The visit being improvised, I did not have a tripod. So, I put the full frame cameraCanon 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…
The picture above was taken with a Canon 14mm f2.8L lens. The Ford F-3 is parked in a winery in Kelowna, British Columbia. The truck in itself is interesting, but the background certainly adds a special touch that sends the viewer to a long gone era.
The 2018 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec took place on September 7th on a beautiful day. The cyclists had to repeat a 12,6 km pattern across Old Quebec and the Battlefields Park sixteen times, which amounted to 201,6 km.
The circuit’s height difference from start to finish was 186 meters, for a total difference of 2976 meters. It is the Australian Michael Matthews who won the race during the final sprint.
Here are a few photos that I took with a Canon 5DSR camera. I used a Canon 14mm 2.8L ultra wide angle lens and a Canon 70-200 2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens.
The Grand Prix Cycliste Québec 2018. The cyclists are passing under the St. Jean Gate.
The Grand Prix Cycliste Québec 2018. Turning on St-Louis street.
The Grand Prix Cycliste Québec 2018. Turning on Côte de la Fabrique.
The Grand Prix Cycliste Québec 2018. The cyclists are passing under the St. Louis Gate.
The Grand Prix Cycliste Québec 2018, in front of Place d’Armes.
The Grand Prix Cycliste Québec 2018. The car from each team is never far behind the racers.
A few official photographers at the UCI World Tour Quebec 2018.
The Grand Prix Cycliste Québec 2018. The winner, Michael Matthews, from the Sunweb team, raises his fist.
Pour d’autres photos de la ville de Québec, cliquez sur les
liens suivants de mon blogue :
The Hotel Le Concorde with tulips from the parc Jeanne d’Arc in Quebec City.
The picture above was taken at the parc Jeanne d’Arc in Quebec City in May 2018. In the background, you can see the Hotel Le Concorde, the only hotel with a revolving restaurant in Quebec City.
The picture was taken with a Canon 5DSR full format camera equipped with a Canon 14mm 2.8L fixed lens.
For other photos from the province of Quebec or of Quebec City, click on the following links from my blog :
The chilean vessel Esmeralda and its crew during the Tall Ships Regatta 2017 in Quebec City.
In July 2017, the four masted Chilean sailboat Esmeralda arrived in Quebec City for the Tall Ships Regatta 2017. The arrival was quite spectacular, as the whole crew sang together for several minutes for the people standing along the pier.
In order to avoid any distraction, the full frame picture has been taken in the portrait mode and the cropping was tight enough to bring forward the crew members standing up high away on the masts.
The picture below offers another point of view of the sailboat masts but this time the importance is given to the colored chairs directly installed in water, allowing the tourists to cool down during a particularly hot summer day. The wide angle lens used for the shot was a Canon 14mm f/2.8L. Two diagonal lines created by the pool in the foreground progressively meet with each other in the distance, in front of the sailboat.
The vessel Esmeralda during the Tall Ships Regatta 2017 in Quebec City.
When the Tall Ships Regatta 2017 ended, several small boats approached the Esmeralda and other sailboats to slowly travel with them from Quebec City until they cleared île d’Orléans. In the picture below, you can see the cruise ship Maasdam, which has been repositioned to a new pier in the Port of Quebec in order to accomodate the sailboats.
The ship Maasdam and the vessel Esmeralda during the Tall Ships Regatta 2017 in Quebec City.
In the picture below, the sailboat Esmeralda his heading towards the north of île d’Orléans as the final parade is completed. On the left, you can see the Château Frontenac and, directly behind, the Hotel Le Concorde Québec, with in its upper ring a revolving restaurant offering a superb view of Quebec City. The hand held photo was taken from île d’Orléans with a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens. This lens is equipped with an integrated stabilizer.
It would nonetheless have been quite difficult to succeed with such an important cropping without the performance of the 50.6 megapixel full frame sensor used in the Canon 5DSR. Considering the great distance over water that is present between the camera and the sailboat, it is possible that you notice a mirage effect, even with the small picture presented here.
The vessel Esmeralda in Quebec City during the Tall Ships Regatta 2017. In the background, the Château Frontenac and the hotel Le Concorde.
I thought the crew would use all of the sailboat’s sails once passed île d’Orléans, but it was not the case. The picture below was taken from the top of a wooden tower installed at the north east extremity of île d’Orléans, while the Esmeralda is still navigating using its engine.
Even without the sails, the photographic composition benefited from a yellow field, a merchant ship and a lively horizon line showing the Appalachian mountains. No tripods were used for the shot as the wooden tower was constantly moving. The telephoto lens used was a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM and a slight cropping was necessary.
An approximative rule of thirds is behind the composition of the photo : you can imagine three fictive horizontal lines dividing the frame. The sailboat also finds itself on one of the rule of thirds vertical line on the right.
