Tag: night photography

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Ship photography

The Harlequin near Lévis and heading to Rouen, France

The Harlequin in front of the Jean Gaulin refinery in Lévis, 2017.
The Harlequin in front of the Jean Gaulin refinery in Lévis, 2017.

The picture above shows the Harlequin, a bulk carrier built in 2012 that has a 9.7 meter draught. It sails under the Cyprus convenience flag. On June 18th 2017, when the photo was taken, it was in front of the Jean Gaulin refinery in Lévis, Quebec, and was about to cross the Atlantic heading to Rouen, France. The Jean Gaulin refinery is Quebec’s largest refinery and ranks second in Canada when it comes to refining crude oil.

The photo was taken at 21:07, just before nightime. Since I was positioned on the highest floor of the Quai des Cageux wooden tower, there were constant vibrations associated with people going up and down the stairs. The tower’s movement combined with a moving vessel made the use of of tripod totally useless. It was thus necessary to make a handheld photo, which seriously increased the risk of a blurred picture considering the lack of light.

A Canon EF 85mm f/1.2 II USM fixed lens installed on a Canon 5DSR full frame camera helped to make a successful shot. The fact that this kind of lens requires very little light increases the photographer’s margin of manoeuver. It would obviously have been possible to increase the ISO to 6000 and more to compensate for the poor lighting, but that would have degraded the photo’s quality. The ISO was thus limited to 2000, with a shutter speed of 1/200 sec and a 1.6 aperture.

In order to limit the risk of a blurred picture, it was necessary to follow the movement of the ship with the camera. The closer one gets to immobilizing the ship in the viewfinder, the better the chances of a defined photo.

Since the ship was farther than it appears on the picture above, some cropping was mandatory to bring the vessel to a decent size. If the ISO had been too elevated to start with, the ensuing photographic grain would have been too big after the cropping and the quality of the picture would have suffered. With an ISO limited to 2000, the image kept a decent definition.

For other pictures of ships on my website, click on the following link : Ship photography.

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Night photography of Quebec City

Quebec City Summer 2014
Quebec City Summer 2014

Here is a night picture that speaks volume about the ambiance that generally prevails in Quebec City. Wherever he walks, the photographer will notice citizen and tourists admiring the town.

The photo was captured with a Canon 5D MKII full-frame camera equipped with a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 fixed lens. This kind of maximal aperture allows to take pictures at this time of the day without the need of a tripod and without grossly increasing the ISO, thus protecting the picture’s quality. The use of a tripod is always giving better results, but for the occasions where the photographer does not have one with him, the maximal aperture of 1.4 (or even better 1.2 for the lucky ones) can save the day.

The stars surrounding the city lights do not result from using a special photography equipment. Instead, they are produced by the multiple elements present in the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 fixed lens. Since every lenses available on the market are not of equal quality, some lenses naturally offer a much nicer bokeh than others.

It is quite difficult to obtain something else than human silhouettes when the light is so weak. The lower third of the image also proves to be a problem for the camera, as the luminosity created by the streetlights is much more intense. Nonetheless, it was not too difficult to correct the contrasts using an image editing software, since the photo was taken using RAW files.

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
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Night photography: an ice sculpture at the 2017 Quebec Carnival

Ice sculpture at the Quebec City Carnival 2017
Ice sculpture at the Quebec City Carnival 2017

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:

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
Terrorism

The Quebec Islamic community attacked by an unstable individual

The Quebec Islamic community has just lost six of its members. I want to offer them my sincere condolances as a Quebecer from Quebec City and as a Canadian.

It is hard for me to realize that in  my city, which is so beautiful and peaceful, such a tragedy can happen. But all the citizens who have lived the same tragedy in their city tell themselves the same thing. Talk about it to the French or the Berliners. Quebec is not different.

The Quebec City mayor, Régis Labeaume, was recently mentioning how good the statistics were in Quebec when it came to violent acts : there had been only one homicide in twenty-one months. And now, in full Quebec Carnival period, at a time where the City invites its citizens and tourists to get out and be together enjoying the winter season, one Quebecer attacks his peaceful compatriots.

The word « terrorism »

I do not know why exactly but it seems that the Sainte-Foy, January 29th 2017 murders that have just been commited will be classified as a « terrorist » act. Possibly because it targeted a specific community that has a different religion than the shooter. Or because the act is aimed at terrorizing people. Or both.

The word « terrorism » is popular. In United States, the Donald Trump government has just closed its boundaries to selected countries, in case a potential « terrorist » would arrive in USA.

It is easy to forget that there are American citizens already living in United States that are even more dangerous, those who kill tens of thousands of Americans yearly with all kinds of guns that they have the right to possess according to a Constitution that did not anticipate the consequences.

In spite of the blooshed that includes tens of children in schools, it is not « terrorism » so there are no drastic actions taken. Politicians talk and hesitate for weeks after a tragedy and then everything comes back to normal. The « terrorist » murder has obviously a much stronger social impact than any other murder. And it allows to disregard the widespread « laisser-faire » when it comes to the right of everybody in United States to acquire almost whatever he desires when it comes to guns and to use them at will. But if you come from Irak, now that’s dangerous!

A few nice Quebec City photos

I take the opportunity to post a few nice pictures of Quebec City, as I did for France after the terrorist acts. They have been taken with a Canon 5DSR. This is another way of saying to local citizens and tourists that Québec, as for Paris, Nice or Berlin, is a beautiful city, normally very peaceful and filled with happy people. And that we are not going to be told how to behave or think by the most violent and often mentally fragile individuals of our societies.

Bonhomme Carnaval and Château Frontenac, Québec 2017
Bonhomme Carnaval and Château Frontenac, Québec 2017
The Price building, Québec 2017
The Price building, Québec 2017
Dufferin Terrace slide, Québec 2017
Dufferin Terrace slide, Québec 2017
Snow, ice and wood creation made by a Sillery citizen in Quebec City in 2015.
Snow, ice and wood creation made by a Sillery citizen in Quebec City in 2015.
Categories
Photos of Canada

Night photography: the Canada Geese in the strait of Georgia in British Columbia

Canada Geese over the Strait of Georgia in British-Columbia, in 2016.
Canada Geese over the Strait of Georgia in British-Columbia, in 2016.

Night photography is not always planned and the photo above, taken late in the evening, was certainly not one I would have been able to take when I started as a photographer.

There was a superb sunset on the strait of Georgia, in British Columbia, and I had taken multiple pictures until late in the evening with my Canon 5DSR full-frame camera. The photography session was almost over.

Once I decided that it was time to pack-up for the night, I heard a flock of Canada Geese. They were flying in formation over the mountains to the west and were heading north in the darkness. In order to photograph those fast moving birds in the remaining light, drastically different settings would have to be made on the camera, and this, very rapidly.

The camera was equipped with a Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens mounted on a tripod and facing west. It was on manual focus, the stabilizer was inactive and the ISO setting was very low. A ND graduated filter was already mounted on an adapter which was installed on the lens.

That meant dismantling the camera from the tripod, activating the automatic focus as well as the stabilizer, increasing the ISO, removing the ND graduated filter, limiting the aperture to insure sufficient shutter speed, composing the photo and taking few rapid shots before the geese were too far away.

Few seconds later, those birds and the landscape were becoming another souvenir of a beautiful summer holiday spent in British Columbia.

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

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Night photography: the Quebec City German Christmas market

German Christmas market stands in Quebec City (2016)
German Christmas market stands in Quebec City (2016)

The German Christmas market is back again this year in Quebec City, for the ninth consecutive year. The market is located near the City Hall and the activity is an initiative of the German community of Quebec. European German Christmas markets have existed for centuries and have kept virtually the same formula throughout the years.

Amateur of delicacies and handicrafts always find something interesting when stopping by the sixty little wooden houses located in the City Hall’s gardens.

German Christmas market in Quebec City (2016)
German Christmas market in Quebec City (2016)

My family and I always stop for an evening meal at the heated chalet where we find an excellent white beer and many choices of meals. The site is ideal for photography enthousiasts and the thousands of multicolored lights add a very special atmosphere. If you visit the market when there is a snow shower, this will add even more interest to your pictures.

The photos shown here have been taken with a Canon 5DSR  full-frame camera equipped with a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM fixed lens, which allowed me to walk around the site without carrying a tripod.

