The Valcartier Imaging Department in action!

The men and women of the Valcartier Imaging Department are having a busy spring! Although the majority of soldiers from 5 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (5 CMBG) are in the west, Base Valcartier is not standing still. BMO courses, 3rd Battalion and Royal 22e Régiment exercises, aerial photos with 430th Tactical Helicopter Squadron and Naval Reserve ceremonies ­ there's no shortage of activities! Focus on a department that is still little­known, but has become essential.

Located in Building 200, the Valcartier Imaging Department consists of six military personnel. Under the command of Sergeant Louis Brunet, two are military personnel, known as imaging technicians: soldier Kelly­Ann Lepage and corporal Marc­André Leclerc. They are accompanied by two OJTs (On­the­job Training), soldiers undergoing training in this specialization, and a photographer from 5 GBMC's Public Affairs cell.

The team has different profiles: Corporal Leclerc first studied photography as a civilian, and then worked as a photojournalist for a local media outlet. After a period with 12 RBC, he was transferred to 5 CMBG HQ as a photographer, then to the Valcartier Imaging Department. Soldier Lepage's story is different: she specialized in photography after graduating, before becoming an OJT in Saint­Jean and then joining the Base Valcartier Imaging section.

The soldiers in the imaging section have a busy schedule. In May, they took part in a series of exercises, training sessions and events.

During the 3rd Battalion's BMO course, three members of the unit were dispatched. Three angles were decided on, depending on the position of the soldiers rappelling down the mountainside. While two photographed the soldiers, the third took photos of those who had already descended, alternating between close­ups and wider shots. All this to cover the full spectrum of the exercise!

No Such Thing As A Typical Day

There's no such thing as a typical day at Base Valcartier Imaging. Depending on the photos to be taken, the trips to be made, the background work to be done or the tests and equipment maintenance to be carried out, it's difficult to know in advance what the day ahead will be like. Some things are known, however, and recur in cycles: major military exercises in the autumn and spring, changes of unit commanders, annual events, etc. In everyday life, the day­to­day routine is always the same.

In everyday life, imaging technicians accompany military personnel on exercises and training, on base, at home and even abroad. In some cases, it's not uncommon for Imaging Technicians to abseil or ride in armoured vehicles with military personnel.

Even if the team isn't out in the units every day, there's still plenty of work to be done, especially in processing the photographs taken. The ratio is 1:1, according to Corporal Leclerc: "For every day of shooting, there's a day of photo processing for selection, preparation, distribution and archiving.

One of the most frequently asked questions is precisely that of the ratio between the number of photos taken and the number of photos kept. Random, according to the two imaging technicians. Even though the corporal admits that for a photo of a Leopard 2 tank firing, he took several hundred photographs, in burst mode, before capturing THE shot he wanted. As for Kelly­Ann, she remembers taking almost 800 photos in 2022 during an exercise ... only to keep ten or so! Excellence at all costs.

The figures are staggering: the two imaging technicians played the game to find out the total number of photos taken over the last 2 years. Since June 2021, Corporal Leclerc has taken almost 85,000 photos! That's an average of 120 photos a day! As for soldier Lepage, who takes fewer photos, but in a different way, the total approaches 30,000! Crazy numbers, which are easy to understand. As the famous French photographer once said, "To photograph is to put the head, the eye and the heart in the same line of sight".

Services Généraux Corporate Svcs VP SG | VP CS

Chef d’état-major de la défense Chief of the Defence Staff

Chef de la direction SBMFC CFMWS Chief Executive Officer

Chef des opérations Chief Operating Officer CO | COO

Finances Finance CSF | CFO

Ressources humaines du PFNP, FC SNPF, CF Human Resources CRH | CHRO

Gestion et technologie de l’information Info MGT / Info TECH CSI | CIO

Svc aux familles des militaires Military Family Services DSFM | DMFS

Financière SISIP SISIP Financial VP SUP SISIP | SR VP SISIP

CANEX CANEX VP SUP CANEX | SR VP CANEX

Programmes de soutien du personnel

Personnal Support Group VP SUP PSP | SR VP PSP

VP des opérations des PSP VP PSP Operations

Directeurs associés Associate Directors

PSP

Gestionnaire supérieur adjoint PSP (Admin/Fin/Com) PSP Deputy Manager (Admin/Fin/Com) Pierre Detraz

Gestionnaire Services intégrés Corporate Services Manager Sarah Quimper

Coordonnateur à l’approvisionnement Supply Coordinator Pierre Labrecque

Coordonnatrice Soutien général General Support Coordinator Estrëya Lareau-Bolduc

Gestionnaire général du golf et des opérations du Centre Castor General Manager Golf and Operations Denis Jullien

Gestionnaire général adjoint du golf et des opérations du Centre Castor Assistant General Manager Golf and Operations

Sébastien Lepagne

Gestionnaire Conditionnement physique et sports Physical Fitness and Sports Manager

Simon Gasse

Gestionnaire du reconditionnement

Reconditionning Véronique