Sorry for my English readers, but this is of local interest so this one will be in French only

De vendredi à dimanche, je serai à Montréal pour allez faire du stock photo. Je réserve une partie ma soirée de samedi pour rencontrer jusqu’à quatre aspirants photographes de presse.

Vous êtes éligible si vous êtes dans une de ces catégories :

• Vous pensez/aimeriez faire carrière en photographie de presse, et avez commencé à faire de la photo en ce sens
• Vous commencez bientôt un cours en photo et votre but est de faire de la photo de presse ou de reportage
• Vous avez gradué d’une école de photo en 2008 et vous voulez gagner votre vie en photo de presse ou de reportage

Samedi à 19h00, je m’assoirai avec 4 personnes et je ferai une critique de leur portfolio. Vous devrez donc apporter un maximum de 20 photos (agrandissement, sur un ordinateur portable, un iPhone, whatever…). La critique se fera devant les autres personnes, question que tous puisse profiter des conseils et suggestions.
Votre portfolio doit être sérieusement orienté vers la photo de presse, la photo de reportage ou de rue. Donc : sport, portait en environnement, actualité, fais divers (wow, j’ai dû aller dans mon ancien blog pour en trouver!), street photography, etc. Je suis capable d’admirer une photo studio glamour, mais je ne vous serais d’aucune utilité pour la critiquer. Alors si votre portfolio est composé à 50% de jolie gonzelle en bikini ou de photo artistique full-concept, ne perdez pas votre temps!

Comment participer? Envoyez-moi (rapidement) un courriel à info (at) francisvachon (dot) com. Précisez-moi en deux ou trois phrases où vous en êtes rendu dans votre cheminement (étudiant? Gradué?), donnez-moi un lien vers votre site web si vous en avez un, et (surtout) suggérez un endroit au centre-ville de Montréal, proche d’une bouche de métro, où il est possible de prendre un café ou une bière tranquille pour discuter.

En résumé : La rencontre se fera le Samedi 1er Novembre 2008 à 19h00, à un endroit à être confirmé plus tard. Un maximum de 4 participants, choisi plus ou moins au hasard parmi les demandes reçu par courriel. C’est gratuit

Vous êtes un photographe de presse de la région de Montréal et vous voulez vous aussi aider des jeunes en début de carrière? Envoyez-moi un courriel, nous pourrions accepter plus de personne et séparer le groupe en 2 (ou plus).

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

M. Russell Copeman leaves his National Assembly office after resigning as the MNA for the riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grace in Quebec City October 22, 2008. Copeman was first elected in 1994. (THE GAZETTE/Francis Vachon)
Technical: Canon EOS Mark III, 1/125 at f2,8 with a 24-70 at 58mm - ISO 2500, on camera fill flash with CTO gel

M. Russell Copeman hops into a cab with his wive Beverly as he leaves the National Assembly after resigning as the MNA for the riding of Notre-Dame-de-Grace in Quebec City October 22, 2008. Copeman was first elected in 1994. (THE GAZETTE/Francis Vachon)
Technical: Canon EOS Mark III, 1/160 at f2,8 with a 24-70 at 40mm - ISO 400

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…)

Some public figures are very difficult to photograph. Canada’s Prime minister Stephen Harper, for instance, never gestures while talking. All you have is a guy talking behind a microphone. Secrétaire general de la Francophonie Abdou Diouf, on the other hand, is a gift from God for us.

Visual journalists wait before getting into the room for the official Sommet de la Francophonie group photo. You actually see about half of them. The photo op was about 45 seconds long. Be ready.

(click to enlarge)

That would be me with the camera. Being the host photographer gives you great access!

The media where stuck farther away. RCMP and security guy where everywhere. At one point, I felt a vigorous hand on the back of my shoulder, then I heard a guy who was in charge of helping me doing me my job screaming “HOST PHOTOGRAPHER! HOST PHOTOGRAPHER!”. Then the hand went away. I was probably a second away of being thrown to the ground…

(Photo by Clément Allard)

Update: Oups! PM’s official photographer got me in his frame too…

While assisting Cindy, I couldn’t resist to take the came 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