Now in its 55th year, the annual World Press Photo show, put together by the World Press Photo organization, brings the best of the past year’s press photos together in one place, profiling the focused work of 54 photographers selected by an expert jury – this year the jury chose from among a whopping 5,247 photographers from 124 countries.

Education and artistry are on equal footing in the exhibition, each photo accompanied by written details about the story it tells, which often has a political angle. Winners are divided into 10 categories that reflect the diversity of stories in the media today. In the General News Singles category, Mubarak Steps Down by Alex Majoli took first prize with shots of Tharir Square in Cairo in February, while Rémi Ochlik’s Battle for Libya took first prize in General News Stories, and the Spot News first prize went to The Fury of the Tsunami by Koichiro Tezuka, whose photos show the devastation that hit the town of the town of Natori in Japan. On an even more personal level, Samuel Aranda’s photo of a man suffering from tear-gas exposure won the People in the News Singles award, and Yasuyoshi Chiba’s photos of Japan tsunami survivors gained him the People in the News Stories award. Other categories in this year’s exhibition span Daily Life, Sports, Portraits, Arts and Entertainment, Contemporary News and Nature, where photos span topics as various as Ukrainian feminist groups, Indigenous communities in Bolivia, Dakar Fashion Week, living with Alzheimer’s, the Ironman Championships, the purportedly largest cave on Earth, and more.

It’s also interesting to note that the World Press Photo Multimedia Contest is back for the second year in a row, with three juried winning productions and a special mention, showing an expansion of the definition of press photography. First prize went to Afrikaner Blood, by Ilvy Njiokiktjien (photography) and Elles van Gelder (videography and audio), a documentary that looks critically at a militant South African group that refuses to support a multicultural nation, while the other projects include Half-Lives: The Chernobyl Workers Now, America’s Dead Sea, and Punched Out: The Life and Death of a Hockey Enforcer.

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THE DETAILS

World Press Photo, September 7-30, 2012

Marché Bonsecours, 325 De La Commune East

Photo Credits: Tuna Fish in the Tonnara – Francesco Zizola, Earthquake in Japan – Lars Lindqvist, Battle for Libya – Rémi Ochlik, Dakar fashion week – Vincent Boisot

The post INCREDIBLE WORLD PRESS PHOTO EXHIBITION COMES TO MONTREAL appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

The exhibition is organized into three geographically-based themes: Hungary, Rural Quebec and Montreal. It comes to the McCord from Canada’s National Gallery. Based in Montreal, Gabor Szilasi has documented a lost era: there were no ipods, no computers and often no TVs in his straight-forward shots taken during the 1950s. What began as a modest study of communities evolved into an extensive documentation of rural Quebec. Szilasi’s series of the countryside around Montreal is a fascinating peek into a forgotten world. Stoves needed to be stoked. Large crosses were the focal point of many a room as many homes were religiously Catholic at that time.

Like the work of French photographer Henri Cartier Bresson, whom he met, many of Szilasi’s images are black and white. Later he did use colour and at the McCord exhibit there are some delightful diptychs with one photo in black and white and the other in colour. Later on, he took to photographing his subjects at extremely close proximity, tightly framing the sitter’s facial features. As a documentary photographer, the artist had a fascination with daily life of people, interiors, vernacular architecture and urban landscapes. With an unerring and largely self-taught eye, he found the magic in the commonplace. For visitors to Montreal, the show is doubly interesting. His Montreal street panoramas, shot with a special camera in the 1980s, show his love of signage and advertising and his shots of Ste-Catherine Street, the heart of this city’s commercial district, are a particularly interesting look at this city’s past.

(Tip: The McCord Museum is FREE on Wednesday evenings from 5:00–9:00 p.m.)

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DETAILS

McCord Museum.

690 Sherbrooke Street West

514-398-7100

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PHOTO CREDITS:

-Gabor Szilasi, Motorcyclists at Lake Balaton, 1954

The post GABOR SZILASI LOOKS AT QUEBEC’S PAST appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then you’ve a whole delightful Montreal story ahead of you.

We’ve scoured Flickr for some of the best shots of the city, wanting to highlight the various seasons, architecture and landscapes.

Thanks to all the Flickr users who were willing to share their work with us!

