Tag: photography

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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

The Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier during winter.

Hiker entering the Jacques-Cartier National Park's forest, Winter 2024.
Hiker entering the Jacques-Cartier National Park’s forest, Winter 2024.

The province of Quebec offers in 2024 a free admission to Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier a few days a week. This means more visitors than ever before head for the park. Hikers seeking absolute peace and quiet should opt for the paid days.

Even so, if you look carefully, it’s always possible to spot a lone walker, as in the photo above. Most people take the marked trails for ease, but others, like the individual above, venture out on snowshoes near the Jacques-Cartier River, which is completely covered in snow at this time of year.

Jacques-Cartier National Park's landscape, Winter 2024.
Jacques-Cartier National Park’s landscape, Winter 2024.

Approximately three kilometres from the Discovery and Services Chalet is a bridge. From here, the hiker can capture some very beautiful scenes. In winter, an interesting effect can be achieved by positioning yourself close to the banks.

November in the Jacques-Cartier National Park in Quebec, 2023
November in the Jacques-Cartier National Park in Quebec, 2023

This scenery relaxes me so much, yet there are no spectacular elements. Rather, all the components are in perfect harmony: reflections in the water, some bluish snow here and there, brushes and a few leaning trees lit from the side by a soft late afternoon light. As the large trunks occupy the majority of the scene, I chose a vertical format for the photographic composition.

Photo of the Jacques-Cartier national park, Winter 2024.
Photo of the Jacques-Cartier national park, Winter 2024.

Above, the landscape attracts the eye with its combination of horizontal, vertical and oblique lines, as well as its alternating black and white in the foreground. I positioned myself to include in the scene a large branch that enters the photo from the top right-hand corner.

The foreground features open water, snow-covered ice, pure ice and snow-covered ice again. In the middle ground, coniferous and deciduous trees. In the background, a forest revealing the snow on the mountain floor. I’ve left only a hint of sky, as the latter offers no particular interest on this cloudy February day, other than to add some white to complete the alternation of colours.

Click on the link for more photos of the City of Québec and Île d’Orléans in winter on my blog.

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Graphic novels and comics

The graphic novel “Magnum Generation (s)”.

The graphic novel "Magnum Génération (s)".
The graphic novel “Magnum Génération (s)”.

Through drawings and superb photographs, this graphic novel recounts the events that contributed to the creation of Magnum, the famous international photography agency.

Before Magnum, there were only photographers trying to make a name for themselves and earn a meagre living in the face of media giants like Time. These big companies reframed original images, did not recognize copyright and made gigantic profits on the backs of photographers like Robert Capa, David “Chim” Seymour, Gerda Taro, Henri Cartier-Bresson and George Rodger. It was in reaction to this abuse that these photographers created the new agency.

The book makes us aware of the enormous risks involved in bringing back images of the world’s various conflicts. Robert Capa and Gerda Taro lost their lives in the heat of the action.

A page from the graphic novel "Magnum Generations".
A page from the graphic novel “Magnum Generations”.

Magnum’s evolution, its internationalization and the change in its primary vocation are brought to life. From an initial focus on war coverage, photographers gradually turned to diversifying their activities, to accommodate the specific needs of both the media and film productions.

The agency now protects them from abuse. However, photographers remain mindful of the need of support from contractors to survive financially. Still, they reserve some leeway for pure creativity, depending on each photographer’s personality and the mood of the day.

Keeping this agency alive, made up of professionals with different ambitions, is no small task. There are crises, schisms and reinventions, all essential to the evolution of this internationally renowned institution.

For those who know nothing about Magnum, this graphic novel offers a very accessible first approach.

Click on the link for other graphic novels and comics on my blog.

Title: Magnum Generation (s)

Scenario: JD Morvan

Drawings: Arnaud Locquet, Scietronc, Rafael Ortiz

Colours: Hiroyuki Ooshima

Edition: Caurette, ©2022

ISBN: 978-2-38289-028-8 (French version)

Categories
Graphic novels and comics

The graphic novel “Jours de sable”.

