Photographer Profile: Frédéric Sune

Where are you based?

I currently live in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This is the perfect place to conduct business because it is a metropolitan city and I have a lot of potential clients, especially in small businesses.

What's your preferred subject matter?

It's hard to say because I love to photograph different subjects (nature, kids, sports, etc...) but, if I had to choose one, it would be photo-journalism. It's the kind of subject where you can express yourself and send a visual message with your pictures.

What first got you into photography?

Actually, I don't exactly remember. I started as soon as I was able to purchase my first camera and develop films. I think I was eighteen at that time and bought my camera with my first paycheck. Since then, I never stopped taking photos, I have been doing it professionally for over 2 years now as a Freelance Photographer and Photo-journalist.

Are you a digital or film photographer?

I am a digital photographer but, must admit, I miss film because it was easier. You took your pictures, brought the film to the lab and waited for 2 or 3 days and got the result. Now, with digital, you have to take the pictures, import them, make some digital corrections, prepare the files for printing, send or bring the files to the lab and get back your images. But on the other side, digital images are great as you can show your work to everyone and sell it easily.

Where do you go to shoot and how do you prepare?

Since I manage Toronto Stock Photo, it's easy to know where to shoot. As an artist I can get inspired in almost any location. My love for photography makes it easy for me to shoot anywhere however, in most case I prepare most of my trips by printing out a map with flag location for all the pictures I want to take. Also, I use local guides to see what has already been taken and I try to bring some new points of view. And finally, I check with the city if I need any permit to take pictures, especially in parks.

What equipment do you use?

I am a Canon guy since Minolta was sold. I use a Canon 30D with 28-70mm F2.8 L lens on it most of the time. I have a wide angle 12-24mm lens, a 50mm lens for portraits and a 100mm macro lens for product shoots. I have also a 580EX flash and a portable light studio with a lightbox to do products on site. I use a PC under Windows XP and I just have a Toshiba laptop with external backup (HD bay in RAID1 mode).

How does Pixaria fit into your workflow and what other tools do you use?

Pixaria is the perfect tool to sell my pictures online. It's easy to upload and add my images to the gallery. Also, for my clients, I can create a lightbox with the pictures they are looking for, send them an email with the link to the lightbox and they can see and choose the pictures they want in just a few clicks. Remember the time you had to send your contact sheet? To manage and retouch my pictures, I only use Lightroom. It's the best software I have ever used, it's perfect for photographers. For web design, I use Dreamweaver and sometimes Photoshop or Illustrator.

What features do you like most about Pixaria?

Like I said before, the lightbox function is amazing and a great seller tool. But, there is also the search engine which is pretty good. The back-end management is incredible as well. It makes it easy to manage your library online. I also like the way you can manage your prices.

What has been your greatest achievement (in photography) to date?

When I look back at the last 2 years, I can't believe what I have already done in my career as photographer. I am so happy to be where I am now, but the greatest achievement was when I saw my picture and my name on the front page of a newspaper. At this moment I realized that I am a professional photographer.

What are your plans for the future?

I plan to develop my website to find more clients (marketing) but also, I plan to travel around Canada to take more pictures of this beautiful country. I also have tons of ideas for books, photo reporting, calendars and more, but this takes time to put in place, but with determination and my love for this art form, it will happen.

Has your work ever been published?

Yes, many times, but mainly in French publications because I am originally from France.

How is the internet changing your business?

Internet has brought me more clients, because it's so easy now to promote your work. The internet has become my window to the world but you have to be careful what you are doing because you can lose clients if you send them pictures every day. The Internet era has a totally new approach for photographers, it can rewarding but it is also time consuming: emails, forums, information sites, etc...