Tag: Canada

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Photos of Quebec

McWilliam Street in Old Quebec at night.

Corner of Saint-Stanilas and Saint-Jean streets in Old Québec in the evening Summer 2024.
Corner of Saint-Stanilas and Saint-Jean streets in Old Québec in the evening Summer 2024.

The photo above shows an evening view of the intersection between rue Saint-Stanislas and rue Saint-Jean in Old Quebec. For several months a year, a section of rue Saint-Jean is reserved for pedestrians only. This attracts many tourists. Just behind this popular street is McWilliam Street, with a radically different feel, especially late at night.

The McWilliam street behind the Cochon Dingue restaurant in Québec City.
The McWilliam street behind the Cochon Dingue restaurant in Québec City.

To produce an HDR effect of the location, I plan to stack five photos. I set up the tripod and begin the session. Just as I’m about to finish, a door suddenly opens. A man steps out and lights a cigarette.

I need to capture this very brief moment when the individual is just a stealthy shadow in motion with the intense fluorescent lighting in the background. In this rather dark alleyway, this could generate an interesting effect.

The smoker asks me what I’m doing. It’s an employee on break working for the popular Cochon Dingue restaurant on Rue St-Jean. What a contrast between the modern façade and the back of the same building on McWilliam Street.

At home, HDR processing begins. But it’s impossible to use all five shots together as planned initially. The software combines a closed and an open door at the same time. The result is a kind of butchered wicket door, with almost no light filtering through.

I abandon the idea of an HDR montage and fall back on the single photo where the man is standing in front of the door. I wasn’t counting on this presence, but it adds a touch of humanity to a scene that’s still not very inviting.

Life often presents photography enthusiasts with unexpected opportunities. It’s all about being flexible and capturing the moment, even if it’s not part of the initial planning. Click on the link for more photos of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in Summer on my blog.

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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

The full harvest moon of September 2024.

The full harvest moon rises in the Matane sky in September 2024.
The full harvest moon rises in the Matane sky in September 2024.

The photo above was taken in Matane, Quebec, in September 2024. It’s more a matter of chance than planning. I was on the beach photographing the sunset, and when the sky got too dark, I turned around to see if there was anything interesting left to capture. And I came across this full harvest moon rising in the firmament.

Photographing a full moon is a good challenge. We often capture only an almost white, very bright disk, losing the nuances of colour and the details of the lunar geography.

The advice available on the Internet on how to successfully shoot a full moon with a normal camera goes in all directions. But one thing’s for sure: to improve your chances of success, it’s best not to wait until nightfall, because then the very high luminosity of the star becomes impossible to attenuate while still retaining a view of the planetary topography.

Most of the time, the choice is between an excellent photo of a full moon, but a very dark surrounding earth relief where nothing is discernible, or a visible earth relief of acceptable quality, but a moon that represents nothing more than a large, white circle of light.

The method that works for the photo above is as follows: you have to be on the spot at the right time, i.e., during the blue hour and not the whole night. So, in my case, I was lucky because it wasn’t planned.

You need a tripod and an extension cable. There are two reasons to avoid long exposures: firstly, the moon is a moving object. The longer the exposure, the more the disk moves. You end up with an oval rather than a round moon. A long exposure also picks up more light, and the moon’s disk turns completely white.

Full harvest moon rising in Matane, Québec 2024
Full harvest moon rising in Matane, Québec 2024

Compromises become necessary. Trying to get a perfect moon and foreground at exactly the right brightness is quite a challenge. By the time every attempt has been made to achieve a flawless result, the moon is already too high in the sky. We have to act quickly.

We’re advised to lower the ISO to 200, but if I do that, I’m increasing the exposure time and introducing too much light into the camera. Instead, I use a higher ISO to reduce exposure, and use all the camera functions likely to reduce the amount of light entering the camera: higher shutter speed, if necessary, strong negative exposure compensation, and so on.

By not overdoing the settings and using RAW files, there’s still enough flexibility to bring out the foreground, in this case the houses lining Matane’s beaches and the surrounding lights.

In short, shoot during the blue hour, act quickly, accept compromises, limit exposure time in every way possible and use RAW files to facilitate post-production work.

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

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Photos of Quebec

Young woman in the night in Quebec City.

Young woman in the night in Quebec City.
Young woman in the night in Quebec City.

In photography, it’s not just planning that makes for interesting results. Luck also plays an important role. But you need to get out frequently, in all kinds of light and weather conditions. The photo above is a good example of it.

I’m in a district of Old Quebec that is shunned by tourists late at night, because it’s less well lit. The location is close to Rue St-Jean, a popular thoroughfare lined with restaurants and other businesses. The contrast in traffic is striking.

I visited the area to try my luck with HDR photography. The photo session being over, I am preparing to head home quietly as nighttime falls.

