About Francois Cleroux

"Gadget Guy" by Rhoda Brooks and Sharon Wright 2010

About the Photographer

Francois worked as a professional photographer starting in the late 70’s in the news industry with most of his work being sports after which he moved onto the more creative world of fashion. Francois worked for Minolta Canada during Expo 1986 and shortly after put all of his efforts into his computer company. After leaving the Photography world he continued to do volunteer photography for groups such as the Sierra Club and the Western Canada Wilderness Committee.

Francois returned to photography in November 2007 after an 18 year absence. Since then he has immersed himself in the photography world to create art. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Photographic Arts (CAPA), the Royal Photographic Society (RPS), and the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) and Past President of the Delta Photo Club. He is also a Certified CAPA Photography Trained Judge and he teaches classes and workshops all over the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. He has had recent work published in various magazines including "Canadian Camera Magazine", “Popular Photography” and the British publication “Digital Photographer”.

When not creating ‘images’ Francois loves bird and wildlife photography and loves learning new techniques and technologies to improve his work. Jean-Francois supports wildlife groups and organizations through donations of computer equipment, framed fine art prints and financial contributions made from sales of his work.


"My Little Planet" Self Portrait, Westham Island, BC, Canada

Photographer's Statement

"Nature represents an inexhaustible source of beauty and inspiration in its Plants, Animals, People and the Earth itself. These incredulous marvels are what drive me.

The miles flown by the small Artic Tern can equal three trips to the moon and back in its lifetime. Argentinian Ants that exist on every continent except Antarctica are considered one large colony. They destroy every other type of ant and most other insects they find, yet, when these Argentinian Ants are brought back together from different continents, they get along. As amazing as these two facts are, nature is filled with an abundance of more incredulous truths.

Then, there is the sheer physical beauty of nature itself. Considered by many to be lowly, crows are considered to be among the most adaptable and intelligent birds in the world by Ornithologists. Watching the adventurous birds by themselves, they are fascinating to watch and their intelligence can be observed. Like the Mynah bird they can mimic the sounds of other creatures from other birds, to cats and even people. Their beauty, though different of that of a male white Peacock or that of a male Bali Bird of Paradise, can only be viewed when seen up close. Observing a 'Murder' of crows reveals their very social behaviour.

Photography allows us all to see these marvels and others. And, different photographic mediums, allows us to see these same marvels in differing ways. Please closely examine both the Color and B&W versions of my American Crow picture. Do you like it? Do you prefer the Color or the B&W? Do you now think this crow to be beautiful? If you have any comments, please, let me know.

My thirst for knowledge and quest to observe, first hand, these natural wonders, and my passion to share what I have learnt and seen, are what drives my photography. I strive to ever increase my technical and artistic photographic skills so I may better present images to you that hopefully will inspire or move you. And if in any way, however small I have accomplished this, then I have done my job."

Curious Pheasant 'Norman', Saint Bride's, NL, Canada