Category: Photos of Canada

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Photos of Canada

A Cooper’s hawk in flight.

Cooper's hawk in flight in British Columbia, Canada.
Cooper’s hawk in flight in British Columbia, Canada.

At first glance, you don’t know what to look for. Nature’s mimicry has done its work. Then the Cooper’s hawk appears, wings outstretched, flying in our direction.

I took the photo in a British Columbia park. The RAW file makes it possible to correct areas that are too light or really dark, but you still have to respect the bird’s ability to blend in with the landscape. By over-lightening the bird, we take it out of the environment where it hides to watch its prey.

The fact that the hawk is advancing rapidly towards the camera makes it difficult to focus, especially through high light contrasts. The result is a slight blurring of the head, which is easily corrected by artificial intelligence.

A Cooper's hawk is airborne in Oak Bay, British Columbia.
A Cooper’s hawk is airborne in Oak Bay, British Columbia.

Several companies sell a product capable or claiming to be capable of correcting blurred areas. As far as I’m concerned, I use Topaz AI. All you have to do is position the cursor on the spot where a slight improvement is desired and you’re done.

However, don’t expect miracles with such software. The photo has to be good enough for the program to make a tiny improvement.

Click on the link for more photos of Canada on my blog.

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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Transat Québec Saint-Malo 2024 and the sailboat La Boulangère Bio.

Transat Québec Saint-Malo 2024 and the Château Frontenac
Transat Québec Saint-Malo 2024 and the Château Frontenac

Above, a view of Cap Diamant and the Château Frontenac as the Transat Québec Saint-Malo 2024 gets underway. You can see the water jets and the Volendam, a cruise ship anchored at the Port of Quebec.

La Boulangère Bio sailboat on the St.Lawrence River during the Transat Québec St-Malo en 2024
La Boulangère Bio sailboat on the St.Lawrence River during the Transat Québec St-Malo en 2024

The photo above shows the sailboat La Boulangère Bio on the St. Lawrence River off Île d’Orléans. Skipper Amélie Grassi is originally from France, more specifically La Rochelle. She achieves excellent results in most of the races she takes part in.

In the background is the 150 MW Massif du Sud wind farm, which supplies electricity to Hydro-Québec.

Click on the links for more photos of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in Summer and for photos of the province of Quebec on my blog.

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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Transat Quebec Saint-Malo 2024 and the Atlas Ocean Racing yacht.

The Atlas Ocean Racing sailboat during the Transat Québec St-Malo 2024
The Atlas Ocean Racing sailboat during the Transat Québec St-Malo 2024

This photo shows the Atlas Ocean Racing sailboat during the Transat Quebec Saint-Malo as it passes near Île d’Orléans near Quebec City. Skipper Gilles Barbot is a French Canadian of Breton origin who now lives in Montreal. All crew members are Canadian, from the province of Quebec.

The Transat Québec Saint-Malo 2024 observed from Île d'Orléans.
The Transat Québec Saint-Malo 2024 observed from Île d’Orléans.

Curious onlookers set up here and there along the south shore of Île d’Orléans to watch the sailboats that left Quebec City an hour ago.

Rotor clouds and lenticular clouds over the St.Lawrence River during the Transat Québec Saint-Malo 2024.
Rotor clouds and lenticular clouds over the St.Lawrence River during the Transat Québec Saint-Malo 2024.

Off Île d’Orléans, lenticular clouds and a small rotor cloud are visible. They are formed by strong wind aloft that is crossing the mountain range north of the St. Lawrence River.

P.S. After many days of racing, the results are now known. It is the Atlas Ocean Racing‘s team that arrived first in St-Malo, France.

Click on the link for more photos of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in Summer as well as photos of the province of Quebec on my blog.

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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Transat Québec Saint-Malo 2024 and the Martinique Tchalian.

