2 Spots Left! September 18-20, 2026 Montreal Passionate Photographer Weekend Masterclass

Workshop Details

Montreal is where photography first took hold for me. I was 11 years old when I picked up a camera and began to really look—at people, at light, at the small, fleeting moments that most walk past. This city became my classroom. I learned by wandering its streets, watching, waiting, making pictures, and slowly beginning to understand what a photograph could be. That was the start of a lifelong pursuit—one that has taken me around the world—but it all began here. Coming back to Montreal to teach feels like returning to the source, and it brings a certain clarity to what I want to pass on to you.

This is a concentrated, three-day experience built in the spirit of my New York workshops. We won’t rush from location to location just to check boxes. We’ll work fewer places more deeply—learning how to recognize strong situations, anticipate moments, and stay with a scene until it gives you something real.

For this Montreal workshop, I’ll be joined by my good friend and colleague Marc Rochette, a deeply experienced photographer and thoughtful teacher whose work is rooted in patience, observation, and respect for the human moment. Marc brings more than five decades of photographic experience to the workshop, along with the calm, grounded presence that comes from years of editorial, commercial, and personal work.

Together, Marc and I will help you slow down, look harder, and respond more instinctively to what is unfolding in front of you. You’ll benefit from two complementary perspectives in the field and in critique, with direct feedback designed to help you make stronger, more personal photographs.

This will be an intimate group—just six participants with Marc and me. That scale matters. It allows for real conversation, individual attention in the field, and the kind of thoughtful feedback that leads to meaningful growth. We’ll also have access to a dedicated meeting room at the hotel for our lectures and critique sessions—a quiet, focused space where we can step away from the street and really look at the work.

To give us flexibility and efficiency, we’ll have a van throughout the workshop, allowing us to move easily between neighborhoods when needed, and just as importantly, to return to locations that deserve a second look.

Our Suggested Base Hotel: Le Phillips Square

Centrally located in downtown Montreal, just steps from Phillips Square and within easy reach of Old Montreal and the Plateau, our base is the elegant Le Square Phillips Hotel & Suites.

It's a classic, beautifully restored property that blends historic character with modern comfort. The spacious suite-style rooms offer room to breathe—separate living areas, full kitchens, and comfortable workspaces that make it easy to review and edit your images at the end of the day. Wi-Fi is fast and reliable, and the quiet atmosphere gives you space to think clearly about your work.

The hotel also features a rooftop terrace with a pool and sweeping city views—a surprisingly good place to step back, reflect, and reset between sessions. A well-equipped fitness room is available, and a generous breakfast is included each morning to start the day.

Montreal is a highly walkable city, and many of our shooting locations begin just outside the hotel doors. With our van we’ll also have the flexibility to move efficiently between neighborhoods and return easily when needed for our lectures and critiques, held in our private meeting room at the hotel.

Additional nights may be available at a preferred workshop rate.

WHY SEPTEMBER IN MONTREAL?

September is a beautiful time to photograph Montreal. The summer crowds have eased, but the city is still very much alive—people lingering outside, cafés and terraces active, and the first hints of fall beginning to shape the light and atmosphere.

The days are still long enough to give us strong shooting windows, but the pace feels a little calmer and more focused. It’s a wonderful moment to work the streets, follow the light, and make photographs that capture Montreal in transition—still warm, still open, but with a different rhythm than summer.

PLACES WE’LL WORK

Old Montreal & Old Port

This is where the city’s history is most visible—cobblestone streets, textured walls, layered backgrounds. It’s easy to photograph superficially here. The challenge—and the opportunity—is to move past the obvious and find moments that feel contemporary and alive within that historic setting. We’ll work angles, light, and timing to avoid cliché and build stronger frames.

Plateau Mont-Royal

A neighborhood full of personality. Exterior staircases, bold colors, murals, and a steady flow of local life. This is a place to practice observation—watching how people move through space and how gestures play against graphic elements. It rewards patience and a willingness to stay put.

Mile End

One of Montreal’s most creative neighborhoods. Artists, musicians, families, long-time residents—all sharing the same streets. The energy here is subtle but rich. It’s not about spectacle; it’s about noticing small interactions, expressions, and relationships that reveal something deeper about the place.

Jean-Talon Market & Little Italy

A completely different pace. Busy, layered, full of gesture and exchange. This is where you work close, react quickly, and learn to simplify chaos into clear compositions. We’ll focus on timing, proximity, and building frames that hold together under pressure.

