Tag: architecture and photography

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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Old Quebec in photos (1)

Old Quebec during Spring 2024
Old Quebec during Spring 2024

Above, a view of the Sainte-Famille Street in Old Quebec with, on the right, a section of the government office of the Centre de la Francophonie des Amériques.  

The curb in the lower left corner of the photo serves as a prompt to integrate the scene. The door covers the first right-hand third of the photographic composition, preventing the observer from moving too quickly into the background. The rounded shape of the door and the old stones manage to occupy almost 50% of the image, while the rest shows an entire artery, mountains and a portion of the sky.

To energize the scene, I waited for an automobile to drive down the street.

The Basilique-cathédrale Notre-Dame de Québec and the Price building in Old Québec.
The Basilique-cathédrale Notre-Dame de Québec and the Price building in Old Québec.

Dating back to 1647, this Basilica-Cathedral has been renovated on several occasions and includes a historic crypt and holy door, attracting believers from all over the world.

Note that in this shot, the close-up of the tower does not prevent us from obtaining perfectly vertical lines, which are usually difficult to achieve in photography. This result is due to the use of a Canon EF 11–24 mm F/4L USM ultra-wide-angle lens, the only one on the market that allows such results without correction and without the fisheye effect taking over.

The Basilique-cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Québec in Old Quebec.
The Basilique-cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Québec in Old Quebec.

Above is the Basilica-Cathedral seen from another angle.

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

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Photography Photos of Quebec

Photographing Old Quebec.

An Old Quebec view with the Château Frontenac in the distance using a Canon 11-24mm zoom lens.
An Old Quebec view with the Château Frontenac in the distance using a Canon 11-24mm zoom lens.

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.

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Photography Photos of Quebec

Station de la Plage, Québec City.

Building architecture at the "station de la Plage", Quebec City.
Building architecture at the “station de la Plage”, Quebec City.

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.

Station de la Plage in Quebec City
Station de la Plage in Quebec City

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.

Raised deck at "station de la Plage", Québec City.
Raised deck at “station de la Plage”, Québec City.

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.

Trees used to lock bikes at the station de la Plage in Quebec City.
Trees used to lock bikes at the station de la Plage in Quebec City.

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.

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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Old Quebec in Summer.

Summer 2023 in Old Quebec.
Summer 2023 in Old Quebec.

Some companies organize themed guided tours of Old Quebec at dusk in summer. The guides dress up in costume and regularly follow the same routes. With a little patience, a lantern-wielding person can be included in a photo, as well as the old stone houses and the Château Frontenac. This adds another interesting detail to the scene.

The picture above presented several challenges, some of which have been solved. Ideally, the HDR method would have provided a better control of luminosity, but the hostess holding the lantern would have disappeared in the process carried out by the Photomatix software. This person played an important role in the scene, so I decided to take just one shot, but in RAW format to optimize the sky light correction in post-processing.

I wanted to use the smallest aperture possible to get a precise focus from the foreground to the Château Frontenac. But due to the lack of adequate light and the movement of people towards the camera, I had to maintain a sufficient shutter speed, even at ISO 6400. Unfortunately, the aperture suffered a little.

So, this is a photo full of compromises, where you do the best you can with the situation and the photographic equipment available.

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

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Photography Photos of Quebec

A Canon lens avoids the garbage.

The Basilique-Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Québec , April 28th 2023.
The Basilique-Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Québec , April 28th 2023.

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.

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Photography Photos of Quebec

Old Quebec in winter.

Old Quebec, winter 2023.
Old Quebec, winter 2023.

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 Château Frontenac, winter 2023.
The Château Frontenac, winter 2023.

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.

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Photos of Quebec

Houses of Old Quebec in Winter.

Old Quebec houses during winter 2022
Old Quebec houses during winter 2022

I took this picture of the houses in Old Quebec one day before the great storm of December 23, 2022 that left hundreds of thousands of Quebecers without electricity. At the time the picture was taken, the winds were already blowing pretty hard and the windchill factor was around -20C. The tripod had to be held securely to avoid unnecessary vibrations.

The scene captured during the “blue hour” consists of three photos superimposed in order to obtain an HDR result .

As I finished the shoot, I saw a young couple walking up the snowy slope in the foreground in the photo above. The young man approached me and asked me to make a video of the proposal he was about to make to his girlfriend on his cell phone. She didn’t know anything about it.

