Tag: Canon lenses

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Photos of Europe

Photography in Europe: Gruyères and the Moléson in Switzerland

Gruyères and the Moleson in the background, Switzerland 2013
Gruyères and the Moleson in the background, Switzerland 2013

The city of Gruyères is located in the Prealps, in the Friburg County in Switzerland. It is a very charming small medieval town where cars are forbidden (the white van shown in the picture above is only used for morning delivery). In the city, one can visit the Gruyères Castle (Château de Gruyères), the H.R.Giger Museum (creator of the “Alien” in the movie Alien), the Tibet Museum, a cheese factory and boutiques. There are also some restaurants.

In the picture above, shot with a Canon 5D MKII, it is possible to see the Moléson in the background, a mountain that rises only 512 metres above the surrounding terrain but is still at more than 2000 meters above sea level. It is a tourist attraction that should not be neglected since it is very well equipped for all types of visitors, with a funicular and cable car. The visitors also have access to very interesting walking paths, for all ages and experiences.

Moleson cable car, in the Gruyeres region, Switzerland 2013
Moleson cable car, in the Gruyeres region, Switzerland 2013

When you use a cable car and do not see where it is leading due to the presence of clouds, you have to trust human engineering. But we are in Switzerland, so it should be all right!

The Moleson cable car, Switzerland 2013
The Moleson cable car, Switzerland 2013

The Moléson summit offers superb views. The small cumuliform clouds visible in the morning around the mountain progressively lift up due to daytime heating and eventually become beautiful cumulus clouds that add life to any pictures.

Moleson summit in the clouds, Switzerland 2013
Moleson summit in the clouds, Switzerland 2013

Once on top of the Moléson, it is possible to use a modern metal stairway to gain even more height and access a platform allowing an unobstructed panoramic view. The picture above was taken with a Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8L II USM wide-angle zoom lens equipped with a polarizing filter.

Metal stairs leading to an observation post on top of the Moleson, Gruyeres region, Switzerland 2013
Metal stairs leading to an observation post on top of the Moleson, Gruyeres region, Switzerland 2013

When ready to go down the mountain, the visitor has two choices: travel with the cable car and funicular he used when coming up, or slowly walk along an easily accessible path through beautiful green landscapes. The more experienced trekkers might decide to walk along the crests of surrounding mountains. We chose to walk on paths covered with flowers.

Path on the Moleson, Switzerland 2013
Path on the Moleson, Switzerland 2013

Back to Gruyères, a visit of the Château de Gruyères and both museums is a must, as well as a tour of the cheese factory. You might want to spend some time in the boutiques too and try the local restaurants. It is also the moment to take a few pictures…

Inside the Gruyeres medieval city, Switzerland, 2013
Inside the Gruyeres medieval city, Switzerland, 2013

The old architecture of the buildings in Gruyères as well as the neighbouring countryside allow for very interesting photographic compositions. A well-known photography technique consists in using an opening in a building and using it as a second frame (a frame within a frame). I made sure that the background was clear enough to improve the visual effect. An aperture around 16 allowed for an appropriate depth-of-field.

Spiraling stairs in the Gruyeres Castle, Switzerland 2013
Spiraling stairs in the Gruyeres Castle, Switzerland 2013

The picture above shows a spiraling staircase inside the Château de Gruyères. I can barely imagine what the results would have been if I had had access to the new Canon 11-24mm wide-angle lens. But nonetheless, the Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8L II USM zoom lens did a good job.

The beauty of the full frame sensor mounted on the Canon 5D MKII DSLR is that a wide-angle shot taken at a 16mm focal will stay at 16mm while with a smaller sensor, like the APS-C, the photographer is facing a conversion factor of 1.5 or 1.6X, which transforms the 16-35mm wide-angle into a 24-52mm, in the best of cases. The APS-C sensor is interesting when used with a telephoto lens but a bit less when comes the time to take wide-angle shots.

The picture below presents the Château de Gruyères seen from a neighbouring field.

Gruyeres old architecture, Switzerland 2013
Gruyeres old architecture, Switzerland 2013

As the sun was setting down, I tried a shot from inside the castle. It was interesting to see the two little boys standing up alongside the wall and admiring the sunset. At the same time, it was possible to see the Moléson in the distance, its summit hidden in the clouds.

