When you read an assignment sheet that says “Need photo of Monique Lépine mother of Marc Lepine who shot 14 women in Montreal in 1989”, you just cannot be in love with your job. You have to meet to many interesting character that most people will never meet. You see so many thing that most people will never see.
I photographed Monique Lépine while Canwest reporter Marianne White was interviewing her. As a new father of a 6 months and a half boy, it was sometime very difficult to keep the tears inside when listening to such a strong mother.
I’m so lucky to do this job.
The story was for Canwest news service and got huge play this morning, including the front of the National Post. The story can be read online.
Technical: Canon EOS Mark III, 1/320 at f4,5 with a 70-200 at 200mm – ISO 200, one remote flash thru an umbrella facing the subject
Technical: Canon EOS Mark III, 1/200 at f6,3 with a 24-70 at 70mm – ISO 200, one remote flash thru an umbrella slightly on camera left
It was July 20. When passerby saw me with my camera at the Chateau Frontenac, everyone was thinking that I was going to shoot Paul McCartney, who was giving his historical concert in Quebec City. But it was for Abdou Diouf, general secretary of the French speaking country organization (organisation de la Francophonie) that I was there with a Globe and Mail reporter. It was an advance interview for an article to be published during this week-end summit (Le Sommet de la Francophonie), so I was not able to show you what I did before today.
With such an important person, you never really know how long you will have. So I let the reporter do is stuff and I started to photograph him with a single gridded flash. I switch between my 50mm and my 85mm, keeping a very shallow depth of field of f1.8. I also used my 70-200 for even more reach, keeping only his face (or part of his face) in the frame. I liked so much what I shot that after the interview, I only spend about 2 minutes for a quick portrait (4th photo), shot with flash thru an umbrella – if I recall correctly.
Technical: Canon EOS Mark II, 1/250 at f2,8 with a 24-70 at 200mm – ISO 200, one gridded flash on camera left
Technical: Canon EOS Mark II, 1/250 at f1,8 with a 85mm prime lens – ISO 200, one gridded flash on camera left
Technical: Canon EOS Mark II, 1/160 at f2,8 with a 24-70 at 70mm – ISO 200, one gridded flash on camera right
Technical: Canon EOS Mark II, 1/200 at f1,8 with a 85mm prime lens – ISO 200, one flash thru an umbrella on camera right (I think…)
While assisting Cindy, I couldn’t resist to take the time to shoot a couple of frame. Here his my take on her pirate theme.
Technical: Canon EOS Mark III, 1/200 at f4.5 with a 24-70 at 70mm – ISO 200, one flash thru an umbrella on camera left, one direct flash behind and left of the subject
David Blair, president of the Quebec Literary and Historical Society, poses in the library of the Morrin Centre in Quebec city, September 16, 2008. The Literary and Historical Society of Quebec is postponing the controversial sale of thousands of historical volumes to a later, unconfirmed date. Photo Francis Vachon for the Globe and Mail
Technical: Canon EOS Mark III, 1/50 at f4 with a 24-70 at 54mm – ISO 400, one flash thru an umbrella on camera right
David Blair, president of the Quebec Literary and Historical Society, poses in the library of the Morrin Centre in Quebec city, September 16, 2008. The Literary and Historical Society of Quebec is postponing the controversial sale of thousands of historical volumes to a later, unconfirmed date. Photo Francis Vachon for the Globe and Mail
Technical: Canon EOS Mark III, 1/125 at f7,1 with a 24-70 at 70mm – ISO 250, one flash thru an umbrella on camera left (facing the subject) and one gridded flash on the right shooting to the back of the subject
Online story here
Daniel Parent wants to be the first Canadian-Tire money Millionaire – for La Semaine
I shot that a while ago and I don’t really remember how I setup my lights, so I’ll skip the technical stuff for this one.
Sometimes, the one who wants press coverage – the very ones who call the press and invite us to come – are the ones who do everything they can to prevent us from doing a good job.
Le Panache is one of the most upscale restaurants in Quebec City. They decided to invites for a “one night extravaganza” – a 9 services & 400$ meal – a world class chef from California. And they want the world to know, so they call the media.
– Can we take a photo of the chefs cooking?
– No, sorry.
– Can we take a photo of the meal before they are served?
– No, sorry.
– Can we take a photo of the dinning room?
– No can’t do.
– …
– Our chef and the invited chef will come for a small press conference, and then you’ll have an individual 10 minutes with the invited chef. You can take all the pictures you want then.
La Presse, The Gazette and Le Soleil, a combined print run of probably about half a million copies, are there, but all they want us to do is take presser’s photos out of the best dinner Quebec probably experienced in it’s 400 years of existence. Sweet.
It’s in those cases that you need a good bag of tricks to get some good photos out of a very mundane situation.
Chef Thomas Keller gestures as he speaks with Gazette reporter Lesley Chesterman at the Auberge St-Antoine’s Le Panache restaurant in Quebec City August 30, 2008. Keller, a world renowned chef, was invited for a one night extravaganza dinner. (THE GAZETTE/Francis Vachon)
Technical: Canon EOS Mark III, 1/200 at f5 with a 24-70 at 45mm – ISO 200, one flash thru an umbrella on camera right (facing the subject), one direct flash on the background
Auberge St-Antoine’s Le Panache restaurant chef Francois Blais talks about Thomas Keller in Quebec City August 30, 2008. Keller, a world renowned chef, was invited for a one night extravaganza dinner. (THE GAZETTE/Francis Vachon)
Technical: Canon EOS Mark III, 1/200 at f3,2 with a 70-200 at 200mm – ISO 320, Two flashes thru an umbrella on camera right