ART OF FUNERAL CEREMONY - "FINDING THE SOUL OF THE DEAD BUT LIVE WITH LIVE!"

by Bernard Bujold - 
I'm not a fan of funerals and I very rarely attends the funeral ceremonies, with some exceptions. For the past 20 years, I participated on site in no more than three or four ceremonies, contenting myself for the rest to watch the ceremony on television. 
Because Rene Angelil indirectly was part of one of my former lives, I wanted to attend the presentation on site as I had done in 2013 for Paul Desmarais Sr. or in 2009 for Gilles Carle. 
To be effective, a funeral ceremony should reflect the personality of the deceased. We should be able to feel his soul over in the Church. 
I remember Gilles Carle where Chloe Sainte Marie sang but also when the sculptor Armand Vaillancourt took the microphone to criticize the society. Real anger in the temple... 
 The most sumptuous ceremony was undoubtedly the one of Paul Desmarais. The Orchestre Métropolitain in full force and hundreds of dignitaries. The René Angélil ceremony was of great class and if sobriety was present, one could feel the love that Celine had for her husband. There are no large or small ceremony as long as one can reach the soul of the deceased. 
 But, as my namesake Bernard Arnault said to his wife the pianist Hélène Mercier crying the tragic death of her sister: "We must take care of the living or we will live as dead before our time ..." 
Long live life!
Photos 1 and 7: Notre Dame Montreal;
Photos 2 and 3: Celine Dion;
Photo 4: Paul Desmarais Sr;
Photos 5 and 6: Ceremony Gilles Carle;
Photo 8: Flowers;
SEE PHOTOS Art funeral ceremonies;

JOURNAL LE DEVOIR - A NEW EDITOR - BRIAN MYLES

By Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1)- 
A new editor was appointed to the Journal Le Devoir. 
The choice of Brian Myles is surprising appointment but an interesting one. 
On one hand, one can wonder about the reasons that have not lead to the choice of Josée Boileau (Vice-President in charge of editing), the number two after the current outgoing director Bernard Descôteaux. His avoidance reminiscent of Michel Roy to whom the board had chosen Jean Louis Roy in 1980. Michel left in 1982. The new director Myles refused on Monday to say if Josée would be part of his team... and Josée announced her resignation the day after the announcement of the new director. 
Among the candidates whose names were publicly circulated as favorites were Michel Vennes and Michel Nadeau but the board did not want to move forward, hence the continued research and the final choice of Brian Myles. Personally I have long thought that Jean-François Lisée would be the winning choice. 
The challenge is huge but the newspaper received, on last December 31, a priceless gift and that should help. The end of the paper editions of LA PRESSE on weekdays. 
Good luck to Brian Myles and happy reading to all subscribers, present and future! 
To be continued...
Photos 1, 3: Brian Myles;
Photo 2: Bernard Descôteaux and Brian Myles;
Photo 4: Josée Boileau;
Photo 5: Josée Boileau, Michel Roy, Michel Vennes, Michel Nadeau and Jean-François Lisée;
Photo 6: Bernard Bujold and Duty;
SEE PHOTO ALBUM AND REPORTS;

RENÉ ANGÉLIL (1942-2016)

By Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1) - 
Two days before his 74th birthday (January 16) the creator and manager of the Quebec singer Céline Dion, René Angélil, died January 14, 2016 in Los Angeles. 
A page of history that turns and ends... 
Personally, if I photographed a dozen times René Angélil and Céline Dion, we do not really know each other. The reason is that my former boss at Quebecor, Pierre Péladeau (father) did not like him even if both men started in the same profession as Péladeau began his career as artist manager and opera concerts organizer. A gig with an Italian singer went wrong financially and Pierre Péladeau had decided to embark on the printing business but with the hope of one day returning to his true love. This never occurred because Péladeau became a media mogul. But he always loved artists. 
I think he was jealous of the success of René Angélil although the reason is perhaps the friendship between Rene and Guy Cloutier. Indeed, Péladeau said that Cloutier owed him money following advances on the production of a music album by Quebecor that would not have covered his expenses... Cloutier disputed this argument and he never wanted repay. 
Anyway, I have always greatly admired Rene Angélil and I have always considered him as the greatest of all artist managers. 
I am very saddened by his death and my pain goes beyond its mere death. For me it is a page of the story of my life that also ends. René Angélil was part of my generation and his departure means in a way the end of this generation. 
Of course,  some would say: "Such is life..."
Photos 1 and 6: René Angélil;
Photo 2, 3, 4 and 5: René Angélil and Celine Dion;
SEE PHOTO ALBUM:

POWERBALL AND DREAMS...

By Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1)-
One of the great beauty of the lotteries is the creation of dream! One can even ask himself which situation is most pleasant: dreaming about winning the lottery or to manage his life and his dreams after winning? 
Personally, I admit, I sometimes succumb and dream. 
My dream of Powerball in January 2016 was a nice watch. I even visited a retailer of luxury watches and the saleswoman was most friendly to me. She suggested several models, according to my preferences and with a beautiful smile... 
But a dream is not reality and having found that I had not won the lottery, I found myself with the simple reality of a cafe, alone on a restaurant counter. 
No, the saleswoman did not want to accompany me! 
Photo 1: Bernard Bujold at the coffee shop;
Photo 2: Powerball ticket;
Photos 3 and 4: Luxury Watches;
Photo 5: Saleswoman;
Photo 6: Nespresso Capsule;
SEE PHOTO ALBUM;

SNOWSHOES STORY...

By Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1)- 
The winter season 2016 is the opportunity to make expeditions (walks around the cottage...) in snowshoes. Long live winter sports! 
Pictures 1, 4, 5, 6,and 7: Cottage (Mont Tremblant QC);
Pictures 2 and 3: Bernard Bujold with snowshoes;
SEE PHOTO ALBUM;

THE WINTER 2016

Winter 2016 arrived among us with its snow and its pleasures in forest and mountain. 
Good season to all! 
Picture 1: Bernard Bujold and Mademoiselle X LeStudio1;
Pictures 2, 3, 4 and 5: Mont Tremblant (QC);
SEE PHOTO ALBUM ;

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016

Best Wishes for 2016!
LeStudio1

THE DEATH OF LA PRESSE

by Bernard Bujold - 
The December 31, 2015 is a day of mourning for the city of Montreal... 
Indeed, it is the publication of the last edition of the daily newspaper La Presse on paper. Montreal will never be the same without the daily presence of the newspaper La Presse which was somewhat an institution like The New York Times is for the city of New York. 
I had several friends who were leaders at this newspaper in print including Claude Masson and Michel Roy. I also knew his buyer owner, Paul Desmarais. I had the pleasure and privilege to photograph him several times. The last time was during his funeral at the Notre Dame Basilica ... Some say that Paul Desmarais would have never ended LA PRESSE in paper? We will never know the answer except that the newspaper has only ceased publication in print after his death... 
Picture 1: Bernard Bujold and La Presse December 31, 2015;
Pictures 2, 3 and 4: La Presse building;
Picture 5: Paul Desmarais Sr.;
SEE PHOTO ALBUM ;

THE BEST BOOKS OF 2015

By Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1) -
My great passion is reading! I probably read a hundred books in 2015, but sometimes not all are excellent... I also read sometimes works published several years ago.
From this year reading, I retain three books that I would call my "FAVORITES 2015".
1. The best book, in my opinion, the work of William Boyd "SWEET CARESS or in French"LES VIES MULTIPLES D'AMORY CLAY.” A fictional story about a great photographer who lived from 1908 to 1983. A magnificent book which will appeal to all from photographers to simple romantic people who love stories about life and in this case of a career woman, independent and free.
2. My second best book is the work of Catherine Lafrance "JUSQU'À LA CHUTE". A story about life, resilience and fate in which book the three main fiction characters join the real news of 2015. A cyclist who witnesses of fatal bicycle accident; a homeless person of Indian origin;. and a mother whose son died tragically on the day of his 20 years. According to me, Catherine Lafrance is an author of great talent and his only fault is not be a star. But his talent is equal to the greatest writers in Quebec.
3. My third favorite is a book published in 1987 but which is still completely in today interest: THE ART OF THE DEAL by Donald Trump. We must not believe that Trump invented himself for the actual race for the American presidency. All his life strategy is described in the book he had published in 1987. We could change the title of the book and call it: THE ART OF WINNING. Those are my three best literary choice for 2015.
Happy New Year 2016 ... and read on!
Photo 1: William Boyd AMORY CLAY;
Photo 2: Catherine Lafrance JUSQU'À LA CHUTE;
Photo 3: Donald Trump THE ART OF THE DEAL;
SEE THE SELECTION LE STUDIO1 2015;

DONALD TRUMP - HERO OR PARIAH

By Bernard Bujold (LeStudio1)- 
Our society and its structures are fragile everywhere in the world and our hero of the day become too frequently the pariahs of tomorrow... 
The political debate of the hour is, for many, the many provocative statements made by Donald Trump. 
If Donald is elected next President of the United States, he will likely become a hero, but for now, he is considered a pariah that many love to hate. We love Donald or hate him. There is no gray area with the character. 
Personally I like him! 
I've never met in person but I've read all his books. Marketing that he applies to its current political campaign were already in the book: THE ART OF THE DEAL (1987). In his latest title: CRIPPLED AMERICA (2015) Chapter 13 is of particular interest (see page 127). His ideas are not different in 2015 than they were 30 years ago passed. The character is consistent and it is not an invention of the moment. 
In fact, Donald Trump's speeches have always remember me those of Pierre Péladeau father for whom I had great admiration and I had much pleasure to know and be with. This kind of characters speak as they think. You could say they do not have filters like "politically correct" and also that they are provocative and drooling (bullies), but I prefer to say that they are "real". 
These kind of characters are of course "dominant" and in life there are dominant and the dominated. All those who perform things in society are dominant from Pierre Péladeau to Donald Trump including all other from Steve Jobs to Mark Zuckerberg. I think of Donald Trump as a refreshing new style politicians and the masses seems to be in favor of this kind of character. We recognize in a Donald Trump the opposite of a career politician. 
Does this kind of new politician will make a better world? It remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that we must change the direction of the world! Many of our leaders became too often in recent decades pariahs. I would say that we are due for some outcasts who will become heroes! To be continued...
Pictures 1 and 2: Donald J. Trump;
Picture 3: Pierre Péladeau, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg;
SEE INTERVIEW WITH DONALD J. TRUMP ;