The graphic novel "Jours de sable" by Aimée de Jongh.
The graphic novel “Jours de sable” by Aimée de Jongh.

The graphic novel “Jours de sable” is a historical reminder of the famous Dust Bowl which struck the central United States between 1930 and 1940. These were ten years of misery that inspired John Steinbeck for his work “The Grapes of Wrath“.

The sand and dust storms that engulfed parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico and Colorado came from a multitude of combined causes, including farmers’ overuse of the soil and repeated droughts.

The American Dust Bowl.
The American Dust Bowl.

Add to these factors linked to the economic crisis and multiple epidemics, and we can understand the mass exodus of American households. They left everything behind, including many family members who died of dust-related respiratory complications. Most headed for the West Coast, but this massive influx of people only served to increase the region’s already high unemployment.

A page from the graphic novel "Jours de sable".
A page from the graphic novel “Jours de sable”.

The strangest thing is that, decades later, the climate changes experienced today in these same states could help to repeat the phenomenon, without it necessarily covering such a long period.

Author Aimée de Jongh uses fictional characters, but the scenario respects the reality experienced by the population. In her story, a young photographer leaves New York in 1937 to report on the Dust Bowl. He has been briefed on the subjects to be covered, but soon realizes that he is dealing with a human tragedy of unsuspected proportions.

The main character in the graphic novel tries to do his job in the sandstorm.
The main character in the graphic novel tries to do his job in the sandstorm.

Asking suffering people who have lost everything to pose for the New York media was not as simple as he had thought. The situation becomes even more complicated when he gets to know these people and experiences their difficulties first-hand.

In addition to the deftly drawn panels that delight the reader, there are plenty of period photos gleaned from various museums, as well as official historical content. I loved this award-winning book.

Click on the link for more graphic novels and comics on my blog.

Title : Jours de sable

Author : Aimée de Jongh

Edition: Dargaud, 2022

ISBN: 978-2-5050-8254-5

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Pointe-au-Père and L’Islet 2023

Musée maritime du Québec in l'Islet 2023
Musée maritime du Québec in l’Islet 2023

While in L’Islet, a stop at the Musée maritime du Québec is a must. Above, the icebreaker Ernest Lapointe, responsible for clearing the St. Lawrence River between Montreal and Trois-Rivières for 37 years.

The Bras d'Or hydrofoil at the Musée de l'Islet
The Bras d’Or hydrofoil at the Musée de l’Islet

Also on the grounds is the famous HMCS Bras d’Or. This hydrofoil was created in Canada during the Cold War to monitor Canadian waters against possible Soviet submarine intrusion. As this museum boat explains, “it was compulsory to have a dual pilot’s licence for aircraft and navigation in order to operate this self-supporting winged craft“.

HMCS Onondaga submarine museum in Pointe-au-Père, Québec 2023
HMCS Onondaga submarine museum in Pointe-au-Père, Québec 2023

A little further east, we reach Pointe-au-Père, in the Rimouski region. Here you’ll find Canada’s only submarine museum.Visitors can tour the interior of the HMCS Onondaga, used until 2000. Travelers pass through 17 stations to learn about life aboard a submersible.

Inside the canadian submarine HMCS Onondaga in Pointe-au-Père
Inside the canadian submarine HMCS Onondaga in Pointe-au-Père

The mechanic worked for periods of two months at a time, monitoring the engines in this noisy, diesel-smelling environment. A German spy disembarking from a submarine at night in Gaspésie was spotted in a bus because it smelled strongly of diesel.

Empress of Ireland museum in Pointe-au-Père, Québec 2023
Empress of Ireland museum in Pointe-au-Père, Québec 2023

Above, a shot of one of the rooms in the Museum of the Empress of Ireland. Her sinking in the St. Lawrence River was the second most costly in human lives after the Titanic. Among all the objects recovered from the wreck is this porcelain skeleton that one of the passengers had in his cabin.

Skeleton head found in the Empress of Ireland
Skeleton head found in the Empress of Ireland

Click on the link for more photos from the province of Quebec on my blog.

