Tag: photography theory

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Photography

A lucky American Robin.

An American Robin and its fledgling in Sillery, Quebec City.
An American Robin and its fledgling in Sillery, Quebec City.

In Quebec City, an American Robin came to make its nest near our back door. Since it had been there brooding without giving birth to anything, we were beginning to believe that the mother was sterile.

Major construction work was to begin shortly at our home and would last a few weeks. We were almost glad that no chicks were born, as this would simplify the transportation of materials.

A day before the renovations were to begin, the first chick was born. From then on, all construction workers would have to be blocked off and asked to make a detour each time they needed to take scraps out of the house or bring in new material.

All labor groups agreed to our request without a second thought. For two weeks, electricians, plumbers, floor layers, delivery people and installers of all kinds came and went, sometimes asking for updates on the condition of the mother and her chicks.

In Quebec City, three two week old American Robins.
In Quebec City, three two week old American Robins.

The photo above shows the three chicks one day before they fledge. The lack of light due to the location of the nest, as well as the desire not to disturb the fledglings, necessitated the use of a powerful telephoto lens and a camera capable of cropping without loss of quality. A full-frame camera Canon 5DSR with a Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM telephoto made the job easy. The ISO was set to 200 and I severely limited the depth of field to get the best possible shutter speed to avoid motion blur.

This morning, all the birds had left the nest. The parents were flying around nervously, attacking predators while the young were quickly learning to become independent. The blue jay that regularly visits us for its “dish of the day” was denied access to the backyard by both parents.

There are now three new American Robin in the area and it is almost certain that the mother will return next year to the same location, given the success this year.

Click on the link for more pictures of Quebec City in Summer on my blog.

Categories
Photos of Quebec

A Blue Fairy in Old Quebec.

A young girl dances through the water jets near Quebec City's city hall.
A young girl dances through the water jets near Quebec City’s city hall.

The water fountains near the Quebec City’s City Hall Gardens attract crowds during the summer season. The changing colors of the lights offer many opportunities for night photography.

Patience becomes the first rule when it comes to capturing the scene that will stand out. Usually, children run indiscriminately left and right. But there are exceptions, like that evening when a young girl started dancing through the programmable fountains. She moved quickly, adding more dynamism to the scene. I had to take a chance with a night photo.

As far as the photography technique is concerned, the challenge was interesting. I wanted to capture the feeling of movement in her dance. But this demanded a high shutter speed to avoid too much motion blur. On the other hand, the low ambient light called for a slow shutter speed. Those two requirements were completely opposite.

A Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM lens mounted on a Canon 5DSR    camera was part of the solution. A recycling garbage can positioned near the scene also served as a support for the portable tripod. Both Canon lens and tripod allowed for more light to be captured while avoiding unnecessary vibrations.

However, those two actions would not have been enough to allow the scene to stand out. There were still too many contrasts between light and shadow. A digital image processing software facilitated the use of the essential data included in the RAW file of the photo, revitalizing the background while diminishing the foreground’s highlights of the water jets.

Some purists lose sleep over the idea that contemporary photographers use digital processing software to get a better picture. When a RAW file contains 50 million megapixels and you refuse to use its data on principle, it’s a bit like Charles Leclerc deciding to drive his Formula 1 car using only the settings of the ’60s, for nostalgia’s sake.

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

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

The promenade Samuel-De Champlain in winter.

A part of the promenade Samuel-De Champlain in winter by -27C.
A part of the promenade Samuel-De Champlain in winter by -27C.

The photo above shows a portion of the promenade Samuel-De Champlain in Quebec City. People are walking under a temperature of -27 C, but the windchill factor is actually more like -40 C.

Where I was standing, a cliff was blocking the last sunrays. But a little further, the perfectly clear sky and the sun setting diretly in the axis of the St-Lawrence River allowed to obtain amazing color contrasts.

The promenade Samuel-De Champlain with the Adobe "Content Aware" function.
The promenade Samuel-De Champlain with the Adobe “Content Aware” function.

I used the first photo above to familiarize myself with Adobe CC 2022. The software’s “content aware fill ” feature allows you to quickly erase elements of a photo without it being too noticeable. So, I tried the experiment with the person in the foreground. In a few seconds, the lady disappeared without a trace. Artificial intelligence now plays an increasingly important role in the fast and efficient editing of images.

Click on the link for more pictures of Quebec City in winter on my blog.

Categories
Photos of Quebec

On The Road (3)

Province of Quebec landscape in Autumn.
Province of Quebec landscape in Autumn.

On the road in Chaudière-Appalaches, a beautiful region in the province of Quebec, I saw an interesting landscape in my rearview mirror. This was the perfect start for autumn photography.

Rather than getting out of the vehicle to capture the scene and its autumn colors, it seemed to me that a modified « frame in the frame » technique could be applied very well to capture most of this bucolic landscape.

In order for the photo to be sufficiently in focus, it is necessary to stop the engine. Otherwise, the minute vibrations are transmitted to the rearview mirror, making it impossible to obtain a correct focus, even when using the manual mode.

The photographic composition is determined in the rearview mirror by a zigzagging path through houses and forests. The leaves are starting to change color and the buildings in the foreground as well as the shades of green in the fields help bring the scene to life.

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

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

On The Road (2)

Old American Ford pick-up on the road to Lyster in Québec in 2020
Old American Ford pick-up on the road to Lyster in Québec in 2020

This photo was taken at the end of a beautiful day in the Chaudière-Appalaches region. The sun is almost on the horizon and is hitting the sides of the trees directly, further enhancing the autumn colors .

By this time, people are home having dinner and there are hardly any vehicles on the road. Rather than photographing an empty road, which certainly would have been a logical choice, I waited for a vehicle to show up and advance into the foreground of the photo. We are in the countryside and, luckily for me, the old Ford pick-up fitted perfectly in the landscape.

In terms of the photographic composition, the ideal position to capture the scene seemed to be near the curve, so as to use the white line of the road as a guideline leading to the subject of interest. The 16×9 format also allowed for a photo large enough to include the set of transmission line poles on the left, which itself was certainly as old as the pick-up. The latter was positioned according to the rule of thirds, without any compromises being necessary.

The posts on the left allowed a better framing of the subject. In the distance, the sun shines on the road and we assume there is a field on the left that lets the sun’s rays pass through.

The picture was taken with a Canon 5DS R full frame camera.

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

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Winter photography 2020 in Old Quebec (4)

February 7th 2020 snowstorm at Place d'Youville in Quebe City.
February 7th 2020 snowstorm at Place d’Youville in Quebe City.

The photo above shows Place d’Youville, in Quebec City, during the February 7, 2020 snowstorm.

The original color photo practically showed only a general white veil. The processing in black and white photo helps to accentuate the effects of blowing snow in this winter scene. Transformation into black and white is a very useful photography
technique when it comes to highlighting elements that are difficult to detect.

The subsequent enhancement using an image processing
software also helped to highlight otherwise secondary elements.

Between the snow bank in the foreground and the buildings on the right, the cars are moving slowly along what is still visible of this entrance to Old Quebec.

The St. Louis street and the La Bûche restaurant in Old Quebec.
The St. Louis street and the La Bûche restaurant in Old Quebec.

The scene above shows St-Louis street partially obstructed by snow. On this Friday evening, the Quebec carnival has just started. However, not everyone is celebrating. The driver of the snow blower in the background is immobilized. The trucks in which he would normally blow snow have been delayed.

In the foreground, the restaurant La Bûche. I’ve been there a few times since it opened. Always the same excellent recipes, impeccable service and an extra kilo after the meal. A very good restaurant in Quebec, near the Chateau Frontenac. And for those interested, what is happening in the kitchen is visible to some of the customers. (No I am not paid for this advertisement!)

A cyclist in a snowstorm in Old Quebec on February 7th 2020.
A cyclist in a snowstorm in Old Quebec on February 7th 2020.

For the bravest, winter cycling is an alternative way to travel in extreme weather. The reduced visibility forces the cyclist above to use the sidewalk for his own protection. However, beware of walking down sidewalks at the corner of streets where ice sometimes accumulates. Having often been in Old Quebec to do night and day photography, I witnessed spectacular pirouettes that would make the elastic acrobats of Cirque du Soleil jealous.

The photos were taken with a Canon 5DSr full-frame camera.

Click on the link for other photos of Quebec City and île d’Orléans in winter on my blog.

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Winter photography 2020 in Old Quebec (3)

Place d'Youville under moderate snow. Seen from the Porte St-Jean during Winter 2020.
Place d’Youville under moderate snow. Seen from the Porte St-Jean during Winter 2020.

The photography technique adopted above uses the arch offered by Porte St-Jean to frame the main photo showing Place d’Youville and its buildings at the time of heavy snowfall.


This winter night photograph represents several challenges, including the need to show the snowflakes falling in front of the headlights of moving cars while respecting the natural light of the buildings in the background.

The two pedestrians strolling on St-Jean Street add a human touch and depth to this scene.

The photo below shows part of Pub St-Patrick with some of its Christmas decorations during the snowstorm of February 7, 2020. Old Quebec is full of decorated buildings long after the holiday season is over.

A pedestrian in front of Pub St. Patrick in Old Quebec, Winter 2020
A pedestrian in front of Pub St. Patrick in Old Quebec, Winter 2020

The photo was taken just before nightfall because the light is particularly soft at that moment. I waited for a rare pedestrian to add a bit of humanity to this scene.

The photographic composition takes into account the two diagonal lines starting from the upper and lower left corners and meet on the right side of the photo, roughly in its center.

The diffuse light coming from a lamp post located on the right and outside the frame of the photo adds a little warmth to this winter scene.

The pictures above were taken with a Canon 5DSR full frame camera.

Click on the link for other photos of Quebec City and île d’Orléans in winter on my blog.

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Winter photography 2020 in Old Quebec (2)

A narrow street in Old Quebec during a winter storm in 2020
A narrow street in Old Quebec during a winter storm in 2020

The few Christmas decorations still remaining in Old Quebec enhance the winter scenery during a snowstorm on February 7 2020. The presence of several interesting elements add to the photographic composition: the color of the lights in the fir tree and its reflection on the snow, the yellowish lights , the pedestrians walking in the snow covered alley, the smoke escaping from one side of the building and the « blue hour », a period that lasts a few minutes before  darkness when one can still see the color of the sky.

Winter storm in Quebec in 2020
Winter storm in Quebec in 2020

The black and white photo above has received infrared treatment. This way, the characters passing in front of the car’s headlights are clearly visible, while also making it possible to distinguish the surrounding objects. Night photography with moving characters and such dramatic light contrasts requires a higher ISO if you do not want to leave out objects that would be of interest in the photographic composition.

Despite an adjusted ISO, the car’s headlights made it harder for the camera’s sensor to correctly read the average brightness of the scene. Without digital image processing, the surrounding buildings would all be extremely dark. Using infrared solved part of the problem.

The photos were taken with a Canon 5DSr.

Click on the link for other photos of Quebec City and île d’Orléans in winter on my blog.

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Winter photography 2020 in Old Quebec (1)

Old Quebec during the February 7 2020 snowstorm.
Old Quebec during the February 7 2020 snowstorm.

A winter photography project can consist of planning a photo session during a huge winter storm. The next few articles related to photography will concern the snowstorm that took place on February 7, 2020 in Quebec.

The photo above was taken near Côte de la Fabrique, in Old Quebec, after the storm which left 35 centimeters of snow. I chose a black and white photo because the colors added nothing significant, even going so far as to distract the viewer.

The technique of black and white photography works very well here at showing the contrasts between light and dark. The pedestrian and the vehicle headlights emerge much better and the blowing effect near the buildings is more visible.

Delayed snow removal in Old Quebec.
Delayed snow removal in Old Quebec.

Interestingly, the rise and fall of tides in the St. Lawrence Seaway impacts snow removal in upper town of Old Quebec.

If the storm occurs during high tides, there may be an overflow of the St. Lawrence Seaway on certain sections of the highway in the lower town. The trucks responsible for collecting snow then have to make a long detour which brings them back to areas already affected by automobile congestion and where speed limits are considerably lower.

While the snowblower is on site and ready to clear the streets of Old Quebec, trucks are caught in traffic, thus slowing the snow removal process. (To be continued).

The photos were taken with a Canon 5DSr.

Click on the link for other photos of Quebec City and île d’Orléans in winter on my blog.

Categories
Ship photography

The oil tanker Nave Equinox in front of Lévis.

The Nave Equinox oil tanker with Lévis in the background during winter 2020.
The Nave Equinox oil tanker with Lévis in the background during winter 2020.

Last week, there was virtually no ice on the St.Lawrence Seaway near Quebec City. Since the beginning of the winter, very mild temperatures had allowed ships to travel the St.Lawrence without encountering any obstacles. For the past week however, more seasonal temperatures with some days between -15C and -22C have been changing the appearance of the seaway.


The photo above shows the oil tanker Nave Equinox, a ship built in 2007 approaching Quebec City. Even at -15C, the day was still ideal for photography because the cloud cover was fragmented allowing the diffuse light of the January sun.


The photo was taken from the Dufferin Terrace near Château Frontenac.The vessel was quite distant and a significant cropping was applied to bring the vessel closer. The photo was taken hand-held and the image sharpness was retained using a very fast 1/8000 sec shutter speed. Doing so limited vibrations.

 
The camera used was a Canon 5DSr with a Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM lens. A 50.6 megapixel sensor limited image pixelization when cropped.

Click on the link for more about ship photography on my blog.