Iconic Montreal

I have travelled far and wide in my lifetime - meandering through city neighbourhoods and country landscapes, exploring cultural sights and tourist attractions, and venturing off the beaten track and finding many hidden gems.

Yet Montreal is my city, one that I know through and through, and to which my heart belongs.

These landmarks that I have chosen to photograph are as much a part of my history as they are embedded in the cultural landscape of Montreal.

Though many a photographer before me has photographed these iconic spots, I felt compelled to try my hand at capturing these fixtures of the Montreal landscape that have marked my passage through the city over time. 

My intention was to photograph them from a low vantage point, using the sky as my backdrop and framing the objects using negative space. 

Welcome to my Montreal, and the icons that have inhabited me since childhood.

Habitat 67 - an odd, yet compelling architectural structure that defined an important cultural era in the history of Montreal, and one that I was finally able to visit.

The Farine Five Roses Sign - A majestic symbol lighting the cityscape and accompanying me along the Bonaventure expressway as I make my way to the south shore of Montreal.

The Biosphère - A relic of the American pavilion from Expo '67, and a reminder of my visits as a child to Terre des Hommes.

Three Disks Sculpture - The only Alexander Caldwell sculpture not painted, paying homage to its raw material, and a symbol of the theme of the Man and his World Expo of 1967.

Oratoire St. Joseph - Built in honour of Saint Brother André, and a pilgrimage site for those seeking spiritual and physical healing, and where I was fascinated to see people climbing the steps on their knees praying on each rung.

Pavillon Roger Gaudry, Université de Montréal - An Obelisk of sorts, not so much a part of my academic path, yet a landmark visible from so many parts of the city.

The Moulin Flemming - The only English-style windmill left in Quebec, which I passed on every weekend bike ride along LaSalle Boulevard.

The Lachine Lighthouse - A beacon for city fisherman and a place to find respite from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Orange Julep - A mandatory stop after weekend family drives in the country, and where my parents would set my brother and I up in the trunk to enjoy our feast. 

The Guaranteed Milk Bottle - Now barely visible, yet a staple sighting during my morning commute in the mid 2000s.

La Renommée - the winged figure atop the George-Étienne Cartier Monument, on Mount Royal, and a spot to encounter the cultural diversity of the inhabitants of our fine city.