Enjoy!

PS: If you’ve got a stunning Montreal image that you think should be included, leave a comment with the link to your photograph. We might just want to do a second round…

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François Hogue gives us a stunning moment on Plateau Mont-Royal, known for it’s colorful walk up apartments and cast iron stair cases.

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Marc (aka cactusautobus) takes us to the dramatic architecture of the Montreal Olympic Stadium, which to our pride and joy is the largest inclined tower in the world! In yer face Pisa!

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Using a photo techinique called HDR, Kevin Tataryn has captured a spiritual experience at Montreal’s most famous cathedral – Basilica Notre-Dame. I believe, by simply looking at it, we are all closer to God.

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Autumn colors in Montreal keep travelers coming back time and time again. In this pic Phil404 gives us a glimpse of Beaver Lake at the top of Parc Mont-Royal! Can you spot the beaver?

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In the lazy summer days, one of the popular Montreal activities is sitting on a terrace and watching the world go by. Montreal photographer Jackie Rueda has successfully captured the spirit of this activity. Dreamy.

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With another example of HDR, Sam Attal transposes the magic of Montreal’s Highlights Festival into photo format. Everyone loves a ferris wheel!

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Make no mistake, Montreal is a large urban center. This photo of the downtown core helps contextualize the city. On the top-left of the photo, you’ll note the orange tinges on Mont Royal. Can we guess the season? Thanks to Doug for this aerial vantage point.

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Doesn’t everybody dream of “His and Hers” apartments? This is another example of Montreal’s “Plateau” neighborhood, with it’s is colorful homes and cast iron staircases. Ashley Gasperino frames the Plateau iconography beautifully in this shot.

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Old and young, black and white, gay and straight, French and English – the visage of Montreal is textured and diverse. In the metro, Benoit Paille does a fantastic job capturing a couple of faces with his Montreal portraiture.

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The Montreal Botanical Gardens is considered one of the top gardens in the world. After a beautiful snowfall, Irene Suchocki captures a magical moment in Montreal.

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A popular summer activity is to stroll through Place Jacque-Cartier where street performers and artists provide delightful distractions (and fun souvenirs). Sa Rang sneaks us into a sketch. Make me look like Brad Pitt, please.

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A full moon creeps behind Basilica Notre-Dame, and Nicolas Paquet is there to greet it when it reappears. For a real treat, check out the light and sound show.

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A circus acrobat practices his trampoline moves in the streets of Old Montreal. Let’s hope he didn’t land on talented local photographer Antoine Rouleau.

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Using a photographic technique called tilt-shift, Christopher Liando makes Montreal’s massive Jacques-Cartier Bridge look like it might come from a cute train set. But in reality, it’s a big, big bridge.

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Nestled onto the Northwest part of Mount Royal, St.Joseph’s Oratory is the perfect location to watch the sun sink over Montreal. More than 2 million visitors and pilgrims visit the Oratory every year. Atticus Finch was definitely one of them.

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At the corner of St. Laurent and Ave des Pins, this smiley woman waits for you. Montreal has a thriving urban art collection. So keep your eyes peeled as you walk through the streets. Thanks to Geoff Stahl for this shot.

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One of the most popular Sunday activities in Montreal is to grab a picnic and head to the side of Mount Royal for the weekly Tam Tams drumming festival. Sylvain Michau caught this woman gettin’ funky to the beats.

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A fun way to cover some ground is to jump in a carriage and let one of our animated guides tell you the history of Old Montreal. Bring a carrot for the horse. Or for yourself, should you get hungry. And if you get hungry for good photos, visit David Giral’s website.

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A stunning view of Parc Jean-Drapeau, site of the famous ’67 World Expo.

Okay, enough drooling at Montreal over the Internet. Come say hello, already!

xoxo

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The post 20 STUNNING PHOTOS OF MONTREAL appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Entitled “The Blues” by Flickr user Melissa Sal, this photo displays a couple key features of one of our favorite neighborhoods – The Plateau Mont-Royal. We see a three-story walk up apartment with colorful detailing, the green of a maple tree and last, but certainly not least, a pair of bicycles. Montrealers do love to cycle.

Thanks for the dreamy photo!

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Submit your Montréal pictures to our MONTRÉAL BUZZ FLICKR GROUP.

