The Park 23

Some people around the monument.

The Park 22

My frequent visits to the park and the short and mundane interactions that I have with strangers are something that I have gotten used to now. I have been shooting in this way for a couple of months now and I enjoy the routine. In fact the routine and these interactions have made my summer a better and happier one. I now notice how much happier I am after talking to a stranger. Even in the everyday. When I go to the grocery store and I choose to check out with a real person rather than the automated system I most often leave with a smile, whereas machines often tend to leave me annoyed. I am happy to have the photos, and I think it is a strong series, but I think in some ways the interactions and the short discussions that I have with strangers have become more important to me, and have changed my approach to the world, and for this I am grateful. I'm not sure if this is important to the work, or if it shows in the images in some way, but it is something that will hopefully come into it somehow.

The Park 21

A new crop of people from the park.

Summer misc.

Some random photos of Chris, little I., and the red counter from this summer.

The Park 20

Dudes in the park.

The Park 19

The Park 18

 

The Park 17

More people and moments from the park.

The Park 16

A beautiful mother and child from the Hare Krishna festival in the park.

The Park 15

Young people in the park.

The Park 14

Some LARPers and the crowds on a Sunday, taken a few weeks ago.

Last night was another beautiful Sunday and I photographed a record number of people. This project doesn't seem to be lagging. Every time I go out I come home satisfied and wanted to shoot some more. It's very exciting to be so immersed in a project like this. It's been a while (probably since shooting "Ulysses, a personal journey" a few summers ago). Speaking of Ulysses and other past projects, this summer was also supposed to be a time to redo my website, but with all the Park shooting I haven't got around to it, perhaps this fall. I could really use an intern!

The Park 13

Some peaceful scenes and some readers for this hot day.

A lot of people have been encouraging me to photograph other parks and for some reason I have been resistant. I mean I really like Laurier and Lafontaine but I just can't bring myself to photograph there and I think that there are 2 reasons for that. The first is that I now feel that I must be loyal to Jeanne-Mance and Mont Royal. They have served me well and I don't want to quit on them now. In all my photo projects I have stuck with one thing (husband, grandmother, etc.) for a long period of time and I guess that it is no different with this park series. The other reason, which may be one that is more interesting to you the viewer, and is perhaps not all that disconnected from my first reason, is that I like to think of this park as a microcosm of all that is possible in parks in general. Every night (or I should say every night that I can and want to go out) I go to the park and it is always different. Different people, different light, and the challenge of trying to see this place that I now know so well in a different way. As well I am not out to document all parks in Montreal, and I feel that perhaps once I start to expand that will be the expectation. I would rather think that this park and the people that occupy it show how important public space is in general, and what a wonderful thing this shared and communal place is. I'm not sure if I am making complete sense.