Month: August 2016

Categories
Photography

The Canon 5DSR and bird photography: a hummingbird in Victoria

Hummingbird photographed with a Canon 5DSR DSLR camera in Victoria, British-Columbia, in 2016
Hummingbird photographed with a Canon 5DSR DSLR camera in Victoria, British-Columbia, in 2016

The 50.6 megapixels full frame sensor in the Canon 5DSR camera is of great help when comes the time for bird photography. It allows major cropping of an image without any loss in quality.

With a little patience, it was possible to take a picture of a hummingbird in a public park in Victoria, British Columbia after the bird finally rested on a branch for a few seconds. Without cropping and a powerful 500mm telephoto lens, it would have been difficult to produce a sufficiently large and clear image of a five centimeter bird.

I used a Canon 5DSR equipped with a Canon EF 70-200 f2.8L II USM telephoto lens. The camera was adjusted on APERTURE mode. The telephoto lens stabilizer was activated. The autofocus was set on the SERVO mode to insure the image sharpness in the event that the subject started to move.

But the hummingbird was so small that the autofocus constantly whizzed between the bird and the leaves. I had to switch to manual focus and use Liveview.

Once the picture was taken and cropping was done, few contrast and luminosity corrections were necessary in order to enhance the bird’s plumage which happened to be backlighted. RAW files facilitated the edition in Photoshop.

Likewise, the background intensity of the colours was corrected to avoid distracting from the principal subject. The initial picture, in landscape format, was later changed in the portrait format, which allowed the exclusion of several branches around the bird which were imposing and diverting attention.

Naturally, the chosen depth-of-field blurred the background, helping the hummingbird to stand-out.

Categories
Aviation photography

Viking’s Twin Otter Series 400 in Victoria, British Columbia

Twin Otter Series 400 parked in Victoria, British-Columbia, in 2016
Twin Otter Series 400 parked in Victoria, British-Columbia, in 2016

Knowing I would spend some time in Victoria in 2016, I planned a visit of the Viking Air Ltd installations, the Canadian company who now builds the famous Twin Otter Series 400. This company is unknown from a majority of Canadians since its production is essentially exported. Out of one hundred aircrafts produced so far, only two were bought by a Canadian company. Viking also offers maintenance service for the Twin Otter Series 100 to 300 in activity around the world.

In the foreground, a Twin Otter Series 400 built by Viking in Victoria, British-Columbia. In the background, a CL-215 water bomber recently acquired by Viking. It will possibly be modified into the more powerful CL-415 version .
In the foreground, a Twin Otter Series 400 built by Viking in Victoria, British-Columbia. In the background, a CL-215 water bomber recently acquired by Viking. It will possibly be modified into the more powerful CL-415 version .

In the beginning of 2016, Bombardier and Viking sealed a commercial deal that now makes Viking the new owner of the patents and designs for the CL-215 and CL-415 water bombers. Viking not only services the existing Twin Otters but is evaluating the possibility of restarting the production of the CL-415 water bombers. All is resting on the demand. But with more extreme meteorological conditions fueling a growing number of major forest fires, one can expect that within the next few years Viking will reactivate the production.

In Victoria, a Twin Otter Series 400 on floats built by Viking has been bought by Reignwood Air. It is ready for delivery to China (2016).
In Victoria, a Twin Otter Series 400 on floats built by Viking has been bought by Reignwood Air. It is ready for delivery to China (2016).

With the on-going regulatory changes actually taking place in China, Viking is confident to see an increase in its orders for the Twin Otter Series 400 on floats. The company will receive, at their Victoria installations in 2016, the first flight simulator essentially dedicated to training pilots on the Twin Otter on floats.

A Viking's Twin Otter Series 400 in Victoria ready for delivery to Russia
A Viking’s Twin Otter Series 400 in Victoria ready for delivery to Russia

For now, Russia is Viking’s most important customer despite the ups and downs linked to the political crisis between that country and Ukraine combined with a ruble devaluation that have forced a slowdown in the production of aircrafts destined to Russian companies. With the recent stabilization in the political situation, Viking has been able to hire back numerous workers which now brings the count to at least 350 employees, if my memory does not fail me.

Turbo Otter DHC-3T C-GVTO in Victoria, Canada, in 2016
Turbo Otter DHC-3T C-GVTO in Victoria, Canada, in 2016

Nowadays, most Canadians ignore that a Canadian company has restarted the production of the Twin Otters and is evaluating the possibility of also relaunching the production of the CL-415 water bombers. In the meantime, some CL-215s recently acquired by Viking will possibly be transformed into the more powerful CL-415 version. The only thing now missing for Viking is an important order from a Canadian company: that would make its name as well-known as Bombardier or De Havilland.

For other articles on aviation and photography, click on the following link: Aviation photography

Categories
Street photography

Street photography: policemen and the Dunkin Donuts

Quebec police at the Francophone Summit, 2008.
Quebec police at the Francophone Summit, 2008.

There is a persisting rumor about the fact that policemen like to stop at Dunkin Donuts and Tim Hortons restaurants to indulge on donuts and coffees durant their daily breaks. This photo taken in Quebec seems to confirm the rumor. There is not enough parking in front of the restaurant to accommodate all the motorcycles side by side.

In fact, this photo is the result of a pure coincidence. During the Francophonie Summit that was held in Quebec, several motorcycle policemen had to park close to the Quebec Jean-Lesage international airport while waiting for the limousines carrying dignitaries from around the world. They had chosen the local Dunkin Donuts parking for its proximity. Appearances are sometimes misleading…but they prove handy for street photography.

For other street photography pictures posted on my site, click on the following link:

Street photography

Categories
Street photography

Street photography: to each his motorcycle!

Street photography: a bike for everyone and every age!
Street photography: a bike for everyone and every age!

There is a motorcycle style for everyone and those two travelers seem to have found the model they would like best if they had the opportunity to get back in time and lose a few years. The street photography was taken in the Grimsell Pass, in Switzerland, in July 2013. Even during the summer, drivers must verify if the Grimsell Pass is cleared of snow before attempting a ride in the area…

For other street photography pictures posted on my site, click on the following link:

Street photography