The small portable tripod that I carried during the photo session made my life much easier, because the lack of light required a fairly long exposure and a total absence of movement. In the background, you can see the Hotel Le Concorde Québec and its revolving restaurant.
The Joan of Arc Garden in Quebec City on the night of St-Jean-Baptiste 2022.
In the center of the garden is a large monument of Joan of Arc by American sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington and donated by her and her husband Archer Huntington in 1938.
Several publications and websites state that the donors of this statue are anonymous. This possibly adds a bit of mystery to this beautiful work, but nonetheless shadows the gift the couple gave in honor of the patriotism and courage of the fighters of the battles of 1759 and 1760.
Both photos were taken with a Canon 5DSr full frame camera equipped with a Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8L II USM lens. Click on the link for more pictures of Quebec City in Summer on my blog.
The historic area of Brockville in Ontario is surprising for its architecture, its large mature trees and the presence of a very well-planned marina. At the end of each day, many vehicles come to park along the boardwalk which provides a beautiful view of the St. Lawrence River near the Thousand Islands Archipelago.
The photo above shows one of these old buildings covered with ivy and other vines. The unstable weather on this day allowed us to capture a towering cumulus cloud (TCU) in the background, which adds to the overall atmosphere.
Isolated tree near the historic area of Brockville in Ontario.
While walking around the historic district of Brockville, we spotted this huge tree standing alone at the curb. Although it is not protected by other trees in the area to endure the storms and high winds over the years, it managed to survive and reach maturity without too much damage.
Both pictures were taken with a Canon 5DSr full frame camera.
The great economic crisis of 1929 affected many wealthy families in Quebec City. A decade later, at the time of the Second World War, it was again possible to get rich thanks to the ammunition industry.
The black and white photo above shows the old cartridge factory still standing in Quebec City. In the foreground, an advertisement reminds us that “a picture is worth a thousand words…”. A happy coincidence!
Cycling around L’Îsle-aux-Coudres is a good exercise and even a photography project for landscape photography enthusiasts. The following information will therefore help you both for the exercise and for planning a photography trip …
The ferry is taken at St-Joseph-de-la-Rive, just down the Côte des Éboulements. Transportation is free, but make sure you’re in the queue thirty minutes before departure: if you make it at the last minute, you’ll have to take the next ferry, an hour later. The trip only takes about 15 minutes to L’Îsle-aux-Coudres.
Once you have reached the island with the car, you drive up the hill (no other choice) to the first intersection and you immediately see a church on the left: this is where motorists carrying bicycles park, free of charge.
Man relaxing at L’Isle-aux-Coudres in 2021.
Cycling around L’Îsle-aux-Coudres is not really difficult, as the distance to be covered is only 23 kilometers. There are only a few hills to climb and they can be walked up alongside the bike if the challenge is too great. Along the route you will find rest stops, small craft shops and a few restaurants.
Bank of L’Îsle-aux-Coudres 2021.
Driving around the island in the low season is ideal if you don’t enjoy driving in the presence of too many cars. I was there in September and really wasn’t bothered by traffic. The photo above shows the view in the fall, from the south side of the island. For several kilometers, the cyclist enjoys a perfect view of the St. Lawrence River and the road is directly on the edge of the banks.
The Îsle-aux-Coudres region in 2021.
There are some beautiful views along the way. Above, a view of the distant mountains that lie on the north shore of the St. Lawrence.
The MSC Annick vessel in front of l’Îsle-aux-Coudres in 2021.
Wind is the main factor to consider when traveling around the island. In the photo above, the wind is strong enough for the smoke from the MSC Annick ship’s chimney to flow in the same direction as the boat, rather than gradually drifting astern.
This means that on days with high winds, there is a side of the island where you will have to put more effort as a cyclist, but you will then be rewarded with a good tail wind in the second portion of the journey.
Effect of the wind on the cirrus clouds over Baie St-Paul in 2021.
One last photo taken on the return trip by ferry. Strong winds aloft visibly have an effect on cloud structure.
Have a good ride, and possibly a good photo shoot!
A part of the promenade Samuel-De Champlain in winter by -27C.
The photo above shows a portion of the promenade Samuel-De Champlain in Quebec City. People are walking under a temperature of -27 C, but the windchill factor is actually more like -40 C.
Where I was standing, a cliff was blocking the last sunrays. But a little further, the perfectly clear sky and the sun setting diretly in the axis of the St-Lawrence River allowed to obtain amazing color contrasts.