The Martinique Tchalian sailboat and the Volendam during the Transat Québec Saint-Malo 2024
The Martinique Tchalian sailboat and the Volendam during the Transat Québec Saint-Malo 2024

Above, the sailboat Martinique Tchalian in the Transat Québec Saint-Malo 2024. Piloted by Jean-Yves Aglae, Jean-Marie Hervé and Moane Mangattale, the boat is off Île d’Orléans as the cruise ship Volendam approaches on its way to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

The Martinique Tchalian sailboat between the Alerce and the Frankopan during the Transat Québec Saint-Malo 2024.
The Martinique Tchalian sailboat between the Alerce and the Frankopan during the Transat Québec Saint-Malo 2024.

Above, the Martinique Tchalian is in the area of Berthier-sur-Mer, near two ships, the Alerce (on the left in the photo) and the Frankopan. In this section of the St. Lawrence River, the channel is narrow, and ships must use it to sail upstream to the Great Lakes.

The Alerce is a bulk carrier heading for the Port of Quebec, from the Port of Jorf Lasfar (MA JFL) in Morocco. The Frankopan tanker left the Port of Sainte Victoire in Quebec (CA SVD) a few hours ago, and is heading for the Port of Houston in the USA (US HOU).  

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

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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Transat Québec St-Malo 2024 and cruise ships.

Sailboat and cruise ship Volendam on the St.Lawrence Seaway near Île d'Orléans during the Transat Québec St-Malo 2024.
Sailboat and cruise ship Volendam on the St.Lawrence Seaway near Île d’Orléans during the Transat Québec St-Malo 2024.

Marine traffic off Quebec City was blocked in anticipation of the departure of the Transat Québec Saint-Malo 2024. As soon as the sailboats got a head start, cargo and cruise ships summarized their operations on the St. Lawrence River. Pictured above is the Volendam rounding Île d’Orléans near Quebec City. It is heading for Charlottetown, capital of Prince Edward Island in Canada.

Its captain appears to put a little pressure on the captain of the sailing vessel ahead, but this is in fact an optical illusion caused by compressed perspective. In fact, I took the photo when the ship was still a long way off. I brought the subject closer using a Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM lens, followed by a major crop from a 50.6 megapixel photo.

Click on the link for more photos of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in Summer, as well as photos of the province of Quebec on my blog.

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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Thunderstorm at the start of the Transat Québec St-Malo 2024.

Thunderstorm at the start of the Transat Québec St-Malo 2024.
Thunderstorm at the start of the Transat Québec St-Malo 2024.

The tenth Transat Québec St-Malo on June 30, 2024 got underway with very unstable weather conditions, including a thunderstorm that forced a postponement of the start. While this weather temporarily disrupted the sailors’ plans, it delighted the photographers who came to capture the event. Above, a view of Quebec City taken from Île d’Orléans.

Click on the link for more photos of the province of Quebec and the Quebec City/Ile d’Orléans region in Summer on my blog.

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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

The parc national de la Jacques-Cartier in Spring (2)

Fishing in the Jacques-Cartier national park in Spring in Québec.
Fishing in the Jacques-Cartier national park in Spring in Québec.

A fisherman sits quietly in the river of the Jacques-Cartier national park  casting his line, while his companion watches from the shore. Here, everyone has as much space as they want to enjoy their hobby.

Some photographers use Photoshop’s “dehaze” function to keep the background sharp to infinity. I prefer to retain the natural feel of the scene. The violet-blue landscape visible at the top of the shot helps to capture the distance.

Forest in the Jacques-Cartier national park in Spring in Québec 2024.
Forest in the Jacques-Cartier national park in Spring in Québec 2024.

People prepare for their outing in the huge ancestral canoe known as a rabaska. In the foreground, but no longer visible in the photo, was originally a group of vacationers launching an inflatable raft. But all these people were distracting from the main subject. Tight framing eliminated this obstacle.

Nature in the Jacques-Cartier National Park in Québec.
Nature in the Jacques-Cartier National Park in Québec.

I use the frame-within-a-frame technique to present the multicolored reflections of the river in the photo above. There’s blue, orange and green, outlined by two vertical trunks on either side of the photo and an oblique branch at the top.

