A woman from rural Quebec was surprised this week to learn that her image is being used by both the Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois in their respective bids to win federal ridings in the May 2 election.

In September 2010, Jeannie Bird answered a casting call for a stock photo shoot just for fun. She posed for photos and videos for free, not thinking of where her image could end up.

"It was all for fun," Bird said. "We signed a waiver saying ‘your photo could be used by any agency,' whatever, and we said ‘fine.'"

Then last week her video image appeared in a Conservative television ad, and calls from friends started pouring in.

"I go into the local store in Sutton and somebody's chasing me down the aisle going, 'Jeannie it's you! I've seen you now twice,'" said Bird, who lives near the small town of Hutton, Que., west of Sherbrooke.

Ironically, she has never voted Conservative. Nor has she been a Bloc supporter. Still, her photo now appears on the cover of the Bloc's election platform.

Using stock images is a common practice in advertising, including in political ads, to make them more compelling.

With video cameras rolling last September during the photo shoot, the producer asked her to think of something pleasant in her life.

"‘Conservative' was not there in my mind at the time, so it's sort of taken out of context," she said, arguing that political parties should use their own supporters. "Don't use people that are from here, there or everywhere. Find your own and make it true."

When asked about the matter, the Bloc Quebecois said it often uses stock photos, provided the images depict Quebecers exclusively.

Meanwhile the Conservatives initially denied using an image of Bird. A spokesperson said later that she did indeed appear in the ad.

This isn't the first time two parties have used images of the same people. The Liberal, NDP, and Conservative parties have all used pictures of the Comeau family, from Maple Ridge, B.C., in pamphlets and YouTube ads over the past year.

With a report from CTV's Montreal Bureau Chief Genevieve Beauchemin