Categories
Ship photography

The Harlequin near Lévis and heading to Rouen, France

The Harlequin in front of the Jean Gaulin refinery in Lévis, 2017.
The Harlequin in front of the Jean Gaulin refinery in Lévis, 2017.

The picture above shows the Harlequin, a bulk carrier built in 2012 that has a 9.7 meter draught. It sails under the Cyprus convenience flag. On June 18th 2017, when the photo was taken, it was in front of the Jean Gaulin refinery in Lévis, Quebec, and was about to cross the Atlantic heading to Rouen, France. The Jean Gaulin refinery is Quebec’s largest refinery and ranks second in Canada when it comes to refining crude oil.

The photo was taken at 21:07, just before nightime. Since I was positioned on the highest floor of the Quai des Cageux wooden tower, there were constant vibrations associated with people going up and down the stairs. The tower’s movement combined with a moving vessel made the use of of tripod totally useless. It was thus necessary to make a handheld photo, which seriously increased the risk of a blurred picture considering the lack of light.

A Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 II USM fixed lens installed on a Canon 5DSR full frame camera helped to make a successful shot. The fact that this kind of lens requires very little light increases the photographer’s margin of manoeuver. It would obviously have been possible to increase the ISO to 6000 and more to compensate for the poor lighting, but that would have degraded the photo’s quality. The ISO was thus limited to 2000, with a shutter speed of 1/200 sec and a 1.6 aperture.

In order to limit the risk of a blurred picture, it was necessary to follow the movement of the ship with the camera. The closer one gets to immobilizing the ship in the viewfinder, the better the chances of a defined photo.

Since the ship was farther than it appears on the picture above, some cropping was mandatory to bring the vessel to a decent size. If the ISO had been too elevated to start with, the ensuing photographic grain would have been too big after the cropping and the quality of the picture would have suffered. With an ISO limited to 2000, the image kept a decent definition.

For other pictures of ships on my website, click on the following link : Ship photography.

Categories
Street photography

Two pilots who will not give way to the other one

Two Porter Airlines Bombardier Q-400 on the Toronto Billy Bishop airport
Two Porter Airlines Bombardier Q-400 on the Toronto Billy Bishop airport

That is what happens when there is only one taxiway and both pilots refuse to give way…

You have certainly realized that there are no conflict here and that, a fraction of a second later, both Porter Airlines Bombardier Q-400 aircrafts continued taxiing, one towards the ramp and the other one towards one of the runways of the Toronto Billy Bishop airport in Ontario.

Few seconds before, I was watching both aircrafts getting closer with each other. Being of the same format, it was possible to get a special effect. Every fraction of a second counts when doing street photography so I took several shots and chosed the one that allowed the minimal space between the two aircrafts.

For other street photography pictures:

Street photography

Categories
Human behavior

Michel Vanvaerenbergh’s book: « Souvenirs sans gloire »

The title of this French book could be translated as: “Memories without glory: the confessions of an airline pilot”. A bit of modesty was certainly required in order to publicly expose one’s own flying mistakes, especially when that person is an airliner captain.

Front cover of the book: "Souvenirs sans gloire - Les confessions d'un pilote de ligne"
Front cover of the book: “Souvenirs sans gloire – Les confessions d’un pilote de ligne”

However, the book does not relate only some of the errors made by the author, Michel Vanvaerenbergh, but also those of the crew members working at the time for the Sabena airline company.

Generally, flying errors are discussed in private and corrective actions are published by each airline company for their staff in order to limit the risk of repeating the same mistakes. But to actually publish a book on one’s own mistakes is quite original and also very useful. Beginners or experienced pilots will certainly profit from the author’s past experiences.

Some of the stories are quite scary: on several occasions, the reader realizes that the pilots and passengers were lucky to survive a flight. Once, the pilots had to decide if a runway was long enough for take-off. They did not have the appropriate documents on board to calculate what was needed and the Sabena office was closed. They estimated that they could do it but realised too late that is was not the case, seeing the end of the runway approaching quickly. They forced the Boeing off the ground before it had reached the appropriate speed. The aircraft refused to climb for seven minutes. That meant that the aircraft was close to stalling and that everyone on board nearly escaped death.

Back cover of the French book: "Souvenirs sans gloire"
Back cover of the French book: “Souvenirs sans gloire”

The author tells the story of crew members under the influence of alcohol with whom he had to deal with. There is also the unbelievable account of a test flight with Yemeni pilots who never used the appropriate charts to adjust the parameters of the aircraft. To make it easier, they preferred assuming the aircraft was always at its maximum weight.

On a few occasions, too much assertiveness from pilots and crew members almost resulted in an airliner crash.

The literary style has only one objective: go straight to the point. So forget any fanciful writing. Moreover, there are no paragraphs in this small book, something to which I was not used. But those are only details and the reader can easily deal with them.

