En tout cas, I’m back where I was in March. Progress is slow but good.

In the spirit of things I did in March, here are a few photos I took in and around an alley next to the Molson brewery in Montréal when I went to see some bands. I hung around there for a little over an hour between this big rehearsal space and the beer factory. A sensory experience if I ever had one. Guitars & yeast in quantities that exceed bar levels of each.

Next blog post will feature some highlights from the blog I edit for the News Photographers Association of Canada. Sometimes I post on Twitter about the blog but if you don’t follow that, the next post will be especially worthwhile. It’s a fun gig and I feel lucky to have gotten a great group of people to share a bit of themselves on it.

Wish I got to see Tonstartssbandht at my friends’ home but that show went on till 4am or something. No dice. Next time?

Last week, I made an epic salad for a knitter friend and I and we dined on the edge of the Ottawa Locks. While there, I snuck this photo.

Ended up being on Monday’s A Photo A Day on the News Photographers Association of Canada website. Ringing in the first day of summer!

Here’s another shot taken 22 seconds later.

Art opening, dancing, cupcakes, flowers…

Chicago’s Willy Joy came to Ottawa and definitely delivered. Probably one of my favourite American DJs. Careful balance of awesome music and great attitude. I’ve never been to Chicago but there seems to be something great about that place.

Listen to a mix Willy did posted on Awkward Props blog

And now, the photos… click click click

Collectively, Nicola Kuperus, Ryan Foerster & James Cooper have been written about in People Weekly, Vice Magazine, XLR8R, Juxtapoz, Tiny Vices, ISO50, Apartment Therapy & Fecal Face.

Now, their work will be on the walls of Canteen Gallery in Ottawa for a few weeks.

The vernissage is this Friday, June 4 from 7-10pm. There will be cupcakes from Auntie Loo’s. Also, I have prepared a special mix on my iPod for the occasion. If Inaas fixes her speakers, expect to hear some Clipse, ADULT., Passions, Pissed Jeans, Goblin and Plastic Bertrand. Maybe even some J. Timby.

Plz come, eh.

I was on CHUO 89.1FM earlier today talking about it. Funny to be on da radio.

Here’s a poster I put up at a few choice spots today. Click on it to make it bigger.

PS: If you are on Twitter, y’all should follow me @championdumonde. I update that drastically more than I update this blog. This BP thing is bumming me out but I am generally probably a bit funnier on Twitter.

PPS: above is a photo I took at 2:08am some night a few weeks ago. I posted a few more on Flickr.

Got a busy week and I need to fix my bike. On a side note, if you’re in Ottawa at the end of May, I’ll be squatting someone’s lawn and selling some of my best things at the Glebe Garage Sale. Wait for it.

Car parked somewhere in upstate NY.

Last thing’s first…

Went to Le Poisson Rouge to see Jokers of the Scene, Catchdubs & Star Eyes. Familiar faces in strange cities are always nice – particularly when spending about a quarter of each day driving. (Love to drive.)

This was my first time really hearing Star Eyes and I left feeling pretty psyched so she’ll get some special attention here. Not long ago, MISHKA released a dark mixtape she made with Dust La Rock called Ov Cvrse. It really has been a few weeks but I’m still taking it in.

Also, here’s a video for her song Disappear. Her close up shots are awesome.

Le Poisson Rouge. This wasn’t even the actual exit.

Photographers

Inevitably, I did my best to squeeze in some cultural activities. This included hanging out with people like Ryan Foerster & Naomi Harris as well as checking out the Ryan McGinley exhibit at Team Gallery and finally milking my MoMA membership by paying a visit to Tim Burton’s show there. The Marina Abramovic retrospective was great too. Daring, even.

This June, I’ll be showing some work by Ryan Foerster in Ottawa with some other photographers from Detroit and Bermuda. Stay tuned for more info on that.

Food

As a vegan, every time I travel, eating is typically pretty high on the list of things to do. My needs are basic but I appreciate when food is done properly. The stand out meal for me would have been the falafel I had at Azuri Café in Hell’s Kitchen. I knew this spot was well known but when I got there, a food tour on its way out. “You make me nervous! I can’t make that many falafels so quickly,” says the man at the counter to the arrogant tour guide. A close second place would go to NY Dosas outside Washington Square Park. Truth be told, I had been trying to eat here for four years (and about as many visits to the city). Finally getting a chance was like finding a unicorn. I regret not trying Meskerem Ethiopian but I’ve got to give myself something to look forward to for the next trip!

Meaghan Tsaacs in line at BabycakesNYC.

Photography

In exchange for accommodations in Brooklyn, we worked out a deal to provide content to Pomp and Circumstance’s website. My first entry showed Coney Island in all it’s glory on opening day, Sunday, March 28, 2010. The second was a series of black and white cell phone photos of discarded umbrellas ruined by wind and rain. Barter system for life. Need photos and got something awesome to trade? HIT ME UP! Come to think of it, last year, I traded for a week in a Vancouver condo and I have yet to cash it in. To date, I haven’t had a reason to but perhaps it’s time I make a reason.

Coney Island topless jogging.

Cell phone photo of a busted umbrella in NYC.

