Interview with Renaud Philippe

On his own dime, photographer Renaud Philippe bravely travels to conflict and disaster zones throughout the world, such as Libya's border with Tunisia, and Haiti. Once there, he discovers stories of human endurance and of Canadians helping amid the most dire circumstances. On the flip side, attending his first Canada Day celebration in Ottawa last year, he witnessed the pride and diversity that binds and pushes us to be global citizens. His work has appeared in Maclean's, Global Post, Le Figaro, Days Japan and Mare magazine.

		PHOTOGRAPHER Renaud Philippe Completely self-taught, Renaud Philippe says the key to capturing candid shots of people in a crowd is to stay in one place. 'If you just take the shot and go, then there's something intrusive about that and you'll see it in the picture.' To see more shots from Philippe's work around the world, visit his website.
View photo gallery Tips from photographer Leave a comment

Q Was this the first Canada Day you've spent in Ottawa?

AI had never been there before this assignment. Six or seven years ago I was in Tofino on July 1, but the events there absolutely weren't same as those in Ottawa.

In Quebec we have St. Jean Baptiste Day. It's pretty much the same as Canada Day. You're able to drink and smoke in the street' A few years ago there were riots when the police tried to crack down on people. It's good time when you're a teenager.

Q From the perspective of a Canadian who had never been, what were some of your impressions of the day?

AI felt like it was two different events and experiences. There's the stuff that happens during the day and then what happens at night. The day events really focus on the history of Canada, especially in the museums I visited. But right after the fireworks I saw a big crowd of young people come into the streets and the ambience completely changed.

Everywhere there's something happening and you have to make a choice about what to shoot. It's not only the activities, but the ambience and the people. I've never seen people drawing the flag and wearing the flag. It's not something I'm used to, so I was pulled to that. There was one guy dressed head to toe like he was the flag and I think that shot captured the essence of the day.

QWere there any other moments that stand out in your mind?

ADuring the flag-raising ceremony there was one really strong moment. Everyone was proud ' you could see it in their faces. People were really concentrating on what was happening. Their eyes were fully open. It was symbolic and the Queen was there too. She walked near the crowd and some people were able to see her for maybe 10 seconds and it was enough for them. Since I'm from Quebec, it was interesting to see how other Canadians react to the Queen.

QHow did you decide what to shoot?

AIt was funny that they chose me to do the shoot. Everything was completely new for me. It was like being in a different culture in a different country, but at the same time I was in the same country.

Before the day, when I thought about what pictures I should shoot, I thought that I must cover the multicultural part. It was not hard to do. Everyone was mixed together and acting and reacting just as the others. It was just natural.

It was kind of a hard assignment since there were so many things going on. I had a list of all the events. There were some obvious choices. But mostly I wanted to shoot the reactions of the people to what they were seeing. Basically I try to become a part of the event by being there and being forgotten by the people around me. Thinking of angles isn't my main focus. It's getting into the crowd.

QHow do you meld with the crowd?

AIt's easier when you stay in the same place for a long time. If I get into the crowd and people get used to my presence, they'll feel more comfortable. If you just take the shot and go, then there's something intrusive about that and you'll see it in the picture.

QWas shooting Canada Day much different from your other work?

AMy work seems to be different every time. There are never two subjects that are the same. Shooting Canada Day was really reportage at its essence. You try to film the ambience as you feel it and follow your inspiration. Don't think too much. Think when you get back to the hotel.

Of course it wasn't the same or as tense as when I was on the border of Libya and Tunisia for 12 days recently photographing Bangladeshi refugees. Every day I was there was the same, watching people line up trying to get on busses to get out of Libya. After three days of being there for eight hours a day, you wait and wait and after some time something will happen.

QHow do you get an assignment like that?

AI've never been sent to any of the countries I've covered. Not Haiti, India or Tunisia. I'm still a young photojournalist and if I don't do it by myself, under my own steam, I'll never get an assignment to go to these places. Most young photographers just have to go. They have to pay for everything and sell their shots afterward. It's kind of hard.

QDo you support yourself with your photography?

I'm always shooting a lot of things in Quebec. I'm passionate about social issues and I know that after shooting a wedding I can go and do something that I feel concerned about. The main idea isn't to earn more money; it's to make a difference. I've been to Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) three times and never published a single shot. There's what you really want to do and then there's what helps you to do it.

QHow do you connect with people in say, Haiti or in a refugee camp?

Most people want to share their living conditions. They're aware that the world is like a big community. With globalization, the rest of the world can become aware and concerned about what's going on in a single country. But it's the same as with Canada Day, you don't just go there and immediately take pictures of these people. It takes time for people there to feel comfortable with you. If you really want to cover one family or a single issue you have to make contact first and spend time with them.

Most people seem to trust the international community and they know how a picture can be used to get them support. Once in a refuge camp in Kenya, near the Somali border, a man who saw me on my first day there wrote me a letter that he gave to me a few days later. It basically said, 'because you're Canadian, your pictures can get your country to help us.'

It felt like a big responsibility. This man is probably still in the camp and his life is the same as it was. But maybe there's a little progress. The more information we have, the more we have something to act on.

QDo you see many Canadians helping internationally?

In Haiti I saw lots of Canadians working for the police corps and NGOs. It was good to see so many of us on the ground. And during my trips to Kolkata, I've met a lot of Canadians working there as well. Canadians are well involved in the world.

QWhat has going to these places taught you?

Going to these places has taught me about being human. The more I see hard situations and how things work in certain countries, the less I'm able to create a stance on how things should be there. A few years ago I was very convinced about how things could be fixed in the world. I wasn't able to put things in perspective. With all the experiences I've had since, it's very hard to create a point of view and take a hard-line stance. Now I think more about people's backgrounds and what they've gone through to get where they are. It's much easier to learn why they do the things they do by keeping that in mind.

Interview by Graham Lanktree