Who is Montse Alvarado?

…the unofficial “ambassador for Trent Hills

…a photographer whose images clearly show her love for the community

Editor’s Note: This is a completely subjective article so my opinions are just that, my opinions

Article by Sue Dickens/Images Montse Alvarado

Trent Hills – Mon., May 1, 2023- Sometimes the most interesting interviews are staring you in the face until one day you say to yourself something like ‘Who is Montse Alvarado?’

If you are on Facebook it’s likely you know the answer to that question but if not here is where you can find out about this enigmatic, multi-dimensional female entrepreneur.

She is more than all that too. She is a mother, a wife, a daughter, and as her friends will attest to, a truly down-to-earth person.

Her work, as a photographer, which she obviously sees a more fun than work, as she heads out every morning to see what in Trent Hills catches her eye and her talent, is a daily storytelling series of posts.

Her inspirational images have earned her “unofficially” among those who follow her, the title of “ambassador” of Trent Hills.

For the community, she is a source of unique images as she is very generous in sharing those to her followers and to our readers.

For the businesses in Trent Hills she is an informal spokesperson as she catches images of staff, customers, and businesses and posts all of that on Facebook.

Her posts often begin with the teaser, “Guess where I am?” It’s a chant followers hear a great deal of the time.

And viewers don’t have to wait long to find out where her curiosity and camera have taken her that day.

And she does all of this because she loves her community, not because she is being paid to do this. It’s in her DNA.

I will talk a little bit more about Montse and her journey to Trent Hills, as little later and about her “Knight in Shiny Armour.”

Spending time interviewing Montse was a treat for this writer whose coverage of meetings and events is quite different in the approach.

This piece is a subjective article. It’s subjective (as opposed to objective) because my opinions of this “talented” photographer are evident.

Just wanted to make that clear.

Born in Mexico City, it wasn’t until 28 years later that she came to Canada (1990).

Montse worked with both Chambers of Commerce which existed at the time, in Campbellford and Hastings.

“That is where I met Harry…my knight in shiny armour,” she said with a grin.

Five years after her arrival here the couple did their first show for Blades of Glory. When interviewed by Trent Hills Now back in 2019 Harry talked about the magic behind the knights.

“I have always had an interest in medieval history. My parents took me to the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) at age 5 and I fell in love with suits of armour. If it wasn’t for my parents I wouldn’t have the Realm at all,” Harry said.

To read more from that interview go to: Blades of Glory Brings Medieval Times to Life | Trent Hills Now

Back to Montse, although whenever she is around, Harry is too usually, at least more than not, and thus the context for her knight.

They became a couple in 2002 and together have five children. “Three are his and two are mine,” said Montse with candor.

And the family is growing. “We have now three grandchildren (Mia 6, Milenna is 3 and Milo is 1) from my oldest son Miguel,” she commented. Some of her images captured of her family appear in her Facebook posts too.

“So here’s an interesting fact,” she said, while doing the interview, in Montse style. “I started photography 10 years ago and the reason why I started photography is because Harry hired somebody to do a photo shoot for the knights and he did not like the pictures because he felt they were not representative of his company. So I said I can take the pictures for you…and you don’t have to worry about paying me.”

That worked for both of them and that’s how she started her photography business in December of 2000.

I should point out it was two years later that they began dating.

What a combination a knight, lots of knights and a photographer who loves to capture anything unusual and unique…the knights fit the bill so to speak.

When asked how she decides what to photograph when she starts her day , Montse said, “I don’t decide. If I have to go for example, to Campbellford and I go to the Dollar Store or if I stop, you know, if I see something in the street that I noticed, like the new planters in the downtown or the bench that is coloured with pride colours, I just feel that maybe people are so busy going here and there, they don’t realize that these new things are there.”

 

For Montse it’s a natural thing to do, as she always has her camera at her side. And in my opinion she has a natural affinity for seeing things others might not.