FOOD & EXPERIENCE

Montreal is a food city, and that’s part of the experience.

We’ll make time to visit some of the places I grew up with—simple, honest, and still as good as ever. Expect stops for classic Montreal bagels, smoked meat, and rotisserie chicken. These aren’t just meals; they’re part of the rhythm of the city. And like everything else, they offer opportunities to observe and photograph.

WELCOME DINNER

Our welcome dinner will be at the legendary Gibby’s Restaurant—set within a remarkable Old Montreal building over 200 years old, on ground that traces back to the early days of the city, near the original Huron settlement of Hochelaga and later the site of Canada’s Parliament before it was burned in 1849.

Today, it’s one of Montreal’s most enduring steakhouses, known for its classic French-influenced cuisine, carefully aged meats, and fresh seafood. Stone walls, exposed beams, fireplaces, and a warm, intimate atmosphere give it a real sense of place. It’s a Montreal Institution! 

WORKSHOP APPROACH

This isn’t about chasing moments. It’s about learning how to see them coming.

We’ll focus on:

• Recognizing strong situations before they peak

• Working a scene—moving, adjusting, refining

• Understanding distance, gesture, and timing

• Using light to shape mood and meaning

• Building layered, intentional compositions

You’ll be encouraged to stay with subjects, revisit locations, and go beyond the first frame. That’s where your work starts to shift.

STREET TECH

We’ll simplify your process so you can respond without hesitation.

We’ll cover:

• Autofocus strategies and customization

• Zone focusing vs selective focus

• Lens choice and perspective

• Shooting from the hip vs deliberate framing

• Working with available light and, when appropriate, flash

Whatever system you use, the goal is the same: remove friction so you can stay present.

Notre Dame Church, Old Montreal

All levels of photographic experience can benefit from this workshop. You’ll learn about the “rhythm of place” and you will discuss the laws and ethics of street photography as well as dealing with difficult situations that might pop up. You will define a strategy for capturing the rich daily life of people on the street; overcoming fears and shyness, approaching strangers, framing, juxtaposition, layering your compositions, letting the image come to you and whether color or black and white best suits your vision. And you will have fun!

LECTURES & CRITIQUES

Each day includes a focused lecture and critique session, held in our private meeting room at the hotel.

This is where you begin to understand your work more clearly. We’ll look at your images together—what’s working, what isn’t, and why. You’ll start to see patterns in your shooting, and that awareness is what leads to growth.

We’ll also address editing—how to select your strongest images and let go of the rest. That discipline matters.

NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

Montreal shifts at night. The pace slows in some areas and intensifies in others. Light becomes more complex, more interesting.

We’ll explore:

• Mixed light and color

• High ISO shooting

• Motion and atmosphere

• Reading the energy of a scene after dark

SAMPLE ITINERARY

DAY 1 – Friday

2:00pm – Meet & Orientation

3:30–7:30pm – Shoot: Old Montreal & Old Port

Focus: Layers, timing, working a scene

Evening: Group dinner

DAY 2 – Saturday

8:30–11:00am – Shoot: Jean-Talon Market / Little Italy

12:30–2:30pm – Lecture & Critique (Hotel Meeting Room)

4:30–8:30pm – Shoot: Plateau / Mile End

DAY 3 – Sunday

9:00–11:30am – Independent Assignment TBD.

12:30–2:30pm – Final Critique (Hotel Meeting Room)

Workshop concludes mid-afternoon

 “The only thing that gets in the way of a really good photograph, is the camera.”  - Norman Parkinson

Testimonials

Don Dillon, Phoenix, Arizona 

If I am honest, I approached this workshop with a combination of excited anticipation and butterfly inducing dread. This is my third Steve Simon workshop; you’d think it would get easier and less stressful. Nope, doesn’t work that way. The excited anticipation is about traveling to new and sometimes exotic locations, seeing old friends from previous workshops, meeting new ones, getting to know Miguel at this particular workshop - enjoying his knowledge of Portugal and his edgy sense of humor -  and spending time with and learning from Steve Simon, our dear leader and mentor. The fear is knowing I really have to produce images at the level I know is coming. 

In pregame preparation, I spent some time with the photographs I made in Tokyo and Havana as well as the rudimentary attempts of street shooting done in another lifetime. They are like visiting old friends with whom I have shared a powerful, split second human moment.  I modestly tell people who see my “keepers” that, “even a blind squirrel gets a nut once in a while” or “ when you take a zillion photos, you’re bound to get a decent one occasionally.” 