Due to the strong light contrasts, it was necessary to use a Hi-Tech ND graduated filter installed on my Canon 16-35mm wide-angle zoom lens. The Digital SLR Photography magazine, in one of its recent editions, made a comparison between ND grad filters and indicated that the Hi-Tech filter had a slight magenta coloration instead of a neutral grey. I think it is easily visible in the picture below. The photo could have been corrected with Photoshop but I thought of keeping it as it was since the scenery looked somewhat unreal already.

View from the Gruyeres Castle and the Moleson, Switzerland 2013
View from the Gruyeres Castle and the Moleson, Switzerland 2013

Once the sun was below the horizon, the more subtle colours gave a totally new look to the countryside. On the picture below, it is possible to see on the right a small path that a visitor can take to head down to the nearby village.

Gruyeres region in the sunset, Switzerland 2013
Gruyeres region in the sunset, Switzerland 2013

All the sceneries are not that easy to capture and it is sometimes necessary to use HDR photography to extend the dynamic range and take care of extreme light contrasts. The photo below needed five different exposures that were subsequently processed with the Photomatix image editing software. Useless to say, it was necessary to use the mirror lock-up function, a tripod and a remote control release.

View from the Gruyères Castle, Switzerland, in HDR 2013
View from the Gruyères Castle, Switzerland, in HDR 2013

Here is, as the final picture, an idea of what is waiting for you at the H.R. Giger Museum. If there is a strange but very interesting museum, it is this one.

Artwork in front of the H R Giger Museum, Gruyeres, Switzerland 2013
Artwork in front of the H R Giger Museum, Gruyeres, Switzerland 2013

Other pictures of Europe and around the world will be posted in the coming months…

Categories
Photos of Canada

Photography: wildlife in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada

A Canada goose about to take off from Oak Bay, Victoria, British-Columbia in 2014
A Canada goose about to take off from Oak Bay, Victoria, British-Columbia in 2014

Obviously, the Canon 5D MKII is not the ideal camera for sport photography, but it still can offer very good results with its full frame sensor. You don’t get a high number of frames per second, but you get the benefit of a bigger image than one produced with an APS-C sensor. I was thus able to capture the full take-off run of this Canada goose in Victoria, British Columbia, while leaving enough space on the right side of the frame, which was essential for a balanced photographic composition.

Deer on a private property in Uplands, Victoria, British-Columbia in 2014
Deer on a private property in Uplands, Victoria, British-Columbia in 2014

Deer move freely in Victoria’s Uplands sector and you can easily find them on private property lots. Since they are so numerous and have no natural enemies, the city has imposed new regulations to control their ever growing number. The picture above was taken from my vehicle: it was only necessary to slow down and proceed quickly to capture the animal while it was looking at the car.

Heron in flight in Oak Bay, Victoria, British-Columbia 2012
Heron in flight in Oak Bay, Victoria, British-Columbia 2012

There are numerous herons in Victoria’s Oak Bay sector. This picture was taken very early in the morning, while there was a mixture of mist and low clouds and the rising sun was still blocked by some low clouds. The wind was calm. A graduated filter was nonetheless necessary to tone down the contrasts caused by a horizontal light.

Fighting herons in Oak Bay, Victoria, British-Columbia in 2012
Fighting herons in Oak Bay, Victoria, British-Columbia in 2012

Every bird has to fight for its own territory and those two herons are no exception.

Eagle observed in the Campbell River region, British-Columbia, Canada. Summer 2012.
Eagle observed in the Campbell River region, British-Columbia, Canada. Summer 2012.

While taking a little scenic cruise in British-Columbia’s Campbell River area, we were able to see numerous eagles diving to catch fishes then climbing back up in high trees to deliver the catch of the day. Pictures were hard to take since the captain had to keep the boat at a good distance from the eagles to respect their hunting territory. Moreover, it was windy and the boat was constantly moving.

Two eagles near Campbell River, British-Columbia, Canada in 2012
Two eagles near Campbell River, British-Columbia, Canada in 2012

The two pictures of eagles were taken with a Canon 5D MKII equipped with a Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens. An extender (2X) was also added to increase the focal distance to 400mm. Even then, I had to crop quite a lot to bring the birds to an acceptable distance, which increased the digital noise. A quality APS-C equipped camera (like the Canon 7D MKII) would have been very useful here (10 frames per second and a reduced amount of cropping, if you are ready to compromise on the size of the image).

