The chefs

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