But truthfully, there is so much more to it. This feels like the semi pro street photographer’s tour. There are years of knowledge and experience mixed with lots of rookie mistakes. For me, what makes this such a powerful experience is I always come away from one of these an incrementally better street photographer with a clearer sense of what and why I am doing this in the first place. 

For me fear is the best motivator. If we all were just showing up as a nice group of folks out for some travel and vacation snapshots, I would be bored to death and would never come back. But, our Dear Leader has a very gentle way of throwing down the gauntlet and letting us know we are expected to triple down on the amount of time out on the streets shooting, become fearless in going in for the kill shot, cull and edit when normal people are sleeping and eating, and actually producing images that will be critiqued by some very talented people. As they say, “this ain’t easy.”

Lisbon has been one of those tough venues that from time to time really dislike, especially when getting the 15^th brushoff or outright angry rejection. I’m not a hunter but this feels like a hard bow hunt for elusive game. I finally know what I am as a street shooter. I know what I have to do to “bag” the elusive jewel. I know I can’t leave the little black camera in a drawer between workshops anymore; that just won’t cut it. 

I got more than what I came for. 

Gary Niederpruem, Chicago

“What a fabulous experience. I learned more about photography in one week than I had in 5 years. Steve is very knowledgable about the technical side as well as composition. He is very patient, gives excellent feedback and will work one on one with you on any photography subject you want. I asked him for help on night photography and at 10 PM he was out on the streets of Havana with me with step by step instructions on how to take the shot. 5 star plus rating!!”

Anna Blanco, New York City

“Best workshop I’ve ever taken! Steve is not only a great photographer, he is also a terrific teacher. He is patient and very hands- on. In some workshops the instructor sends students out to shoot after a short lecture–Steve goes out with his students, coaching them throughout the process. His course is well organized and covers diverse topics. He is funny and engaging and generous with his time and knowledge. I had SO MUCH fun and am ready to sign up for the next one. Highly recommended!”

Anne Dunford, Ithaca, New York

"My week in Steve’s Street Shooting workshop challenged me tremendously. There’s nothing like taking your work apart and putting it back together with new vision to make you a better photographer. If you take this workshop, I guarantee you will see the world differently at the end."

Paul Lavergne, San Juan, PR

"Steve’s passion for photography is contagious and his teaching abilities and knowledge extraordinary! I highly recommend this workshop to anyone interested in photography."

Chapman Solomon, Mountain View, CA

“Participating in the NYC Street Photography Workshop was an enriching and exhilarating experience. It challenged me to step out of my comfort zone to improve my skills. Steve’s curriculum and hands on approach offered me an opportunity to learn new techniques, add some creativity and visualize subject matter from another perspective. Each day presented abundant photo opportunities, resulting with the capture of some amazing images, exceeding my greatest expectations.”

Stephen Sholl, New York City

"Not only is Steve a great photographer, he is also a caring, compassionate person as well. He is constantly trying to help participants achieve their photographic goals in a gentle, caring, and sincere manner. Sadly, the critiques of my work were very helpful. Steve was right-on in terms of his suggestions to better my work. The totality of the workshop was terrific, primarily because the parts were all excellent as well. Choice of shooting locations, image reviews, suggestions, videos shown, and galleries visited were all great. Steve also promoted wonderful interactions among the participants. The venue was perfect for the workshop. We could spread out, leave your things there, use the facilities, and eat the goodies provided. You know you’re in good hands with Steve! An outstanding workshop!!"

Steve Lavelle, London

"This is an outstanding workshop, led by a world-class photographer. It is impossible to spend time in a room with Steve Simon and not be inspired to get out there and make great images …I had high expectations and you exceeded them…Steve is very personable, articulate and passionate about photography, very welcoming with a warm, engaging personality. Steve’s style is outstanding. I knew of Steve from the TWiP podcast and would have attended if he was talking about how to watch paint dry…”

Oscar Piñeyro, Dallas

"I just spent the last three days with Steve Simon, What a wonderful experience, the best time spent in a workshop ever. Steve is a perfectionist, every presentation not only had spectacular photography but also the perfect music to enhance the mood, a roller coaster of emotions. He cannot hide his journalistic background every single image tells a story. His technique is flawless; his teaching patience unparalleled. I am eager to start a new chapter of my photography applying what Steve taught me in the last few days."