A full frame camera like the Canon 5DSr would have also been appropriate, with its 50.6 MP resolution, as long as a high shutter speed is selected. Due to all those pixels crammed on a regular full frame sensor (not a medium format), the slightest camera movement is recorded. But if you succeed in totally freezing a long distance shot, the exceptional resolution of the Canon 5DSr would allow you to greatly increase the size of the bird while protecting the sharpness of the image, especially now that the low pass filter has been neutralized in the model R.

Chipmunk near highway 93 towards Jasper, Alberta
Chipmunk near highway 93 towards Jasper, Alberta

On the car ride between Lake Louise and Jasper, we had to stop on numerous occasions to take pictures in the fantastic Jasper National Park. At one point, a little chipmunk, familiar with rest areas, paid us a visit hoping to add something new to his diet. The picture’s depth-of-field has deliberately been adjusted to make sure the chipmunk would be easily visible, since both animal and background had the same colours.

Mountain goats in the Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada in 2014
Mountain goats in the Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada in 2014

It was hot, very hot, during summer 2014 in the Jasper National Park. The car’s thermometer was recording 38C between Lake Louise and Jasper. Numerous forest fires were raging. So much so that we had to delay our trip towards Jasper by 24 hours since Highway 93 had been closed by authorities. Mountain goats nonetheless had to endure part of their winter fur in that very high heat…

Canadian bighorns near Kamloops, Alberta, Canada in 2014
Canadian bighorns near Kamloops, Alberta, Canada in 2014

Near Kamloops, in Alberta, we were able to observe about twenty Canadian bighorns coming down from the surrounding mountains to help themselves from the cultivated lands in the valley. The picture above was taken with a Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens, almost without cropping, the bighorns being close enough.

Brown bear near the Yellowhead Highway, Alberta, Canada in 2014
Brown bear near the Yellowhead Highway, Alberta, Canada in 2014

The picture above was taken alongside the Yellowhead Highway in Alberta. We saw the bear in a field and when he detected our presence, he changed direction and started moving toward us. Here, everything is about moderation and although I love photography, comes a time when a bear is big enough in the viewfinder to indicate that it is time to retreat…

Other pictures on Western Canada will be available in the coming months…

For more articles in the category « Photos of Canada », click on the following link : Photos of Canada

Categories
Photos of Europe

Europe in photos: England’s London Eye

Photos of England: a London view from the London Eye in 2015
Photos of England: a London view from the London Eye in 2015

England’s London Eye was initially a Ferris wheel that was to be dismantled after only five years. But this touristic attraction has rapidly become very popular and has been attracting tens of millions of tourists since its installation alongside the Thames in 2000. The London Eye can accomodate approximately twenty-five people in each of its thirty-two capsules, which brings the total to about height hundred visitors on every ride during the peak season.

A complete rotation lasts about thirty minutes and allows everybody to get a superb view of London. There is really no feeling of movement once you’re on board due to the relatively low speed of the rotation. As an attraction to present the city and provide visitors with an excellent point of view to take pictures, there is nothing better!

Photos of England: inside one of the London Eye's capsule in 2015
Photos of England: inside one of the London Eye’s capsule in 2015

With regards to photography, it is obvious that a wide-angle lens is ideal to capture London from the London Eye’s capsule. The two photos above have been taken with a Canon 5D MKII camera using a Canon 14mm 2.8L fixed lens.

I also attempted another photo of that famous touristic attraction by positioning myself under the trees alongside the Thames, on a rainy day.

Photos of England: a London Eye view from the Thames, during a rainy day in 2015.
Photos of England: a London Eye view from the Thames, during a rainy day in 2015.

Luck struck when I saw a Cathay Pacific Cargo Boeing B-747 approaching the London Heathrow international airport as I was looking at the sky near the London Eye to find an interesting shot. I just had to wait for the aircraft to get closer to the wheel in order to try a shot.

Photos of England: the London Eye and a Cathay Pacific Cargo B-747 in 2015
Photos of England: the London Eye and a Cathay Pacific Cargo B-747 in 2015

Finally, using compressed perspective provided by a Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM lens, as well as an image editing software to retouch my photo, it was possible to tightly regroup the capsules and to produce a photo allowing the presentation of the London Eye under a different angle.

Photos of England: the London Eye in 2015
Photos of England: the London Eye in 2015

Other pictures of England and Europe in general will regularly be posted during the next few months. Have a good visit!

