My approach to portraits
By Anya Chibis
One of the most high-profile Canadians I photographed in my editorial career was Madam Sophie Gregoire Trudeau for Chatelaine Magazine in 2016.
(c) Anya Chibis
The shoot was taking place in Montreal in mid-February, and I arrived just before another big snowstorm. The magazine opted to rent a small but cozy co-working space downtown instead of a photo studio. It was large enough to set up a simple paper backdrop and a few lights. The makeup station was in an adjacent room. Madam Trudeau arrived early with only one discreet-looking companion (the bodyguard). She was beautiful, cheerful, full of life and incredibly approachable. Her only request for the shoot was to wear exclusively Canadian designers, to which the magazine style editors happily obliged.
When her natural and minimalist makeup and beach waves were finished an hour and a half later (yes, it takes that long to do great minimalist makeup for any professional photo shoot) and she stepped in front of the camera, it became clear that she would have no problem remaining her exuberant self— thanks to the years of working as a journalist and a TV reporter. Working with her was a joy, with non of the usual fuss associated with shooting a celebrity. I had about an hour and a half to do 3-4 setups. In the end, she asked if I would take a few shots "just for her." Intrigued, I said, "yes." Then, while wearing heels and silky coveralls, with an ease of a gymnast, she got a hold of her heel, lifted her leg and twisted her body in a crazy yoga pose. I was stunned but kept shooting while she held the pose for another minute. Those last pictures turned out to be too "bold" to end up on the pages of Chatelaine, but it was a fantastic and unexpected moment that every photographer hoped would happen during the photo shoot.
(c) Anya Chibis
Curious fact: Sophie's portraits looked so fresh and youthful that when the magazine came out, there was an initial online backlash, with some claiming that she must have been photoshopped to look so good! The magazine editors had to turn to me for the raw, unedited images to rebuke the claims. But only minimal post-production was done on the portraits. I did not tell them that the secret was a professional makeup artist and perfect lighting by an experienced photographer ;-)
(c) Anya Chibis
Shooting a celebrity for a magazine is a lot of work, but I approach all my portrait sessions with equal dedication. I always meet my clients via Zoom to understand their needs and goals and provide advice on wardrobe choices. I only work with the best makeup artists skilled in studio shoots who can create natural makeup that works with my lighting technique. Post-production of each image is meticulous and time-consuming, ensuring the client looks their best without any sign of being "photoshopped."
Sophie Trudeau was also pleased with the results and still uses my images on her social media accounts seven years later. She hasn't changed much, and that's great for her. But I recommend that my clients update their business portraits every three to five years to keep things fresh, so their colleagues and clients immediately recognize them and do not notice that they look different in person than on their social media profiles.
(c) Anya Chibis
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