The photographer & the artiste behind the portraits
by Victor Breedon
(August 2006)
Hera's career in photography is founded on a successful twelve years in fashion. She then moved to photography entering her first darkroom nine years ago.
Her work was soon winning awards, her images have been published in books, magazines and exhibited on an international level. Her work has been used extensively in advertisement campaigns and product catalogues.
Hera is an accomplished photographer in many genres. Her scenes of nature and natural things are impressive. But her speciality is in the capture of personality in visual imagery.
Petite, vivacious, friendly, demanding of herself, and passionate about her work, Hera nevertheless makes one immediately comfortable; there is no nervousness or apprehension posing for Hera.
Her signature style photographic images are made at sessions in her studio in Montreal.
Hera has an X ray eye, using it to search below the skin to discover the hidden person.
Clients to her studio are often amazed at her perception, how she understands what they themselves wish to reveal and how they wish to be presented.
Then with practiced skill and sympathy Hera reaches beneath the coyness to entice the concealed persona to reveal itself.
Her background in fashion and her expertise at makeup enables Hera to prepare the subject perfectly, hiding flaws and accentuating the best features.
Then she wields her camera like a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting deep to expose and exploit the creature beneath.
Hera’s subjects are often shocked when they first see her pictures of themselves, not because they do not recognize themselves or like the images, but because Hera has captured them, not just how they look, but how they feel, and who they are.
For her clients a session in Hera’s well equipped and comfortable studio is a journey in self discovery, with a wonderful and individual gift for themselves, a personal record they can keep for ever.
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THIS WEEK'S IMAGE (last updated November 16th. 2009)
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Listing of Hera's published work, and her media appearances
PRESS REVIEWS AND PUBLICATIONS
Montreal Gazette October 24th. 2007 Article on fund-raiser calendar project for Lakeshore General Hospital where Hera is the photgrapher & art director.
Chronicle News October 17th. 2007 Article on fund-raiser calendar project for Lakeshore General Hospital where Hera is the photgrapher & art director.
Art Express, a Mountain Lake PBS broadcast on the photographer March 2006
Sheridan College Media Studies documentary on the photographer 2005
A television interview on Foto (Rogers TV) taped during her Canadian Camera College Conferences in Ottawa which was aired in March 2004
CJAD Radio October 9th. 2002 an interview with the photographer during the radio program called "Passion".
CanalVie french TV program called "Femmes" featuring an actual photo session with the photographer at her studio in November 2001
Montreal Gazette September 22nd. 2001 Cover page article at Saturday's Arts & Books Section written by Victor Swoboda
Montreal Gazette September 19th. 2001 the article on te photographer's Photography by Mike Boone at Section A Page 2
Montreal Gazette Fabruary 1st. 2001 Home Section's Cover page feature written by Mike King.
City Mag (Vox), February 2000. Report on the photographer's sensual photography and the photographer at work for a television segment.
Eros (Life Channel), St. Valentine's Day special, February 2000. Report by Josey Vogel.
Fetish Photo Anthology, Volume III, published in Belgium by Glitter Publishing, March 2000.
Hour Magazine, January 2000, "Exposing Myself", by Josey Vogel.
Eros (Life Channel), October 1998. Report and the photo session with Claudine Ledoux (opera singer from L'Opera De Montreal) on TV.
Dos Nudos Contemporanos, Volume II, published in Spain by Artual SI,. June 1999.
Book cover of Tochter der Nacht, published in Germany by Charon Verlag Grimme KG, 1998.
Magazine articles written about her
CAPA photo magazine (Canada)
Secret (Belgium)
Skin Two (United Kingdom)
Fotografia Reflex (Italy)
La Fotografia Actual (Spain)
Prometheus (United States)
SlagZeilen (Germany)
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Nominated in two categories "Fine Art" & "Nude"
from over 15000 photo entries and compeating photographers from 69 countries.
The image above is now gracing Montreal's McCrord Museum's wall's as a very large limited edition print.
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The limited edition image below made it to the nominations in the Fashion category competing against photographers from 62 countries.
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From an exhibit celebrating International Women's Day 2009, 3 of my images printed on 6' tall silks, from the series "Human Graffiti"... Exhibit went on for one week at St. Gregoire Illuminateur Cathedral in Outremont. Opening night 400 people attended.
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