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Rivière-du-Loup region 2023

Kamouraska and the St.Lawrence river 2023
Kamouraska and the St.Lawrence river 2023

The photograph shows a view of the fertile land along the St. Lawrence River in the Kamouraska region. A public observatory allows visitors to admire the panorama.

Sea kayaking on the St.Lawrence Seaway near Rivière-du-Loup
Sea kayaking on the St.Lawrence Seaway near Rivière-du-Loup

In the evening, in Rivière-du-Loup, these two kayakers enjoy the tranquility of the St. Lawrence River as they indulge in their favorite sport.

The St.Lawrence Seaway seen from Rivière-du-Loup
The St.Lawrence Seaway seen from Rivière-du-Loup

This HDR shot of a unit at the Auberge de la Pointe in Rivière-du-Loup features seven superimposed photos, for a total of 354 megabytes of data. This ensures that the sky is correctly exposed and that the rooms in the foreground are not completely obscured.

Orange rocs in Rivière-du-Loup
Orange rocs in Rivière-du-Loup

Near the Rivière-du-Loup – Saint-Siméon ferry, the rocks here and there take on an orange hue. It’s a nice contrast to the blue sky.

Ferry towards St-Siméon in the province of Québec 2023
Ferry towards St-Siméon in the province of Québec 2023

The journey takes us to Saint-Siméon on a calm seaway. A Canon EF 11-24mm F/4 USM wide-angle zoom lens captures the scene without exaggerated distortion.

Île-aux-Lièvres and the St. Lawrence river, Québec 2023.
Île-aux-Lièvres and the St. Lawrence river, Québec 2023.

Above, Île-aux-Lièvres from the ferry. The multiple cloud layers create streaky effects on the St. Lawrence River.

Auberge la Châtelaine Saint-Laurent, La Malbaie 2023.
Auberge la Châtelaine Saint-Laurent, La Malbaie 2023.

Here’s a shot of one of the corridors of the Auberge Châtelaine, in La Malbaie. One of the reasons to stop by is the excellent breakfast included after a good night’s rest. No fat bacon or greasy potatoes here: just homemade bread and jams.

Click on the link for more photos from the province of Quebec on my blog.

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Photos of Quebec Ship photography

The Norwegian Joy in Québec City

The Norwegian Joy cruise ship docked at pier 22 in Quebec City in 2023.
The Norwegian Joy cruise ship docked at pier 22 in Quebec City in 2023.

The Norwegian Joy cruise ship, which weighs close to 168,000 tons, is one of the biggest ships to dock in Old Quebec in autumn.

The Norwegian Joy cruise ship docked in Quebec City in 2023
Le navire de croisière Norwegian Joy amarré à Québec à l’automne 2023.

It can accommodate 3,852 passengers and, for onboard service, there are 1,851 crew members – almost one employee for every two holidaymakers. The ship was built in 2017. Despite its young age, it benefited from renovations in 2020.

Sliding down the tube on the Norwegian Joy cruise ship

Sliding down the tube on the Norwegian Joy cruise ship

In the photo above, you can see a transparent tube raised above the upper deck in the top left-hand corner. With an enlarged photo, you’ll see that people are sliding down this water slide upside down. The shot below will help you get a better look at the guy in the red and blue swimsuit speeding by. The camera’s shutter speed had to be set to 1/2000 to avoid motion blur.

Sliding down the tube on the Norwegian Joy cruise ship 2023
Sliding down the tube on the Norwegian Joy cruise ship 2023

That day, I was only carrying a Canon EF 11-24 mm f/4 USM zoom lens. I had to crop the photo a little to enlarge it, but you can still see the scene quite well. Part of the tube gives the sportsman the impression of suddenly plunging to the ground, as the installation protrudes over the sides of the ship.

Looking for dangerous goods on the Norwegian Sky cruise ship in Quebec City
Looking for dangerous goods on the Norwegian Sky cruise ship in Quebec City

While people are enjoying themselves on the upper deck, a whole team is busy refueling the ship and ensuring its safety. In the photo above, a dog can even be seen going around the pallets to detect any dangerous or illicit products.

