Parc Joannette
Parc Joannette is a small neighbourhood park in Verdun, a lively borough in the south end of Montreal, tucked along Rue Hickson a few blocks from the shops and cafes of Wellington Street. The reason to bring a camera is the giant mural that fills a building wall at the edge of the park, painted by Montreal artist Jason Botkin in 2017. It is a wild, colourful piece packed with organic shapes, coral, tentacles, and deep sea creatures in rich reds, blues, and purples, and it towers over the green space below. The mural sits behind the park's open lawn and play area, so you can back up across the grass for a wider frame that places the art in its everyday setting, with people and trees giving it scale. A big flat wall like this is easiest to shoot in soft, even light, so an overcast day keeps the colours rich and saves you from harsh glare and hard shadows. On a bright day the mature trees out front can throw dappled shadows across the lower part of the wall, so you may need to wait for the light to move or just work with it. Since this is a public park there will be no entry fee, it is easy to reach on foot from De l'Église metro station, and quiet enough on a weekday morning to shoot without a crowd. (Verdun, Quebec, Canada)
