A vintage car show is held every year in Quebec City on St.Paul street and surroundings. About a hundred cars, as well as a few motorcycles, can be admired by the amateurs during a weekend in September. The picture above represents a 1958 Oldmobile 98.
A Mercury Parklane 25th Marauder 1964 and its owner Clément Allard on St.Paul street in Quebec City.
Above, 81-year-old owner Clement Allard, a former businessman, proudly poses next to his 1964 Mercury Parklane 25th Marauder that he acquired at an auction in Detroit. Taking the time to talk to the owners is part of the fun: it helps to understand what they went through in order to finally get their car.
Plymouth Superbird 1970 Road Runner on St.Paul street in Québec City.
This year, the owner of the Bistro St-Malo on St-Paul Street had the idea of putting a hot plate outside his business and offering hamburgers and hot dogs at a very low price to satisfy the hunger of walkers. He spent the rest of the afternoon catering to the high demand. This first initiative could encourage other restaurant owners on St-Paul Street to imitate the gesture next year and thus improve the offer. Above is a 1970 Plymouth Superbird (Road Runner) parked on St-Paul Street. A car similar to this one just got sold at the Barret-Jackson auction for $1.65 million.
Une voiture de collection Chevrolet Belair 1956 à Québec en 2022.
At the 2022 Quebec City classic car show, the owner of the 1956 Chevrolet Belair above had the idea of including a tray with a meal and bill, as was done in those days. He could have filled his car with gas for the amount we pay today for the same meal and dessert.
Exhibition of antique cars in Quebec City. Chevrolet 1940 Coupe Special Deluxe 2 Doors.
A very nice retired teacher from Saguenay has owned this 1940 Chevrolet Coupe Special Deluxe 2 door for decades. Below, a close-up view showing the details of the wheels. The green color of the neighboring vehicle is reflected on the chrome.
Details of a Chevrolet 1940 Coupe Special Deluxe’s wheel.
Study on reflections on a Chevrolet 1940 Coupe Special Deluxe
I used the reflections on this 1940 Chevrolet Coupe Special Deluxe for the last picture of this series on the old cars of Quebec in 2022. You can see both the walkers in the reflections on the side doors and the photographer at work in the back of the car. It is not a face superimposed on the fender thanks to Photoshop or other software, but the quality of waxing and maintenance that made this result possible.
Saint-Nicolas is full of quality blueberry fields. While the family is having fun picking the delicious berries, I take the opportunity to do a little photography and try to create something other than a traditional photo of a blueberry plant. The right light and a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM macro lens are a good start to maximize the chances of success.
Arriving at the time of the season when the blueberries are not all mature makes it possible to capture several colors. The next step is to choose a plant with healthy flowers and fruit, because in macro photography a damaged plant is magnified several times and the defects become distracting.
Finally, it is necessary to take several pictures with different apertures. We must find the right balance. A bush with too much detail may become conventional, while too many blurred areas lose interest because the eye does not know where and what to look at.
An American Robin and its fledgling in Sillery, Quebec City.
In Quebec City, an American Robin came to make its nest near our back door. Since it had been there brooding without giving birth to anything, we were beginning to believe that the mother was sterile.
Major construction work was to begin shortly at our home and would last a few weeks. We were almost glad that no chicks were born, as this would simplify the transportation of materials.
A day before the renovations were to begin, the first chick was born. From then on, all construction workers would have to be blocked off and asked to make a detour each time they needed to take scraps out of the house or bring in new material.
All labor groups agreed to our request without a second thought. For two weeks, electricians, plumbers, floor layers, delivery people and installers of all kinds came and went, sometimes asking for updates on the condition of the mother and her chicks.
In Quebec City, three two week old American Robins.
The photo above shows the three chicks one day before they fledge. The lack of light due to the location of the nest, as well as the desire not to disturb the fledglings, necessitated the use of a powerful telephoto lens and a camera capable of cropping without loss of quality. A full-frame cameraCanon 5DSR with a Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM telephoto made the job easy. The ISO was set to 200 and I severely limited the depth of field to get the best possible shutter speed to avoid motion blur.
This morning, all the birds had left the nest. The parents were flying around nervously, attacking predators while the young were quickly learning to become independent. The blue jay that regularly visits us for its “dish of the day” was denied access to the backyard by both parents.
There are now three new American Robin in the area and it is almost certain that the mother will return next year to the same location, given the success this year.