And see our previous PHOTOS OF THE WEEK.

The post FLICKR PHOTO OF THE WEEK appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Can you guess what’s the unique delicacy in this photo? If you said gremlin barf, you’re totally wrong!

It’s poutine, silly! And it is a local delicacy here in Montreal! (And for the record we resent you comparing our cuisine to the regurgitation of a monster.)

“Poutine is a delicious mixture of fries, sauce and cheese. The classic Quebec poutine uses a very specific pepper sauce and fromage beaucronne (like a cheddar cheese curds).”

And since your curiosity is now peeked, there are a couple of late-night options for you to sample poutine. It’s always more delicious before hitting the sack, after a night of partying.

Thanks Flickr prodogy beingmimosa for the yummy photo!

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Submit your Montréal pictures to our MONTRÉAL BUZZ FLICKR GROUP.

And see our previous PHOTOS OF THE WEEK.

The post FLICKR PHOTO OF THE WEEK appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

This simple but lovely photo is brought to you by Flickr shutterbug DubyDub2009. We like it because it capture the architectural textures of Old Montreal with the colorful bricks and Victorian detailing.

Check out our Neighborhood 101 for more information on the delightful Old Montreal.

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Submit your Montréal pictures to our MONTRÉAL BUZZ FLICKR GROUP.

And see our previous PHOTOS OF THE WEEK.

The post FLICKR PHOTO OF THE WEEK appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Our delightful photo of the week is brought to you by Flickr starlet Madam B. She has a stunning selection of Montreal imagery, including the colours of autumn in the city.

This diptych features a little slice of the changing maple leaves, paired with the iconic angel that welcomes people to Parc Mont-Royal.

Remember, you’ve only got a couple weeks left to catch the fall foliage!

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Submit your Montréal pictures to our MONTRÉAL BUZZ FLICKR GROUP.

And see our previous PHOTOS OF THE WEEK.

The post FLICKR PHOTO OF THE WEEK appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Our photo this week comes from sociologist and Flickr extraordinaire David Schalliol (aka MetroBlossom on Flickr). He uses a photo technique called “Tilt-Shift” which plays with depth of field to simulate a miniature setting. David has captured a Montreal moment at the corner of St. Catherine and McGill Avenue, the heart of the shopping district.

Bravo Mr. Schalliol! We love your Montreal photo set.

For recommendations on what to do downtown, check out our Montreal Neighborhoods 101: Downtown.

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Submit your Montréal pictures to our MONTRÉAL BUZZ FLICKR GROUP.

And see our previous PHOTOS OF THE WEEK.

The post FLICKR PHOTO OF THE WEEK appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

“Les 40 portes d’Alfonso Gaglian” is a lovely collage of Montreal door photos by Antoine. Check out his stunning set of Montreal images, he has some truly stunning work.

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Submit your Montréal pictures to our MONTRÉAL BUZZ FLICKR GROUP.

And see our previous PHOTOS OF THE WEEK.

The post FLICKR PHOTO OF THE WEEK appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Well folks, it’s officially autumn now. And you know what? This is actually our favorite time of year in Montreal — the leaves changing colors, the markets brimming with produce from the harvest and the chance to sport our most stylish scarves. Montrealers LOVE autumn.

But, for the sake of sentimentality, let’s take one last look back at summer. And what an adorable look back this is.

Meandering through the Old Port, these two lovers epitomize the casual and romantic spirit of Montreal. After this little jaunt, we bet they had an amorous dinner along St. Paul Street, where they gazed lovingly into each others eyes over a bottle of shiraz. And then they grabbed maple ice cream and strolled through the antique cobblestone streets with arms sensuously holding another. Back at their dreamy boutique hotel suite, between steamy kisses, they slowly undressed each other, and then… in the heat of passion… immediately got on the internet and booked their next trip to Montreal.

We’d just like to clarify that this is normal behavior for Montreal travelers.

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Thanks to Annette Baesel for this charming picture! Check out her other stellar Montreal shots.

Submit your Montréal pictures to our MONTRÉAL BUZZ FLICKR GROUP.

And see our previous PHOTOS OF THE WEEK.

The post FLICKR PHOTO OF THE WEEK appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.