels like 41 degrees outside.  I've said it before, I'll say it again.  At minus 40 it is very easy to put more clothes on, but at 40 and above, there is only so much that you can take off before getting a visit from your friendly neighbourhood police officer. The photograph was taken at f/4, 1/800sec, ISO 100 at 24mm and I can't wait to be able to get out and take more like it.

Montreal International Fireworks Competition - Italy

We're nearing the end of another year of fireworks, bringing loud explosions and colour to the sky over Montreal.  This past Wednesday was the final competition show for L'International Des Feux Loto-Québec and it was Italy were the final Country to try and win the 2018 Golden Jupiter Award.  Representing Italy was the Giuliani Fireworks Company.  They have been in the fireworks business going back five generation and over 100 years.  They've titled their show 'The Italian Dream' and have themed their fireworks display and music to be powerful, colourful and romantic.  To capture the show, I went to one of my favourite locations to photograph these shows, a pedestrian overpass that crosses Taschereau boulevard in Longueuil.  I named a photograph I took from this location 'Bernard's View' at my very first photography exhibition in honour of Bernard Brault, a photographer for the La Presse newspaper.  He had taken a photograph from that location several years ago, I recognized it and I return every year.  The thing is, so does he and it remains an unfulfilled dream of mine to end up on that overpass the same time as he does.  I missed him by two shows this year, so I'll have to keep my fingers crossed that my timing will finally be right next year. The first two photographs were taken at f/16, 10sec, ISO 100 at 70mm.  Here are some more photographs that I took of the show.

f/16, 13sec, ISO 100 at 70mm

f/16, 10sec, ISO 100 at 70mm

f/16, 13sec, ISO 100 at 70mm

f/16, 13sec, ISO 100 at 70mm

I had my second brush with rain for the week during this show.  The heavens opened up with about 10 minutes left in the show, but luckily the big rain held off until My Lovely Assistant and I were able to get back to her Mom's house and safety.  There is only one more show left this year, all good things must end.  Hopefully the weather will once again co-operate.

Summer Fun

A few weekends ago, I spent the weekend at a cottage with My Lovely Assistant and several members of her family.  While watching folks playing out on the lake, I noticed this boat going around, pulling a skier behind it.  A typical summer lake activity.  But also a kind of peaceful summer image.  The blue water and green trees...all that was missing was a couple of clouds in the sky.  I waited for the boat to turn a little bit so that there would be some splash behind the skier and shot away.  The photograph was taken at  f/7.1, 1/1000sec, ISO 400 at 70mm.  Get out and enjoy the summer fun while you can because September is just around the corner (whoo-hoo!).