It was the OHL AllStar Skill Competition tonight. Of course, I took picture for the Intelligencer. But I also freelanced for the Sarnia Sun, the Guelph Mercury and the Sudbury Star.

Freelancing for four different papers at the same event? Call me Francis “The Mercenary” Vachon

Long time since my last update, eh? When you receive email from old friend and comment by one of your teacher that you should update your blog, I guess it’s really the time to do so.

Yep, I was pretty busy the last days. Cindy, my girlfriend, is now living with me. I don’t have those long evening doing nothing but surfing the net anymore. Not that it’s a bad thing, au contraire! We are just doing things together, and therefore I have less time to blog about me.

A collateral consequence of her now living with me: I now have a second camera body when I go on assignment. It’s so handy to have a 70-200mm attached to one camera and a 16-35 to another one, so you don’t have to change the lens.

Another thing that prevented me of updating this blog is that I got my laptop back. Two months ago, just two days before it went dead, I bough Civilization IV, the most addictive series of computer game ever created. I just had the time to install it and play less than an hour. Now, I can play as often as I want, and I do it a lot.

So what’s up with me? The last semester is on. We have class up until March 31, and we then have a month of internship. And then? I have the school’s “approved” stamp on my forehead, and on my own I go.

I just can’t believe that less than a year ago, I was still working in front of my computer 7 ½ hours a day updating webpage, having no clue that I could work in the photojournalist world.

Anyway...

I’m still looking for internship. Nothing is set yet, but I have some plans that should work. I’m swinging for the fence, and I should get what I want. More on that later!

This last semester, the courses are more on an individual basis. On Monday, we have “internship,” a meeting that we have with the Frank, the program coordinator, that we have to attend as long as we don’t have an internship secured.

Also on Monday, I have a 15 minutes meeting we Doug for my long term project class. Each week, he can have a look at where I am with it and give me some suggestion.

On Tuesday, we have Staff Class. It’ the closest thing to being a staffer we can get. At 8h00 in the morning, Frank gives us an assignment. Today, it was “Our paper is doing a story about pets and their owner. We need a picture showing a relationship between a pet and his owner.” We then have up to 1pm to bring back a picture. If you are late, you have zero. Last week, we needed to bring back a portrait of small business operator. The first class’ assignment was to bring back a feature picture, preferably weather-related. Since I’m targeting the newspaper world after graduation, I really enjoy this class.

We are off on Wednesday. On Thursday, it’s a three hours class with Bill on the freelance world. Since most of us will freelance for some (a long?) time before securing a staff job, we need to know a lot about this. It’s a pretty fun class too.

We’re off on Friday too.

A lot of free time, you said? Two days off?

Yep.

But we have to shoot a long for the long term project, we have a lot of assignment for Bill, and we need to shoot for ourselves. Like for my freelance job with the Intelligencer.

Just to pick on my fellow French Canadian friends and relative, it is 5 degree outside and we are “on the grass.” Well… It’s snowing right now, but you get the point.

In other words, I’m pretty busy, and I’m really happy.

Back in Belleville! Me and Cindy left Quebec City Saturday at 4h30 pm after spending the previous 5 days cleaning her house, making boxes, etc. She is now going to live permanently with me and she was bringing all the thing she wanted to keep.

We arrived in Belleville after more than 6 hours drive. The car was full. And I really mean. She had my luggage on her laps, which was under a huge garbage bag full of her clothes. Another bag was under her feet, so she was not able to move for the whole trip.

I did not have my computer back. However, it is repaired and his on his way back. Good thing Cindy bring her computer. At least, I can use it to surf the net and unload my picture from my camera while I get it.

It’s good to be back in Belleville! I feel at home here now. I can’t wait to see my friends and hug them real hard.

Class start tomorrow!