Of course, nothing of what I have written about so far actually motivated my week in the state of New York. While I cannot yet speak in too much detail about my motivation, I will say that my experience rates high as one of the most profound I’ve ever had. It was challenging and I don’t yet feel fully accomplished but I feel positive and hope to continue later this year. Thanks to everyone I spoke to and everyone who in some way helped facilitate this trip. I put about 2300km on a car that was neither mine nor a rental. Sometimes, generosity of individuals can be amazing. Distance between Ottawa and my destination outside New York City: 666km.

Here are two glimpses…

This photo is a crop of about 11% 0f the total photo it belongs to. Stay tuned to eventually see it in its entirety.

One of the most amazing hours of my life. People were very curious too.

Merci.

Been a bit sick these days and gave myself a bit of a wack haircut today but otherwise, things are looking better than they have in a while. I’ll be living with a dog soon and I’m pretty pumped about that.

A lot of good things are happening to people around me too so I want to share some of it with you…

The main piece of news is that Ottawa’s Drastik recently won the RedBull Thre3Style Canadian championships in Toronto. He’ll compete for the world title in Paris later this year. Check out his winning set (it has a great ending)…

Red Bull Thre3Style Drastik Winning Set Canadian Finals from Red Bull Thre3Style on Vimeo.

Next up, one of Ottawa’s best clothing stores recently relaunched their website at normlclothing.com. So far, they’re focusing their webstore on sneakers (which I never got hugely into since a lot of leather and suede is involved) but I’ve got my eyes on these Marshall Artists jeans in the store… Congrats to Yann, Robbie, Josh and everyone else for keeping things going!

A while ago, my pal Peter Joynt released a mixtape that needs to be heard. This week, he released a video for his song Bless It Like a Baptist. Watch Watch Watch!

Over the last few days, I was posting to the blog I run for the News Photographers Association of Canada in behalf of photographer Ed Ou, who I spoke to over Skype last week, a few hours after he got arrested and put in a Djiboutian prison. Even for Skype, it was an expensive call but I think it made for an interesting week of blogging that hopefully Ed will be able to add to at some point in the future.

On another NPAC tip, from April 23-25, there will be a photojournalism conference in Toronto. There’ll be a lot happening such as presentations given by Andrea Bruce, David Burnett and a few more. A lot of the most important information is on the NPAC message board.

Finally, one of my favourite podcasts, Bande à Part, put together a whole microsite dedicated to hardcore music in Québec. It’s informative for veteran music people as well as the uninitiated. If you’re at all curious about what was going on in the Québec punk scene over the last 30 years, you need to visit Bande à part! They even mention some Ottawa bands. En français seulement, par exemple…

That’s it. It’s the weekend. I’m going to clean out my closet.

JE ME SOUVIENS MAINTENANT… Last year, I went to a small yet spirited party at one of my fave Ottawa restaurants, Oz Kafe (huuuge respect to my pals holding down the fort over there), and I had no camera. Others did, however, and I saw at least one mostly sitting on a table, left unused. “Blasphemy!”, I thought, so I picked up the tiny CoolPowerPixShot-whatever-it-was and got to work, thinking I’d never see any of these photos again.

Like a baby, which many people I know seem to be having these days, nine months later, the photos surfaced – apparently as much a surprise to the camera’s owner to me.

Looking at the photos, I actually feel kind of pleased with what I managed to capture with a small camera that had been so neglected.

I’m stoked about these photos because I kind of see them as the potential EVERYONE has to take interesting photos in regular environments if only they cared enough to try.

And you do need to try. You need to take photos every day and become familiar with your camera – whatever it may be. Make mistakes and learn from them. Share your photos and be open to feedback. Don’t be scared to take risk and don’t be bummed when something you like isn’t the same as what your neighbour likes. Be prepared to kill your idols too.

Then again, maybe people are wise to leave their cameras on tables for people like me to pick up and maybe they should do it more often.

Or, maybe “anyone can take these photos”!

Yes? No? Discuss…

PS: Shout outs to Victoire & Danny Deleto, members of which are seen in the above photos and help make this city a bit more interesting for me every day. Sincerely.

I felt a bit lost for ideas but I feel pretty pumped about what I managed to pull off with an otherwise simple concept. As I continue to do these, I will aim to keep a less is more philosophy. This time, it also was an excuse to play a bit with the adjustment brushes in Lightroom. Too much? At least I’m not isolating the colour of a rose in a black and white image…

That said, I thought boxing gloves would be awesome to photograph but hand them over to people who have been drinking and it turns out they’re probably less inclined to pose for a photo and more inclined to actually beat the hell from each other! Hilarity ensues.

A bunch of bizarre plans seem to be lining up for 2010. I got a fortune cookie that told me I should keep things to myself for now but fingers crossed, eh? I feel good. Until then, check out the blog I maintain for the News Photographers Association of Canada. This week, Peter Martin is writing from the Venice Carnivale and Brent Lewin is writing about Elephants in Thailand.

Finally, lets talk about the weather for a second. Winter temperatures are in full swing but the snow isn’t really falling. Last year, we got pretty significant dumps on a monthly basis. I’m bracing myself for something huge. Here are two photos that say “Ottawa in the winter” for me.