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W7 \. . l8 . WAl‘ltkLUtl CHRONICU - Wednesday. human :0. 20m «â€"â€"~ ~k-â€"â€"â€"--~-m-w~â€"M MM” . Say fromage. . t O : Photographer turns the school picture from stale to state of the art 1 Birmiwium Whether she's photographing . .. Special 10 the Chronicle women during pregnancy. or chil- â€" W N . dren for a school portrait. Pelchat l Like many parents ofschool-age . . " is dedicated to capturing the l children. Waterloo artist Marie- 7“ ‘ 9' essence of her subjects. and is will- , Claude Pelchat has seen her share * ~ 1! ing to go the extra mile to get it of had school photOs with boring \. . i right. “When taking school photos. l backgrounds and forced smiles. -. . ., ' ‘ i take anywhere from five to 40 pic- ' That's why, as an established 1‘ ' p 1 . \‘ tures per child,” she explained. l photographer, she reinvented the (I g. 4 “- v “mm the little ones, i talk to them l school portrait. “Simply telling ’ ...«‘ Q ‘3 '1 .‘ ‘ about ice cream or anything that : them to 'say cheese is not going to _ . , . ’ y ,. helps them forget that they are capture the soul and spirit of the a! a P ,' posing. Around the age of seven or child." said Pelchat. who moved A a, eight. some kids become self-con- her family to Waterloo from Sher» 3‘1"" scious about the fact that they are hrooke. Que. three years ago. "i did ‘ posing, so it‘s up to me to work supply teaching. and it was harder to help them feel better through that work that l discov~ / ‘ or . h about themselves: ered my strengths lie in connecting . ' Pelc‘hat also takes the time to with kids.” i_ ’ . ‘ ' help parents make good clothing I’elchat recognizes that, much 7 - choices for their kids being pho- . like teaching, taking high-quality '1 i ‘ ‘ tographed by sending out a note school portraits demands a mix of ‘ ..‘ ‘i‘ beforehand. enthusiasm. dedication, knowl- \ .. What many parents may not edge. authority and a destre to .. ‘ i ., J realize is that Pelchat sometimes make a difference in children's W ‘l‘ . i ' spends a great deal of time touch- lives. "A school portrait is some- ‘ ' < ing up the photos. "i will repair thing to treasure." said Pelchat. a“ " things like slightly whitening the whose style of taking school pho- ‘ I! ,, eyes. or fixing a stain on a shirt," tos is relaxed, using both natural ,, " I she explained. light and a large floodlight. "When ‘ ‘ But more than anything. ‘- I was young, l was really shy, so i Pelchat says the art of photograph» can understand a child can be that ing children is capturing those way too when having their picture ‘ ‘ moments that reflect their unique taken. So i work to bring those ‘ ‘ .‘J personalities. unique expressions and energy out ‘ “Our bodies say so much, so of them by making it fun. and 1 tell . .. " that is why the positions of the them that if we work together we ' _ children in the photos are all dif- can make something that is cool." \ ~ 6 a: fi ferent I want to really show some Clearly. Pelchat approaches , ‘ ' thing about their personality in school photography from an artis ‘ a . c . ‘.‘_ z 1‘ ‘ ._ each and every one. (Zhildren are tic perspective as her innovative ' ’ O. ‘ this big ball of expression and raw idea to Include a few of the child's , emotion. and as a photographer. classmates. slightly blurred ill the ,. r ' r 3 yoti just have to go and get it." background of the portrait, is a ' ff’ / creative one "its kind of t‘otiteniâ€" 'q\ i. m '3 ' sx“ my .. a - porary," she said. “My idea of ptilr . ' w 3...", Er ::§s«~‘1:}a‘?§;,;_rh: ting kids in the background was to Marieâ€"Claude Pelchat thinks about more than Just the smile when photographing Waterloo students 3‘? . "'5 1 'n.’ avoid the lake background you W“ “MN “WWW” £5?“ " " ‘11:; usually see in school pictures. like in Waterloo that first provided herself as an artist in Waterloo. woman who has had children here 333:3 I fake library books as a backdrop Pelchat with the opportunity to leavtng 800 clients behind in her sell. 1 could relate and understand ' *“"‘“ " “Parents (”9 EN?" 'd (him? “I hone her craft in school photogra- native Quebec. "In Quebec. 70 pet that in pregnant i you can some :"f" ’ ‘_ - ’ 0|th lith‘ the” Child phi» pm “ lhe principal. Mic hel Poinot. cent of my clientele were pregnant times feel like an elephant But all :_ "" :1 tographed wtth classmates in the took a chance on me and trying worm-n. bet arise i also do materni pregnant women are llt‘iillllflll 7 31"“ i 1 background. or not." sonic-thing clitTcrcnt.” said Pc’lchat, tv photos. And like ( hildren. the they are 'habltéc‘. whit it means :';h, V I‘ WM ”‘9 KW Bilingual 3t hool who had to carve out .i new life for connection there is Important its a someone lives inside of them " 1111 1- ' _ 1' ,' J. L . ‘2 l i . Canadian Mtide' ' . ’ H ' " ' a: -' 1' ‘ Berber _ ,.,. : ~ . 5}”°!’e“"_ 93mm“? Ceramic ... Travertine . . I . 3/4 Hardwood A: fip / .. ‘(W' , i - «‘ -. . . l c t! I .w“. . ‘ a f {a}, '9 v?” M". iT'I I"..‘ T'Ie arpe . .» a W re . ' I” “‘- .u 3. , Lift}??? ‘;‘j" " N t; It m . 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