Wednesday, December 03, 2008

What are you thinking?


IMG_9548
Originally uploaded by Gabriel Robichaud Photography
You have not called me in weeks. I have not felt the touch of your carress in months. It is getting harder and harder to remember what your smelled like on Sunday mornings, after a late morning slumber. My memory is fading, slowly erasing you from my existence. I wish it could erase the pain I feel when I reach over with my arm in the morning to an empty spot on the bed.

I come home sometimes, eager to tell you about my day, or what the dumb boss said this time, only to realise, you are not there to hear the story. I check my call log, again, yet you did not call for the 10th time today. I read a funny story, or see a funny news report, and you are not there to share it. I tell a funny joke, yet you are not there to laugh at it.

I cook diner for two. I put half of it in the fridge.

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

Shooting Glass

Again, another fun exercise in product photography. Michel Pilon is a God. Seriously. He is teaching is the coolest things, like, for example, shooting glass surfaces with flash. Its kinda cool.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

FLASH

Another Image of Chris. This one was shot with lots and lots of studio flash. YAY! All semester long we have been shooting with Flash, and I could not be happier! Flash is fun. It can be daunting at times, but the end results are always really great!!


In comparasion, you could look at this photo Chris
which was shot using tungsten lighting

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Mario...

Remembering Mario


May you find peace in eternity. My good friend, I will miss you. Rest in peace buddy.

Gab
xoxo

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Product Shot

Apparently, to become a photographer, you need to take a lot of BORING pictures. Yes sirrreee.

Last night was studio night! YAY!

Me likes the studio. Me likes the studio even more now that Michel Pilon is our Applied Studio teacher. OH YEAH. LUCKY US!

So, I took all my shots, then ran home to look at them and to balance them, and waddaya know, there are funky reflections all over the place that I could not see in the studio. DAMN IT! Looks like I will have to re-shoot. I just dont get how those weird reflections on the seamless got there, at first I thought they were shadows, but that makes not sense because there were not lights at that angle and the studio itself is relative dark so I dont think it was coming from stray lights.... so its gotta be relfections from the key light. Not amused.

But in my defense, we were only allowed to use a couple of low wattage tungsten lights for this exercise, and to get any kind of decent light, I had to diffuse and reflect the heck out of it. Main light was at 90degrees from the camera and the fill was opposite of that with a 4 to 1 ratio of intensity (2 stops difference).

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

uh... de quessé??

Ok... un petit blogue écrit en fraçais? Ça vous tente? Pourquoi pas! C'est vrai que ça ne m'arrive pas souvent, mais c'est parce que mon clavier est par défaut en anglais, pis je suis trop paresseux pour activé le mode "French - Canada" hmmm pas si bon que ça parce que je ne trouve pas les guillemets français. hmmmmm.

Bon, si je prends quelques minutes aujourd'hui, c'est uniquement pour vous parler de ma trouvaille du jour : http://papamefourre.blogspot.com/

oh boy. Vraiment, faut tout lire ce blog. C'est une histoire qui t'emballe dès le début, conçu de façon originale! Allez-y chrissssse. Quessé vous attendez? Un lien clickable?

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Nuage


Nuage
Originally uploaded by Gabriel Robichaud Photography
"I love cats, I love kitties, squeeze them into itti bitties!"

I am so glad to be back into the swing of things. I'm easing into the whole school routine, and I am actually starting to feel the fire of creativity burning inside me again.

YAY!!!!

Monday, September 01, 2008

Tam Tam Boys. Boys Boys Boys.


TamTamBoys
Originally uploaded by Gabriel Robichaud Photography
Its been a great week! I decided to finish my 33rd year with a bang.

The theme for the week as has been one of international exploration, and for that I feel I should thank the Doublemint Twins, Italy, Mexico, Québec and Ireland. I love this time of the year.

The weather has been great. A bit late, since I started school last Monday! Its taking me longer than I had hoped to get back into the swing of things, but I am shooting again, and thats a very good thing. I am actually looking forward to the colours starting to change. I have spotted a couple of places I need to shoot. There is this 1 tree in particular that has caught my eye.