Considering the intensity of real life stories, “Souvenirs sans gloire” is certainly a book not to be missed, especially for the aviation enthusiast.

Categories
Ship photography

The Chilean sailboat Esmeralda at the Tall Ships Regatta 2017 in Quebec City

The chilean vessel Esmeralda and its crew during the Tall Ships Regatta 2017 in Quebec City.
The chilean vessel Esmeralda and its crew during the Tall Ships Regatta 2017 in Quebec City.

In July 2017, the four masted Chilean sailboat Esmeralda arrived in Quebec City for the Tall Ships Regatta 2017. The arrival was quite spectacular, as the whole crew sang together for several minutes for the people standing along the pier.

In order to avoid any distraction, the full frame picture has been taken in the portrait mode and the cropping was tight enough to bring forward the crew members standing up high away on the masts.

The picture below offers another point of view of the sailboat masts but this time the importance is given to the colored chairs directly installed in water, allowing the tourists to cool down during a particularly hot summer day. The wide angle lens used for the shot was a Canon 14mm f/2.8L. Two diagonal lines created by the pool in the foreground progressively meet with each other in the distance, in front of the sailboat.

The vessel Esmeralda during the Tall Ships Regatta 2017 in Quebec City.
The vessel Esmeralda during the Tall Ships Regatta 2017 in Quebec City.

When the Tall Ships Regatta 2017 ended, several small boats approached the Esmeralda and other sailboats to slowly travel with them from Quebec City until they cleared île d’Orléans. In the picture below, you can see the cruise ship Maasdam, which has been repositioned to a new pier in the Port of Quebec in order to accomodate the sailboats.

The ship Maasdam and the vessel Esmeralda during the Tall Ships Regatta 2017 in Quebec City.
The ship Maasdam and the vessel Esmeralda during the Tall Ships Regatta 2017 in Quebec City.

In the picture below, the sailboat Esmeralda his heading towards the north of île d’Orléans as the final parade is completed. On the left, you can see the Château Frontenac and, directly behind, the Hotel Le Concorde Québec, with in its upper ring a revolving restaurant offering a superb view of Quebec City. The hand held photo was taken from île d’Orléans with a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens. This lens is equipped with an integrated stabilizer.

It would nonetheless have been quite difficult to succeed with such an important cropping without the performance of the 50.6 megapixel full frame sensor used in the Canon 5DSR. Considering the great distance over water that is present between the camera and the sailboat, it is possible that you notice a mirage effect, even with the small picture presented here.

The vessel Esmeralda in Quebec City during the Tall Ships Regatta 2017. In the background, the Château Frontenac and the hotel Le Concorde.
The vessel Esmeralda in Quebec City during the Tall Ships Regatta 2017. In the background, the Château Frontenac and the hotel Le Concorde.

I thought the crew would use all of the sailboat’s sails once passed île d’Orléans, but it was not the case. The picture below was taken from the top of a wooden tower installed at the north east extremity of île d’Orléans, while the Esmeralda is still navigating using its engine.

Even without the sails, the photographic composition benefited from a yellow field, a merchant ship and a lively horizon line showing the Appalachian mountains. No tripods were used for the shot as the wooden tower was constantly moving. The telephoto lens used was a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM and a slight cropping was necessary.

An approximative rule of thirds is behind the composition of the photo : you can imagine three fictive horizontal lines dividing the frame. The sailboat also finds itself on one of the rule of thirds vertical line on the right.

The vessel Esmeralda, from Chile, sailing on the St. Lawrence Seaway after its departure from the Tall Ships Regatta 2017 in Quebec.
The vessel Esmeralda, from Chile, sailing on the St. Lawrence Seaway after its departure from the Tall Ships Regatta 2017 in Quebec.

For other pictures of ships on my website, click on the following link : Ship photography.

Categories
Ship photography

The vessels Europa and Impossible Dream in Quebec for the Tall Ships Regatta 2017

The catamaran Impossible Dream and the vessel Europa arrive in Quebec for the Tall Ships Regatta 2017
The catamaran Impossible Dream and the vessel Europa arrive in Quebec for the Tall Ships Regatta 2017

The picture above shows the catamaran « Impossible Dream » and the three masted vessel Europa arriving in Quebec for the Tall Ships Regatta 2017.

The Impossible Dream is a catamaran built in 2002 and designed to travel on the ocean. Its mission, as stated on the website Impossible Dream, is “to bring disabled and nondisabled people together in productive, collaborative endeavors ».

The three masted vessel Europa arrives in Quebec for the Tall Ships Regatta 2017
The three masted vessel Europa arrives in Quebec for the Tall Ships Regatta 2017

The Europa is sailing under the Netherlands flag. The crew was nice enough to use all the ship’s sails, even while the wind were not really favorable. That pleased the crowd and helped to achieve even better pictures. Since it was only 10h30 AM, the sails were lighted at an angle by the sun, which produced a more lively effect.