The Turner Exhibition at the MNBAQ in Quebec City in 2021.
Before winter 2021 officially ends, here are some photos taken around the MNBAQ (Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec) while there is still snow on the ground and on tree branches. In the spring of 2021, the Museum hosted the exhibition by British painter J.M.W. Turner.
A section of the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec (MNBAQ) in winter.
The architectural design of the MNBAQ, in combination with the contrast between the blue and yellow tones, caught my attention. The scene is partially framed by two trees. The passerby in the center adds a touch of humanity.
The “blue hour”, that special moment of the day, in a park near the MNBAQ.
The photo above was taken during the “blue hour“, near the MNBAQ. The citizens have deserted the park and are back inside, as shown here with the building in the background, with almost all its floors now lighted.
I considered it important to include the nice trees around the museum in all three shots.
The picture above, taken with a Canon 5DS R full frame camera equipped with a Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens was taken in the Fall morning in Quebec City, after a night with frost. The Russian Mountain Ash berries have not yet been eaten by all kinds of birds, so we can use them for our bird photography session before it is too late.
In anticipation of the cold winter days, I designed a retractable feeder to help the family of five blue jays which lives in the neighborhood. I thought it would take several days for them to get to grips with the new system, but in less than 24 hours, they were gleefully stuffing themselves.
Blue Jay eating peanuts
The five blue jays each have a well-defined behavior. I have one who accepts to eat peanuts in my hands, but he mistakes my fingertips for the tip of a peanut. He pulls but nothing helps : the peanut does not follow. He probably suffers from myopia…
There is another who spends his time changing his mind; he chooses a peanut, then puts it back in the pot, then chooses another. After procrastinating and swapping the peanuts multiple times, he flies away. Another is an aerobatic ace; it arrives at high speed and catches peanuts in a fraction of a second without stopping. It rarely drops it.
Hermit Thrush in a Russian Mountain Ash.
During this time, the Hermit Thrush in the tree continues to taste the small red berries, indifferent to the activities of the blue jays.
Blue jay and Russian Mountain Ash. Autumn 2020 in Quebec City.
Every Autumn, a Blue Jay lands on our patio knowing he can stock up for the winter. After hearing his calls, I quickly get the peanuts and the camera.
The pictures were taken with a Canon EOS 5DS R which allows significant cropping without loss of quality. In the photo above, the branches of the Russian Mountain Ash surround the bird and provide a natural setting.
I place the peanuts in front of the tree, just to include a few small red fruits in the photographic composition.
Blue jay with a peanut in front of a Russian Mountain Ash. Quebec City 2020.
Capturing the blue jay in flight is a bit more difficult, but in the digital age and with a Canon EF 70-200mm f / 2.8L IS II USM lens, photographing birds in flight is made much easier. The photo below was taken with a shutter speed of 1/8000, an aperture of 4.0, and an ISO set at 1250.
Blue Jay in flight. Quebec City 2020.
I have yet to see a Blue Jay eat the fruits of our Russian Mountain Ash. On the other hand, the ravens of the neighborhood have no problem with them.
In Quebec City, a few floors of the Hôtel Le Concorde receive patients recovering from the coronavirus.
Hôtel Le Concorde and the rooms reserved for patients who had to deal with the coronavirus.
Within seconds of taking this photo of the hotel, a Corona delivery truck appeared in front of the hotel. It was just a coincidence. But somebody was in need of the Mexican serum!
Hôtel Le Concorde and the Corona delivery truck.
Speaking of coronavirus (COVID-19), I was recently at Costco and was wearing a protective mask. I heard some people near me say: “I don’t see why he’s wearing a mask, it doesn’t even protect him!” I tried to explain to them that I was wearing the mask to protect the people around me, but that did not convince anyone. It seems that taking selfless action to protect others is inconceivable. The purpose of wearing a mask is to protect the neighbors. And if the neighbors wear one too, they protect me. The more we wear the mask, the more we protect each other. We help each other. However, it seems to be a surprisingly difficult concept to grasp!
At the entrance of a huge garden store, a lady refused to rub her hands with gel. She said to the clerk: “No way am I putting liquid germicide on my hands, it’s not good for my health.” The clerk was very nice and replied: “Okay, so come in with me and wash your hands inside with soap and water.” She had no choice because she would not have been allowed to shop. This is another example of a human behavior that is hard to understand. If she was so interested in her health, taking care of her weight situation would have been more sensible than to focus on a bit of liquid germicide.