I also started thinking about my portfolio minors and major. *sigh* I just can`t make up my mind. I seriously need to figure out what I want to focus on, and soon. But, what should it be? Documentary? Eroticism? Portraiture? Product? Sports? Food? All of these things are really interesting to me. Not too mention that I have always loved macro photography as well. GRRRRRRRR. I don't know. I have been going through my tens of thousands of photos this weekend figuring out where my strengths are. Portraiture and Product really stick out, but I might be able to pull off sports and documentary photography as well if I had a little more experience and a coupe of different lenses.

Honestly, I your comments are welcome on this one. The clock is ticking.

So last time I reported that the swimming had begun, and well, it has begun and continued. I am happy to report that is going well and so far I have lost 10 pounds, and people have started noticing! (thank you Camille, you da best!)

Further to that, I am regaining my general endurance, I have more energy and I can actually feel the mood change in me.

But perhaps this is also to do that I feel I have taken control of my personal life again. I am making room for me. I am taking time to be alone and not have my thoughts interrupted by emotionally disturbing sources. I feel like I am beginning the next chapter in my life. I realize that within the next year I will be graduating from photography and things will be changing.

Change is good.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Swimming! Swimming, in a swimming pool!


yellow
Originally uploaded by Gabriel Robichaud Photography
When days are hot!
When days are cold!
In a swimming pool!

Ah yes, swimming. You know, there is nothing, nothing, quite like swimming. I was on vacation last week. And, due to massive amounts of idiots surrounding my life, I was forced to stay in Montréal. Woe is me! Actually, all my extra cash that I would have spent on vacation is going to go to fixing my car, which was RUINED by the other moron who parks his car in the underground garage in my building, who RAMMED into my car and caused about 4k$ of damage. YAY!! Insurance will cover most it, but still... I can smell my premiums increasing. This sucks. THIS SUCKS. Because of the STUPID no fault insurance in this STUPID province, MY premiums are going up, because some IDIOT rammed into my car, WHILE it was PARKED, IMMOBILE. So guy rams into my car in the middle of the night, doesn't have the decency to come to tell me (I guess he was in a hurry to get to the 4th floor, i live in the 3rd). YAY! OVER THE TOP HAPPY ABOUT THIS. Yes, that was sarcasm for the sarcastically challenged readers. Ergo, I stayed home all week.

My routine was pretty much eat-sleep-swim-sleep-eat-swim. I have been meaning to get back to the pool for a while now. But swimming is one of these things that takes an incredible amount of motivation to do, or more specifically get going. Well, I took weeks of mental preparation, increase in asthma meds to get the breathing under control again, a few weeks of running on the treadmill to have some degree of health (thanks to Ginette my personal trainer), and voilà... I'm swimming again. In an effort to stay motivated, I have registered for the 1 000 000 meter challenge, only 995 900 meters to go!

So, vacation over. Back to work!

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Sourds-Muets

Today, I went to the Mount-Royal cemetery. This particular cemetary is known accross the world for its vastness, beauty, and the countless number of plots that are there dating back a few centuries.

I came across an area with the Heading "Sourds-Muets", translated into English comes pretty darn close to "Deaf and Dumb" Most of the plots in this area, about 50 or so, pre-date the second world-war. I didn't know which was more sad, the fact that we called them D&D or that they had tiny little plots with their year of death on them. Passed away without much fan-fare I can imagine. Today, I mourn for these people. May they rest in peace. And thank you Celina Mailloux S.-M. 1938.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Danielle Et Jean-Baptiste

More from the same series.

Le Divan Rouge - Annual Montreal Photography Festival

Oh, what a night!

Last night was my very first public vernissage. It was also the first Annual Montreal Photography Festival. It was a huge success. It was a packed house. PACKED.

What a great night we had. After all the the votes were counted, most of the competitiors were within 10 points of each other,so it was a very close race. In the end Carla Jesus was the big winner, taking home both the Prix du Public and the Grand Prize of the festival for her original and fun black and white images.

I cannot wait until next year!

See you all there

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

FIRST ANNUAL MONTREAL PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL

Ladies and gentlemen, Dogs and cats, Fish and Worms, birds and bees, I am hereby officially inviting you to the First Annual Montreal Photography Festival. Consider this a personal invitation from ME, the Event Manager.

