My Friend Cavouk

By far one of the most interesting people I met during my time working at the Colonnade was Onnig Cavoukian, world renowned portrait photographer. “During his career, Cavouk’s subjects included Indira Gandhi, the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth, Oscar Peterson, Pierre and Margaret Trudeau, Leonid Brezhnev, Patrick Macnee, Hubert Humphrey, and Pat Nixon.

Three Canadian stamps have been made from portraits by Cavouk, of Roland Michener, Maureen Forrester, and Sam McLaughlin respectively. Here are some examples, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onnig_Cavoukian

I stopped by his studio window many times over the years as a young studedn to gaze and the most impressive color portraits I have ever seen; each month there was always a new life size color portrait. You can imagine my excitement when John Cavoukian, Onnig's son, wandered into the Colonnade Camera Shop to look at a few camera's. Earl introduced us, it was the beginning of a wonderful friendship. Over the next two years I shared a cup of Turkish coffee with the Cavoukian family. Portraiture is something I grew up with, my father Erik Dzenis is recognized internationally for his oil portraits of famous people. I studied the Renaissance masters under Angela Greig at Thornton Hall in Toronto, so by the time I arrived on Mr. Cavoukian's doorstep I was ready to learn from the master. Cavoukian is considered by many as the grand master portrait photographer. Joseph Karsh is in the same league.

Mr. Cavoukian mentored me in the art of  composition, lighting, and especially engaging with the subject. Mr. Cavoukian photographed hundreds of world personalities, his secret was he made them feel comfortable during the shoot. Once he got to know them, he looked for the right moment and expression to reveal something personal about his subject. He pressed the trigger on the cable released and froze the moment in time.

Mr. Cavoukian regarded my father's oil paintings on the same scale as his own work, I'm sure this had something to do with the time we spent together. Then one day Mr. Cavoukian asked me if I wanted his color processor; he was getting a new one. Along with the famous piece of lab equipment that processed most of his works, I got the personal tutorial, the secrets of the chemistry and operation. The lessons served me well for the rest of my life, especially about interpersonal skills engaging with the subject.

This is the first 18 x24 color print I made with Mr. Cavoukian's color processor; my wife Suzanne