Between November 15th and 18th Montier-en-Der (and some surrounding villages)  was  full of life again. In the village the festival spread over many different locations, from the City Hall to the local schools and other halls. You also could enjoy some great outdoor exhibitions for free.

It was my 2nd visit to Montier and again I was impressed by the many inspiring images that were on display.

In my opinion a couple of exhibitions stood out,  especially those of :

• Jim Brandenburg – using the camera to make a difference-
  A great exhibit with some renowned images. As I knew the background of some of the  pictures after interviewing Jim in 2011, they looked even more powerful in large prints.
  
• Ansel Adams – preserving the land with a camera –
  A very unique show: If you knew how old some photos were you could see that he really had a vision and a feel for photography, that many of us would wish to have now.
  

• Elisabeth Gaillard –Douceur florale –
  Very colourful and delicate exhibit. This photographer has a real eye for light and  detail.
• Xavier Jamonet, powerful landscape photography : lots of great details and colour contrast. Moreover  the way he displayed his images was a real treat for the eyes.
• GDT  – European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2012-
  A selection of the contest winners of 2012.  I was very happy to see this one because many of the winning images were from photographers I know.
  Altough a lot of images could also be seen in the church of Montier en Der, in the show of 2012 Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year, I personally liked this one more as the  size of the images and their display were professional and clear.
• Michel Lecocq -B&W images from trees
  Readers who visit this blog more often know how much I love trees. This show was, in a way,  ‘simple‘ but very strong. A  selection of trees put together in great compositions. Loved it!

A Photo festival provides you with not only inspiration but also good networking possibilities. This year again  I met some nice new photographers and I could speak to those I know from social media on the Internet. Nice to meet you in person finally !