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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.

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Photos of Canada

Brockville in Ontario.

Historic district of Brockville in Ontario.
Historic district of Brockville in Ontario.

The historic area of Brockville in Ontario is surprising for its architecture, its large mature trees and the presence of a very well-planned marina. At the end of each day, many vehicles come to park along the boardwalk which provides a beautiful view of the St. Lawrence River near the Thousand Islands Archipelago.

The photo above shows one of these old buildings covered with ivy and other vines. The unstable weather on this day allowed us to capture a towering cumulus cloud (TCU) in the background, which adds to the overall atmosphere.

Isolated tree near the historic area of Brockville in Ontario.
Isolated tree near the historic area of Brockville in Ontario.

While walking around the historic district of Brockville, we spotted this huge tree standing alone at the curb. Although it is not protected by other trees in the area to endure the storms and high winds over the years, it managed to survive and reach maturity without too much damage.

Both pictures were taken with a Canon 5DSr full frame camera.

Click on the link for more pictures of the Canadian provinces on my blog.

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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

The old cartridge factory in Quebec City

Old cartridge factory in Quebec City
Old cartridge factory in Quebec City

The great economic crisis of 1929 affected many wealthy families in Quebec City. A decade later, at the time of the Second World War, it was again possible to get rich thanks to the ammunition industry.

The black and white photo above shows the old cartridge factory still standing in Quebec City. In the foreground, an advertisement reminds us that “a picture is worth a thousand words…”. A happy coincidence!

Click on the link for other pictures of Quebec City in Summer.

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Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Cycling around L’Îsle-aux-Coudres

Bank of St-Joseph-de-la-Rive in Québec in 2021.
Bank of St-Joseph-de-la-Rive in Québec in 2021.

Cycling around L’Îsle-aux-Coudres is a good exercise and even a photography project for landscape photography enthusiasts. The following information will therefore help you both for the exercise and for planning a photography trip …

The ferry is taken at St-Joseph-de-la-Rive, just down the Côte des Éboulements. Transportation is free, but make sure you’re in the queue thirty minutes before departure: if you make it at the last minute, you’ll have to take the next ferry, an hour later. The trip only takes about 15 minutes to L’Îsle-aux-Coudres.

Once you have reached the island with the car, you drive up the hill (no other choice) to the first intersection and you immediately see a church on the left: this is where motorists carrying bicycles park, free of charge.

Man relaxing at L'Isle-aux-Coudres in 2021.
Man relaxing at L’Isle-aux-Coudres in 2021.

Cycling around L’Îsle-aux-Coudres is not really difficult, as the distance to be covered is only 23 kilometers. There are only a few hills to climb and they can be walked up alongside the bike if the challenge is too great. Along the route you will find rest stops, small craft shops and a few restaurants.

Bank of L'Îsle-aux-Coudres 2021.
Bank of L’Îsle-aux-Coudres 2021.

Driving around the island in the low season is ideal if you don’t enjoy driving in the presence of too many cars. I was there in September and really wasn’t bothered by traffic. The photo above shows the view in the fall, from the south side of the island. For several kilometers, the cyclist enjoys a perfect view of the St. Lawrence River and the road is directly on the edge of the banks.

The Îsle-aux-Coudres region in 2021.
The Îsle-aux-Coudres region in 2021.

There are some beautiful views along the way. Above, a view of the distant mountains that lie on the north shore of the St. Lawrence.

The MSC Annick vessel in front of l'Îsle-aux-Coudres in 2021.
The MSC Annick vessel in front of l’Îsle-aux-Coudres in 2021.

Wind is the main factor to consider when traveling around the island. In the photo above, the wind is strong enough for the smoke from the MSC Annick ship’s chimney to flow in the same direction as the boat, rather than gradually drifting astern.

This means that on days with high winds, there is a side of the island where you will have to put more effort as a cyclist, but you will then be rewarded with a good tail wind in the second portion of the journey.

Effect of the wind on the cirrus clouds over Baie St-Paul in 2021.
Effect of the wind on the cirrus clouds over Baie St-Paul in 2021.