Categories
Photography Books

Photography Books: The New Street Photographer’s Manifesto

Livre de photographie: "The new street photographer's manifesto" par Tanya Nagar
Livre de photographie: “The new street photographer’s manifesto” par Tanya Nagar

Tanya Nagar is an award-winning photographer from London. Her book, “The new street photographer’s manifesto” is perfect for those who aim to improve their street photography techniques. The present article is not a comprehensive critic of her book but an overview of what a reader will find. I also highlighted some tips in photography that will help to improve the street photographer’s performance.

Tanya’s manifesto not only contains technical advices helping a photographer to improve his shots but also some tips to avoid common mistakes. Subjects include: timing, composition, shooting portraits, framing and juxtaposition, perspective and angles, the choice between landscape and portrait, depth of field, shutter speed, exposure, night photography, rule of thirds, etc.

The book’s content is divided in six categories: 1. Street Photography 2. Where & What to Shoot 3. Seize the Moment 4. Equipment 5. Digital Processing 6. Showcase.

1. Street photography requires the ability to seize a life moment with precision and timing. It is about candid shots and does not have to include humans, as long as it fixes a moment in life. It certainly can include animals (in fact, animals are a very popular subject).

2. It is best if you use a light, discrete camera (even an I-Phone). Walking with a huge camera with big lenses makes you look like a professional photographer and people will see you coming. The trick is to avoid drawing attention. Coughing while clicking drowns out the sound of the camera. You might also think of “shooting from the hip” or “shooting blind”. Those techniques are explained in the book and can be mastered with a bit of practice.

3. It takes a bit of courage to photograph situations that include people since you never know what to expect when you raise your camera. Respect the different cultures and personal space and don’t be afraid to smile and explain what you are doing. If somebody refuses to be photographed, move on, don’t dwell on the situation.

4. In order to gain experience and a feeling of security at taking pictures of people on the street, start with protests or parades.

5. It is a good thing to know the laws pertaining to photography of the country you are visiting. Police officers in some countries might be tempted to order you to delete a shot while they actually don’t have the right to. Often, a misunderstanding by police or security guards of anti-terrorism legislation leads to different interpretations and subsequently to abuse towards a photographer. Just make sure you stay up to date with the country’s regulations.

6. You might think of shooting from within your vehicle to obtain interesting results (while respecting the country’s laws).

7. Use graffitis, signs, graphical billboards, text and advertising logos.

8. Use contrasts like big versus small, light versus dark, rich versus poor, etc.

9. Bear attention to details and look for second degree interpretation of a situation.

10. Look for amusing, funny and unusual captures.

11. Make sure you master your camera in order to be quick when the perfect opportunity comes. Set most of the parameters of the camera before actually arriving on a scene (you already have an idea of the light intensity in the area and the ISO setting that will be required to obtain the speed you desire).

12. Be cautious when it comes to taking pictures of children. Societies change and authorization from the child’s parents is required almost every time.

13. “The only way to avoid missing a moment is by carrying your camera at all times”. Therefore, get something small and light.

Endos du livre de photographie "The new street photographer's manifesto"
Endos du livre de photographie “The new street photographer’s manifesto”

The book holds a section dedicated to multiple types of cameras: rangefinders, SLR and DSLR, four thirds and micro four thirds, medium format, point-and-shoot compact cameras, camera phones, toy and pinhole cameras. Their advantages and disadvantages are clearly explained.

The reader will also find some information about lenses (the best for street photography and what to avoid) and the effects obtained through the use of different type of films (colored, black and white, expired).

The fifth section of the book relates to digital processing and the basic image editing techniques like cropping, rotating, the use of the “Curves” command, as well as dodging and burning.

The final section, “Showcase”, presents many well-known street photographers from around the world, including few photos taken by each of them to allow the reader to have an overview of each photographer’s personal style and creativity. Presented in order are: Antonio Navarro Wijkmark, Brian Quentin Webb, Charlotte Gonzalez, Claire Atkinson, Danny Santos II, Felix Lupa, Ferhat Çelik, Mustafa Abdulaziz, Ronya Galka, Seamus Travers and Severin Koller.

This is certainly a very interesting and practical photography book that will help you avoid costly mistakes (missed photo opportunities or buying the wrong photography equipment) while helping you to improve your knowledge on street photography as much as the quality of your shots.

Here is a link towards Tanya Nagar’s website: Tanya Nagar

For other photography book reviews, click on the following link: Other photography books

Title: The new street photographer’s manifesto.
Author: Tanya Nagar
©The Ilex Press Limited 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4547-0417-1

Categories
Photography Books

Photography book: Matthieu Ricard’s “An Ode to Beauty”

« A hymn to beauty, this is what photography is for me »

Cover of Matthieu Ricard's book "An Ode to Beauty"
Cover of Matthieu Ricard’s book “An Ode to Beauty”

Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk who spent over forty-five years in the Himalayas. Throughout the years, he has produced many photography books. He is a man of immense talent and what he produces is of a very high quality. His new book “An ode to beauty” is no exception.

