Three billboards in Montreal's Mile End are displaying photographs by the late British-American photojournalist Tim Hetherington, who was killed in the Libyan civil war last year.

The photographs are from Hetherington's series Sleeping soldiers. The images depict U.S. soldiers serving in Afghanistan.

The billboards are on the St. Lawrence Warehouse, at the intersection of Van Horne Avenue and St. Laurent Boulevard.

The outdoor exhibition of Hetherington's Sleeping soldiers is on display in Montreal and six other cities across Canada during the month of May: Dartmouth, Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary and Vancouver.

The exhibition is part of the Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival.

The soldiers depicted on the billboards in Montreal are Kim, Alcantara and Kelso. Hetherington photographed them in the Korengal Valley, Kunar Provice, Afghanistan in 2008.

The color yellow is often associated with feelings of fear. My friend Kyel was my model for this view of fear and paranoia. I photographed him in an alley near his home in the Notre-Dame-de-Grace district of Montreal.

Fear and paranoia can change our perception of the world. We can become distant from others and we can cast a skeptical eye on the people around us. My friend Vanessa was my model for this portrait. I photographed her at my home in the Mile End district of Montreal.

When we're afraid or paranoid, we can feel that the world is looking at us up close. We can feel blue too. My model for this portrait was my friend Katie. I photographed her at her home in the Outremont district of Montreal.

Ali Levy plays bass with indie bands TEA and Felix in Montreal. I spoke with Ali at her home in Notre-Dame-de-Grace.

When did you start playing bass?

Four years ago.

Why does the bass appeal to you?

The bass can amplify itself, it vibrates - it's satisfying. It's versatile too. You can use if for different kinds of music. You can play it in an orchestra as well as a band.

How was the TEA band created?

Thanya Iyer and Emilie Kahn created the band and I joined them. They were rehearsing their own music for a show and I asked them if they wanted a bass player.

Why did you choose Indiegogo to crowdfund your debut album?

We wanted to use Kickstarter but you need a U.S. credit card to use it so we chose Indiegogo instead.

When do you plan to record your album?

We've already started recording. It should be ready in June.

Where do you draw inspiration from when you compose your music?

I'm inspired by music that I hear live in Montreal and when I hear my friends playing. I also get inspiration from books and movies and from music I listen to on records. Books give me ideas for lyrics. A feeling that was abstract for me is sometimes explained in a book.

You'll start studying jazz performance at The New School in New York in September. What are your goals at The New School?

I want to take advantage of the opportunity to study with the teachers I want. The New School lets you approach any musician and if they agree to teach you, then The New School will pay them to give you lessons. I want to play with the great musicians I'm going to meet in New York. I want to be open to opportunities I haven't had in Montreal. I want to take advantage of the city, go to shows, listen to music and not be afraid of the city, which I'm kind of afraid of now.

What are your goals on the bass?

For the next two years in New York my goal is to learn technique. I want to understand the bass better so I can play the things I hear more easily. I'd also like to study with Larry Grenadier, Matt Brewer and Ingrid Jensen.

What social media do you use to promote your music?

TEA is on Facebook.

Felix is on Facebook, Soundcloud and Tumblr.

We all live near railway tracks whether we're conscious of it or not. The Canadian Pacific Railway tracks lie just three blocks north of my home in Montreal's Mile End. A couple of years ago I explored the Outremont railway yard.

Recently I decided to go further and walked along the line that leads north from the Outremont yard. I discovered businesses and homes lining the tracks and many tall tress in springtime bud.

I figured the line would be an endless corridor used mostly by freight trains. Imagine my surprise when I came to the end of a curve in the rails and saw passengers boarding a commuter train at the Parc station.

My cousin Tim and his partner Evita were my hosts during my visit to Mexico in January. I took their portrait one morning as Evita was getting ready to go to work and as Tim and I were preparing for a hike in a state park.

When we're overcome with fear and paranoia we're more vulnerable than usual. These strong emotions can make us feel naked and exposed. My friend Christopher was my model for this portrait. I photographed him at my home in the Mile End district of Montreal.

During my visit to Mexico in January I spent an afternoon in Tecali de Herrera in the state of Puebla. The town is known for its onyx and marble, which are made into a multitude of products and sold in an endless number of stores throughout the town.

The centerpiece of Tecali de Herrera is a former Franciscan monastery. It was designed by the Spanish architect Claudio de Arciniega in the 16C. However, it was abandoned less than 100 years later due to a conflict between the monks and the local church hierarchy.

I walked through the roofless monastery and observed the finely detailed murals and religious objects, whose beauty survives despite the ravages of weather and vandalism.

View slideshow

This is the third in my series of 2Fik descending a staircase.

2Fik is an interdisciplinary artist who explores issues of identity, culture and sexual orientation through visual media and performance art. He has created a number of personas that he interprets in photomontages and videos.

On March 20, 2012, I photographed 2Fik at Place des Arts in Montreal. 2Fik appears in the persona of Marco, an Italian-Moroccan man who works in Montreal as a style scout for a Paris fashion agency.

Marco is descending the outdoor staircase directly above the Ste. Catherine Street entrance of Place des Arts. One of the towers of Complexe Desjardins is in the background.

I was inspired by Marcel Duchamp's painting Nu descendant un escalier n° 2/Nude Descending a Staircase, No. 2. Duchamp himself was influenced by Eadweard Muybridge's photo series Woman Walking Downstairs.

To see all my photos of 2Fik as Marco click on "View slideshow" above.

To see 2Fik as Alice click here.

To see 2Fik as Abdel click here .