Why taking pictures is a crime
Tourists gather under the magnificent structure in the light drizzle, heads tilting upward, staring at the little screens held tightly in their hands; a few already snapping away the moment: they are under the Eiffel Tower! Big Ben! The Statue of Liberty! Taj Mahal! Those mechanical devices blinked at the command of a button even under the grey, weeping skies – but au contraire to the tourists’ beliefs, their eyes are cold and emotionless. They are capturing their moment; they are not living the moment. They are blind to the life that surrounds the magnificent structure, the tiny moments of joy that go unnoticed under such callous movements.
Finding the meaning behind photography
Travel photography often becomes a contest of who can capture Big Ben at the best angle, only with varying backgrounds of colour. There is the tendency to capture landmarks of interest, cropping out the rest that makes the moment a living reality. Certainly – proceed with the act, but never ignore the slivers of insight into what it means to be a Londoner, to live in such a metropolis.
Arriving in Montreal for vacation, I simply loved how every street surrounding the notable sights filled with exuberance in its architecture and history. There was no end to anecdotes in even the smallest of coffee shops. One curious singularity of the cosmopolis was the staircases that led from the inhabitants of the fairytale-esque buildings onto the streets. Photography is not about capturing great buildings and amazing landscapes. In that moment, it was about giving in to the alluring siren calls of the handsome iron staircases. It was about finding the Wonderland in normality.
The back alley way was a world of its own: embellished with artistic graffiti, the dignified walls stood their ground, laced with spiralling stairwells onto the second floor. Here, we could see glimpses into others’ lives. Was it sparkling with adventure, like the glowing palm tree figure to our right? Or was it in the darkest abyss, a corner forgotten by the warm embrace of the streetlights? Could it be quirky, much like the tattoos of the walls themselves? Only a small glimpse – that was all we needed for a deep impression of the Parisian-themed city, bustling with charismatic nightlife.
Here are some shots of these wondrous staircases – enjoy! 
Photo credit: elena