Sailboat anchored in the Saguenay Fjord in the province of Québec
Heading up the west coast of Saguenay from Saint-Siméon, you pass through Sagard (home to the Desmarais family’s huge estate and castle) and L’Anse-Saint-Jean. In L’Anse-Saint-Jean, you can book a shuttle for a few hours’ round trip on the Saguenay. This allows you to see Cap Trinité and stop off at Sainte-Rose-du-Nord.
I took the picture above from Baie Éternité. The cliffs rise up to 400 metres. A sailboat has chosen to anchor there for a while.
The Saguenay River at low tide near La Baie, Québec 2025
Just before La Baie, you can walk on the beach at low tide. There are several interesting opportunities for landscape photography, including a lighthouse, mountains, the town at night, and even cruise ships sailing up the Saguenay River in the fall.
Downtown in La Baie, province of Québec 2025
To achieve the above effect in La Baie, I had to remove a few poles and advertisements using digital processing software. The pseudo-HDR method enhances the impact of the clouds by defining them more clearly.
Seals resting on rocks in the Saguenay fjord, Québec 2025
This last photo shows seals resting on the rocks along the Saguenay Fjord. The captain of the ferry was able to approach the cliffs safely because of the great depth of the fjord at this point.
The Quebec comic book “Les derniers corsaires” tells what appears to be true stories, although it is difficult for me to verify every detail in the book. There may also be some inventions on the part of the authors.
The events are said to have taken place during World War II aboard various British submarines, including the Thorn. Their officers learn on the job and sometimes narrowly avoid making critical mistakes.
For example, Lieutenant Woolf of the Royal Navy wants to quickly defeat the Germans, despite his relative inexperience and flawed strategies. His desire to rack up trophies and earn the rank of captain puts the submarine in danger. In a naval battle, haste is a poor advisor.
This officer redeems himself in a big way as he learns to use all the tools at his disposal to improve his risk management and make brilliant and courageous decisions. Sailors who were previously hesitant to follow him now support him to the death if necessary.
The story is surprising in its intensity and the amount of information it contains. It gives a better understanding of some of the qualities and knowledge required to gain an advantage over an opponent while avoiding costly mistakes. The comic book is a page-turner. You want to know everything, even though that’s obviously not possible.
The content of the correspondence between Captain Woolf and his brother provides a powerful conclusion to this comic book. While researching the content of the comic book, the authors discovered a website (www.walterwoolf.letters.org) which was blocked three days later. The correspondence downloaded during this short period of time reveals interesting information.
Thus, as the war was about to end in favour of the Allies, the SS based in the North Atlantic intended to launch a bacteriological war. They transported Hagen’s bacillus (possibly Hansen’s bacillus) to France by sea on the sailing ship Göteborg.
Although the mission failed and the bacillus did not reach its destination, its discovery on the sailboat raises several questions that have yet to be answered. The crew set off for a desolate spot in Greenland to await nature’s verdict. Were those who discovered the bacillus infected? Where did the entire crew disappear?
The authors write: “In 2001, Denmark declared part of Greenland’s west coast and hinterland a military exclusion zone, which remained in place until 2009. It can be assumed that intensive research is being carried out there.”
This is a well-crafted comic book that will leave no one indifferent.
A F-18 in flight over the Musée de la défense aérienne in Bagotville
In September 2025, Canadian military personnel flew to Estonia to participate in Operation Reassurance. Canada wants to offer support to NATO in this region of the world. The first exercise, Cobra Warrior 25-2, is scheduled to take place in Great Britain for six weeks, followed by Tarrasis 25 in Estonia.
Eighteen months of preparation were required to develop this operation. Some landings will take place on a highway to increase the level of realism and difficulty for the pilots.
