As a teenager I worked in a music store. At the age of 17 I started working in bars and nightclub. I then met a guy who got me in the fitness industry and started working also as a graphic/web designer for a sport supplement company in Montreal and later on became the Marketing Manager for that same company. During that time I also kept my job as a bartender and did this part time for close to 15 years. One day the owner of the supplement company came to me and ask me to undertake the task of learning photography. He grew tired of paying professionals photographers to take pictures of athletes and shots of his whole product line. At first, I thought this was an absurd request but decided to try it anyway. He purchased my first camera, which was the Minolta XTsi, and there I went, trying to learn this great tool. I literally started reading everything I could find about photography and quickly this task became a hobby. I was taking pictures of pretty much everything from lamppost to cars, flowers, insects..you name it. My hobby really turned into a passion the time I did a road trip across the charming province and Quebec and ended up on top of Mt Ernest Laforce in the Gaspe peninsula. I knew then that this was my calling. That day it hit my like some sort of divine intervention… I wanted to experience, see & fell the beauty of our beautiful planet and photography was the perfect medium to do so. Since then I have set my lifelong goal to always perfect my craft. I know that this will be an endless curve and I will only have myself to blame if I don’t live up to my full potential.

The #1 goal is first and always to immerse myself in my surroundings. If possible I get on location beforehand and make sure I can really feel the energy and beauty each location has to offer. I personally think that only then, will I be able to evoke true feelings out of my craft. Feelings that will literally transport the viewer to the exact spot I was standing when capturing all my pieces.

I have so many I cannot named one…it would be impossible…every moment in the field is a pure blessing.

Again this is exactly like asking me which is my favourite location, I do not have one…My favorite shot will be the next one that will show up in my portfolio, you get so familiar with you work that the newest ones are always more appealing to me

Very much, at first when I was shooting film, I found it very hard to make the transition from film to digital. I thought that the wow factor of a perfectly exposed slide was completely gone…Over the years I have learned to really appreciate the positive side of digital photography and the incredible power good post processing has in order to really bring out details in my images that were previously impossible. I have learnt to use all the tools I can get in order to perfect my craft. I often get the question:

How much Processing goes into your images? These are all real images from real locations. These images have not been created or generated by computer. All images have been taken with high-quality digital cameras, lenses & filters on location around the world using the techniques I have acquired within the past 10 years. Unfortunately, even with today’s technologies, the camera does not see the world as clearly as the human eye does. The dynamic range of today’s professional camera is still not capable of rendering details in both the High and Low Tones of some specific scenes. Due to this limitation, some of the images have been created using several exposures of the same scene (Some exposed for the high tones and others exposed for the low tones). These exposures are then combined carefully using a technique called Luminosity masking. This technique provides a dynamic range that is closer to what I witnessed with my own eyes while capturing the scene.

Being at the right place at the right time, having the right tools and knowing how to capture the scene as best as possible to have the latitude of working with the right RAW file is key here…After I see the post processing, exactly as applying makeup to a beautiful woman…. She already posses all the quality attributes & features she needs, the makeup will only accentuate these features in the best possible way… I really love to create a sense of fantasy in my images, both on and off the field using different techniques acquired over the years. Create a vision that makes people dream and get in touch with their inner peace. If my work makes your day a bit brighter and helps you forget about your troubles if it’s only for the brief moment you look at it, then I have done my job well.

Some choose to use a true HDR approach, some decide to use the same approach as I do use luminosity blending and other post processing and some prefer to simply capture the scene and leave it untouched. All these are perfectly fine with me and will render incredible results when done right. It is up to the artist or viewer to decide which direction he or she prefers. As an artist, Do what you think is right for you and perfect your craft. There is no right or wrong here, we are all here to create in our own way…It’s a question of personal choice & artistic vision. Only YOU can decide what direction to take. Don’t let anyone tell you that you are doing it wrong. You will NEVER please everyone and if you try, I can assure you that you will be miserable and lost. There will always be some that will take a real pleasure of bringing you down, so what really counts here is pleasing yourself. If you do and do it well with passion, people will see this in your work and appreciate you for who you truly are.

I started this just for fun in order to record the places I visited. My First experience was recording my US Southwest road trip with my girlfriend. My skills as a videographer weren’t that good but really enjoyed making this video none the less. The only problem was, every time the light was very nice or dramatic, I completely forgot to record it on video, My focus was always on photography. I have now switched my way of thinking and always make sure I spend some time recording my travels. Looking for purpose was a starting point for me, I had an idea of what I wanted to do but wasn’t exactly sure how it would turn out..I can honestly say that I am happy with the result given my lack of experience in that field. I can definitely see that a lot can be done better but this just makes make more anxious on creating another one.

At one point in my life I was going through some pretty rough times. Hitting rock bottom really helped me, It made me see life in a way I had never seen before. One day, it dawned on me…Life as to be more than that. There has to be a reason why I am here and it certainly not to be miserable over all the things that are happening to me that I have absolutely no control over.. I then decided to go on a quest to find out more about purpose. I took the exact same approach as when I started photography. I started reading everything I could find on the subject and became obsessed with the matter.

Trying to understand why most people, live their lives being unhappy with their situation, thinking they cannot do anything about it and there is no way out. Why do people blame everyone for the things that are going on in their lives? Why does most people live with excuses in order to justify the reason why they are not where they really want to be. I find it really sad that people prefer staying in their so-called comfort zone than making a move to a better life doing what they were born to do. Fear is our biggest enemy and most fears are simply exaggerated thoughts blown out of proportions. All that because this is the way we were brought up, being told what to do, what to like, what not to like, how to look, how to behave, what’s right and what’s wrong, and worst of all by people that never even followed their purpose and wished they had lived differently.