I elected to keep the small canoe and its passengers, at the right of the picture, in order to give an idea of the Europa’s scale.

The pictures were taken with a Canon 5DSR full frame camera.

For other pictures of ships on my website, click on the following link : Ship photography.

Categories
Ship photography

The schooner Oosterschelde arriving in Quebec in 2017

The schooner Oosterschelde arrives in Quebec for the Tall Ships Regatta 2017
The schooner Oosterschelde arrives in Quebec for the Tall Ships Regatta 2017

The picture above shows the tree-masted schooner Oosterschelde, from Netherlands, arriving in Quebec in the morning of July 18th 2017, during the Tall Ships Regatta 2017. In the background is the city of Lévis.

The picture was taken with a Canon 5DSR full-frame camera equipped with a Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L USM.

For other pictures of ships on my website, click on the following link : Ship photography.

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

The Quebec Summer Festival and Metallica

Quebec Summer Festival 2017
Quebec Summer Festival 2017

On the picture above, there is a sign indicating that the Quebec Summer Festival does not garantee an access to any sites. Under normal circumstances, this makes sense.

Part of the crowd waiting to enter the site for the Metallica show at the Quebec Summer Festival in 2017
Part of the crowd waiting to enter the site for the Metallica show at the Quebec Summer Festival in 2017

But to say such a thing to the crowd who came to see Metallica would have been quite a challenge : « Ladies and gentlemen, as the person in charge of the Quebec Summer Festival, I would like to take the opportunity to remind you that the ticket you bought does not garantee an access to any specific site. A sign has been posted to that effect and the people at the beginning of the waiting line for the Metallica show can actually read it. Today happens to be such a day where you do not have access to the site. But there are other shows in town, so have a good festival and have fun! »

But all went well and the Metallica show, as well as the other shows presented at the Quebec Summer Festival were a success in 2017.

On a more technical side, the full-frame camera used to take the huge crowd was a Canon 5DSR equipped with a Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM lens. The top of the St.Louis Gate, on Grande-Allée, was the perfect place to capture all those people waiting for Metallica.

For other photos on the province of Quebec and also Quebec City, click on the following links from my blog:

Province of Quebec Photos

Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in Autumn

Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in Winter

Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in Spring

Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in Summer

Categories
Street photography

Each one in his own bubble in Willows Beach Park

Each one in his own bubble in the Willows Beach Park, Oak Bay, Victoria
Each one in his own bubble in the Willows Beach Park, Oak Bay, Victoria

In the foreground sits a man in the Willows Beach Park of Oak Bay in Victoria, British Columbia. He is totally in his bubble, absorbed by his book. I have been looking at him for few minutes wondering how I should position myself in order to get an interesting picture.

Suddenly, a bubble, very real this time, appears in the viewfinder of the camera. The bubble is moving, thanks to the efforts of a child that is walking inside of it. An adult is monitoring to situation to prevent accidents.

Street photography sometimes requires luck. For every successful photo, many opportunities are missed. The fraction of a second offered to a photographer to capture an unusual scene always imposes to have the camera settings already set for the ambient light and the expected use.

The picture was taken with a Canon 5DSR full-frame camera.

For other street photography pictures:

Street photography

Categories
Photography

The White Birch Paper’s Stadacona installations in Quebec City

White Birch Papers in Quebec City, June 17 2017
White Birch Papers in Quebec City, June 17 2017

The picture above, that shows the activities of the White Birch Paper company in Quebec City, was taken on June 2017 from a moving car on a highway heading to Quebec City’s east side.

The shot was taken with a Canon 5DSR full-frame camera at 19:33 when the light was quite weak. There was also a bit of mist and an overcast sky at the time of the picture.

In order to compensate for the lack of adequate light, and also for the fact that the camera was moving, it was necessary to use a lens requiring very little light. That prevented from setting too high of an ISO (only 2500). The shutter speed was set to 1/1250 sec. The perfect lens for this picture was the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM.

Some cropping had to be done to recenter the main subject according to the rule-of-thirds.

Finally, an image editing software helped increase the cloud and smoke effects around the two chimneys.

Categories
Street photography

Street photography: Chinese women playing cards in Hong Kong’s Jade Market

Le Jade Market à Hong Kong, en 1990

This picture of a group of Chinese women playing cards was taken during summer 1990 in Jade Market, Hong Kong, before the island was retroceded back to China.

Street photography requires that a photographer does not prearrange a scene, in order to protect the natural atmosphere. This is where the real information stands. Those women, totally absorbed by their game, offered a superb opportunity to capture a normal day life scene.

It was important to proceed quickly to avoid that one of the ladies looked at the camera and changed her attitude. That way, the natural effect was maintained.

The picture was taken with a Pentax SF1 camera equipped with a film made to be developed for slides.

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

Street photography