Two F-18 training in Bagotville, Québec
As luck would have it, we happened to be passing through Bagotville on the day everything was getting underway. Positioned at the end of the runway, we were able to watch numerous aircraft take off, including an Eastern Airlines Boeing 777-200 chartered to carry approximately 160 Canadian military personnel. A Boeing C-17 and eight F-18s will also cross the Atlantic to take part in the mission. Aircraft from Trenton and Winnipeg will also participate in the maneuvers, including a CC-150 Polaris, a CC-130H Hercules, and a CC-130J Hercules.
Canadian Boeing C-17 departing Bagotville for Estonia.
Eastern B777-200 on the departure at Bagotville, Canada, heading to Estonia.
At the same time as these departures were taking place, F-18s and Top Aces A-4 Skyhawks were coming in for landing after combat exercises in the Saguenay region.
Today, rain and fog disrupt operations at Quebec City’s Jean Lesage International Airport. The conditions are at their minimum for take off and landing. But the captain of this Air Transat’s flight decides to proceed as the weather improves momentarily.
The passenger jet will take off from runway 06. But the airstrip is soaked. When the pilot applies power, we will only see water spray across the entire picture. A better choice is to focus on the A321neo as it taxis slowly.
Photography Tips
Since the sky isn’t particularly captivating due to its uniform gray colour, it becomes imperative to find something else to increase interest to the scene. The runway lights will do the trick. By including them in the foreground of the photo, they add life and frame the aircraft as it joins the runway.
I avoid photographing the plane directly from the side or from behind, as the effect is a bit static. Entering the runway at an angle offers a better alternative. Furthermore, it is not necessary to show the entire fuselage of the Airbus for a good shot.
With just a uniform gray sky, part of the aircraft, and a few runway lights, it becomes possible to produce a shot with more dynamism.
Click on the link for more aviation-related photos on my blog. There are also photo galleries for enthusiasts in the menu.
In September 2025, another edition of Vintage Weekend took place in Quebec City. This year, more than 200 vintage cars were on display on Saint-Paul Street and on the grounds adjacent to Espace Quatre Cent in Quebec City’s Old Port.
Stéphane Lavallée’s 1959 Corvette at Quebec City’s Vintage Weekend
As usual, restaurant owners had their hands full serving the many curious visitors who came to admire the cars. In addition, they had to contend with the presence of travelers who had recently disembarked from the three cruise ships moored in the harbor. The next photo shows the energetic team at Bistro St-Malo hard at work feeding passersby.
The restaurateur of Bistro St-Malo at work on St-Paul Street at Weekend Vintage 2025
This year, musicians from Calgary entertained the crowd with songs from the 1950s. The audience was delighted by the excellent quality of the performance, both in terms of singing and music. The same can be said of the dancers, who took us back in time with a few hits from that era.
Retro dancing on St. Paul Street at the Quebec Vintage Weekend in 2025
Below, cars occupy the space surrounding La Vivrière, a fountain sculpture commemorating the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Gary Lynch’s Hudson Hornet Hollywood 7x at Quebec City’s Vintage Weekend
Burger Heaven Lights on for Service at the Weekend Vintage in Quebec City
Paul Forest’s 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air with modified color
1952 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday and Michel Savard at Quebec City’s Vintage Weekend
Above, Michel Savard poses proudly next to his 1952 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday. As for André Guillemette, he had original parts shipped from Great Britain to do justice to his 1962 Jaguar Mark II, which can be seen below.
André Guillemette’s 1962 Jaguar Mark II at Quebec City’s 2025 Vintage Weekend
Reflections in Michel Métivier’s 1967 Pontiac GTO at Quebec City’s Vintage Weekend
A final photo shows St. Paul Street with Charles Boisseau’s 1965 Corvette Stingray.
Charles Boisseau’s 1965 Corvette Stingray at Quebec City’s Vintage Weekend
Now that we know the winner, here are seven photos of Julian Alaphilippe, the Tudor team, Marion Rousse (the winner’s partner), Tadej Pogacar and Pavel Sivakov.
The Tudor team and Alaphilippe on côte de la Montagne at the GPC Québec 2025
The 216-kilometer race took place between https://www.quebec-cite.com/en/old-quebec-city Old Quebec, the Plains of Abraham, the Montcalm neighborhood, and Champlain Boulevard. Above, cyclists climb Côte de la Montagne, which has an average gradient of 9% over 600 meters, but with a steep section reaching 13%.
Below, a photo of the main peloton with the Château Frontenac in the background.
View of the Château Frontenac during the GPC Québec 2025
Near the Château Frontenac, I take the opportunity to snap a photo of Tadej Pogacar and Julian Alaphilippe, two of the most famous names in the race.
Pogacar and Alaphilippe the winner of the GPC Québec race 2025
The Tudor cyclist team opens the way for Alaphilippe at the GPC Québec 2025
On Rue Saint-Louis, the young Swiss Tudor team worked to save Julian Alaphilippe’s efforts. Below, Julian Alaphilippe after his victory. In the background are Tadej Pogacar and Pavel Sivakov of the UAE team. The latter finished two seconds behind Alaphilippe, while Alberto Bettiol of the XDS Astana Team took third place, four seconds behind.
Pogacar was well positioned, but at the end of the race, the group he was riding with refused to take turns at the front. So, he decided to slow down and watch someone else win.
Alaphilippe, Pogacar and Sivakov after the Grand Prix cycliste de Québec 2025
Marion Rousse, former French champion and actual director of the Women’s Tour de France, was working as an analyst at the GPC in Quebec City. She left her post for a few minutes to congratulate her partner, Julian Alaphilippe. She can be seen in the photo below walking towards the Tudor team.
Marion Rousse arrives to congratulate Julian Alaphilippe at the GP cycliste de Québec 2025
It was once again an exciting race, held for the fourteenth consecutive year under sunny skies and ideal temperatures. Every year, more and more cycling enthusiasts come to watch this UCI World Tour race. The same is true for the race in Montreal.
Here is the link for all the results of the Quebec City race.
A paddleboard enthusiast on the Jacques-Cartier River in Quebec 2025
An excellent spot for paddleboarding (SUP) in the Quebec City area is located at kilometer 25 (EKWATEK) of Jacques-Cartier National Park. There are no services as such at this location, but a large free parking lot provides easy access to the riverbank, which is only a few meters away.
The natural surroundings are breathtaking. Bring a good camera (or at least a cell phone) in a waterproof bag. There are several splendid spots for landscape photography.
As summer progresses, the water level drops. However, even in fall, the river remains deep enough to enjoy your sport in complete peace of mind. At first, paddleboarders follow the gentle current of the Jacques-Cartier River southward. So there’s no need to paddle vigorously! You can just let yourself go. You’ll know when it’s time to turn back when you see small waterfalls in the distance. To avoid damaging the board, you turn around.
On the return trip, the effort required is greater, but not excessive. In strong north winds, bring a paddle to which you can attach an oar in place of the handle, giving you the feeling of paddling like a kayaker. Sitting or kneeling on the board, you will return to your starting point more quickly.
In the event of a southerly wind, the energy required to return is minimal. This allows you to make several round trips and spend a few hours on the river without getting exhausted!
A beautiful summer day in Jacques-Cartier National Park
On your way to kilometer 25, you can admire several scenes like this. The surroundings are magnificent! Green, yellow, and orange are the colors of autumn. There is very little red in the area. The orange color is concentrated mainly at the beginning of autumn, while the yellow persists much longer. The photo above was taken at the beginning of August.
During summer 2025, several large aircraft scheduled to land at Montreal Airport had to divert to Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport (CYQB). Numerous thunderstorms disrupted arrivals and departures at the main airports in the province of Quebec.
The extreme weather in the west gradually moved eastward. This delayed and even cancelled the departure of many planes in Quebec City.
When most of the storms finally passed over Quebec City airport in the evening, an Air Canada Boeing 777-300 ER took off from runway 24 to fly its passengers back to Montréal.
