In our competitive cities, you need to be bold to set yourself apart.
So we found six of the boldest men in Canada to gain a little more insight into their lives, jobs, and what gives them a competitive edge.
We caught up with Richard Bernardin, a Canadian-American fashion and portrait photographer based in between New York, Paris, and Montreal.
Richard is a regular contributor to Elle Quebec & Elle Canada and has also shot editorials for magazines including Fashion Magazine, Vogue Brazil, Grazia, Elle France, Elle Russia, and Maxim to name a few.
Did we mention he has shot portraits of Freida Pinto, Xavier Dolan, Karine Vanasse, Elisabeth Harnois, Dita Von Teese, Icona Pop, Adam Cohen, Nelly Furtado, and the Chromatics?
And that’s just a small fraction of his resume.
Between traveling around the world and enjoying his home in the country with his family, Richard was excited to take some time off to sit with us, grab a glass of Graffigna, and fill us in on his career, his influences, and his love of wine, of course.
1. Tell us what you do in less than 140 characters. Go.
I’m a fashion photographer and director. I’m a father and lover of jazz, red wine, and finely tailored suits. I create intricate visualities.
2. What is the most significant milestone that helped you end up where you are today?
There is absolutely no way for me to pinpoint a singular moment that distinctly made me who I am today. I am the sum product of all my experiences, beliefs, and desires… and that includes the good and the not so good. But I love that because they are the building blocks of my individuality and make what I do unique to me.
3. Graffigna celebrates men who live bold. What does living boldly mean to you?
I could write a book about just this question, but to be frank, I feel that too often men sleepwalk their way through life; irresolute and uncertain of everything they say or do. At best, it culminates in indecision and mediocrity. Living boldly means that you are ready to take on the challenge and make a decision, even in the face of overwhelming adversity. Our culture was and is peopled with bold men: Napoleon, Muhammad Ali, Steve Jobs, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela… all men of great intellect and of bold action. But it takes guts to act boldly, and usually, the situation calling for bold action is rarely ever an easy one. So for me, it’s simple, living boldly is DARE: Decide, Act, and be Resolute!
4. Drinking red wine says a lot about a person. What does it say about you?
Apart from the fact that I love red wine, it says that I love the finer things in life, which does not mean expensive. I rarely buy wines that are more than $35 as I am not a sommelier and feel that not only could the nuances of a very expensive wine be lost on me, but I’ve tasted so many amazing wines that are inexpensive. My favourites? I love aromatic and robust wines, but I drink red wine for pleasure. I drink it as a small gift to myself after a good or bad day at work. I drink red wine because I love it.
5. Who would you most like to share a glass of Graffigna with?
The list is long but my top three men, who are still alive, that I would most like to share a glass of Graffigna with would be:
1) Barack Obama for reasons all too obvious.
2) Daniel Craig because he’s James Bond.
3) Ahmad Jamal because he is one of the great jazz legends who is still alive.
6. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome in your career and how did you manage to do so?
The biggest challenge I have faced in my career is one that I deal with everyday. I am at heart a storyteller or what a dear friend once called me, an imagineer! I like to tell stories and to enthrall my viewer in a narrative that can sometimes be very subtle or very explicit or even satirical. But despite no words being spoken, a story is told. My challenge today is that the industry, and society as a whole, has become addicted to this semblance of urgency and laconic brevity that stems from our digital addiction. I take pleasure in slowly savoring my wine and the same goes for the meals I eat, the conversations I have, the books I read, and the films I see. I take the time to savour life. So it’s a challenge when I try to infuse my commissions with a proverbial “soul” when the industry is only preoccupied with fast-fashion, faster turnarounds, and figuring out how to simultaneously post on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Don’t get me wrong, I love technology and Instagram but I cannot and will not let it strangle the creative process. To the contrary, I believe that the whole point of technology is to alleviate humanity from mundane and redundant chores so that we may more fully explore our uniqueness through spiritual and creative processes.
7. The world of photography is always evolving. How do you set yourself apart from your peers in this space?
It’s true that there are immeasurably more photographers in the industry than ever and I feel that the only way to truly set oneself apart is to pour one’s “soul” into each and every picture because it’s not the camera or the technique that makes the photograph…it’s the photographer. Anyone can easily imitate a “look” with the proper set-up but no one can really replicate the essence of what makes a photographer’s style and artfulness singular because it’s not a quantifiable factor… It’s a culmination of your ideas, life experiences, thoughts, and beliefs that somehow materialize as a distinctive and determining influence in your work. And this is the same, whether you’re a photographer, painter, architect, make-up artist, or clothing designer. When you transcend the fundamental and underlying precepts of a giving field, you set yourself apart by creating something that not only evokes emotion but that becomes irrevocably your signature.
8. What drives you on a daily basis?
My family and an inner force that, sometimes despite myself, propels forward even when things and/or circumstances are not in my favour. I am truly thankful and blessed for both these driving forces.
9. Who’s someone you look up to, someone who’s living the kind of life you aspire to lead?
I truly wouldn’t know…not only are the most important aspects of my life (my family, their welfare, my health) taken care of, but I don’t really have the time to ponder the lifestyle of those who may or may not be more fortunate than I… I am a fundamentally happy man doing what I love to do in life.
10. What advice do you have for anyone else who’s trying to live their life as boldly as possible?
Pay attention and re-read the previous nine answers.
11. What’s next for you? Where do you see yourself a year from now, 5 years, 10 years?
I have medium and long term projects such as making a couple of short and full-length films, shooting the cover of French Vogue, designing and building my “forever” home, traveling with my family to some pretty awesome places, or buying a custom cafe-racer…But in the short term, this year I’ll settle for doubling last year’s income, finishing my next exhibit, getting a couple of magazines and clients crossed off my bucket list and finding a way to give back by means of a humanitarian cause or effort. So I have to DARE, ‘cause I have a lot of stuff on my plate and talk is cheap!
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