He got down on one knee, proposed and she said yes. Then came the ring, the kisses and hugs. Without gloves to hold the cell phone for several minutes, I was hoping for the most concise ceremony possible. A few moments later, half frozen, he came back to get his cell phone. Everything had gone as he had planned. You never know what to expect when you go out for a photo shoot!

Click on the link for more pictures of Old Quebec in Winter.

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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

From Domaine Cataraqui to Old Quebec

Stairs of the Cataraqui Domain in HDR in autumn
Stairs of the Cataraqui Domain in HDR in autumn

Want to try an out-of-the-ordinary excursion in the Quebec City area? Here is an idea: if you have a car, start by parking (for free) in one of the spaces available at Domaine Cataraqui. The new staircase designed in 2022 in the forest behind the domain allows you to go from the heights of Sillery to the bottom of the cliff giving access to the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain (Note, however, that the Promenade is not maintained in winter). Walking from this point to the Petit-Champlain   district in Old Quebec takes two hours, without hurrying. If you do it in the Autumn, you may even be able to see the cruise ships.

A section of the Caribbean Princess cruise ship, docked in the Québec City harbour in 2022.
A section of the Caribbean Princess cruise ship, docked in the Québec City harbour in 2022.

The photo above shows a section of the Caribbean Princess cruise ship moored in the port of Quebec. When it comes to a floating hotel, this ship is a good example.

A section of the Château Frontenac, in Old Québec.
A section of the Château Frontenac, in Old Québec.
Price building and houses in Old Quebec 2022
Price building and houses in Old Quebec 2022

You now have the option of staying in Old Quebec for as long as you wish, and then take St. Jean Street and walk a few minutes to Place d’Youville to take bus #25 which will bring you back comfortably on St-Louis Street, at a stop very close to the place where you parked your car initially.

You will have had a great day that allowed you to exercise, see the St. Lawrence Seaway and the beauties of Old Quebec. All this for the price of a bus ticket ($4.00).

Have a good walk!

Click on the link for more pictures of Quebec City in Autumn on my blog.

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Photos of Quebec

The architecture of Quebec City in photography.

Fontaine de Tourny and the Quebec National Assembly building.
Fontaine de Tourny and the Quebec National Assembly building.

The fontaine de Tourny and the parliament building in Quebec City are often photographed separately. This can give very good results. However, the visual impact can be increased by combining the two architectural styles in close proximity in the same photo.

By paying attention to the photographic composition, I sought a balance while creating a tension between the two works. In the scene above, the fountain and the Parliament building appear to be of similar height. The vertical axis of the center of the Parliament tower is about the same distance from the right side of the photo as the vertical axis of the fountain is from the left side. This is close to the rule of thirds, but not dogmatically so. Both works are deliberately framed tightly.

Other elements contribute to the interest of the scene. First of all, each architectural work has a specific color that is well marked and luckily the colors are almost complementary. Still on the subject of color, I chose to take the photo during the “blue hour”, that time of day just before dark when a very soft light illuminates the landscape for a few more minutes.

Finally, the water jets and the people in the background add a little dynamism to an essentially static subject.

Click on the link for more pictures of Quebec City in Summer on my blog.

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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

June 24th in Quebec City.

Tonight, the weather is too nice to stay at home. Thousands of people are already walking in the streets of Old Quebec on this day of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, the national holiday of Quebecers.

The fontaine de Tourny in Quebec City on June 24th 2022.
The fontaine de Tourny in Quebec City on June 24th 2022.

People are positioning themselves early around the Tourny Fountain and on the Parliament grounds in anticipation of a multimedia show whose images will be projected on the façade of the National Assembly.

The Grande-Allée in Quebec City on June 24th 2022.
The Grande-Allée in Quebec City on June 24th 2022.

Once the show is over, it’s the rush to Old Quebec or the restaurants of the Grande-Allée. The photo above was taken from the top of the St. Louis Gate.

North sector of Quebec City Summer 2022.
North sector of Quebec City Summer 2022.

I love this view of the northern sector of Quebec City in the late evening. Normally, a filter would be needed to neutralize the intense light generated by a setting sun. But tonight, the clouds act as a natural attenuator and the sensor of the Canon 5DSr camera can do its job well.

The last picture below is of St-Jean Street, in Old Quebec, in the late evening of June 24, 2022. This street is being revitalized and new businesses and restaurants have recently settled there. During the summer, a section of the street is reserved to pedestrians and the strollers have access to many terraces.

St-Jean street in Old Quebec Summer 2022.
St-Jean street in Old Quebec Summer 2022.

Click on the link for more pictures of Quebec City in Summer on my blog.