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Photography

Saint-Nicolas blueberries.

Blueberries and macrophotography
Blueberries and macrophotography

Saint-Nicolas is full of quality blueberry fields. While the family is having fun picking the delicious berries, I take the opportunity to do a little photography and try to create something other than a traditional photo of a blueberry plant. The right light and a Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM macro lens are a good start to maximize the chances of success.

Arriving at the time of the season when the blueberries are not all mature makes it possible to capture several colors. The next step is to choose a plant with healthy flowers and fruit, because in macro photography a damaged plant is magnified several times and the defects become distracting.

Finally, it is necessary to take several pictures with different apertures. We must find the right balance. A bush with too much detail may become conventional, while too many blurred areas lose interest because the eye does not know where and what to look at.

Click on the link for more pictures of Quebec City and surroundings in summer on my blog.

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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Val-Bélair in Autumn

Chair and house in Autumn in Val-Bélair.
Chair and house in Autumn in Val-Bélair.

This year I have searched for new sites to capture autumn colours. I drove by Val-Bélair and stopped by a house that looked abandoned. The colour of the chair and the yellow background allowed me to compose my first shot.

Multicolored trees near Val-Bélair.
Multicolored trees near Val-Bélair.

There are superb trees between Val-Bélair and L’ Ancienne-Lorette . The picture above represents only a section of the forest.

Val-Bélair in Autumn.
Val-Bélair in Autumn.

Val-Bélair is a region with both agricultural and city life. It was natural to compose a picture that would include a car and a tractor. The colored leaves are used as a natural frame around the vehicles. The Canon 5DSR full frame camera’s aperture was adjusted to have only the middle ground in focus.

https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/details/cameras/eos-dslr-and-mirrorless-cameras/dslr/eos-5ds-r

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Photos of Canada

Psychedelic reflections and a Canada Goose.

Psychedelic colours surrounding a Canada Goose.
Psychedelic colours surrounding a Canada Goose.

The main subject, in the picture above, can either be the Canada Goose or  the bright psychedelic pattern of colours surrounding the bird.

Moments before three geese swam near Victoria’s Fishermen’s Wharf, in British Columbia, the multicolored houses built along the piers were perfectly reflected in the water.

As the geese swam through the reflections, waves and patterns of multiple colours were suddenly created. I chose to take a picture of the last Canada Goose as she benefitted the most from the interesting shapes and colours in the water.

The very bright colours were due to the paint chosen for the houses as well as the direct sunrays striking the houses since the sun that was approching the horizon. The goose is positioned according to the rule of thirds, but this is never mandatory. The small waves in the lower left quadrant gradually lead the eye to the main subject.

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Photos of Canada

A partial view of Lake Agnes, Alberta 2018.

A partial view of Lake Agnes, Alberta 2018.
A partial view of Lake Agnes, Alberta 2018.

The picture above, taken in 2018, shows a partial view of Lake Agnes. The photographic composition is limited to elements that reinforce the diagonal lines crossing the scenery. In the foreground, the branch reinforces this composition by following the reflection of the rocks in the water.

The limited number of colours in the picture allows for a better view of the diagonal lines in the landscape.

At the extreme right in the foreground are a few people following a pathway along Lake Agnes in order to start the ascent of the Devil’s Thumb (visible in the background) or the more popular Big Beehive.

The picture was taken with a Canon 5DSR camera equipped with a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens.

For other pictures of Canada, click on the following links of my blog:

Other Provinces and Territories of Canada Photos
Province of Quebec Photos
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Photos of Canada

A picture of the Kelowna Yacht Club at dusk.

The Kelowna Yacht Club in British Columbia.
The Kelowna Yacht Club in British Columbia.

For this picture of the Kelowna Yacht Club, in British Columbia, I was more interested in capturing the general atmosphere rather than the whole yacht club with all its boats and installations.

The words Kelowna Yacht Club and the boats being  obvious in the midground, there was no need to add more details. It was nonetheless important to position the tent in the superior right corner of the picture since the name of the yacht club was showing and it was well lighted.

The photographic composition includes elements of the surrounding natural environment that made Kelowna’s reputation. The boats are framed between the rocks and the plants in the foreground while the mountains are visible in the background.

In order to achieve a good photo at this time of the day, a tripod was necessary. It was nonetheless mandatory to limit the exposure time due to the winds, in order to avoid a blurred picture. The shutter speed was limited to 3.2 seconds and the ISO adjusted to 320 to limit the photographic grain. An aperture set at 13 allowed a sufficient depth of field to offer a sharp image.

A Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM lens mounted on a full frame Canon 5DSR was used for the picture. The focal was limited to 32mm. The visibility was somewhat limited due to the active forest fires in the region, but the additional condensation nucleis in the air helped to obtain beautiful colors in the sky.

For other pictures of Canada, click on the following links in my blog:

Other Provinces and Territories of Canada Photos
Province of Quebec Photos
Categories
Photos of Canada

Lake Louise area and a view from the Big Beehive.

View from the top of the Big Beehive, in Alberta.
View from the top of the Big Beehive, in Alberta.

If you are spending some time around Lake Louise, in Alberta, a very interesting outdoor activity is to go hiking on the 10 km trail that leads to the Big Beehive. You start from the Fairmont Lake Louise and slowly walk up to the Lake Agnes Tea House. There, you can get a simple meal and rest before walking around Mirror Lake and heading for the Big Beehive trail. The view on top is absolutely superb.

I have included a link that provides you with commentaries and informations from people who actually did the trail: Alltrails.com

Once you have tried the Big Beehive trail and are ready for a more relaxing activity, you might consider renting a canoe at the Fermont Lake Louise Hotel facility and head for the lake for an hour. The color of the Lake Louise water is amazing and the view stupendous.

Canoers profit from the beautiful surroundings of Lake Louise, Alberta, in 2018.
Canoers profit from the beautiful surroundings of Lake Louise, Alberta, in 2018.

The pictures above have been taken with a Canon 5DSR full frame camera. I carried a tripod and some equipment up the mountain as it was obvious that there would be great photo opportunities. Using RAW files helped a lot when came the time to work with different levels of luminosity.

For other pictures of Canada, click on the following links of my blog :

Other Provinces and Territories of Canada Photos
Province of Quebec Photos
Categories
Street photography

Jeanne d’Arc and the snow geese

Jeanne d'Arc and the snow geese. Parc Jeanne d'Arc, Quebec City, 2017.
Jeanne d’Arc and the snow geese. Parc Jeanne d’Arc, Quebec City, 2017.

When someone wants to do street photography, he must continually ask himself: “What don’t I see, but that is there? What do I take for granted but that would deserve a different approach?

While I was heading to Old Quebec, I walked by the Jeanne d’Arc park. This park is known for its beautiful flowers and its huge statue of Jeanne d’Arc. But how could I get the statue without the flowers?

I was looking left and right when I finally looked straight up to see, in the background, hundreds of snow geese flying at high altitude and enroute for the Arctic. I had to very rapidly find a way to photograph the statue and the snow geese.

A few seconds later, the tip of Jeanne d’Arc’s sword was pointing towards the snow geese, making a link between the two subjects.

On a more theoretical note, an abstract diagonal line crossed the photo, starting from the front of the horse and going through the rider, the tip of the sword and following the two lines of geese, ending in the upper right corner of the picture.

The picture was taken with a Canon 5DSR full frame camera equipped with a Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM.

For other street photos, click on:

Street photography

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Aviation photography

The Government of Quebec Challenger 600 C-GQBQ

Government of Quebec Challenger CL-600 C-GQBQ airborne from the Québec Jean-Lesage international airport
Government of Quebec Challenger CL-600 C-GQBQ airborne from the Québec Jean-Lesage international airport

I return in the past with this photo of the Governement of Quebec Challenger 600 C-GQBQ. It is seen here after the take-off from the Quebec Jean-Lesage international airport. The picture was taken during fall 2012 with a Canon 5D MKII full frame camera, from the stairway surrounding the Quebec control tower.

With regards to photographic composition, the rule of thirds can be detected in the two wooden zones in the background, one at the top and the other at the bottom of the photo. The aircraft’s position in the frame happens to also meet the same rule of thirds.

I used the spectacular colors of fall to add some interest to the scene.

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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec Ship photography

The Bulk Carrier Ferbec in front of Quebec City

CSL Bulk Carrier vessel Ferbec passing by Quebec in May 2017
CSL Bulk Carrier vessel Ferbec passing by Quebec in May 2017

CSL Ferbec Bulk Carrier vessel in 2017
CSL Ferbec Bulk Carrier vessel in 2017

The picture above shows the Bulk Carrier Ferbec. It belongs to CSL (Canada Steamship Lines). It was built in 2002 and regularly travels between Sorel and the North Shore to carry ore. It is seen here in front of Quebec in May 2017, with Lévis in the background.

The picture was taken using a Canon 5DSR equipped with a Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM fixed lens.

Instead of taking only a picture of the vessel, I thought it would be more interesting to keep it at a distance and capture the scene when I would see, in the viewfinder of the camera, vegetation partly surrounding the ship.

Weather was quite unstable around Quebec. On the north shore, the sky was mostly covered by a thin veil of cirrus clouds while on the south shore were numerous towering cumulus with rain showers.

Since there were only thin clouds on the north shore of the seaway, a part of the sunlight directly hit the side of the ship, adding some dynamism to the scenery.

Surprisingly, there was only a very light wind directly over the seaway, which helped improve the ship’s reflection in the water. All the elements were now present to capture a souvenir shot of the Ferbec in front of Quebec City.

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

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
Photography Books

Photography books: “Full Frame” by David Noton

The photography book « Full Frame », by David Noton, was written in 2010 but the content is still totally pertinent today. It’s possibly the best photography book I’ve ever read. The images are fantastic and the text is loaded with practical and accessible information.

Photography book "Full Frame" by David Noton
Photography book “Full Frame” by David Noton

The author is known as one of the best landscape photographer in the world. Every page of his book is divided in three sections: before, during, after. This means that you read about everything that the author had to deal with as he travelled around the world with his wife to capture landscapes: the preparation, technique, priorities, obstacles, successes, etc.

All along the book, I had the feeling that a friend was writing me since the text is written with a light and humoristic approach in mind, and certainly without pretend. Here are some of his remarks and advices:

“Luck is where preparation and opportunity combine.” (p.38) This certainly applies to everything we do in life.

“Stick with the full frame quality and crop as when required, keeping all the [sensor’s megapixels] information in reserve”.

“Sometimes a new lens or format will serve as a catalyst for a whole new way of looking. It’s all part of the evolutionary process.” (p.64)

Sharpen all digital images. Pictures are made of square pixels and need microadjustments.

To choose among your interesting similar photos which one is the best, start with a very good one and compare it with each other photo, one at a time, throwing away the ones that are inferior. You will save a lot of time.

A bit of blinking in the highlights is not terrible since RAW files can easily be adjusted. Don’t forget that the camera’s monitor shows an histogram adjusted for JPEG files.

Use a grad filter to control the contrasts only, not to add mood or create an artificial contrast.

There is no need to always show the tops of mountains.

“The best pictures are the simplest. Composition is the art of knowing what to leave out.” (p.71)

“Be flexible and strive to extract the most from seemingly adverse conditions.” (p.77)

“For wide angle views on the world, a full-frame sensor is imperative.” (p.93)

Back cover of the photography book "Full Frame" by David Noton
Back cover of the photography book “Full Frame” by David Noton

“Scout the location, analyse the options in different lighting situations, previsualize the image, plan the shoot then keep returning until it’s nailed.” (p.113)

“Location finding is everything; the photography is the easy bit.” (p.125)

“Don’t be afraid of “blinkies” in the brightest part of the sky where the sun shines through […]. We don’t expect to see detail there.” (p.138)

“Using movement is an essential technique in a photographer’s repertoire.” (p.143)

“The classic, golden rule of thirds is a good starting point, but it’s only a guideline to ignore at will.” (p.149)

“A camera’s sensor is not a linear device so the right half of the histogram contains far more information than the left. Those apparently overexposed images, when processed with the brightness brought back to the desired density, will have richer tones and less noise than a frame exposed to the left.” (p.153)

“We photographers can only continue to improve if we keep pushing ourselves.” (p.187)

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

Here is the link to the author’s site: David Noton

Title: Full Frame
Author: David Noton
Edition: David & Charles
ISBN-13:978-0-7153-3615-1
©2010