Photography Tips
Here are a few photography tips for taking a decent photo of the Price Building, the only skyscraper in Old Quebec, with the multicoloured fountain at Quebec City Hall.
Ideally, you should use an ultra-wide-angle lens. In the picture above, I’m using the Canon EF 11–24 mm F/4L USM zoom lens. At 11 mm, it frames the Price Building and the fountain without cutting anything out.
It’s best to photograph the scene during the blue hour. At this time, the cloud formations that are still visible create a more vibrant sky. The colours of the water jets also stand out better. Of course, a tripod and a camera shutter release cable are necessary.
The height and colour of the water jets vary constantly. It takes several attempts to get the jets high enough and achieve the desired colour. This way, you’ll capture large reflections on the tiles that ultimately create long, straight lines of colour.
It’s well known that fountains attract children… and parents. The main challenge when taking photos comes from the number of people making selfies and standing still in the water jets. It’s during those rare moments when no one enters the frame that you capture the scenery.
Shooting in RAW format allows you to enhance the data recorded by the camera later on. I use a fairly low ISO and a shutter speed between 1/60 and 1/125. A slower shutter speed also produces good results and alters the texture of the water jets. The depth of field is around 9.0.
Click the link for more photos of Quebec City on my blog.
