Tag: HDR Photography

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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

An HDR photo of the Dauphine Redoubt in Quebec City.

Dauphine Redoubt buildings in Quebec City, 2024.
Dauphine Redoubt buildings in Quebec City, 2024.

The HDR photo of the Dauphine Redoubt above comprises seven pictures with different apertures. The Photomatix software stacks them one on top of the other to create a single shot. This allows the darker regions to stand out, while controlling the lighter areas as much as possible.

For a successful effect, the following factors need to be taken into account: type of camera (ideally full frame), use of an appropriate wide-angle lens, focus, time of day, cloud types, tripod, extension cable, camera mirror vibrations, wind, visibility, photographic grain, depth of field, moving obstacles in front of the camera and photographic composition.

I use a Canon 5 DSr with a Canon EF 11–24 mm F/4L super-wide-angle lens. Focusing with the camera’s backlit screen improves accuracy. It is better to avoid nighttime and take advantage of the blue hour. The clouds don’t prevent the capture of a distant background, and allow the city lights to be reflected in the sky.

I opt for a sturdy tripod. Its extra weight cancels out minor jolts and supports fairly heavy photographic equipment. The extension cable prevents the photographer from touching the camera when taking seven photos.

For mirror-equipped cameras like the Canon 5 DSr, it is important to activate the mirror lock function. This means that vibrations caused by the mirror rotation will have two seconds to fade before the actual picture is taken. A light wind also reduces the chance of vibrations.

Moderate visibility allows better graduation of colours and reflections. Tonight, the mist plays its part well. By using a tripod, I greatly limit the photographic grain. ISO is therefore set at 200. Depth of field is not a problem, as the tripod will prevent movement caused by long exposure.

As many people visit the site in the evening, I try to take each of the seven photos between two crosswalks. This isn’t always possible, but Photomatix can remove “ghosts” when compiling the shots. There is, however, a limit to this function.

The final point concerns photographic composition. The photo above is divided into three roughly equal horizontal zones. Oblique lines on either side at the bottom of the photo direct the eye towards the centre of the image. The five lights of the Dauphine Redoubt and those of the city capture the attention. All the shots have visible details and are not lost in the darkness. For better balance, the composition ignores another imposing building at the right of the scene.

These are just some of the precautions taken when capturing the scene in HDR night photography.

Click on the link for more photos of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in Autumn 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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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Rivière-du-Loup region 2023

Kamouraska and the St.Lawrence river 2023
Kamouraska and the St.Lawrence river 2023

The photograph shows a view of the fertile land along the St. Lawrence River in the Kamouraska region. A public observatory allows visitors to admire the panorama.

Sea kayaking on the St.Lawrence Seaway near Rivière-du-Loup
Sea kayaking on the St.Lawrence Seaway near Rivière-du-Loup

In the evening, in Rivière-du-Loup, these two kayakers enjoy the tranquility of the St. Lawrence River as they indulge in their favorite sport.

The St.Lawrence Seaway seen from Rivière-du-Loup
The St.Lawrence Seaway seen from Rivière-du-Loup

This HDR shot of a unit at the Auberge de la Pointe in Rivière-du-Loup features seven superimposed photos, for a total of 354 megabytes of data. This ensures that the sky is correctly exposed and that the rooms in the foreground are not completely obscured.

Orange rocs in Rivière-du-Loup
Orange rocs in Rivière-du-Loup

Near the Rivière-du-Loup – Saint-Siméon ferry, the rocks here and there take on an orange hue. It’s a nice contrast to the blue sky.

Ferry towards St-Siméon in the province of Québec 2023
Ferry towards St-Siméon in the province of Québec 2023

The journey takes us to Saint-Siméon on a calm seaway. A Canon EF 11-24mm F/4 USM wide-angle zoom lens captures the scene without exaggerated distortion.

Île-aux-Lièvres and the St. Lawrence river, Québec 2023.
Île-aux-Lièvres and the St. Lawrence river, Québec 2023.

Above, Île-aux-Lièvres from the ferry. The multiple cloud layers create streaky effects on the St. Lawrence River.

Auberge la Châtelaine Saint-Laurent, La Malbaie 2023.
Auberge la Châtelaine Saint-Laurent, La Malbaie 2023.

Here’s a shot of one of the corridors of the Auberge Châtelaine, in La Malbaie. One of the reasons to stop by is the excellent breakfast included after a good night’s rest. No fat bacon or greasy potatoes here: just homemade bread and jams.

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

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Photography Photos of Quebec

Line study in photography.

Old Quebec Stairs May 2023
Old Quebec Stairs May 2023

Photographers make little use of the intense midday light when it comes to achieving an interesting effect. However, as in this HDR photo of the stairs of an Old Quebec street above, bright light can be used to create shadow effects with horizontal, vertical and oblique lines.

Quebec City HDR Spring 2023
Quebec City HDR Spring 2023

Above, another staircase with lines running in all directions. But it plays only a partial role in this HDR photo, the rest being taken up by the scene in the distance. I was looking for a double effect of chiaroscuro and atmosphere. The foreground, dark and cold, contrasts with a brighter background with an uncertain sky. On the right-hand side of the photo, the tension eases and the blue sky and sun appear.

Street photography at the "station de la Plage" 2023
Street photography at the “station de la Plage” 2023

This image is what is known as “street photography“. Chance has placed this person in the right place with the right dress and the right umbrella. She is wearing a horizontally lined dress and holding an obliquely lined umbrella in front of the vertically lined fence of the “station de la Plage” in Quebec City. The gray sky avoids distractions and focuses attention on the main subject.

For this last photo, I didn’t have my full-frame camera, but a cell phone. The file was of inferior quality, so I had to improve the focus using photographic software with artificial intelligence capability.

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

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Photos of Quebec

The Saint-Jean-Baptiste District in Quebec City.

HDR photo of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste district in Québec, June 2023.
HDR photo of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste district in Québec, June 2023.

Above, a photo of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste district in Quebec City, taken in June 2023. Five photos of 50.6 Megs each in RAW format and with different apertures make up this HDR scene.

After adjusting the basic HDR photo using Photomatix software, I worked with an image processing software to optimize the final result without exaggerating hue and saturation, which is not always obvious in photography today. Finally, I converted the whole thing to JPEG format for distribution.

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

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Photos of Quebec

Shop on rue St-Jean in Quebec City

On the St-Jean street, the Magasin Général P L Blouin in Quebec City.
On the St-Jean street, the Magasin Général P L Blouin in Quebec City.

The photo shows a partial view of the window of Magasin Général P. L. Blouin Enr on rue St-Jean in Old Quebec. This store sells all kinds of traditional items and souvenirs in French and English, popular with tourists and locals alike. Digital image processing applied a pseudo HDR effect to bring out details and reflections.

Click on the link for more photos of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans during 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

Place d’Youville, Old Quebec in winter.

Place d'Youville, Old Quebec in winter.
Place d’Youville, Old Quebec in winter.

In the foreground, on the right, the ramparts of Old Quebec. From this height, you can access the Porte St-Jean which is certainly more difficult to access in winter, but which offers a perfect viewpoint to photograph Place d’Youville. You can see the very popular skating rink. A section of the German village is located this year at the end of the rink, waiting for the work near Quebec City Hall to be completed.

The photo above includes several photos juxtaposed on top of each other to provide an HDR effect. The darker areas of the photo are better exposed, while the brighter lights are dimmed to provide a more balanced photo. As always, there is life in Old Quebec! Click on the link for more photos 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.