Suddenly, a woman on a bicycle stops under a lamppost. The scene, with its plants, old bricks, neon sign and play of shadows, looks promising. But a quick reaction is needed, because with so little light, even the slightest movement will result in a blurred picture. Fortunately, the woman consults her cell phone, which immobilizes her for a few seconds.

HDR photography is out of the question here. She’ll never be still long enough in this subdued light for me to take multiple pics with different apertures. I snap twice, quickly. The young woman puts her phone away and disappears from the scene. There’s only one quality shot, the other being too blurred.

This photo session shows me once again the importance of getting out frequently to try one’s luck. Combined with an acceptable reaction time and the right equipment for working in low light, you’re likely to come home with one of life’s unexpected gifts.

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

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Graphic novels and comics

The graphic novel Carcajou

The graphic novel "Carcajou".
The graphic novel “Carcajou”.

The “Carcajou (Wolverine in English)” graphic novel is one of the best buys I’ve made this year. The authors have created an almost perfect work, in terms of scenario, graphics and colors.

The vast forests of Alberta, a large province in western Canada, provide the backdrop for this tale. The reader meets a number of colorful characters trying to make their way in this wild environment. Not everyone has what it takes to adapt, but that’s the reality of life in the developing outback.

By 1895, Alberta was attracting gold prospectors and businessmen interested in oil development. Some territories were acquired more or less ethically, and the natives lost out. However, their ancestral beliefs persisted despite injustice and unequal power relations.

The authors tackle a number of significant themes in the development of Canada’s history: the lack of respect shown to First Nations, the harmful effects of alcohol in remote areas, the courage and tenacity required of women to impose respect, the violence caused by firearms, and a police force that sometimes gets involved in crime.

All these aspects developed by less talented authors would produce a negative storyline. The genius of the authors is to have developed the story in a very dynamic way, while still conveying essential messages. There’s no real break in the action. The plot keeps the reader on his toes right to the end.

I loved the characters and clever plot of “Carcajou” and recommend this superb work to graphic novel fans.

Click on the link for more graphic novels and comics on my blog.

Title : Carcajou

Authors : Eldiablo et Djilian Deroche

Edition: Sarbacane, 2024

ISBN : 978-2-377-31792-9

Categories
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.

Categories
Ship photography

Ships passing near Quebec City.

The Solar Sally from Shandong Shipping sailing south of Île d'Orléans. Summer 2023.
The Solar Sally from Shandong Shipping sailing south of Île d’Orléans. Summer 2023.

Above, Shandong Shipping’s Solar Sally photographed south of Île d’Orléans. I positioned the horizon according to the rule of thirds and gave plenty of room to the sky, filled with beautiful contrasts. The clouds let the sun filter through for a brief moment, bringing out the vegetation and horses. All that remained was to wait for the ship to enter the field of vision before taking the shot.

The Soulanges in front of Lévis in 2015.
The Soulanges in front of Lévis in 2015.

The photo above shows the Soulanges, a tug built in 1905, on the St. Lawrence River in front of the city of Lévis. Seen from a distance, this type of vessel always looks like it’s sinking. The water seems to be overtaking the stern of the boat, but there are very few waves.

The Barcelona Express and the MSC Tuxpan on the St.Lawrence Seaway 2023
The Barcelona Express and the MSC Tuxpan on the St.Lawrence Seaway 2023

The Barcelona Express and the MSC Tuxpan meet in the middle of the St. Lawrence River, off Île d’Orléans. Lacking a telephoto lens on hand, I captured the scene with a Canon Ef 85mm f/1.2L II USM lens and enlarged the photo. The boats were at a much greater distance than they appear here. I used an image processing software with artificial intelligence to improve the focus after cropping.

The Federal Skye and Mona Lisa ships on the St. Lawrence seaway near Quebec City
The Federal Skye and Mona Lisa ships on the St. Lawrence seaway near Quebec City

Above, the Mona Lisa (green hull) sails from Montreal to the port of Tanger Med in Morocco. The container ship sails under the Liberian flag. The port of Tanger Med boasts an exceptional geographical location when it comes to transshipping goods to Europe, the Mediterranean and Africa. Also visible in the photo, the Federal Skye arrives from Vila do Conde Brazil (BR VDC) and heads for Les Escoumins in Quebec, Canada (CA QLE). This port has a dry dock where major repairs can be carried out. The Federal Skye sails under the flag of the Marshall Islands.

The MSC Tampa vessel by Quebec City in 2024.
The MSC Tampa vessel by Quebec City in 2024.

A final photo shows the MSC Tampa sailing between Liverpool, Great Britain (GB LIV) and Montreal, Canada (CA MTR). This 294.12-meter-long container ship sails under the Liberian flag. The photo was taken from the Grey Terrace in Quebec City’s Parc des Champs-de-Bataille.

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

Categories
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.

Categories
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.

Categories
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.

Categories
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.