Montreal August 7-9, 2009 Mentors Rosanne Pennella & Mark Alberhasky
Travel with our mentors and try out all of the latest equipment from Nikon! Including world class digital SLRs, Nikkor lenses and the Coolpix line of Digital Cameras.
You may never have a greater opportunity to put a wild splash of color into your portfolio as when you visit the famous International Balloon Festival of Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu. Hundreds of hot air balloons bursting with every hue and shade imaginable will take to the sky in a kaleidoscope of color that will be like eye candy to your camera. Photograph the balloons on the ground or in the air, in clusters or alone, soaring or sinking—every angle or moment that you choose at this festival is bound to be a winner.
You’ll get a true sense of Montreal’s roots when we visit the Vieux Port (also known as the Quays of the Old Port, or simply the Old Port of Montreal). French fur traders first used the locale as a trading post in 1611, and it has since become the social, economical and cultural heart of the city. The riverfront here is positively bustling with activities (cycling, rollerblading and boating) during the summer months, which makes for some great action photo ops against the city backdrop. The Montreal Clock Tower, built in 1919, is a remarkable structure and, if you’re willing to make the 192-step climb, it affords breathtaking views of the city.
Undoubtedly one of the city’s top attractions, the Montreal International Fireworks Competition pits countries from around the globe against each other in the largest pyrotechnics competition of its kind in the world. From a fantastic viewpoint in the city, your camera will witness all the exploding visuals caused by this event—fireworks unlike any you’ve seen before, all set against the backdrop of the bridges and buildings of Montreal.
The Montreal Botanical Garden, one of the world's largest and most renowned, will give you a chance to fill your flourishing summer season amid the Garden's collection of 22,000 plant species and cultivars, 10 exhibition greenhouses, and some thirty thematic gardens. You'll notice the reflection of the city's cultural diversity as you travel from the Chinese Garden to the heart of the Sonoran desert, then onto the tranquil oasis of the Japanese Garden to the classically landscaped French garden.What better way to get a “lensful” of Montreal than from aboard a boat cruise in the adjacent St. Lawrence River? You’ll be afforded magnificent views of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, the city shoreline and the islands of Boucherville. Here is your chance to create stunning images of the Montreal skyline in all its glory.
Wrap up your journey at Mont Royal Park, Montreal’s most beloved park space that affords scenes of tranquil resident life and some of the best views of the city (its highest point is located here). By the time you leave Montreal, you’ll know you truly felt the “joie de vivre” of this vibrant metropolis, and the photos you take away will speak of the unique sights this amazing locale has to offer.