Best Regards,
Gabriel

Friday, June 06, 2008

Patrick

Its been a while since I last posted something. So here I go.

Patrick and Anne were visiting from Vancouver. I am so happy they came over. It was really nice to spend some time with Patrick again, we have known each other since we were teenagers. So I appreciate the time we get together. On top of it, he has the coolest girlfriend, Anne. She rules. I hope they come back soon.

With a little luck, I'll be going their way soon.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Waiting For The Bus.

I shoot these two images yesterday from the Second Cup on the corner of Milton Street and Parc Avenue. That place is definitely one of my favorite haunts in the whole wide world. The table at which we were sitting had a great view of the bus stop. Something tells me I will be returning soon.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

There ain`t no mountain high enough.

THE SEMESTER IS OVER. Oh my god. I feel like screaming at the top of my lungs I'm so happy.

3 more semester left.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Only Two More To Go!

11:30pm and here I am. I should have been in bed a long long time ago. I'm exhausted! I wrote my "Camera And Light" exam tonight at school. I have 2 more exams to write and the semester is OVER and not a moment too soon. In a way it went by quickly, but in another it was long, and lots of work.

The upperclassmen keep telling us the first semester of the program is a breeze compared to the other 3. Damn. That means its just going to get worse. But I'll deal with that when I get there.

It will be nice to have my evenings to myself again. Will this mean that I will be appearing at the gym more frequently? Seeing my friends more regularly? Spending more time with James? Leveling my Warrior on World of Warcraft to level 70 before the expansion comes out? Watching TV that wasn't recorded last week on my PVR? Doing something other than studying or homework... SWEET!!!

But as bizarre as it might seem, I'm going to miss school. We have a great class. I really love my class, and I'm crossing my fingers that everyone (yes, even you Chris) will be back in the fall. It wouldn't be the same without everyone. Its so much fun to work with them.

Ok, lets see if I can get to bed.

Sunday, May 04, 2008

World Cup Of Diving Montreal 2008

Image number 2 today. Yes, you get two for the price of one. Aren't you lucky? This image is coming from the World Cup of Diving 2008 that I attended yesterday. Interesting subject matter don't you think? ;)

Vegas At night... shot from a helicopter

I know its been a while since I last posted anything, but I have been a little on the busy side. Finished my mandate with my client, went to Las Vegas, and now I'm in the middle of my finals and final assignments for school. It just does not seem to end. I promise. More photos are coming soon.

However, I'm very happy to report that I am surviving the first semester at the Dawson Photography Institute and that I will be coming out of it unscathed. So that is good. I'm already looking forward to next semester as we will be starting the real work :P

Today's Image is a nice vew of the Las Vegas Strip a bit after sunset. i shot this from a helicopter, its a little grainy, but the colors are really rich.

Monday, April 07, 2008

Sandwich Ingredients

Today is a very noteworthy day. I went outside, without a coat on, for the first time this year. YAY! SPRING is finally here. The flowing warm sunlight has permitted me to complete another assignment without the help of any additional lighting. I must say, I really enjoy the quality of light you get from the sun. Beats any studio light.

Only 7 weeks or so left of the first semester of photography school. Its going by sooooo fast. Which is a good thing.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Diane


Diane
Originally uploaded by Gabriel Robichaud Photography
Another portrait from the Monday night shoot. I really like the expression and the symmetry of the frame. I'm not too impressed with the shadow dropping on the right side of her nose, but I can live with it without feeling completely disappointed. But I like this shot.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Ryan and his Viola

Another image from the Monday night crew. Ryan graciously accepted to have his picture taken for me in Studio. I love this image of him. I think the composition works and the subject matter is interesting because of the lines and the perspective.

1x 500 watt tungsten main light
1x 250 watt tungsten on the left side
1x 250 watt tungsten on the floor to seperate the subject from the background.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Chris


Chris
Originally uploaded by Gabriel Robichaud Photography
Seriously. This cutie-pie, Chris, is brought to you from my in class photo shoot for one of my to-be-finished soon assignments. The more I spend time in the
studio, the more I like it. Seriously. Chris is one of my classmates and as far as I know, he's single. So ladies, line up right here. Seriously.

