The Couvrette Studio in Ottawa's Centretown is one of the only full-time photographic studios in the city's downtown area. Founder and president Paul Couvrette, 56, in the business for more than 30 years, owns the building where his full-time, 4,000-square-foot studio is located. The award-winning photographer employs three photographers and a receptionist, works with an agent in New York and is in demand across North America. He takes a wide variety of photographs, from portraits of the rich and famous, weddings and animals to architectural, industrial and commercial images in diverse settings from the Arctic to the desert. Once the national spokesman for analog and digital imaging company Agfa, he's also known to some as 'the father of digital photography' in Canada. Mr. Couvrette and his partner, Suzanne Begin, a former photographic model, have two daughters, Alanna, 13, and Lauren, 10. His favourite hobby is also photography. "The girls appear in a number of photographs," he explained. A member of the Professional Photographers of Canada, he has been named a 'master photographer' by the PPC. He began his career as a photographer soon after graduating from Carleton University in 1974 with a master's degree in journalism, following a short stint as an art critic. He based his choice of career on the fact that "a portrait took five minutes. Writing an article took several hours. "It just made more sense to take photos," he said. What are your main day-to-day responsibilities?
Everything from wiping baby drool to adjusting the Prime Minister's tie. Who are the company's major clients?
Time Magazine, Nortel, Mizuno, NewCap, Fidelity, Zarlink, Mitel, CBC, Magna, the House of Commons and pretty well every head of every major organization in Ottawa. Have you won any major awards?
Over 100 to date, from Photographer of the Year for Canada, Ontario Photographer of the Year three times, and a number of advertising and sales awards. What is your most recent major achievement?
From a personal perspective, being a good father. From a business standpoint, my last shoot. What are your major career accomplishments?
I have produced portraits of many famous people - every Canadian prime minister since Pierre Trudeau, the Canadian space team and Time Magazine's Canadian and International Man of the Year. I have completed numerous fashion photography assignments for Vogue and other magazines. My photographs have been featured on more than 200 magazine covers of such major magazines as in Maclean's, BusinessWeek, Newsweek, Forbes and Reader's Digest Canada. A key point in my career was when Yousuf Karsh started sending me clients. I was also the photographer selected to photograph Malak Karsh and present my photograph to him at an event honouring his life's work. What was your biggest success?
Surviving in a business that has seen hundreds fail since I started in 1976, while successfully raising a family and renovating my home and my commercial building ... plus keeping my golf score under 100. Do you have a mentor?
Two: Yousuf and Malak Karsh. What is you favourite saying?
Albert Einstein: "Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds." What is your favourite book?
The Red Lion: The Elixir of Eternal Life by Maria Szepes. What do you like and dislike about Ottawa?
Its safety for raising my children and the honesty of the people. What do you dislike about Ottawa?
The sense of fear and caution. What is the state of your industry?
Disastrous. When I first started in this business, there were 17 photography studios in downtown Ottawa. Now ... a full-time studio has become a rarity. When I bought the building (that houses the studio) 15 years ago, it was a big gamble, similar to the gamble I took when I started with no capital and a $1,000 limit on my credit card. Both paid off. What is your advice to photographers entering the workforce?
Avoid community colleges and serve as apprentices. Learn your odds of success before you start, so you don`t waste time and muddy the marketplace before you fail. The chances of operating a successful business in this industry are about three per cent.
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