Chasing Light in Montreal: A Photographer's Tale (With a Side of Poutine)
You know how sometimes the best adventures start right after another one ends? Well, that's exactly what happened when I wrapped up my Quebec City shoot and thought, "Hey, Montreal's just two hours away - let's keep this photography party going!"
The Gear I Used For This Trip
Let me tell you about my trusty companions for this trip (and why my chiropractor is now sending me holiday cards):
The beast itself: Fujifilm GFX 100 II
FUJINON GF 45-100mm f/4 R LM OIS WR
DJI Pocket 3 (Because sometimes you need a break from carrying the medium format monster)
Gitzo Series 3 Carbon Fiber Tripod
Arca Swiss C1 Cube Head (The precision tool that costs more than my first car)
Home Base
Crashed at the Holiday Inn Downtown Montreal - pretty fancy, but hey, they didn't judge me for coming back covered in dew at 5 AM after sunrise shoots. Plus, the location was perfect for my "I forgot something in my room again" moments.
Day 1: Canal Chronicles & Old Montreal Meanders
Started bright and early at the Lachine Canal, where I met a bird-watching enthusiast who probably wondered why I was lugging around a camera that could double as a workout weight. Found this gorgeous S-curve in the path - spent way too much time there, but when you're carrying a GFX 100 II, you feel obligated to make every shot count (or at least that's what I tell myself to justify the purchase).
Afternoon hit Old Montreal like a tourist with a selfie stick, except I had about 10k worth of gear hanging off my shoulder. Between dodging horse carriages and trying not to trip on cobblestones (those things are not medium format camera friendly), I managed to capture some pretty sweet shots of:
Streets that look like they're straight out of Europe (but with better poutine)
The Notre-Dame Basilica (which my 20-35mm barely fit in frame)
Cafes where I pretended to know French
Ended the day at a jazz restaurant where my camera gear took up an entire chair. Pretty sure the waiter thought I was on a date with my tripod.
Day 2: The Mont Royal Workout
Ever tried carrying medium format gear up Mont Royal? No? Well, let me tell you - it's nature's way of saying "maybe you should've bought a mirrorless." But boy, were those panoramas worth it! Set up my Gitzo (which people kept mistaking for a telescope) and the Arca Swiss Cube Head (which sounds like a robot from a sci-fi movie).
Made it to Beaver Lake just in time for what I thought would be a peaceful shoot, until Mother Nature decided to play "dodge the hailstone" with my weather-sealed gear. Never seen a photographer pack up so fast - though I did manage to get some shots of very confused looking gulls first.
Day 3: Downtown Shenanigans
Spent my last day downtown, switching between the GFX and Pocket 3 like a photographer with commitment issues. The Museum of Fine Arts was a nice break - though I kept catching myself pixel-peeping actual paintings (photographer problems).
Wrapped up the day at India Rosa, where I finally gave my camera bag a rest and focused on some serious curry business. Nothing beats ending a photo trip with a food coma!
Pro Tips
1. Maximizing That Medium Format Look
- Take full advantage of the GFX sensor's beautiful falloff characteristics and depth of field
- Use wider apertures (f/2.8-4) with middle distances (10-20 feet) to subjects to maximize the '3D pop' effect
- Position subjects with depth behind them - medium format shines when there are layers in your image
- Look for scenes with lots of detail and texture - the GFX resolves incredible micro-contrast
- Consider shooting slightly wider than you would with full-frame since the depth of field characteristics will naturally separate your subject
2. Technical Excellence & Sharpness
- Always aim for base ISO (100) when possible - the GFX delivers incredible dynamic range here
- Double your usual shutter speed rule - if you'd shoot 1/100 on full frame, go 1/200 on GFX
- For critical focus:
- Use a tripod whenever possible
- Enable focus peaking
- Zoom in to 100% in live view for precise manual focusing
- Consider focus bracketing for landscapes or architectural shots
- Use the pixel shift feature for ultimate detail in static scenes
3. Workflow & Memory Management
- Shoot compressed raw to manage file sizes (files are still massive but manageable)
- Consider using the sub-memory card slot for JPEGs as backups
- Get familiar with the custom function buttons - quick access to features saves time
- Use exposure preview in EVF to nail exposure
- Keep spare batteries - the high-res sensor and processing demands more power
The Real Talk
Look, Montreal is a photographer's playground - whether you're rocking a medium format beast like I was or just your phone camera. The city's got more character than a Christopher Walken monologue, and every corner's got a new story to tell.
Just remember to look up from your viewfinder occasionally - Montreal's the kind of city you need to experience with all your senses (especially taste - did I mention the poutine?).
Wrapped up the trip with a flight back to Vancouver, my memory cards full, my back sore, but my creative soul happy. And yes, I did buy my gear its own seat on the plane. (Okay, not really, but I thought about it.)
Shot in fall 2024, when the leaves were showing off and my gear's weather sealing got a proper workout. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk about carrying too much camera gear around Montreal.