This is now a big part of my life and I have to admit I have not mastered the subject yet. I know that by posting all these positive/inspirational quotes, I am helping some of my followers make a change for a better life. I often receive very touching message by followers and you have no idea how these make me feel. I have had tears roll down my face reading some of their emotional statements. Knowing that I can make a positive impact on someone else’s life means the world to me. At the end it is all about, How much better have you made your life and the lives of the people around you.

Besides making sure I have all the appropriate gear and clothing according to the location I will be visiting. Not that much. I like to fond out the key spots but prefer to have no itinerary. I like to “go with the flow “ and get inspired by the location rather than images from other photographers.

1- If that’s what you really want to do, do not pay attention to haters or dream bashers and do what you have to do to make it happen. Believe in yourself, everyday take a step in that direction however small it may seem while always keeping your goal in mind. Act as if you are already the photographer you want to become J

2- Get your hands on all the knowledge you can get (books, internet, workshops, seminars etc) and practice, practice, practice, both on the field and with post processing.

3- Do it for you, not to get praises but for the feeling it procures. Do not try to copy but be inspired. Enjoy every moment even the rainy days..beauty lies everywhere.

Never took any courses beside some small ones at the beginning teaching me what shutter speed and aperture really was. I then took it upon myself to read everything I could get my hands on and practice as much as I could.

I can’t really say that I had any particular influence when starting photography. There are hundreds of photographers inspiring me everyday. Today, with the Internet, there is so much talent that everyday I can easily get an amazing dose of inspiration.

I do plan a lot when it comes to the gear I will need for a trip. As for locations to shoot, I will do a quick search on Google map and other websites, looking at images taken in that specific location to see if anything is definitely worth shooting but I love to go somewhere with no itinerary or mental image of a location in mind. I often see many (and I was also guilty of that on some occasion) visiting locations simply to recreate what another photographer did. I have learned that by not spending too much time looking at other people’s work, you are less influenced by it and your chance of producing original work is far greater. Often a plan itinerary make you go from point A to B to C but meanwhile you forget to look and appreciate what’s in between. We often try to cover too much territory in a short time rendering our experience a very stressful one.

Everything fascinates me in nature, from the vegetation, to the climate, from the oceans to the highest mountains, from a simple waterfall to the green colored moss etc. But I must say that what most fascinates me is always the feeling I get when contemplating Nature in all its glory. This is something that I find hard to explain to those that don’t travel much but the closest I can get would be that Nature has its way to make you grow spiritually in ways I could never have imagined. On some occasion when witnessing incredible moments when the “Perfect Light” showed up to embrace the landscape in all its glory, It literally brought tears in my eyes. Truly felt like I was part of some sort of Divine Intervention.

You need create images that are emotional and carefully crafted artistically. Aim to create a feeling of inner peace, and, an awareness of the true beauty that lies everywhere around you. So, in order to really appreciate this great craft, you have to learn to let go, leave all your troubles behind and make this wonderful experience all about you. Do not and I repeat do not enter this world simply to get praises, ribbons, awards etc. You might end up being discouraged and unmotivated by the numerous negative comments people say about your work. You clearly have to learn to take criticism to your advantage and strive to endlessly perfect your craft. In all walks of life all the greatest masters and successful people have endured a battery of negative unconstructive comments and opinions but still made it on top because of only one thing…they believed in themselves. We are often worth a lot more than we think. So never despair, believe in yourself and let nature take its course.

Every time you are outdoors enjoying this great passion, stop for a minute and think that all this beauty you are witnessing is presently there just for you, nobody else in the world sees exactly what you see, feels exactly what you feel and will capture exactly what you will capture. This will make each moment you capture a very special one that you, and others cherish forever. Let your emotions guide you thru this incredible journey.

Nature & Landscape Photography is for everyone, you do not have to climb the highest mountains nor traveled to far away exotic places. I am 100% confident that every single person has a multitude of beautiful locations at their proximity and can enjoy this incredible passion to the fullest. The beauty of nature is everywhere. I have taken many images in ordinary locations but the trick here is to open your heart and soul and be able to see the beauty in all places. I recall a time when a photographer from Singapore commented on one of my pictures to tell me how fortunate I was to live in an area so beautiful and they only wished to live in such a place to shoot landscape photography. The picture in question was taken in Ile Perrot,Quebec a very ordinary location and when I say ordinary, I mean it; even people that are very familiar with that place do not believe that it was taken there. This just goes to show that by using your imagination you can easily create a work of art from a location most people would classify as nothing special. I remember thinking…I sure would rather be in Singapore shooting instead of Ile Perrot but quickly realized that like most people, (sometimes me included) that person was trying to justify the facts that he wasn’t shooting as much as he would love to with an excuse thus making him feel better. If this is what you really want to do, and that you truly feel the passion inside of you do not ever use excuses why you are not able to pursue your dream. Make it a point to get out there at least once a week. I am fully aware that with work, family and other commitments it is not always easy to find the time, but you have to do what will make you feel alive. We are all born to create in various forms and I strongly believe that a man that cannot perform his passion will quickly feel like a man without a soul. Dr. Wayne W. Dyer says it so well when he states, “ Do not die with your music still in you” (my favorite quote) meaning do not die without accomplishing your passion or what you were born to do. In our case we have to use the statement. “Do not die with your photography still inside of you” Bring’em all out for the world to see and leave your footprints for generations to enjoy.

I love fitness and stay in shape as much as I can, this really helps me stay in shape for all my trips both physically and mentally. Being out of shape could make what would be a beautiful experience an awful one. Same goes with my state of mind. Everything as to be kept in perfect harmony in order to experience every location to the fullest.