I use the same technique in the shot below, but in a less obvious way, as the frame in the foreground remains blurred. Attention is immediately drawn to the canoeists who are just finishing their trip and getting ready to dock.

Canoeing on the Jacques-Cartier river in Québec 2024
Canoeing on the Jacques-Cartier river in Québec 2024

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

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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Spring in Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier.

Spring in the Parc National de la Jacques-Cartier in Québec.
Spring in the Parc National de la Jacques-Cartier in Québec.

Normally, a 3:2 or 4:3 ratio is used to display in vertical mode. But the 16:9 aspect ratio of the photo above shows both the reverberations in the water and a significant portion of the landscape. So, whatever the conventions and what makes purists happy, we use what does justice to our first impression.

What caught my eye in this scene? The very wide range of green tones, the alternation of light and shade in the landscape and the reflections, the roundness of the deciduous trees and the tips of the conifers, the atmosphere of the place and, last but not least, the human presence. All this can be seen in a fraction of a second, and the shot is taken before the canoe enters the shaded area on the left.

Historic lodge in Spring in the Jacques-Cartier national park in Québec.
Historic lodge in Spring in the Jacques-Cartier national park in Québec.

The photo above shows a historic chalet in Jacques-Cartier National Park in Spring. It’s no longer available for rent, but it’s a great asset for photography enthusiasts. At this location, paddleboarding is safe thanks to a very weak current.

Tourist attraction in the Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier in Québec.
Tourist attraction in the Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier in Québec.

On the same day and on the same river, but a few kilometers upstream, a group of people attempt their first descent in an inflatable boat on a rougher stretch of water.

The first group takes the plunge, while the second watches, waiting its turn and trying to learn from the others’ mistakes. Occasionally, paddlers get stuck on top of a flat rock flush with the water, and have to use their initiative to free themselves and continue their journey. Sometimes canoeists find themselves in the water, and Sépaq staff  have to help them out.

Click on the links for more photos and other articles about the province of Quebec.

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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

A Spring day in 2024 on Île d’Orléans.

Profiting from the strong winds at île d'Orléans 2024
Profiting from the strong winds at île d’Orléans 2024

A single-day visit to Île d’Orléans for a photography session was enough to capture a wide variety of cloudy conditions in April 2024. In spring, when unstable, humid air crosses the mountain range north of the St. Lawrence River, you can expect anything on the island. Above, a kitesurfing enthusiast practises his art between localized showers. All he cares about is strong winds.

Coloured houses of Île d'Orléans. Spring 2024.
Coloured houses of Île d’Orléans. Spring 2024.

A few kilometers from route du Mitan, colourful houses and a bit of blue-sky contrast with the showers elsewhere on the island. You can see that the cloud layer in the distance is not very thick.

Looking north from île d'Orléans, Spring 2024.
Looking north from île d’Orléans, Spring 2024.

Above, a towering cumulus (TCU) approaches the St. Lawrence River in the late afternoon from the north. It is likely to cross the river towards the island, if it has not lost some of its strength, in the meantime, due to subsidence, the phenomenon that forces air to compress and warm as it is forced down a mountain range.

Sailboats on île d'Orléans. Spring 2024.
Sailboats on île d’Orléans. Spring 2024.

The shape of the clouds in the photo above gives a good indication of the strength of today’s winds. You can hear it whistling through the ropes and between the masts of the sailboats at the marina in the municipality of St-Jean, île d’Orléans. At the time of my visit, some owners were preparing their boats for the warmer periods of May.

A house on île d'Orléans, Spring 2024.
A house on île d’Orléans, Spring 2024.

I really like the scene above, but I admit that some might find it dark, if not sinister. It was this slightly disturbing aspect that caught my attention and that I tried to capture.

A boat requires repainting on île d'Orléans, Spring 2024.
A boat requires repainting on île d’Orléans, Spring 2024.

In this last photo, the sky is practically clear. It is then easier to obtain better contrasts. A pseudo-HDR treatment brings out the paintwork on a boat that has seen better years.

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

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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 Québec 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.