ADQ leader Mario Dumont is reflected into a ceiling mirror as he speaks to journalists after meeting with UPA (union des producteurs agricoles - Farmer’s union) in a Quebec City hotel Tuesday November 18, 2008. (THE GAZETTE/Francis Vachon)
Technical: Canon EOS Mark III, 1/125 at f3.2 with a 24-70 at 45mm - ISO 3200

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.

Artistes protest against Stephen Harper’s financial cutbacks to the arts in Place Royal in Quebec city September 3, 2008.

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

“Réclame ta rue” is a weird annual “protest” where a bunch of people “reclaim their street” by blocking a major intersection and doing all kinds of things for the whole day. Anything they want, really…

Technical: Canon EOS Mark III, 1/8000 at f2,5 with a 50mm prime lens - ISO 200

Technical: Canon EOS 20D, 1/2500 at f2,8 with a 70-200 at 145mm - ISO 200

Technical: Canon EOS Mark III, 1/2500 at f3,5 with a 50mm prime lens - ISO 200

Technical: Canon EOS Mark III, 1/200 at f6,3 with a 50mm prime lens - ISO 50

Technical: Canon EOS Mark III, 1/8000 at f2 with a 50mm prime lens - ISO 200

Sometimes, when on assignment, I stop shooting and say out loud: “Men! I’m PAID to do that!”

It was the case with this one. “Softair gun” is a mix between BB gun (fusil à air comprimé) and paintball gun. The story was about a bunch of kids playing with them in a remote suburb of Quebec city, and how dangerous they can be. I asked a kid to shoot me at point blank. And yes, it hurt.

Anyway, I decided to do this assignment in a very “immersive” way. I was running everywhere with them, taking cover with them, and sometime getting hit by a stray bullet. That was so much fun!

Sony Gravel-Paquet, left, tries to dodge a bullet from Emmanuel Talbot-Lanciault, center, as Maxime Labrecque looks on during a “softair gun” battle in St-Ferreol-les-Neiges, 50km east of Quebec city. A mix of paintball and BB gun, the softair gun is restricted elsewhere but not in Quebec. Photo Francis Vachon for the Montreal Gazette
Technical: Canon EOS 1D mark II, 1/160 at f4.5 with a 16-35 at 27mm - ISO 200

William Guilbault, left, uses Alexis Herrmann as a human shield during a “softair gun” battle in St-Ferreol-les-Neiges, 50km east of Quebec city. A mix of paintball and BB gun, the softair gun is restricted elsewhere but not in Quebec. Photo Francis Vachon for the Montreal Gazette
Technical: Canon EOS 1D mark II, 1/1600 at f4.5 with a 70-200 at 135mm - ISO 400

Alexis Herrmann tries to dodge a bullet from Elodie Talbot-Lanciault’s gun during a “softair gun” battle in St-Ferreol-les-Neiges, 50km east of Quebec city. A mix of paintball and BB gun, the softair gun is restricted elsewhere but not in Quebec. Photo Francis Vachon for the Montreal Gazette
Technical: Canon EOS 1D mark II, 1/500 at f4.5 with a 70-200 at 200mm - ISO 200

I got the call at around 4pm. The photo editor tells me that all she gets from the photo agencies is politicians. She wants to put “Quebecois enjoying themself” on the front page. “Can you go downtown and see what you can get?” Sure can!

Granby resident Sylvain Brodeur and his mother Claudette sing along during the Quebec city’s 400th anniversary show in front of the National Assembly Thursday July 3, 2008. Photo Francis Vachon for the Montreal Gazette.
Technical: Canon EOS 1D mark II, 1/250 at f4 with a 24-70 at 45mm - ISO 200 + fill flash

Vancouver resident Angela Spacewalker, 5, dances as she sits on her father shoulder, Simon, during the Quebec city’s 400th anniversary show in front of the National Assembly Thursday July 3, 2008. Photo Francis Vachon for the Montreal Gazette.
Technical: Canon EOS 1D mark II, 1/250 at f4 with a 24-70 at 70mm - ISO 200

Elisabethe Bussiere, 4, carefully watches the show as she stands on her uncle’s shoulder during the Quebec city’s 400th anniversary show in front of the National Assembly Thursday July 3, 2008. Photo Francis Vachon for the Montreal Gazette.
Technical: Canon EOS 1D mark II, 1/250 at f7,1 with a 70-200 at 170mm - ISO 200

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

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