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MASK CITY

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Interview with Paul Perrier

Toronto Street Portrait Photographer

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Produced by Mike Simpson

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We are living in a masked city, everywhere you look people are outfitted in face coverings. Masks are the constant in this new normal.

I met Paul Perrier near Dundas West and Bloor on a weekend morning. He was relaxed and engaging, chatting about his project and taking a few portraits of me.

I have admired Paul’s Instagram page for a few months. The portraits are a wonderful mix, eclectic masks and funky backgrounds. It’s a cross-section of people he randomly solicits in the downtown. 

Photos and video were taken in early September 2020. Check out our post of this content and follow @tdot_shots on Instagram. 

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Who are you?

My name is Paul Perrier. I was born and raised in Montreal and I moved to Toronto in 1991 to pursue a career as a commercial photographer. I evolved into making documentary films and I sing and play harmonica in a band called NO $iGNAL. I have two daughters named Dylan and Taegan.

How did you get started with photography?

When I was ten years old back in 1970, I took a photograph with a Polaroid Swinger Instant Land Camera and watched the photograph develop before my eyes. I knew at that instant what I wanted to try and do for the rest of my life.

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Slider Gallery

Photos by Paul Perrier

Swipe or click to view all the images

 

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What do you like to shoot and where?

I like to shoot anything, anywhere at any time. I have been lucky to have travelled around the world with my camera but I would say that portrait photography is my favourite style. I find it to be the most challenging.

What gear do you use?

I have always shot on Canon cameras. I started with the Canon ME and the Canon F1 35 mm film cameras and progressed as I went along. I have a Hasselblad that is my favourite camera but I rarely use it anymore. The Mask Series is shot on a Canon EOS-R camera with a 35-350 mm f 2.8 Canon lens.

Who are your favourite photographers? 

My favourite photographers are all pre-Instagram famous.

1- Albert Watson

2- Irving Penn

3- Robert Frank

4- Annie Leibovitz

5- Vivian Maier

6- Karsh

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“I am setting September 19, 2020 as the final day of shooting Mask portraits. This makes it a six-month project. Also, this series of portraits, which I hope will top 400 by the 19th, has a zero-carbon footprint, as I used only my bicycle to travel around Toronto.“

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Thank you Paul Perrier!

 

Be sure to check out the artist on Instagram – @thetorontoportrait

Follow Tdot Shots on Instagram – @tdot_shots

 

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