About

Award winning photographer and author, Jean-Marc Carisse, was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada.  He's a recent recipient of LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA SCHOLAR AWARD 2022.  Carisse has captured, through his lens, political, cultural & social scenes in Ottawa and worldwide for over the past 50 years.  

He was official photographer for the Office of the Prime Minister for many years, having served prime ministers Pierre Trudeau, John Turner and Jean Chrétien, as well as freelancing for political leaders Mulroney, Clark, Graham, Dion, Ignatieff and Justin Trudeau.  He has also photographed consecutive Prime Ministers from Pierre Trudeau to Mark Carney, US Presidents from Ford to Biden and a large number of world leaders.  Many of his photographs have appeared on the covers and pages of biographical and autobiographical books (including his own coffee table book "Privileged Access w/ Trudeau, Turner & Chrétien" (Warwick 2000),  magazines including Time, Paris Match and Maclean's, as well as TV documentaries and biographies.   Carisse also captured many performers, comedians, singers, artists, actors, icons and heroes, on stage and off, formally and informally.  These include Nelson Mandela, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Princess Diana, Pope JP II, Queen Elizabeth, Al Pacino, Rudolf Nureyev, Tom Waits, Fidel Castro, Leonard Cohen, Yousuf Karsh, the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa, to name a few. 

He earned a BA from the University of Ottawa, with a concentration in Visual Arts.  The Preservation Centre of Library and Archives Canada holds approximately 400,000 negatives taken and authored by him. 

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His photo exhibit "My Trudeau Years" in 2002 and 2003 at Library and Archives Canada, which had been extended twice by popular demand, reflected his professional relationship with Pierre Elliott Trudeau and their mutual respect .   In the summer of 2000, weeks before his passing, Trudeau met with him and agreed to be photographed once more on his last day at Heenan Blaikie law office in Montreal, personally choosing his poses.  It was their last meeting and sitting.  He passed away weeks later. Carisse photographed the Trudeau State Funeral, reflecting that it was one of the most moving events he’s ever attended in his career. 

Following his employment in PMO, exhibits of his works were held in Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Havana, Cuba, as well as giving lectures on occasions.  Special assignments for him over the years included shadowing Chuck Berry, Mother Teresa, President GW Bush, Prime Minister Tony Blair and Barbara Ann Scott-King.   Carisse now works as a freelance photographer.

He is listed as one of the University of Ottawa's Notable Alumni.  In the fall of 2015, Jean-Marc was also featured in the University of Ottawa's online magazine Tabaret.  You can read the full article by clicking on the language of your choice - English or French.

 As well, the KARSH website, www.karsh.org uses two of Carisse's photographs.  The first is that of President Mandela looking at Karsh's Churchill portrait, and the second is Karsh sharing a laugh with Queen Elizabeth at Canada House in London, UK.