For thirty years, he photographed with two Nikon FM2 cameras and then switched to a Canon EOS-1Ds and a Canon EOS-5D. The Canon lenses used for his pictures range from a 12-24mm zoom to 100-400 mm. Landscape photography requires that he adds graduated neutral density filters to his lenses in order to reduce the contrasts between sky and earth.

When Matthieu Ricard comes back from a trip, he says: “I work on the images so that I can recapture the feeling, the emotion, the colors and the light that I saw with my own eyes”.

Like many experienced photographers, the author studies the work of other photographers in order to always learn something new. About Matthieu Ricard’s images, Henri Cartier-Bresson wrote: “Matthieu’s camera and his spiritual life are one, and from this spring these images, fleeting and eternal”.

“An ode to beauty” is made of human situations, facial expressions and the changing lights of landscapes. The composition is well thought through.

Matthieu Ricard is clearly an expert: technically demanding photos are very well executed. There are, on his images, numerous magical moments, where the photographer had only a very short time to react. It is the case, for example, of a photo where the sun rays hit an ideal part of a mountain chain at the same time as a rainbow colors the dark clouds in the background.

It is a unique book, made of exceptional images reproduced with great care. Most images demand a lengthy contemplation. There is no “Photoshop” effect and saturated colors here: everything is perfectly balanced.

Thanks to this book, the reader can look at the planet Earth in a very different way.

For more photography books, click on the following link: Other photography books

Title: An ode to beauty
Author: Matthieu Ricard
Editions : YellowKorner
©2015
ISBN : 978-2-919469-86-4
All of Matthieu Ricard’s photography rights are given back in totality to his association Karuna Shechen.

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Montreal street photography: night reflections

In the middle of a public place in Montreal, I saw a chromed office furniture installation inside a plexiglass box. As interesting as it was, I thought that the scene would be more attractive if I waited for nightime.

Street Photography: Montreal night reflections
Street Photography: Montreal night reflections

Darkness meant that nearby lamposts would be lit. The additional white light would contrast with the night and also help to improve the reflections caused by the chrome and plexiglass.

I only then needed a bystander to add a human presence to the scene. I waited for the moment he would stand still before taking the shot, since I was working with quite a slow speed.

We rapidly recognize three elements: the chair, the person and the rounded white lights. The rest comes after a brief moment of observation. The man attracts our interest as he makes us wonder what he is actually doing: he seems to be looking at the installation, yet he might also be reading some explanations about what he sees.

The viewing angle is wider, thanks to a Canon 14mm 2.8L lens. I did not need any tripod for this photo since the Canon 5D MKII was stabilized by being in contact with the plexiglass box. The only remaining aspect to take care of was to find a good angle to take the shot.

For other photos on the province of Quebec and also Quebec City, click on the following links from my blog:

Province of Quebec Photos
Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in Autumn
Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in Winter
Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in Spring
Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in Summer
Categories
Photography

Flowers and plants photography

Butchart Gardens, British-Columbia, 2012.
Butchart Gardens, British-Columbia, 2012.

Facing a field of flowers, a photographer has to choose among many possibilities. Here are just a few:

1) He can choose a really beautiful flower and make it the sole point of attraction. In that case, he must decide if the background will be free of any distractions.

A rose from the English Garden in Geneva, 2013.
A rose from the English Garden in Geneva, 2013.

2) He can profit from a blurred background that is of a color dramatically opposed to the color of the chosen flower.

A tulip in the Bois-de-Coulonge, Québec City.
A tulip in the Bois-de-Coulonge, Québec City.

3) He might favor an overhead or a low angle shot. As this choice of the angle of view does not apply only to flowers, I found in my archives a low angle shot of a pear tree located in St-Nicolas, Québec. Here it is, so that you can see what kind of effect can be obtained.

Pears from Saint-Nicolas, Québec.
Pears from Saint-Nicolas, Québec.

4) He can decide to show many flowers on the same picture, considering the interesting impact produced by all the color dots.

A field of flowers in Saint-Nicolas, Québec.
A field of flowers in Saint-Nicolas, Québec.