The promenade Samuel-De Champlain with the Adobe “Content Aware” function.
I used the first photo above to familiarize myself with Adobe CC 2022. The software’s “content aware fill ” feature allows you to quickly erase elements of a photo without it being too noticeable. So, I tried the experiment with the person in the foreground. In a few seconds, the lady disappeared without a trace. Artificial intelligence now plays an increasingly important role in the fast and efficient editing of images.
Sillery was a formerly self-governing municipality that is now part of Quebec City. The architecture of the houses that have been built there in recent years contrasts greatly in style and format with the older dwellings.
The more recent constructions are somewhat surprising in their gigantic size. The new owners want buildings with a modern look and very imposing dimensions, sometimes doubling and even tripling the size of the traditional homes in the area.
The photo below shows the difference in size between a traditional property (on the far right of the photo) and a more modern home.
Modern Sillery house in winter, 2022.
Below, a traditional house in Sillery simply decorated for the holiday season. The blue light of the little tree is reflected on the front of the house and it looks really nice.
Traditional Sillery house in Québec City 2022.
The traditional house above and its Christmas decorations contrast strongly with another one two streets away (photo below). It’s hard to miss the house (of which we can only see one section) and especially the huge tree decorated in its entirety and which must have required the use of a crane equipped with a telescopic arm.
Modern Sillery house with Christmas decorations in 2022.
A final photo (below) shows another traditional house in Sillery with interesting architecture.
The old and the new are in stark contrast in the area, so I thought it was important to capture some memories of properties with unique architecture before they disappear to make way for modernity. Because today, the fashion favors demolition rather than renovation.
Traditional house of Sillery in Québec City with Christmas decorations. in 2022.
The pictures are from a Canon 5DSR full frame camera with a Canon EF 24-70 lens, all mounted on a tripod to avoid blur. The ISO was set to 200, in order to limit the photographic grain.
Winter view of the houses on Couillard street in Old Québec in winter. The photo was taken in the middle of the afternoon. The light is still good enough to illuminate all buildings without creating reflections that are too strong in places where the sun hits the houses directly.
Unusual cirrus cloud in an autumn landscape near Saint-Léon-de-Standon.
The photo above was taken in the vicinity of Saint-Léon-de-Standon, in the province of Quebec, in the fall of 2021.
I often stop to photograph the beautiful automn colors, but this time the scene had an added interest: a semi-circular cirrus cloud to be included in the photographic composition.
Of all the cirriform clouds in the region that day, this one stood out in a remarkable way. It was the first time that I could observe this high-altitude cloud with such a peculiar shape. All you had to do was position yourself correctly so that the cloud was above the house in the photo …
The above photo was taken while returning from a photography session in the Jacques-Cartier National Park on Route 175, near Quebec City. The rapid drop in temperatures in the early evening allowed the rapid formation of low clouds in the valley. The autumn colors and the effects of the setting sun on the clouds help bring the landscape to life. Landscape photography is often the result of careful planning; but one should not overlook unforeseen opportunities, as is the case here.
Route 175 is heavily used by semi-trailer trucks for trips between Québec and Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. So I waited a bit for an eighteen wheeler to get close enough to include it in the photo.
The Promenade Samuel-De Champlain seen from the Quebec Bridge in 2021.
Crossing the Quebec Bridge by bike allows you to stop and admire the surroundings at will, while observing the maritime traffic up close.
In the photo above, part of the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain is visible from the bridge. As for the photographic composition (for those interested), part of the bridge is included in the photo’s foreground to add to the height effect. The path to the right of the promenade, with its pronounced curves, also helps to energize the scene. I think it was a prime location, but tastes are debatable!
The Federal Clyde and MSC Brianna vessels on the St.Lawrence Seaway near the Quebec Bridge in 2021.
At the time of passage of the Federal Clyde and MSC Brianna vesselsunder the Quebec Bridge, the sound of the large diesel engines was clearly perceptible and it was even possible to feel the vibrations of the engines retransmitted into the metal structure of the bridge.
Inspection of the Québec Bridge in 2021.
Above, an employee inspects the structure of an aging Quebec Bridge. Good risk management in this case is to rely on a part of the bridge that has not aged prematurely.
Inspection of the Québec Bridge. July 29th 2021.
The wide-angle lens of the Canon 5DSr gives a better idea of the delicate position in which inspectors find themselves when they are evaluating the work to be carried out on the Quebec Bridge. It’s not a job for everyone …
