Montreal In Pictures

October 4 2012

I had intended to go and photograph inside the church of Saint James the Apostle on Ste Catherine street but it was closed. I then tried Saint George’s Anglican church opposite Windsor station, but a wedding was in progress – would have made some nice shots though. Another church I hadn’t yet visited nearby was Saint Patrick’s Basilica on René Lévesque blvd – luckily I found this one was open with few people about 🙂

Saint Patrick’s Church was opened on March 17th, 1847 to serve the needs of the Irish immigrants who had come to Montreal in great numbers due to the famine and other troubles in Ireland.

Because of its historical importance as the mother church of the English-speaking Catholics of greater Montreal, in 1989 St. Patrick’s Church was raised to the status of Minor Basilica by His Holiness, Pope John-Paul II

The Basilica has been designated an Historical Monument by the Government of Quebec and in 1996 Saint Patrick’s was named a National Historic Site of Canada.

The Basilica is gothic revival in design and certainly worth a visit if you are in Montreal. I was fortunate today in that the organist was practicing and added to the atmosphere.

The Pulpit of Saint Patrick’s Basilica
ISO 100 – 22mm – f4.8 – 6 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Saint Patrick’s Basilica
ISO 100 – 17mm – f8 – 4 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Saint Patrick’s Basilica
ISO 100 – 10mm – f13 – 10 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Saint Patrick’s Basilica
ISO 100 – 20mm – f13 – 20 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Saint Patrick’s Basilica
ISO 100 – 10mm – f8 – 6 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Saint Patrick’s Basilica
ISO 100 – 10mm – f4.8 – 2 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Saint Patrick’s Basilica
ISO 100 – 10mm – f8 – 4 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Saint Patrick’s Basilica
ISO 100 – 17mm – f11 – 1/60 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Saint Patrick’s Basilica
ISO 100 – 20mm – f11 – 1/45 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

It seemed poignant to have shot a church today since it was 9 years ago today that I lost my dad. He was a key influence in my taking to photography at an early age being a keen amateur photographer himself…it also helped in that he was a pharmacist and provided me ~~discounted~~ free film and developing to feed my hobby – He probably would have died a richer man if digital had been around in those days 😉 I lost touch with my love of photography for quite a while only really finding it again late last year – I think he would have been happy to see me carrying my camera everywhere each day this year 🙂

Before I sign off for the day. Yesterday I mentioned I had shot some timelapse on Mount Royal. Well I managed to find a little time to put it together this morning – I think I spent more time trying to find a sound track to go with it, but was quite pleased how the track I selected – La Piastra des Etats by Le Vent du Nord – changed tempo for the section with the people.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfeVjKsSTtw?rel=0]

To view images in gallery format, simply click on one of the images below.