But when asked if she thinks hers is a natural talent, she replied, “I don’t see that I am different than anybody else. I see other photographers that have got amazing stuff. That I admire.”

Her humble response is typical for this “ambassador’.

When asked which she prefers to photograph, people or scenes, events etc. she said, “Everything. You know what? I’m curious. I’m really curious about stuff. That’s why I guess my photography seems to be a little bit different because I’m always trying to find out the middle thing that is like, Oh my God, look at that thing or look at the colours… the macro (lens) is just fascinating. You can see so much detail in such tiny little things that we don’t think about it we can’t see it right.”

Her photos of a droplet of water, for example, are so much more than a droplet. You can find those images in her Facebook posts or on Images by Montserrat page ((5) Images by Montserrat | Facebook).

And then there’s the horses she has recently befriended. Those images are real and invoke some smiles as she looks up to a horse’s face and says this is what a horse looks like for me. Montse is “less tall” than many so her photos are exactly what she sees when looking up into the horse’s face, which makes her image so honest as she captures something with her lens that is much more personal and different and captivating…in my opinion.

You can find Montse at community events, such as the Hospital Auxiliary’s fundraiser the annual Polar Bear Plunge.

But while media such as us are taking photos of the plungers as they go in and come out, Montse is busy looking elsewhere for what she wants.

“When I go to an event for example, I love watching the people who are there. I look at other people doing things. I’m fascinated by people’s reactions. I’ve always observed people since I was very little. I didn’t have many friends in high school, but I used to sit in a corner and just observe everybody that were playing or studying or buying stuff or whatever. So I’m very curious about human behaviour.”

As the interview wound down we asked what she finds to be the most challenging as a photographer.

“Well, there’s two things. One is photographing people that did not like to get their pictures taken. Very challenging. But the other challenge that I have is a misconception by people who want a good photographer…because my camera is the best camera in the world to me, but it is not a DSLR and it is not a mirrorless so what happens is when they see me coming with this chintzy little camera…and then when they see the picture, they go like wow…my camera doesn’t have a wide angle and I don’t have to change lenses…I don’t have to worry about all that…so for me the best camera is the one you have.”

It soon becomes obvious it is the photographer not the camera that matters. Wrapping up the interview we asked Montse if she has any dreams for the future. Montse had no problem responding.

“So my one dream that I’ve had since I was a little kid since I was in like Grade three or four, is to be a helicopter pilot. I have been a couple of times in a helicopter and I loved it. But I haven’t been able to fly the helicopter. But funnily enough when I got my drone it is almost like as if I’m in the helicopter.”

And that is Montse through and through. Doors open for her as she is always inquisitive, always looking for new ways to take photographs.

“I have a couple of drones now and they don’t require any kind of registration or anything like that so I just use the drones to see from above what I can see from below.”

Her aerial photography of landmarks in Trent Hills is very popular.

Keeping her love of photography alive is her daughter Summer, 26, who is now taking photos too.

“That’s a dream come true for me…she’s perfect for me as a teammate…. Because she has got a totally different style and she loves to take portraits of people. Okay, I am more like a casual candid kind of photographer,” said Montse.

In parting Montse wanted to say a couple of things.

“First of all you’re never too old to pursue your dreams because I started my photography business when I was 50 years old. Because I guess I was busy with life. And that’s what I guess the difference is okay, now that I have time for myself, now that the kids are grown. It’s all fun.”

And one final point, she wanted to reiterate.

“The other one is that good photography doesn’t necessarily require a big expensive camera. But on the other hand if you have equipment you learn to use it right. It’s no good for you to have a $3,000 camera that you cannot understand, you need to know your equipment.”

That last statement sounds like advice I could take lol.

And although it doesn’t seem possible, Montse said she does question her abilities. She is always praising the talent of other photographers she knows in this area.

And that is the Montse I know, who is humble and talented all wrapped up in one Trent Hills ‘ambassador”.