One last photo taken on the return trip by ferry. Strong winds aloft visibly have an effect on cloud structure.

Have a good ride, and possibly a good photo shoot!

For other pictures of the province of Québec on my site: Québec, Québec City and Île d’Orléans in autumn, Québec City and Île d’Orléans in spring, Québec City and Île d’Orléans in summer, Québec City and Île d’Orléans in winter.

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

The new houses of Sillery

Sillery was a formerly self-governing municipality that is now part of Quebec City. The architecture of the houses that have been built there in recent years contrasts greatly in style and format with the older dwellings.

The more recent constructions are somewhat surprising in their gigantic size. The new owners want buildings with a modern look and very imposing dimensions, sometimes doubling and even tripling the size of the traditional homes in the area.

The photo below shows the difference in size between a traditional property (on the far right of the photo) and a more modern home. 

Modern Sillery house in winter, 2022.
Modern Sillery house in winter, 2022.

Below, a traditional house in Sillery simply decorated for the holiday season. The blue light of the little tree is reflected on the front of the house and it looks really nice.

Traditional Sillery house in Québec City 2022.
Traditional Sillery house in Québec City 2022.

The traditional house above and its Christmas decorations contrast strongly with another one two streets away (photo below). It’s hard to miss the house (of which we can only see one section) and especially the huge tree decorated in its entirety and which must have required the use of a crane equipped with a telescopic arm.

Modern Sillery house with Christmas decorations in 2022.
Modern Sillery house with Christmas decorations in 2022.

A final photo (below) shows another traditional house in Sillery with interesting architecture.

The old and the new are in stark contrast in the area, so I thought it was important to capture some memories of properties with unique architecture before they disappear to make way for modernity. Because today, the fashion favors demolition rather than renovation.

Traditional house of Sillery in Québec City with Christmas decorations. in 2022.
Traditional house of Sillery in Québec City with Christmas decorations. in 2022.

The pictures are from a Canon 5DSR full frame camera with a Canon EF 24-70 lens, all mounted on a tripod to avoid blur. The ISO was set to 200, in order to limit the photographic grain.

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

Categories
Photography

Morning fishing in Ogunquit, Maine

Early morning fishing in Ogunquit, Maine.
Early morning fishing in Ogunquit, Maine.

A fisherman profits from the beautiful morning to try to catch an Atlantic Striped Bass.

Since the fisherman will be on the beach for at least an hour, I have enough time to install a tripod on the beach and use the telephoto lens to bring in the man artificially. It is worth waiting for a few seagulls to fly nearby; this always add a bit of life to the scenery.

The compressed perspective offered by a telephoto lens and the significant cropping allow to increase the presence of the houses on the Ogunquit and Wells beaches, in United States.

Ogunquit fisherman with Atlantic Striped Bass web
Ogunquit fisherman with Atlantic Striped Bass web

The Atlantic Striped Bass can grow up to 1.5 meter  (5 feet) in length and weight up to 35 kg (77 pounds). Fishing laws are different for each State. I believe that in Maine, a fisherman cannot keep a fish that is less than 71 cm  (28 inches) in length.

Although I am quite far away from the fisherman, he has nonetheless noticed me. He turns around and proudly shows the Striped Bass that he just caught. A few seconds later, he puts the fish back in the water, knowing that the fish is still too small to be kept.

Click on the link for other photos of the United States on my blog.

Categories
Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Place d’Youville in Old Quebec

Digitally modified photo of Place d'Youville in Old Quebec
Digitally modified photo of Place d’Youville in Old Quebec

This digitally modified photo shows a part of Place d’Youville, in Old Quebec.

I wanted to capture the church in the background, which seemed to be squeezed between two bigger buildings. It became the principal subject of the photo and it was positioned according to the rule of thirds. This rule is far from mandatory in photography but it often provides interesting results.

I liked the repetitive effect of the windows on each side of the picture and the fact that there were diagonal lines that lead the eye to the church. The vegetation in the foreground added a nice touch to the scenery. There was only one thing missing: a human presence.