German market at Christmas in Quebec City (2016)
German market at Christmas in Quebec City (2016)

I would like to offer my condolances to the German people with regards to the terrible challenge they went through in December 2016 when many citizens visiting the Berlin Christmas market were killed or hurt by a madman from Daesh.

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
Aviation photography

Aviation photography: the sunset colors on a Bombardier Q-400

Sunset colors reflecting on an Air Canada Bombardier Q-400 in Toronto
Sunset colors reflecting on an Air Canada Bombardier Q-400 in Toronto

The Air Canada Terminal installations at the Toronto Lester B. Pearson international airport are such that a voyager intending to do a flight from Toronto to Quebec has to walk outside the building to catch his plane. This has some advantages, especially when it is an evening flight and there is, at the time of boarding, a superb sunset.

But to directly photograph the sunset colors without any filter or tripod, while hand holding the camera, is a recipe for disaster. And a photographer cannot stay immobile for very long in that restricted area where security agents and passengers walking towards the DHC-8-400 demand that everyone move with the flow.

A practical method that offers very good results is to indirectly photograph the beautiful sunset colors by using the aircraft as a reflector.

First, it is better to use a camera lens that requires very little light. This will limit the grain size while allowing a shutter speed that is high enough to avoid a blurred picture. The scenery was thus captured with a Canon 5DSR full-frame camera equipped with a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens.

Secondly, the photographer must crop the photography using an image editing software so that all useless details are absent from the final shot. There are two objectives: 1) it is obviously necessary to keep the aircraft parts that will best show the sunset colors and 2) do the best possible use of the elements presenting graphic interests for the viewer.

If I had kept only several oversized windows in order to show the superb sunset colours, there would have been only clear bright colours, without contrasts. That would have given an uninteresting photo. The advantages of protecting the shadowy top of the aircraft are that it adds a strong luminosity contrast, allows the inclusion of the Q-400 diagonal lines (1-2-3-4-5) and a reflection of the reflections themselves (6) under the aircraft’s wing. All this is highlighted in the photo below.

Photography theory: diagonal lines on a Bombardier Q-400 photo
Photography theory: diagonal lines on a Bombardier Q-400 photo

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

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec Ship photography

Photography: the Queen Mary 2 in Old Quebec

The Queen Mary 2 in Québec in the fall of 2016
The Queen Mary 2 in Québec in the fall of 2016

The Queen Mary 2 comes twice a year in the Quebec Harbour during the autumn. It obviously always attracts a lot of onlookers. The vessel carries 2620 passengers who are prompt to visit Old Quebec upon arrival.

In order to take a picture of this superb ship and the architecture of Old Quebec’s houses, it was worth waiting until evening, when the colours were more subtle. I could have chosen to do a close-up of the Queen Mary 2, but by doing so the photo would have lost some of its dynamism since the quartier Petit-Champlain’s alleys and its pedestrians would have been absent from the scene.

There is only a small portion of the sky visible in the picture and this is voluntarily since it does not present any interesting details, especially when compared with the rest of the scenery. The front of the Queen Mary 2 has wilfully been located in the superior right corner of the photo since it is toward this part of the image that the eye ends its initial inspection.

There were quite a number of viewers installed on the Dufferin Terrace, most with a portable camera, trying to capture the scene. All those onlookers and photographers constantly moving on the wooden terrace were nevertheless creating vibrations: a tripod, usually the perfect tool to prevent any shaking of the camera, was only useful here providing that there was a shorter exposure time. The ISO had to be increased accordingly to respect the shorter exposure and avoid a blurred picture at low speed.

Still, the photo taken with a Canon 5DSR full-frame camera successfully portrays the mood in Old Quebec on that evening of autumn 2016.

For other ship photos posted on my website, click on the following link:

Ship photography

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
Photos of Canada

Toronto’s architecture : photography with a Canon 5D MKII in 2016 part 2

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
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:

Photography in Ontario : the Toronto CN Tower

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
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)
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)
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 Skyrise, Ontario 2016
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)
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

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

The new Pierre Lassonde pavilion of the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec

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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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)
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
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:

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