Archeological dig at Cartier-Roberval park

Écrit le . Publié dans Documentaire, Mon travail photographique. 10 Commentaires

Archeological dig at Cartier-Roberval park

Isabelle Duval inspects a piece of native pottery found in the Cartier-Roberval Park archeological site in Quebec City June 21, 2008. The archeologists hope they can prove with this finding that Cartier and Roberval where trading with the natives. Photo Francis Vachon for the Montreal Gazette
Technical: Canon EOS 1D mark II, 1/2000 at f1.8 with a 50mm prime lens – ISO 400

Archeological dig at Cartier-Roberval park

Isabelle Duval, center, points out something to Joanie Gauthier, left, and Karine Vachon-Soulard, right, in the Cartier-Roberval Park archeological site in Quebec City June 21, 2008.
Technical: Canon EOS 1D mark II, 1/400 at f1.8 with a 50mm prime lens – ISO 400

Archeological dig at Cartier-Roberval parl

Karine Vachon-Soulard, right, takes some measures to document the exact location of a native pottery she just found as Philippe Slater, left, and Joanie Gauthier, center, look on in the Cartier-Roberval Park archeological site in Quebec City June 21, 2008. The archeologists hope they can prove with this finding that Cartier and Roberval where trading with the natives
Technical: Canon EOS 1D mark II, 1/5000 at f1.8 with a 50mm prime lens – ISO 400

Photojournalist’s dictionary: What is a scrum?

Écrit le . Publié dans Trucs rigolos. 4 Commentaires

Contrary to a news conference, a planned event with some sort of order where a moderator, often a political aide, will decide who asks the next question and occurs in a predetermined location, a scrum is a free-for all gathering of journalists around a person, often a politician, that can take place anywhere.

A scrum usually occurs when someone arrives or leaves a place, like the National Assembly or a courtroom. Reporters and visual journalist (photographers and cameramen) will then run to the person to secure a “front row” position. A “half-circle” of journalist will form in front of the scrummed person. When a lot of us are there, the scrum can then completely surround the “victim”, which can be very intimidating if the person is not used to that. It’s not uncommon to have 20 journalists of all kind (cameramen, photojournalist, reporter, sound taker, etc) at a scrum.

It’s a free-for all, so the first question to be answered is usually the one who was asked the loudest and there is a minimum of cooperation between the visual journalists. The one who where able to secure a front row position will rarely give their place to the guy behind. However, sometime the tall guys (like me) will let the smaller one goes in front, as they can photograph above the shorter guy’s head.

The word can be used as a verb, like in “we’ll scrum the Premier when he’ll get out of his limo”

To my knowledge, no French translation exists, so Quebecers use the word “scrum” as well. You can hear things like “on va faire un scrum”, “on vas le scrummer à sa sortie”, etc.

You can see below some examples of a scrum

Jean Charest scrum
Quebec premier Jean Charest is scrummed after a news conference to inaugurate the Promenade Samuel de Champlain parkway in Quebec city

Jean Charest and Claude Bechard scrum
Quebec premier Jean Charest and minister Claude Bechard are scrummed after the funeral of Nancy Michaud in Riviere-Ouelle.

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I intend to have this new column come back on a regular basis. I have some idea in mind for words that I want to define, but if there is some that you want me to explain, don’t hesitate to ask in the comment bellow.

Innauguration of the Promenade Samuel-de-Champlain parkway

Écrit le . Publié dans Actualités, Mon travail photographique. Laisser un commentaire

promenade-samuel-de-champlain-01.jpg

Quebec Premier Jean Charest hugs Minister of Employment and Social Solidarity Sam Hamad as they inaugurate a soccer field, part of the Promenade Samuel-de-Champlain Tuesday June 24, 2008 in Quebec City. The Promenade, a 2.5km parkway along the St-Lawrence River, is the gift from the government of Quebec to Quebec city for her 400th’s birthday THE CANADIAN PRESS/Francis Vachon
Technical: Canon EOS 1D mark II, 1/2000 at f4.5 with a 24-70 at 67mm – ISO 200

Jean Charest

Quebec Premier Jean Charest speaks at the inauguration of the Promenade Samuel-de-Champlain Tuesday June 24, 2008 in Quebec City. The Promenade, a 2.5km parkway along the St-Lawrence River, is the gift from the government of Quebec to Quebec city for her 400th’s birthday THE CANADIAN PRESS/Francis Vachon
Technical: Canon EOS 1D mark II, 1/200 at f16 with a 70-200 at 120mm – ISO 400

Eucharistic congress

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Eucharistic congress

Quebec Premier Jean Charest receives the wafer after the VIPs took cover under a tent due to heavy rain at the 49th International Eucharistic Congress on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec city Sunday June 22, 2008 in Quebec City. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Francis Vachon
Technical: Canon EOS 1D mark II, 1/80 at f3.2 with a 24-70 at 43mm – ISO 400

Eucharistic congress

A participant to the 49th International Eucharistic Congress gestures on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec city Sunday June 22, 2008 in Quebec City. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Francis Vachon
Technical: Canon EOS 20D, 1/1600 at f4 with a 300mm prime lens – ISO 200

Eucharistic congress

Governor General Michaelle Jean and her husband Jean-Daniel Lafond speaks to a member of the Church as their daughter Marie-Eden joins hand at the 49th International Eucharistic Congress on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec city Sunday June 22, 2008 in Quebec City. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Francis Vachon
Technical: Canon EOS 20D, 1/1600 at f2.8 with a 300mm prime lens – ISO 200

*****

Towards the end of the ceremony, a huge downpour begins. I’m starting to worry, but I really need a photo of the VIPs (The premier, the Governor General, etc…) receiving the communion so I stay in position.

The security is high, so I’m far away with my 300. And it rains. And it’s taking forever. And it rains. And they are not finishing. I’m really concern with my gear: the rain is like I have never seen before. I decide to bail and take cover under a nearby tent.

It’s still raining like crazy when all of a sudden I see all the VIPs running for cover in the same tent that I am. A priest then tells everyone that anyone who wants to receive the wafer can do so, here and now. And that’s how I was able to turn a 300mm boring shot into a funny close up of the Premier in his raincoat, face still wet.

Ducks in light painting

Écrit le . Publié dans Apprivoiser la lumière, Mon travail photographique. 4 Commentaires

Ducks in light painting


Technical: Canon EOS 1D mark II, 30 sec at f18 with a 24-70 at 67mm – ISO 100 + multiple flashes

This is my first time experimenting with a technique called “light painting”. I set-up my camera on a tripod and did a 30 second exposure. Armed with my 550ex speedlight flash in my hand, I moved around the ducks and shot a multitude of little burst of flash to light the part that I wanted. Because of the long exposure and the absence of ambient light, I could move freely inside the frame and not appears in the photo, as long as I was not staying at the same place too long.

Next time, I will bring more than one flash. The recycling time was a bummer. With two of them, I should be able to do better next time.

Those ducks are located on a bridge, separating it in two. My camera was less then a foot from the passing car. I’m a happy that no drunk driver passed by!

Drivers where probably wondering what a guy with bursts of light coming out of his hand was doing at night in the middle of a bridge!

Copyright © 2023 Francis Vachon.