Seriously, thats my new overly used word. Seriously. I love how it sounds. Seriously.

We are officially in our March Break. And not a moment too soon. I only have 2 outstanding assignments, and I plan on having them finished this week. This is the half-way
mark in the first semester of the program. I feel like I finally have figured out how to make my personal life, work life and school life all balance out. It took
some scheduling gymnastics but I even manage to fit in a few sessions a week at the gym, and low and behold, I lost 11 pounds in the last month.

My friend Sue-Marie is on this Cookie diet. She's losing weight like crazy, but I'm not sure if I want to shell out big buck$ for special fat burning / hunger suppressing cookies. I mean
what is the point of it all if you don't suffer. No pain, no gain. Certainly applicable in my case.

More pictures to be posted soon. I got lots. Seriously.

Friday, February 29, 2008

Place Ville Marie

This shot brought to you by my lunch break. I got a new Canon 28-135 USM IS lens in the mail this morning. Took a few test shots. I think I'm already in love with the Image Stabilizer technology. Keep yer eyes peeled for more shots soon. I would have probably been served better with a wider angle lens for this shot but, I want to test out the 28-135. I will have to bring it in the studio and see how it fares there. So far so good though. It could quite possibly be my favorite lens in my kit so far.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Its a good feeling.

Today was my second time in the studio. Again, I was working with some always on tungsten lighting. 500watts and 250watts. At some point during the afternoon, it became very clear: this is what I must do with my life.

This shot of Camille is one of my favorites of the afternoon. I put the ones I like on my Flickr page. Feel free to check them on.

Monday, February 18, 2008

From the new 40D

Some might think its going overboard, some might think its a gross extravagance, but I think its a necessity. Friday, I purchased a new Camera. The Canon 40D.

What a change from shooting with the Rebel XTi. The 40D has significantly more features, and the interface is more confusing than the Rebel, but I am starting to get the hang of it. Its going to take some getting used to as things don't work exactly the same as the Rebel, but already, I am seeing much better results in low light settings. I can't wait to bring this baby in the Studio!

This is yet another shot of moby. I am amazed by the details in the shadows and highlights. Using the Adams scale for determining exposures helped a whole lot. I underexposed a weee bit and got details that would not have normally popped out at a normal exposure.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Violon Alto


Schoolwork
Originally uploaded by Gabriel Robichaud Photography
Some people like to get their way. Yup. Some people like to manipulate situations,
take words out of context and spread lies around, all in an effort to make others as miserable
as they feel inside. Today, I dedicate this picuture to C.G. (no, not Carolyn, the other CG who was previously my friend).

For you, the tiniest violin, is playing the sadest little song for you little web of lies and misery. Enjoy!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Studio Work


Studio
Originally uploaded by Gabriel Robichaud Photography
I know its like wayyyyyyy past my bed time, but I had to post this photo quickly. We spent the night in the Studio playing around with lighting, diffusers and reflectors. Just as I was about to call it a night, I caught Karen in a moment of reflection as she was waiting for Damien to finish setting up for his shot.

I can't believe how much fun studio lighting is. Now I need to put studio lighting on my list of things to buy. This is going to be an expensive year.

Monday, February 11, 2008

More and more Photos


James01_3
Originally uploaded by Gabriel Robichaud Photography
Well, I am now well into my commercial photography program at Dawson College.

Its a little crazy just how much I am learning. Whats even crazier is how much freaking work I need to do to fulfill the requirements of the first semester! Its a lot of work. I am currently working a whole bunch of assignments. The ones that are pure photography assignments I find really stimulating and challenging, and am really enjoying it. But, I have this other one that is more related to history, which is a 10 minute presentation, which has me a bit worried. I have never had to talk about "art" in this way before. Basically, we have to pick a photographer that we like and make a presentation about him, his photography, his impact on society and then present a photo that is in the "essence" of the photographer. This is the photo I will be submitted as my original work for that assignment. Can you guess who I chose as a photographer? I'll give you a hint, he died in the 1980's! Actually, thats 2 hints, you know he is male.