How do you create a powerful image that conveys quality and emotion? And, most importantly, an image that makes the viewer want to buy what the company is selling? How do you transcend the simple depiction of a product? And how do you convince the client to let you take creative risks? That was our challenge when Mondor approached us about producing the images for their dance, skating and gymnastic clothing catalogues.

It was two years since the last time we did a photo shoot for the Mondor catalogues, and my former production team had disbanded. I believe in working with a team, so I called Jean-Charles Pelchat, one of Montreal’s top hair and makeup artists, in whom I have the greatest confidence, and asked him who he likes to work with. He suggested several talented photographers, and I ended up choosing Jean-Claude Lussier, one of our top commercial photographers. We had already worked together, and he really knows clothes, having photographed innumerable publicity campaigns, catalogues and fashion spreads for all our major magazines. Jean-Claude also works closely with Axel-Yves Pépin, a gifted stylist.

After I presented Jean-Claude and Axel’s concept, Mondor hired me to work with this talented trio. The results are exceptional: photos that capture the soul of the athlete. Real images that project the look of luxury. Superb photos with subtle lighting, shot not in studio but on location in Old Montreal, – just a stone’s throw from our office – to recreate the feel of a dance studio in Russia or Eastern Europe. Then there are the skating images, brilliantly set off by the surreal effect of snow falling indoors. In my six years of working on Mondor catalogues, these are the strongest skating photos yet. But my favourite shot is this photograph of a young dancer who seems to have stepped out of another era…

A few more examples of the artists’ work: