You don’t have to go far to find magnificent autumn-colored trees in Quebec City. But you’ll have to hurry to photograph them, because the show doesn’t last long, especially with the red leaves.
Click on the link for other photos of Québec City and l’île d’Orléans in autumn on my blog.
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.
Photographers make little use of the intense midday light when it comes to achieving an interesting effect. However, as in this HDR photo of the stairs of an Old Quebec street above, bright light can be used to create shadow effects with horizontal, vertical and oblique lines.
Above, another staircase with lines running in all directions. But it plays only a partial role in this HDR photo, the rest being taken up by the scene in the distance. I was looking for a double effect of chiaroscuro and atmosphere. The foreground, dark and cold, contrasts with a brighter background with an uncertain sky. On the right-hand side of the photo, the tension eases and the blue sky and sun appear.
This image is what is known as “street photography“. Chance has placed this person in the right place with the right dress and the right umbrella. She is wearing a horizontally lined dress and holding an obliquely lined umbrella in front of the vertically lined fence of the “station de la Plage” in Quebec City. The gray sky avoids distractions and focuses attention on the main subject.
For this last photo, I didn’t have my full-frame camera, but a cell phone. The file was of inferior quality, so I had to improve the focus using photographic software with artificial intelligence capability.
Click for more photos of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in summer on my blog.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This photo taken in May 2023 shows the tulips planted in front of the Parliament Building in Quebec City, near the wall surrounding Old Quebec. The Tourny Fountain can be seen in the center, but it seems to suffer from inadequate water pressure. Indeed, we have seen much more spectacular water jets with this fountain.
The photo was taken using a miniature tripod and a Canon 85mm f/1.2L II USM lens mounted on a Canon 5DSr.
Click on the link for more pictures of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in the spring on my blog.
A sixteen year old Canon 14mm f/2.8 L lens that was narrowly saved from the garbage allowed me to take this wide angle photo of the Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral in Old Quebec.
The visit being improvised, I did not have a tripod. So, I put the full frame camera Canon 5DSr directly on the ground. However, the lens was pointing straight ahead, preventing me from capturing the architecture and colors of the vault. I put my wallet and the lens cap on the floor to provide support for the camera to point towards the ceiling. Considering the circumstances, the result could have been worse.
Two months earlier, this 2007 Canon 14mm lens broke and could not focus automatically or manually anymore. I had sent it to Canon in Toronto. The company had written back that the lens was beyond repair and that I would unfortunately have to get a new one, at an estimated cost of $2700.
With nothing left to lose, I took the chance to have it repaired in Quebec City in a small workshop that repairs just about everything. The technician only needed a few hours of work on the lens and I received a bill for $200 plus taxes.
It was explained to me that the big camera companies do not repair equipment that is fifteen years old or more: they declare it “irreparable” when a few hours are all it takes for an experienced and competent technician to do the job.
The breakdown came just in time as the technician retired within a few weeks…
Click on the link for more pictures of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in the spring on my blog.
The Pileated Woodpecker has a height of 48 centimeters. The work it did on this tree in Sillery, in Quebec City, caused damage over a meter long. But the tree was already in bad shape, as the bird naturally chooses the trunks that are easiest to perforate. Let’s just say that after this Pileated Woodpecker is done with the tree, the owner will have to prune his tree for safety.
Above is a glimpse of the wood shavings gathering at the bottom of the tree as the Pileated Woodpecker gets busy.
Click on the link for more pictures of Quebec City in winter on my blog.
The Old Quebec in winter is always exciting to photograph. The continually changing weather presents new opportunities that must be seized. Moreover, for the same weather system, each hour that passes also offers a different luminosity. The photographer is spoilt for choice.
For the picture above, taken with a Canon 5DSr, I positioned myself in a place that is normally off-limits during winter. That’s why you can only see my footprints in the snow. But hey! The risk was minimal and the angle of view perfect to capture the Château Frontenac.
The street lamp emits a light that needs to be corrected in the camera. Instead of “AWB”, select “tungsten”. This adjustment allows you to reflect exactly what you see, rather than ending up with tones that are too contrasty. HDR photography allows for some correction of large contrasts in brightness.
The lights on the roof of the Chateau Frontenac illuminate the snow falling around the building. This snow makes for interesting sky tones, even though the blue hour has long since passed.
In terms of the photographic composition, the low wall and fence serve as the entry point into the photo. The lamp post is located at a point respecting the rule of thirds. The building on the right blocks the view and invites the eye to continue its exploration to the left of the photo, which leads the viewer to the Chateau Frontenac.
The photo below, taken a few minutes later, uses the stairs as an entry point into the photo to quickly lead the eye to the Château Frontenac. In this case, a vertical format lends itself better to the scene.
The snow on the railings and steps adds an alternating black and white effect. Otherwise, everything would be quite dark and we would lose a little interest. A nearby street lamp provides enough ambient light to illuminate the scene; however, I was careful not to include the light source directly in the photo, as it distracts the viewer from the main subject.
In winter as well as in summer, I use a tripod to reduce camera shake and improve resolution in low light conditions.
Click on the link for more pictures of Quebec City in winter on my blog.
There are many beautiful flowers at the Domaine Cataraqui in Quebec City. While examining the interior of a flower from close up, I noticed a very active ant which eventually stopped moving long enough for me to take a chance at macro photography. I used an old Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM lens and got an interesting result.
Click on the link for articles on macro photography on my blog.
An alley cat that has been in a few fights, judging from its bruised eye. Surprised by the sound of the camera’s shutter release, he stopped dead in his tracks, assessed the danger, and continued on his way.
I framed the animal tightly to avoid visual distractions. The ball in the background represents leisure time, while the cat is in a totally different mindset: he must fight and find his food.
Click on the following link for more street photography on my blog.