The Norwegian Joy cruise ship in Québec.
The Norwegian Joy cruise ship in Québec.

Here’s a final photo of the Norwegian Joy, taken from inside a recently built cedar gangway near Quay 22 in the Port of Quebec. The sun filtering through the rungs provides a beautiful play of light, all captured by a Canon EF 11-24 mm f/4 USM zoom lens set to 11 mm. The effect is further enhanced by the pseudo HDR mode offered by digital processing software.

Click on the link for more photos of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in autumn on my blog.

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Photos of Quebec City in summer

The bar Ste-Angèle in the evening in Old Quebec.
The bar Ste-Angèle in the evening in Old Quebec.

On a late summer’s day, these citizens from Old Quebec chat peacefully under the Ste-Angèle bar’s wall-mounted luminaire.

Citizens of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste district en route to the opening of the Festival d'été de Québec 2023
Citizens of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste district en route to the opening of the Festival d’été de Québec 2023

As the day draws to a close, many residents of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste neighbourhood head to the Plains of Abraham for the 2023 Quebec City Summer Festival.

The Scott grocery store in Old Quebec.
The Scott grocery store in Old Quebec.

The setting sun hits the side of these Quebec City buildings, creating two areas of very distinct luminosity. Such extremes pose challenges for the camera. By using a Raw file rather than a JPEG, it’s much easier to correct the brightest and darkest areas.

Relaxing in Old Quebec.
Relaxing in Old Quebec.

In the summer of 2023, a South Korean tourist takes a short break in Old Quebec after a busy day of walking inside the ramparts of the old city.

Click on the link for more photos of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in summer on my blog.

Categories
Photography Photos of Quebec

Photographing Old Quebec.

An Old Quebec view with the Château Frontenac in the distance using a Canon 11-24mm zoom lens.
An Old Quebec view with the Château Frontenac in the distance using a Canon 11-24mm zoom lens.

Luck plays a significant role in the acquisition of an original shot. To put chance on our side, we need to go on photo expeditions frequently, whatever the weather, and seize opportunities when they arise.

For this outing in Old Quebec, I thought I’d use a Canon 11–24mm f/4L USM super-wide-angle zoom lens. It allows you to get very close to a tall building and obtain vertical lines without the top of the structure disappearing.

Indeed, many high-performance zooms require the utilization of image-processing software to produce an almost perfect vertical effect. But doing so cuts off the top of the edifice.

So, I was looking for a different perspective to shoot the Château Frontenac. I saw it more in the background, as a point of arrival for the eye, rather than taking up all the space. Even as a small edifice in a photo, you recognize it before any other structure.

To do this, I chose an architecturally interesting building as my starting element. It reminded me vaguely of the Flatiron Building in New York. Naturally, it’s not as high and offers that rounded effect when captured in wide-angle format.

I’ve observed a lot of representations of Old Quebec so far. However, I don’t recall previously noticing the street and the old edifices in this way. Usually, the building in the foreground is partially visible.

Lost in the analysis of the ideal angle, I heard a strange engine sound. On my left, a vintage car was moving slowly and would pass in front of the Canon 5DSr lens in a few seconds.

I quickly lifted the camera and placed it in the right spot. The auto was already gaining speed and I had to seize the opportunity. This vintage car blended perfectly into the scene. Only the slightly more contemporary station wagon indicates a more recent picture.

Modernity and the past still come together in harmony in a developer-protected Old Quebec. To capture interesting pictures, you need to get out into the old town frequently.

Click on the link for more summer photos of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans on my blog.

Categories
Photos of Quebec

The « Station de la Plage » in five photos.

Station de la Plage and showers in Quebec City.
Station de la Plage and showers in Quebec City.

Comfortably seated on the new terrace of Quebec City’s Station de la Plage, I wrote this article sheltered from the elements.

Phase 3 of the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain in Quebec City will have cost around $190 million. A site foreman confides: “The most complex part of all this was complying with the actual government requirements. We had to do a lot of digging and install infrastructure to prevent wastewater from being discharged into the St. Lawrence River. We also had to deal with the sudden increase in inflation: to avoid a $50 million overrun, we had to shorten the width of the children’s romper and cut where it had to least impact “.