In the background, Air Transat aircraft can be observed. The Swiss Air logo can also be noticed on an Airbus A330-343. It had come from Zurich and was further diverted to Quebec City, along with an Air France Boeing 777-228 LR and a few others.
Below, we see the Boeing 777-300 ER refuelling at a time when extreme weather conditions have not yet reached the airport. Two Avjet tanker trucks are standing near the aircraft. The height of each truck is less than the internal diameter of the Boeing’s engines. For several years, this aircraft held the record for the largest engines on a civil aircraft. Now, the Boeing 777X has taken the crown.
Air Canada B777-300ER refueling at the Quebec Jean-Lesage international airport.
Photography Technique
Both photos required some compromises. Everything works if you accept being completely soaked and working with both feet in the water along a metal barrier with lightning flashing here and there. For some photos, the session lasted two hours.
I took the shots from a hole in the airport fence. My Canon EF 300 mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens was protected by a plastic bag tightly wrapped around the lens hood.
A frequency scanner provided data about air traffic. A controller informed an Air France pilot that such a situation of aircraft diversions during extreme weather had not been seen in several years.
I set my full-frame camera to produce only RAW images. Focusing was done in SERVO mode. I reduced the depth of field to optimize speed and limit the size of the photographic grain (ISO).
When selecting photos, I preferred the one showing the Boeing taking off, but where the Swiss airline’s logo is still visible. It was important to highlight the aircraft’s presence in Quebec City.
The Kingfisher is equipped with sensors that can locate objects or people up to a distance of 40 kilometers, even in low light conditions. Its range allows it to remain in flight for over 4,500 kilometers.
Photography tips
I arrive too late at Quebec City airport: the plane is already parked. However, information obtained from the pilots indicates that takeoff is scheduled within the next hour on runway 06.
Ground traffic provides excellent opportunities to photograph an aircraft while benefiting from an interesting background. The photography technique required for this first visit by the Kingfisher is really basic.
Communications with the control tower indicate when the CC-295 is starting up. It will stop just before entering runway 06. A 200mm telephoto lens would normally do the trick, provided the ISO is not too high. But today, I am trying out a recent acquisition: a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS II USM fixed telephoto lens.
In the middle of the day, a photographer deals more with the quantity of light than its quality. However, the goal here is not to capture a bouquet of flowers or a wedding, so the harsh light should be fine. The flamboyant color of the aircraft will distract attention from the lack of interest in the ambient light.
With the shutter speed reduced to 1/125 and the ISO set to 200, I wait for the moment when the Kingfisher is opposite the control tower. This will provide a high-quality background. Twenty photos later, the plane is nothing more than a memory.
Reflections in Jacques-Cartier National Park in summer.
Photography technique
Even if the initial goal is to go paddleboarding on the Jacques-Cartier River, you can bring a camera, just in case a special scene merits a photo. It is best to shoot in RAW mode to make it easier to correct imperfections later.
Today, the complete absence of wind allows for exceptional reflections for landscape photography. But you have to choose your environment carefully: no distractions should break the effect. The goal is to create momentary confusion through a mirrored scenery.
A tight frame keeps the panorama identical in both parts of the photo. You must then ensure that the horizon is as straight as possible. Finally, you can improve the initial image by reducing the smoke haze. Indeed, the summer of 2025 in Quebec will have been the one where forest fires in Western Canada considerably impacted on visibility in Quebec.
The sun slowly sets over Jacques-Cartier National Park.
I took this photo of the Jacques-Cartier National Park Valley in the late afternoon to profit from the soft lighting. Also, in August at this time, the sun in the southwest hits the eastern slope. The light is then reflected in the middle of the valley and diffused through the smoke. Some of the haze can be removed, but it is important to keep enough of it to preserve the majestic effect of the landscape.
In the foreground, paddleboarders, barely visible, enjoy the exceptional light of the late afternoon.
