Canon 70-200 mm f2.8L IS II USM - Photography, aviation and flight simulation

Aviation photography: The Fantastic Snowbirds visit Quebec City.

The day after Quebec’s national holiday, the Snowbirds make a few flybys over Quebec City. Although not an air show per se, their formation flights always dazzle the crowds.

The Quebec flag, the Price Building and the Snowbirds in flight in Quebec City

Photography technique.

As the flight over the city takes place at around 17:00, it’s a good idea to position yourself so as not to have to pose against the sun. Normally, a photographer located in Lévis captures excellent shots of Snowbirds passing by the Château Frontenac. But at 5:00 p.m. with the sun directly in front of you, all plane photos taken from the south shore mean uninteresting washed-out skies and far too strong contrasts. Snowbirds deserve better.

Considering the position of the sun, the citadel is the best location for a successful photo session. The light comes from behind as the aerobatic team flies over the St. Lawrence River, around the Château Frontenac and towards the Dufferin Terrace.

The Snowbirds are in flight formation near Château Frontenac in Quebec City.

Spectators know that the performance will only last about fifteen minutes. A photographer needs to prepare accordingly to maximize the chances of getting some memorable shots.

Photography theory

I use a Canon 70-200 mm f2.8L IS II USM lens to give me better leeway between the distant and close passages of the nine military jets. Coupled with a Canon 5 DSR full-frame camera, a quality zoom produces surprising results. You can crop at will without losing definition, provided the initial ISO is 200 and the shutter speed is fast enough. You don’t really need to go beyond 1/1000.

The Snowbirds in flight formation approach the Dufferin terrace in Quebec City.

With Canada Day a few days later, I now have an interesting photo of the Snowbirds and the Canadian flag.

Snowbirds in flight and the Canadian flag over the citadel of Quebec City.

Click on the link for more aviation-related photos on my blog.

Antonov An 124-100M on the ground at the Québec Jean-Lesage international airport (CYQB)

We were treated to a pleasant surprise this week at Quebec City’s Jean Lesage International Airport (CYQB). An Antonov An 124-100M cargo plane scheduled to land in Montreal had to change its destination. The reason was the Montreal Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Of the 55 aircraft of this model built in the 1980s, only 26 remain in service worldwide. The Antonov 124 can carry a load 17% greater than that of the C-5A Galaxy.

I took the first photo in close-up to emphasize the enormity of the aircraft compared to a human. Note also the “Be brave like Kharkiv” logo on the nose of the aircraft, in reference to the war between Ukraine and Russia.

Antonov AN 124-100M departing the Québec Jean-Lesage international airport (CYQB) for Harrisburg (KMDT) in the United States.

Tips in photography

The aircraft took off from runway 24 bound for Harrisburg (KMDT) in Pennsylvania. As the runway was wet, a photographer positioned at the threshold of runway 24 to observe the takeoff would have seen only water being lifted by the engines.

The thresholds of runways 06 and 29 were therefore an excellent choice. Runway 29 provided a nice side-on shot with no visual contaminants. Curiously, while many photography enthusiasts were massed near the thresholds of 06 and 24, I was alone near 29. This made it possible to get a shot from an original angle.

As the cargo plane was quite a distance from my position, I used a Canon 70-200mm f2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens. An acceptable shutter speed to avoid motion blur meant sacrificing depth of field.

The full-frame sensor’s 50.6 megapixels then made it possible to crop the subject sufficiently without compromising photo quality.

Photography technique

A good photography session goes hand in hand with proper planning. Listen to ground frequency 121.9, control tower 118.65 and terminal 127.85 to improve your chances of success.

A cell phone allows you to use the Flightradar24 application (for scheduled arrivals and departures and current trajectories). Flightaware is also an excellent choice. The cell phone can also be used to find out if there are any road closures around the airport that would prevent us from getting to our desired destination. It also provides information on current weather conditions and forecasts. In Canada, the AWWS site is a mine of information for aviation enthusiasts.

Click on the link for more aircraft photos and technical advices on my blog.