With a little patience, three girls stopped on the sidewalk and started to talk, exactly where I wanted them to be. The wet sidewalk on which they stood helped to reflect the ambiant light and also lead the eye to the church, the principal subject in the photo.

I rarely digitally transform a photo in such a drastic way. The reason was simple: normally, when the ambiant light is not favorable, you can sometimes use the black and white setting. However, the light on that day did not offer the required contrasts to get sufficiently interesting results.

I did not want to leave Place d’Youville without having captured the energy I felt there. I opted for a radical option after having cropped the image in order to keep only the essential features.

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

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

Sunset on the Magdalen Islands

Sunset on the Magdalen Islands in 2017
Sunset on the Magdalen Islands in 2017

The Magdalen Islands, in the Province of Quebec, are recognized for the magnificent sunsets. The picture above was taken while I was coming back from Havre Aubert with my family during summer 2017. The ponds are located between Havre Aubert and Cap-aux-Meules, immediately alongside the main road.

The day had been cloudy and there was no indication that the evening would offer a possibility to get an interesting picture. But around 8 PM, while the sun was still relatively high above the horizon, a few sunrays were able to pierce through the cloud deck. The stratocumulus being well defined, it became obvious that when the sun would be close enough to the horizon, it would light the cloud deck from below as well as light up the ponds. It was important to act rapidly in order to capture the beautiful atmosphere.

When the winds are calm and you must stand still close to ponds in order to do photographic adjustments, one must accept to lose some blood to swarming moskitos. That night, I must have lost a pint of blood!

The absence of wind allowed for a good reflection of the electric poles in the foreground.

The picture was taken with a Canon 5DSR full frame camera equipped with a Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens and a graduated filter used to avoid the underexposure that would be caused by the highlights in the horizon. I used aperture priority and set it at F18 to get a proper depth of field. The ISO was set at 200 and the focal length at 135 mm.

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

The Quebec Summer Festival and Metallica

Quebec Summer Festival 2017
Quebec Summer Festival 2017

On the picture above, there is a sign indicating that the Quebec Summer Festival does not garantee an access to any sites. Under normal circumstances, this makes sense.

Part of the crowd waiting to enter the site for the Metallica show at the Quebec Summer Festival in 2017
Part of the crowd waiting to enter the site for the Metallica show at the Quebec Summer Festival in 2017

But to say such a thing to the crowd who came to see Metallica would have been quite a challenge : « Ladies and gentlemen, as the person in charge of the Quebec Summer Festival, I would like to take the opportunity to remind you that the ticket you bought does not garantee an access to any specific site. A sign has been posted to that effect and the people at the beginning of the waiting line for the Metallica show can actually read it. Today happens to be such a day where you do not have access to the site. But there are other shows in town, so have a good festival and have fun! »

But all went well and the Metallica show, as well as the other shows presented at the Quebec Summer Festival were a success in 2017.

On a more technical side, the full-frame camera used to take the huge crowd was a Canon 5DSR equipped with a Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM lens. The top of the St.Louis Gate, on Grande-Allée, was the perfect place to capture all those people waiting for Metallica.

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

The White Birch Paper’s Stadacona installations in Quebec City

White Birch Papers in Quebec City, June 17 2017
White Birch Papers in Quebec City, June 17 2017

The picture above, that shows the activities of the White Birch Paper company in Quebec City, was taken on June 2017 from a moving car on a highway heading to Quebec City’s east side.

The shot was taken with a Canon 5DSR full-frame camera at 19:33 when the light was quite weak. There was also a bit of mist and an overcast sky at the time of the picture.

In order to compensate for the lack of adequate light, and also for the fact that the camera was moving, it was necessary to use a lens requiring very little light. That prevented from setting too high of an ISO (only 2500). The shutter speed was set to 1/1250 sec. The perfect lens for this picture was the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM.

Some cropping had to be done to recenter the main subject according to the rule-of-thirds.

Finally, an image editing software helped increase the cloud and smoke effects around the two chimneys.

Click on the link for more photos of Québec and île d’Orléans in summer on my blog.