While out cycling, I took the opportunity to snap a few shots of the construction progress around what will develop into the “station de la Plage”.

Construction of the stairs at the "station de la Plage", Quebec City.
Construction of the stairs at the “station de la Plage”, Quebec City.

The picture above shows the production of the reinforced concrete for the main staircase.

Below, the finished steps can be seen. What will become the swimming pool (on the left of the photo) receives its first coat of paint. A modification to the pool’s depth necessitated the installation of a fence.

Painting the swimming pool at the "station de la Plage" and installing the fence.
Painting the swimming pool at the “station de la Plage” and installing the fence.

It can disappear completely into the ground as soon as swimming is allowed. However, its operation is currently causing serious problems, as with all novelties. When the motor exerts too much force to raise a section of fence, it falls back down on its own. The presence of sand in the vicinity may have been ignored, or at least its effect underestimated, when the railing was designed. Sand is inserted into the gears with each day’s activity. And there’s no question of using grease to make it easier to raise and lower the panels: the sand would stick to the lubricant and further complicate operations. A technician has been working for weeks to rectify the situation.

The "station de la Plage" is almost completed.
The “station de la Plage” is almost completed.

The pool has now received a coat of blue paint. This creates a clear demarcation with the color of the river water, an effect that will also benefit photographers. Only a few preparations remain before the population can officially access the site. The Commission de la capitale nationale de Québec wants people to be able to bathe just in time for the Fête nationale des Québécois, on June 24.

From now on, the incredible popularity of the site with the public will have to be managed. Indeed, in their eagerness to access the beach, few individuals bother to read the current regulations. This task will fall to the security staff, who will have to utilize their teaching skills and diplomacy to get the message across.

Station de la Plage in Quebec City
Station de la Plage in Quebec City

Use the following address to leave a comment for the Commission de la capitale nationale de Québec.

Click on the link for more summer photos of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans on my blog.

Categories
Photography Photos of Quebec

Station de la Plage, Québec City.

Building architecture at the "station de la Plage", Quebec City.
Building architecture at the “station de la Plage”, Quebec City.

With phase three of the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain now complete, the Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec must adjust to the popularity of its new facilities with the public.

Station de la Plage in Quebec City
Station de la Plage in Quebec City

In fact, the “station de la Plage” and “station de la Voile” are so popular that the planners had to quickly rethink parking management. On sunny days, thousands of people come to relax on the sites. Cars arrive laden with children and beach equipment, and everyone hopes to find a space for their vehicle.  But by 10 a.m., there’s nothing left.

The two beach and building attendants have their hands full observing everything that moves, correcting habits and arguing with people. Because, in addition to the scarcity of parking spaces, pedestrians are not tolerated strolling alongside their bicycles, either near the beach or on the elevated terrace.

Raised deck at "station de la Plage", Québec City.
Raised deck at “station de la Plage”, Québec City.

However, the rules and regulations posted on the National Capital Commission’s website are confusing. They stipulate that you must walk on the site and that bicycle traffic is prohibited. You might think that a person walking with his bike at his side would be complying with the requirements, since he’s not straddling it, but that’s not the case.

A month into the operation, a security guard tells me: “We’ve already notified over 400 visitors who were walking while holding a bike”. He wants the word to get out. But the facilities for accommodating bicycles are not keeping up with demand. The tree trunks near the main building help out, and serve as a place to put a padlock on busy days.

Trees used to lock bikes at the station de la Plage in Quebec City.
Trees used to lock bikes at the station de la Plage in Quebec City.

What’s more, with bicycles becoming increasingly expensive, many cyclists are reluctant to leave them unattended for a few hours, even when locked. Experienced thieves are notoriously quick. This first year of operations will therefore require some modifications to procedures and installations.

If you’d like to have your say, use this address: Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec. You can also request a follow-up by checking the appropriate box.

Click on the link for more summer photos of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans on my blog.