5) He might also use the flowers as accessories to direct the eye of the viewer to another point of interest like, for example, a building with special architectural characteristics.

Industrielle Alliance building, Quebec City, 2012
Industrielle Alliance building, Quebec City, 2012

Flowers as accessories to improve a beautiful landscape in the background.

Sunflowers on Île d'Orléans
Sunflowers on Île d’Orléans
Photo of a part of Banff downtown, Alberta, Canada 2014
Photo of a part of Banff downtown, Alberta, Canada 2014

The flowers and the bumblebee are two interesting subjects; they complement each other in this picture. It would be hard for me to decide which one I prefer.

Bumblebee on a flower in the Parc du Bois-de-Coulonge, Québec City
Bumblebee on a flower in the Parc du Bois-de-Coulonge, Québec City

Unless there is no other possibility, it is better to avoid shooting flowers under full sun as there will be considerable reflection on their petals. If you have no choice, use a polarizing filter, well adjusted, to reduce the undesirable effects of direct sunlight.

The ideal day to get out and take pictures of flowers is a day without wind, where there is a bright light but dimmed by an overcast sky.

The quality of colors and contrasts will be maximized if the pictures are taken during the morning or at the end of the afternoon.

2008 0505 Ottawa watermark eng

Aperture has a definite impact on the final result. With a wide aperture (smaller numbers like F2.8 or F4.0) you will get a sharp subject with everything blurred around it. This will make your flower stand out. With a small aperture (bigger numbers like F14, F16), both foreground and background will be sharper, with an even better result using a wide-angle lens. Your flower will lose a bit of its impact as all the elements in the picture will now shine. Below is a picture taken in Ontario, during the Ottawa Tulip Festival.

Macrophotography:

April 2012 on the Plains of Abraham: A bee makes its way out of a crocus.
April 2012 on the Plains of Abraham: A bee makes its way out of a crocus.

1) Remove any dirt from the plant you want to capture and choose a plant whose petals are in perfect condition.

2) Use a tripod, a remote control release and the mirror lock-up (MLU) function for better results.

3) The camera should ideally be used with manual focus, for improved sharpness. In order to verify if the picture will be in focus, look at the LCD screen and enlarge the picture (5X or 10X). You will immediately see if a minor adjustment is needed to get a sharp photo or to improve the depth-of-field.

The histogram should be checked upon taking the picture to immediately compensate for the necessary amount of light.

You can use a flash to reduce aperture. You must adjust it so that it’s not shooting at full power otherwise there will be too much reflection and you will lose all the delicate nuances of colors and contrasts.

A method that will produce surprising results is called “zoom burst”. You slowly move the zoom of a lens on all its focal length while the shutter remains open during the process. You must select a speed that is slow enough to accommodate the full deflection of the zoom. You should know that many shots are normally needed before you get a satisfying image.

Every lens offers different possibilities:

1) The macro lens is useful if you wish to capture very precise details on the flower. To add an interesting effect, you can even spray the flower lightly with water so that a few droplets remain on the petals.

2) The wide-angle lens allows you to transform an image and give it an original perspective. The effect will be more important if you shoot the flower from a special angle like, for example, from the ground up. If you must lie on the ground, use a little carpet to keep yourself clean and dry. I bought a right-angle finder to ease the workload when shooting under complicated angles. This could be a potentially interesting addition to your equipment.

3) Finally, the telephoto allows you to pick a particular flower and, because of compressed perspective, offers you a background filled with multiple colors.

Let’s end this section with a mushroom picture. The same principles apply with regards to simplicity, settings and angles of views. I could have chosen to show only an oversize shot of a mushroom, or take only part of it, but I preferred an approach that would allow me to show the radically different shapes of the specimens found at the Laurentian Forestry Center in Québec.

Mushrooms around the Canadian Forestry Service building , Québec 2014.
Mushrooms around the Canadian Forestry Service building , Québec 2014.
Categories
Photography

The Coriolis II in Bassin Louise, Quebec

The Coriolis II in Bassin Louise, Quebec, 2015.
The Coriolis II in Bassin Louise, Quebec, 2015.

The Quebec Harbor is an excellent site to find interesting ideas when it comes to photography. Fog, ice, tugboats and other ships constantly provide new opportunities. In March 2015, during a beautiful day, I was able to capture this scene with the Coriolis II in the Bassin Louise. The use of a Canon 14mm 2.8L fixed lens was necessary to avoid any alterations in the quality of the picture of this wide angle shot. The camera used was a Canon 5D MKII.