The vessel Esmeralda, from Chile, sailing on the St. Lawrence Seaway after its departure from the Tall Ships Regatta 2017 in Quebec.
For other pictures of ships on my blog, click on the following link : Ship photography.
The picture above was taken on Grande-Allée in Quebec City during the 2017 Quebec City Carnival. I used a full-frame Canon 5DSR camera equipped with a Canon 14mm f/2.8 L wide-angle lens. There was enough light to be able to set the focus on « automatic ». I had to slightly correct the exposure to improve the visibility of the blue light reflecting on the sidewalk.
For other photos on the province of Quebec and also Quebec City, click on the following links from my blog:
This photo was taken in Stoneham, in Québec, during the autumn 2016. I considered it an interesting scene due to the trees and all the branches that seem to cut the photo in multiple parts, at the same time as the colour variations of the maple leaves give the impression of an explosion from the center of the picture.
The scene was taken using a Canon 5DSR full-frame camera equipped with a fixed Canon 14mm 2.8L telephoto lens.
Click on the link for more autumn photos on my blog.
Here are some photos of Toronto that were taken in February 2016 with a Canon 5D MKII DSLR camera. The photos were all saved in RAW and JPEG files to facilitate any additional work that could have been required with an image editing software.
Architecture and photography both offering unlimited possibilities, I did not impose any limitations. The primary goal was to profit from any opportunity that would arise while profiting from the softer light offered by the winter season.
Toronto Harbourfront, Winter 2016
The first article with regards to photography in Toronto that was published on my website showed only one subject: the CN Tower. It was published during Winter 2016:
In the present article, I develop other angles of Toronto which is a city in constant evolution and where you can find multiple styles of architecture. In the picture below, a recent rain shower helped to add unexpected reflections.
Toronto and CN tower by night. Winter 2016
Some architectural subjects are naturally imposing. This is the case when all you have to do is look straight ahead, enjoy what you see and immediately try to compose an interesting photo.
A good example is the interesting reflected shapes that can be seen on the windows of a building. I could not help to take the picture below as I was surprised that a windowed building could send back images that were so totally different from each other. I am curious why there is so much distortion between the windows…
Toronto building reflections (2016)
Instead of taking pictures of the newly designed Art Gallery of Ontario, I used its reflective properties to capture something a lot older, which was the design of the row of older houses on the other side of the street.
Some houses are reflecting on the Art Gallery of Ontario (2016)
It is also possible to add variety and fun to a photo session by looking for special shapes, angles or contrasts that are not already obvious.
As I was walking downtown, I passed by the Brookfield head office. The architecture of this relatively new building is quite interesting. The architects were able to preserve the facades of older surrounding buildings by integrating them and assigning each one a role inside the new construction, possibly because the city required their protection in case of any new development.
But it is only once I was leaving the sky rise that I found the idea for the next photo: a vertical wide-angle shot from which all lines would be straight, all this possible by using the advantages of the Canon 5D MKII full frame sensor coupled to a Canon 14mm 2.8L wide-angle fixed lens. Image sharpness was insured through manual focus, a tripod, a remote trigger and the mirror lock-up function.
Toronto sky rise, Ontario 2016
The last photo is essentially about contrasts: the colour contrasts (light and dark) and the density contrasts that one can find in different constructions of Toronto.
In the foreground, we see the aquarium, with its pale and inviting colours, as well as lots of space where only few people are visible. In the background, there is the exact opposite, with very dark high-density condo towers, very close to each other, where every inhabitant hopes to have an interesting view on the Lake Ontario. All this in a photo divided in two parts and cropped very tightly to increase the differences and eliminate any visual distractions.
Contrast between the Ripleys Aquarium of Canada and the condominiums in the background. Toronto, Ontario (2016)
For more articles in the category « Photos of Canada », click on the following link : Photos of Canada
Official opening of the Pierre Lassonde Pavilion, which is part of the Musée National des Beaux-Arts de Québec, seen from Grande Allée on June 24th 2016
Pierre Lassonde Pavilion (Musée National des Beaux-Arts de Québec) intercommunication stairway on the day of official opening in June 2016
On June 24th 2016, during the National Holiday of Quebec, the new Pierre Lassonde pavilion of the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec (MNBAQ) on Grande Allée in Quebec City was inaugurated. This pavilion, that has been expected for a very long time, will allow the Museum to expose art that had to be stored, up to now, due to lack of floor space. This new pavilion will double the exibition space.
Artwork exibited in the Pavillon Pierre Lassonde du MNABQ on June 24th 2016
Many political personalities were present, among them the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and Quebec’s Prime Minister Philippe Couillard, as well as the MNBAQ director Line Ouellet. International actuality caught up with the Canadian Prime Minister during his presence in Quebec and he had to comment on United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union (Brexit) which was voted on the precedent day.
Part of a sculpture located outside of the Pierre Lassonde Pavilion at the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec in 2016
June 24th 2016 in the MNBAQ’s Pierre Lassonde Pavilion
The Pierre Lassonde pavilion architectural project, valued at about $103 millions, was the result of an international competition won by the American architectural firm OMA from New York. Fifteen thousand people were expected to show up for the inauguration. Instead, thirty thousand people visited the pavilion to get a glimpse of the creation directed by the architect Shohei Shigematsu.
Pierre Lassonde Pavilion’s intercommunication stairway on June 24th 2016. Photo taken with a Canon 5DSR equipped with a 14mm 2.8L fixed lens.
MNBAQ’s Pierre Lassonde Pavilion’s stairway on June 24th 2016
Lots of compromises to limit the expenses had to be made, like in all serious projects. Nonetheless, the pavilion is a success and I am eager to see what kind of atmosphere will be generated this coming winter when the light shines through the glass panels and colors the snow around the pavilion. This new building, with its original architecture and the light that emanates from it, already adds a new dynamic when night falls on Grande Allée.
MNBAQ’s Pierre Lassonde Pavilion on the evening of official opening. Photo taken with a Canon 5DSR on June 24th 2016
Intercommunication staircase in the Pierre Lassonde Pavilion at the MNBAQ on the day of official opening (June 24th 2016)
For those of you who are interested in photography, here are some details about the photographic equipment used for my photos : they were all taken with a DSLR Canon 5DSR camera. The Canon lenses that were used were : EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM, EF 50mm f/1.4 USM and telephoto lens EF 70-200 mm f/2.8L IS II USM. The use of a flash being forbidden inside the museum, I had to carefully adjust the ISO, speed and aperture settings, especially where the use of a tripod was not authorized. For those occasions, the EF 50 mm f/1.4 USM was of great help.
Visitors on the roof of the MNBAQ’s Pierre Lassonde Pavilion on June 24th 2016
For other photos on the province of Quebec and also Quebec City, click on the following links from my blog:
In June 2016, I spent a few days in Montreal to look for photo opportunities in the city and in the Old Port. I had never seen so many construction projects going on at the same time in that city. We could feel that the city managers wanted everything to be perfect for the 375th anniversary of the city in 2017. Here are 2 percent of the photos that were taken during that photography session. (The files were in RAW and JPEG).
Photography and architecture. Habitat 67 in Montreal
The picture above represents Habitat 67, created in time for the 1967 Universal Exhibition by the architect Moshe Safdie. You can click on the following link if you wish to obtain supplementary details in regards to the conception and construction of Habitat 67: Moshe Safdie and Habitat 67
To take the photos, it was better to wait for the evening, a few minutes before nightime, in order to benefit from a better luminosity and prioritize the reflection of light sources on the water. Several boats passed by while I was taking the pictures and it momentarily diminished the quality of the light reflections. Eventually, after several trials, I benefited from a flat water surface. With ISO at minimum, I was able to limit the digital noise that would unavoidably become visible after cropping the images.
Habitat 67 Montreal
A photographic exposure lasting a few seconds helped to flatten the water surface and emphasize the light reflections. I made sure to keep the tugboats in front of the buildings since I consider that they added some dynamism to the scene. As usual, the use of a tripod, remote trigger and mirror lock-up helped to reduce the camera vibrations. Liveview was activated and the focus was done manually to ensure optimal image sharpness.
The picture below shows the abandoned grain silos in the Old Port of Montreal. They are protected since 1996 and will possibly be given a new role next year, just in time for Montreal 375th anniversary.
Grain silos in the Old Port of Montreal in 2016. Photo taken with a Canon 5DSR.
The bulk carrier Venture (formerly called Balder), built in 2002 and belonging to the CSL company, was docked in the Old Port. I tried a few shots, among them one with a telephoto lens Canon 14 mm 2.8L.
The Bulk Carrier Venture (CSL) in Montreal in 2016
To get a privileged access to the harbor installations, where all the loading and unloading operations are performed, would have been really interesting, but, since it was not the case, I had to try to capture an idea of the Port activities from a distance. I wanted to include the wagons loaded with containers and the ships. The use of a polarizing filter allowed the enhancement of the colours of the wagons. I thought necessary to include the venerable Molson Brewery building in one of the shots.
View of the Montreal Harbor, Molson Brewery and the Jacques-Cartier bridge in 2016
Then, profiting from the cancellation of the low pass filter in the Canon 5DSR DSLR, as well as the impressive enlarging capacities offered by the 50.6 megapixels full frame sensor, it was possible to capture a bit of the Port activities by cropping the photo later on, without any loss in quality, using an image editing software. The picture was taken with a telephoto lens Canon EF 24-70 mm f/2.8L USM at 70 mm.
Port of Montreal with ships and containers. Photo taken with a Canon 5DSR in 2016
For other photos on the province of Quebec and also Quebec City, click on the following links from my blog:
