Tag: shutter speed

Aviation photography: Quebec’s CL- 415s heading towards Fort McMurray, Alberta

Post author By Stanley
Post date 9 May 2016

A Bombardier CL-415 water bomber, property of the Government of Quebec, is being prepared for its flight towards Fort McMurray, May 2016

Quebec’s CL-415s helping out in Fort McMurray

On May 5th, 2016, according to what had been announced by the Government of Quebec, four CL-415s took off from the Quebec Jean-Lesage international airport (CYQB) heading to Fort McMurray, Alberta, to help in the fight against widespread forest fires in that province. It is the worst natural disaster that Canada has known in its history.

Preparing flight crews and aircrafts for such a long cross-country trip naturally demands much coordination from the SOPFEU (Society for the protection of forests against fires). Once they will have landed at the Fort McMurray airport, the pilots of those CL-415s will be under the direct command of the Albertan authorities in charge of fighting the wildfires, since the latter are best positioned to know exactly what the local needs are.

I figure that the flight service specialists (FSS) of the Nav Canada flight information center (FIC) in Edmonton must have quite busy days with the increased aerial activity associated with the numerous fires…

Crew members are walking towards the Government of Quebec CL-415; they will soon be airborne and heading to Fort McMurray in Alberta, to fight the forest fires (2016)

The picture above shows crew members heading towards their assigned aircraft. Once they start working in the Fort McMurray region, they will not only have to directly fight the forest fires but also head to sectors that have not yet been touched by fire and water the area thoroughly to prevent new wildfires.

A Government of Quebec CL-415 number 245 is taxiing at the Quebec Jean-Lesage international airport to take-off towards Fort McMurray, in Alberta, to help fight the out of control forest fires in that province during May 2016.

Taking pictures of propeller-driven aircrafts

A Bombardier CL-415 water bomber takes off from the Quebec Jean-Lesage international airport heading to Fort McMurray, in Alberta, to help fight the forest fires (2016)

It is a bit touchy to photograph propeller-driven aircrafts while making sure that there is a sensation of movement. In a natural reflex to want to avoid blurred pictures, the photographer uses a shutter speed that corresponds to the focal used for the shot. In the case of the picture above, the focal was 400mm. But if a shutter speed of 1/400 had been used, the propellers would have been totally immobilized and the aircraft would have looked like its climbing while not using its engines.

It was necessary to reduce the speed to 1/160, thus increasing the risk of obtaining a blurred picture. In order to get both image sharpness and moving propellers visual effect, the photographer has to follow exactly the movement of the aircraft with the camera so that it looks totally immobile in the viewfinder. This asks for a bit of practice but allows for more realistic photos.

The CL-415 in a black and white photo

Black and white photo of a Bombardier CL-415 (C-GQBG) flying over Quebec City in 2015

The government of Canada helping out Alberta’s citizens

The government of Canada, under Justin Trudeau, has promised to match the amounts of money offered by all Canadians to the Red Cross society toward helping the Fort McMurray population.

Obviously, its contribution will not stop there (in fact, far from it), but the message is for the whole Canadian population to contribute generously to support the efforts of the Red Cross. It is already estimated that the material damages will reach at least nine billion dollars and that numerous years will be required to rebuild everything. The Liberal Party of Canada had built its political campaign around the need to invest for the renewal of infrastructures. With the Fort McMurray fires, there will be plenty of new unplanned expenses ahead.

More than 1,400 firemen are fighting the wildfires. So few, there has been very few lives lost, although “very few” is always too much. The crisis is, according to everyone, well managed by the government of Alberta.

At the time of writing, there was still no rain forecasted for days to come and the drought was also extending to the southern half of Saskatchewan and part of Manitoba. The winds were expected to increase, which would mean that even more resources would be needed in the near future to bring those wildfires under control.

It seems to me that the government of many Canadian provinces would benefit in acquiring new water bombers like the CL-415 to give them an increased margin of manoeuver that would allow them to react more quickly, if we take into account the tendency for the ever growing number and size of forest fires. In the picture below, the government of Quebec CL-415 number 247 is just airborne from Quebec to Fort McMurray.

A Bombardier CL-415 C-GQBK airborne from the Quebec Jean-Lesage international airport heading to Fort McMurray, Alberta, in May 2016

The CL-215s will not head to Fort McMurray

While several CL-415s are leaving for Alberta, few water bombers, like the two Canadair CL-215s shown below, stay at the Quebec Jean-Lesage international airport in case of forest fires in the province and also to be used for the seasonal rehearsal needed for every pilot before they are dispatched across the province of Quebec.

Two Canadair CL-215 water bombers parked at the Quebec Jean-Lesage international airport in May 2016.

Global warming

Some people can say that global warming is not responsible for the increasing number of extended wildfires. They might be right, but I prefer to adopt a wider view than only what is going on in Alberta. Heat transfer between the north and south are now more extreme in order to equalize the temperatures around the globe. All means to reduce the difference in temperatures between the equator and the poles are at work and this causes increasing problems to particular regions.

The Kamloops region in British-Columbia, when numerous forest fires were raging 2014.

A powerful El Nino phenomenon, repetitive Omega blocks, the air circulation in different cells (Hadley, Ferrell, polar, Walker) all participate in the heat exchange. At a more reduced scale, we also regularly hear of cold and warm fronts in the meteorological forecasts.

It is certainly not local warm fronts that are responsible for the fact that a thinner layer of permafrost is unable to ensure the stability of Arctic runways anymore. Nor are fronts responsible for the fact that houses on stilts do not have a stable foundation anymore. Many heat records have been established these past years in northern Canada. There will certainly be large amounts of money to spend to rebuild the Nordic infrastructures.

Brush fires as soon as April in Alberta

This year, as soon as April, there were widespread brush fires in a region as north as Fort McMurray in Alberta because winter has not brought much snow to humidify the land during Spring. I thus wondered what would happen once in July. Albertans did not need to wait that long to get the answer.

Western Canada forest after a fire (2014)

The modelization of climatic changes indicates that, in the Fort McMurray region, the forest fire season is already fifteen days longer that it used to be. More heat might favor more droughts. But an increase in temperature also favors the development of thunderstorms and with them comes lighting that will start up new fires.

One thing is sure: insurance companies will not lose time with the different theories on global warming. The reinsurers (those who insure the insurance companies) have the obligation to limit their losses to stay afloat and premiums will quickly increase to answer to the thousands of claims following an increasing number of natural disasters.

Photos of the local air traffic in Quebec, just after the CL-415s departed to Fort McMurray

FedEx ATR 72-202F C-FTAR and Air Canada Express Bombardier DHC-8-Q-402NG (C-GIJZ) at the Quebec Jean-Lesage international airport in May 2016

At the Quebec airport, between the take offs of the four Bombardier CL-415 towards Fort McMurray, I was able to take few pictures of the local air traffic. In the photo above, it is possible to see a FedEx ATR 72 (C-FTAR) taxiing toward the ramp after a landing runway 06. An Air Canada Express Bombardier DHC-8-402 (Q-400) (C-GIJZ) was also being towed for is imminent departure.

ATAC’s Hawker Hunter N339AX

Being in luck, I was able to capture a Hawker Hunter (N339AX) belonging to the American company ATAC, just airborne from Quebec. As for any military jet, it is difficult to ignore them on take-off: the reactor’s noise is there to remind you of their presence…

A Hawker Hunter belonging to the american company ATAC is airborne from the Quebec Jean-Lesage international airport (CYQB), May 2016

A Hawker Hunter, from the american company ATAC, is airborne from the Quebec Jean-Lesage international airport (CYQB) in May 2016

The pictures above have been taken with a Canon 5D MKII camera, equipped with a telephoto lens Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM with a polarizing filter and a Canon Extender EF 2X III which brought the focal length to 400 mm. Even then, more cropping was necessary to enlarge the aircraft since I was quite far away from the runway.

Wishing to ensure that the image was sharp (a blurred picture is more probable with a 400 mm focal length while the photographer attempts to follow a fast flying jet), I adjusted the shutter speed to 1/1600 and made sure that the automatic focus was set on AI servo.

I now realized that a slower speed could have worked a bit better since it would have allowed showing a blurred forest in the background while keeping the aircraft sharp. But it is not often that you have the opportunity to see a Hawker Hunter in flight these days and I played safe with the shutter speed. The ideal shot will be for another day…

CL-415s and CL-215s together in Quebec (2012 photo)

CL-415 and CL-215 water bombers belonging to the Gouvernment of Quebec. Quebec Jean-Lesage international airport (CYQB) 2012

A last picture, taken few years ago, during autumn 2012, shows numerous water bombers CL-415 and CL-215 parked at the Quebec Jean-Lesage international airport (CYQB). During the off- season, the water bombers are brought back to Quebec City from the different bases were they have been in operation during summertime.

For other articles on aviation and photography, click on the following link: Aviation photography

Tags AI Servo, Air Canada Express, air traffic, aircraft photos, airport, Alberta, Albertan government, Arctic, ATAC, ATR 72, automatic focus, aviation, aviation photography, black and white photo, blurred picture, Bombardier, Bombardier Q-400, C-FTAR, C-GIJZ, Canada, Canadair, Canadian, Canadian government, Canadian politics, Canon 5D MKII, Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM, Canon DSLR, Canon Extender EF 2X III, Canon lenses, CL-215, CL-415, climatic changes, cropping, CYQB, Edmonton, environment, evacuation of the population, FedEx, FIC, fighting the forest fires, firemen, flight service specialist, focal length, forest fires, forest fires surveillance, Fort McMurray, FSS, full frame camera, full frame sensor, global warming, government of Alberta, government of Canada, government of Quebec, Hawker Hunter, image sharpness, infrastructures, Justin Trudeau, Liberal Party of Canada, Manitoba, material damages, meteorological forecasts, military jet, N339AX, Nav Canada, permafrost, photography, photography technique, pilots, polarizing filter, political campaign, Province of Quebec, Québec, Quebec City, Quebec Government, Quebec Jean-Lesage international airport, Red Cross, runway, Saskatchewan, security, shutter speed, Sopfeu, telephoto lens, tips in photography, water bombers, wildfires

Photos of Canada

Photography: wildlife in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada

Post author By Stanley
Post date 26 April 2016

A Canada goose about to take off from Oak Bay, Victoria, British-Columbia in 2014

Obviously, the Canon 5D MKII is not the ideal camera for sport photography, but it still can offer very good results with its full frame sensor. You don’t get a high number of frames per second, but you get the benefit of a bigger image than one produced with an APS-C sensor. I was thus able to capture the full take-off run of this Canada goose in Victoria, British Columbia, while leaving enough space on the right side of the frame, which was essential for a balanced photographic composition.

Deer on a private property in Uplands, Victoria, British-Columbia in 2014

Deer move freely in Victoria’s Uplands sector and you can easily find them on private property lots. Since they are so numerous and have no natural enemies, the city has imposed new regulations to control their ever growing number. The picture above was taken from my vehicle: it was only necessary to slow down and proceed quickly to capture the animal while it was looking at the car.

Heron in flight in Oak Bay, Victoria, British-Columbia 2012

There are numerous herons in Victoria’s Oak Bay sector. This picture was taken very early in the morning, while there was a mixture of mist and low clouds and the rising sun was still blocked by some low clouds. The wind was calm. A graduated filter was nonetheless necessary to tone down the contrasts caused by a horizontal light.

Fighting herons in Oak Bay, Victoria, British-Columbia in 2012

Every bird has to fight for its own territory and those two herons are no exception.

Eagle observed in the Campbell River region, British-Columbia, Canada. Summer 2012.

While taking a little scenic cruise in British-Columbia’s Campbell River area, we were able to see numerous eagles diving to catch fishes then climbing back up in high trees to deliver the catch of the day. Pictures were hard to take since the captain had to keep the boat at a good distance from the eagles to respect their hunting territory. Moreover, it was windy and the boat was constantly moving.

Two eagles near Campbell River, British-Columbia, Canada in 2012

The two pictures of eagles were taken with a Canon 5D MKII equipped with a Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens. An extender (2X) was also added to increase the focal distance to 400mm. Even then, I had to crop quite a lot to bring the birds to an acceptable distance, which increased the digital noise. A quality APS-C equipped camera (like the Canon 7D MKII) would have been very useful here (10 frames per second and a reduced amount of cropping, if you are ready to compromise on the size of the image).

A full frame camera like the Canon 5DSr would have also been appropriate, with its 50.6 MP resolution, as long as a high shutter speed is selected. Due to all those pixels crammed on a regular full frame sensor (not a medium format), the slightest camera movement is recorded. But if you succeed in totally freezing a long distance shot, the exceptional resolution of the Canon 5DSr would allow you to greatly increase the size of the bird while protecting the sharpness of the image, especially now that the low pass filter has been neutralized in the model R.

Chipmunk near highway 93 towards Jasper, Alberta

On the car ride between Lake Louise and Jasper, we had to stop on numerous occasions to take pictures in the fantastic Jasper National Park. At one point, a little chipmunk, familiar with rest areas, paid us a visit hoping to add something new to his diet. The picture’s depth-of-field has deliberately been adjusted to make sure the chipmunk would be easily visible, since both animal and background had the same colours.

Mountain goats in the Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada in 2014

It was hot, very hot, during summer 2014 in the Jasper National Park. The car’s thermometer was recording 38C between Lake Louise and Jasper. Numerous forest fires were raging. So much so that we had to delay our trip towards Jasper by 24 hours since Highway 93 had been closed by authorities. Mountain goats nonetheless had to endure part of their winter fur in that very high heat…

Canadian bighorns near Kamloops, Alberta, Canada in 2014

Near Kamloops, in Alberta, we were able to observe about twenty Canadian bighorns coming down from the surrounding mountains to help themselves from the cultivated lands in the valley. The picture above was taken with a Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens, almost without cropping, the bighorns being close enough.

Brown bear near the Yellowhead Highway, Alberta, Canada in 2014

The picture above was taken alongside the Yellowhead Highway in Alberta. We saw the bear in a field and when he detected our presence, he changed direction and started moving toward us. Here, everything is about moderation and although I love photography, comes a time when a bear is big enough in the viewfinder to indicate that it is time to retreat…

Other pictures on Western Canada will be available in the coming months…

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

Photography Books

Photography Books: The New Street Photographer’s Manifesto

Post author By Stanley
Post date 6 April 2016

Livre de photographie: "The new street photographer's manifesto" par Tanya Nagar — Livre de photographie: “The new street photographer’s manifesto” par Tanya Nagar

Tanya Nagar is an award-winning photographer from London. Her book, “The new street photographer’s manifesto” is perfect for those who aim to improve their street photography techniques. The present article is not a comprehensive critic of her book but an overview of what a reader will find. I also highlighted some tips in photography that will help to improve the street photographer’s performance.

Tanya’s manifesto not only contains technical advices helping a photographer to improve his shots but also some tips to avoid common mistakes. Subjects include: timing, composition, shooting portraits, framing and juxtaposition, perspective and angles, the choice between landscape and portrait, depth of field, shutter speed, exposure, night photography, rule of thirds, etc.

The book’s content is divided in six categories: 1. Street Photography 2. Where & What to Shoot 3. Seize the Moment 4. Equipment 5. Digital Processing 6. Showcase.

1. Street photography requires the ability to seize a life moment with precision and timing. It is about candid shots and does not have to include humans, as long as it fixes a moment in life. It certainly can include animals (in fact, animals are a very popular subject).

2. It is best if you use a light, discrete camera (even an I-Phone). Walking with a huge camera with big lenses makes you look like a professional photographer and people will see you coming. The trick is to avoid drawing attention. Coughing while clicking drowns out the sound of the camera. You might also think of “shooting from the hip” or “shooting blind”. Those techniques are explained in the book and can be mastered with a bit of practice.

3. It takes a bit of courage to photograph situations that include people since you never know what to expect when you raise your camera. Respect the different cultures and personal space and don’t be afraid to smile and explain what you are doing. If somebody refuses to be photographed, move on, don’t dwell on the situation.

4. In order to gain experience and a feeling of security at taking pictures of people on the street, start with protests or parades.

5. It is a good thing to know the laws pertaining to photography of the country you are visiting. Police officers in some countries might be tempted to order you to delete a shot while they actually don’t have the right to. Often, a misunderstanding by police or security guards of anti-terrorism legislation leads to different interpretations and subsequently to abuse towards a photographer. Just make sure you stay up to date with the country’s regulations.

6. You might think of shooting from within your vehicle to obtain interesting results (while respecting the country’s laws).

7. Use graffitis, signs, graphical billboards, text and advertising logos.

8. Use contrasts like big versus small, light versus dark, rich versus poor, etc.

9. Bear attention to details and look for second degree interpretation of a situation.

10. Look for amusing, funny and unusual captures.

11. Make sure you master your camera in order to be quick when the perfect opportunity comes. Set most of the parameters of the camera before actually arriving on a scene (you already have an idea of the light intensity in the area and the ISO setting that will be required to obtain the speed you desire).

12. Be cautious when it comes to taking pictures of children. Societies change and authorization from the child’s parents is required almost every time.

13. “The only way to avoid missing a moment is by carrying your camera at all times”. Therefore, get something small and light.

Endos du livre de photographie "The new street photographer's manifesto" — Endos du livre de photographie “The new street photographer’s manifesto”

The book holds a section dedicated to multiple types of cameras: rangefinders, SLR and DSLR, four thirds and micro four thirds, medium format, point-and-shoot compact cameras, camera phones, toy and pinhole cameras. Their advantages and disadvantages are clearly explained.

The reader will also find some information about lenses (the best for street photography and what to avoid) and the effects obtained through the use of different type of films (colored, black and white, expired).

The fifth section of the book relates to digital processing and the basic image editing techniques like cropping, rotating, the use of the “Curves” command, as well as dodging and burning.

The final section, “Showcase”, presents many well-known street photographers from around the world, including few photos taken by each of them to allow the reader to have an overview of each photographer’s personal style and creativity. Presented in order are: Antonio Navarro Wijkmark, Brian Quentin Webb, Charlotte Gonzalez, Claire Atkinson, Danny Santos II, Felix Lupa, Ferhat Çelik, Mustafa Abdulaziz, Ronya Galka, Seamus Travers and Severin Koller.

This is certainly a very interesting and practical photography book that will help you avoid costly mistakes (missed photo opportunities or buying the wrong photography equipment) while helping you to improve your knowledge on street photography as much as the quality of your shots.

Here is a link towards Tanya Nagar’s website: Tanya Nagar

For other photography book reviews, click on the following link: Other photography books

Title: The new street photographer’s manifesto.
Author: Tanya Nagar
©The Ilex Press Limited 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4547-0417-1

Tags animal photography, camera, Canon DSLR, Canon lenses, constrasts in photography, cropping, depth-of-field, digital processing in photography, exposure in photography, graffitis, image editing techniques, ISO, législation, light intensity, London, night photography, people photography, photographer, photography, photography and law, photography books, photography composition, photography equipment, Photography projects, photos, pictures, pictures of children, police, right to take photos in public, rule of thirds in photography, security, shooting blind in photography, shooting from the hip in photography, shutter speed, SLR, special effects in photography, street photography, Tanya Nagar, The new street photographer's manifesto, tips in photography, viewfinder

Aviation photography

Aviation photography: plane spotting at the Toronto Lester B. Pearson international airport (CYYZ)

Post author By Stanley
Post date 7 March 2016

Air Canada Airbus A330-343 C-GHLM in Toronto 2016

Here is some information aimed at helping tourists visiting Toronto, who like photography and aviation, and would think of booking one day during their visit to head to the Toronto Lester B. Pearson international airport (CYYZ) for a plane spotting photo session.

Initial planning

If you can, get a scanner or download an app on your cell phone to get real time information on air traffic around the airport: you will then know in advance the type and nationality of inbound or departing aircrafts.

Search for websites giving you access to Toronto airport VHF frequencies and program your scanner if you decided to get one.

Have a look at different plane spotting websites for the Toronto airport: there are many precious advices from experienced plane spotters that will prove useful in heading to the best spots and avoiding common mistakes.

Print two or three maps of secondary routes around the airport so that you can orient yourself when there is a change in runway use due to different winds or if you use a taxi ride to move around the airport: the driver will always ask you details on how to get there since those secondary routes are not a common destination for him (and chances are that he will not know where to go if you ask him to head to threshold of runway 05. Basically, he needs road names, not runway numbers).

British Airways Boeing 777-236 G-ZZZA in Toronto 2016

Before leaving your Toronto hotel

Before you leave the hotel, look at the Toronto weather forecast, among them the TAF, to know the wind pattern for the day. The Nav Canada site has everything you need to know and there is a possibility to choose between coded or plain aviation language.

The Environment Canada site is also very useful.

Don’t forget to bring many snacks as well as a bottle of water since you will possibly be at a good distance from a restaurant for many hours, depending on which runway is in use. The same goes for additional batteries and memory cards for the camera.

Don’t forget the scanner, the cell phone (to call a taxi driver or get access to the arrivals and departures information) and all the photo equipment needed, as well as an abnormally high number of clothing layers necessary in case of winter photography: eight hours almost immobile outside in February calls for an appropriate preparation if you want to appreciate your experience. If you economize on clothing, it is certain that you will have to shorten your photography session.

I chose February for its very interesting light and not for its temperature! Most of the shots in this article were taken in only one day at the Toronto airport, between 10h30am and 18h30.

American Airlines MD-82 N482AA final 05 Toronto 2016

From the hotel to the airport

If you chose to stay at a downtown hotel in Toronto, the best way to get to the Toronto international airport is to use the UP Express train, from the Union Station on Front Street. Its use is very simple and departures are made every fifteen minutes. In February 2016, the cost was CDN $44.00 for a return trip to the airport, while a taxi ride cost $130.00.

The UP Express ride only takes 25 minutes and the train stops at Terminal 1.

It is preferable to avoid using your car around the Toronto international airport since some secondary roads are private and no stopping is allowed. You will take more time to look for police than to enjoy your plane spotting photography session.

Once you are at Terminal 1

Once you exit the UP Express at Terminal 1, get your scanner and monitor the ATIS frequency (120.825) to get the latest information on the runways in use for take offs and landings. For my photo session, the ATIS announced that runway 05 and 06L were in use, both for arrivals and departures. I took a taxi, showed the map with secondary roads to the driver and within few minutes I was where I needed to be and started the photo session.

Air Transat Airbus A-330 C-GTSN Toronto 2016

A preliminary internet search allowed to discover that heavies mostly arrive from Europe during the afternoon et that runway 05/23 is favored for Emirates Airline Airbus A-380 arrival. I thus decided to position myself near runway 05 instead of 06L.

There are two or three quite isolated spots around the airport that provide interesting point of views for aircraft photos but that can present security problems for a photographer working alone with expensive equipment. Experienced plane spotters suggest that you should be accompanied by friends if you decide to opt for those spots (see the “plane spotting” internet sites suggested at the beginning of this article).

Emirates A-380 on final for Toronto (CYYZ) 2016

Emirates A-380 on final 05 for Toronto (CYYZ) 2016

Technical advices

For precise photos of aircrafts in movement, I use the following parameters with my Canon 5D MKII camera:

1. Only the central AF Point of the auto focus system is selected and not the surrounding ones in order to avoid that the camera sets the focus on other objects than what I desire (trees, ILS structure, buildings).

2. The AI Servo setting is more efficient than the AI Focus or One Shot. The aircraft will be followed precisely.

3. If I want to include surrounding objects in the photo, I adjust the aperture to 7.1 or 8, instead of 11 or 13. I thus avoid increasing the ISO too much, which would affect the picture’s quality if it has to be enlarged with Photoshop.

Westjet Boeing 737-8CT C-GWSV Disneyland Livery in Toronto 2016

4. To take pictures of an approaching propeller powered aircraft, a speed adjusted to 1/125 is generally adequate. You must pivot according to the aircraft movement so that it looks like it is immobile in your viewfinder. The picture is easier to take when the aircraft is farther away but becomes more of a challenge when it gets closer and flies by you since you must constantly change your pivoting speed.

Porter Q-400 C-GLQD on final for Toronto Billy Bishop airport (CYTZ) 2016

Air Canada DHC-8-102 C-FGQK Toronto 2016

5. A shutter speed that is too high will immobilize the propeller of an aircraft and make it look like the engine is not working, which will take away realism.

6. Throughout the day, position yourself so as to have the sun behind you (if there is any sun!), unless you are looking for special effects.

7. A very high quality lens, like the Canon 50mm 1.4, allows for beautiful pictures during the evening since there is no compromise on ISO, as the lens does not need much light. The grain size stays relatively small.

Air Canada Boeing 777 final 05 Toronto 2016

8. I use a very low ISO if the photo includes an interesting but far away aircraft, in order to be able to crop the picture with Photoshop. Since I cannot compromise on the speed to avoid a blurred picture, it becomes obvious that it is the aperture that pays the price.

Air Canada Airbus A-330 final 06L Toronto 2016

9. If the situation allows it, add visual references other than clouds to get a bit more variety in your aircraft photo collection.

Air Canada Boeing 777 final runway 05 Toronto 2016

10. Try a black and white photo if the cloud formation is particularly interesting.

C-GQBG CL-415 and cirrus clouds on a black and white picture

11. RAW+JPEG files allow for important adjustments when necessary. A JPEG only photo gives you little leeway when you want to correct mistakes or during problematic lighting conditions.

12. Variable sky conditions and constant direction winds are preferable for your photo session since the runway in use will not be changed in the afternoon and your pictures will benefit from different light intensity and cloud formations.

13. If you want to take the aircraft in relation to the ILS poles and you are looking for a symmetrical photo, just move few inches to the right or left while the aircraft is approaching or going away from you. You will also want to avoid that the horizontal poles of the ILS cut the plane and make it difficult to see.

Westjet Boeing 737-800 final 05 Toronto 2016

14. Have fun experimenting, like taking a shot just above your head while including other objects for added interest.

15. Instead of always showing the whole aircraft, try a close-up view.

Air Canada Boeing 787-9 C-FNOI in Toronto 2016

16. The close-up view might be such that even passengers of an aircraft on final will look at you while you immortalize them.

United Express on final at the Quebec Jean-Lesage international airport.

17. Chances are that you will meet other enthusiast plane spotters in the same area as yours since they also prepared themselves for a successful photo session.

Westjet Boeing 737-800 C-FYPB in Toronto 2016

18. Since you are in Toronto, head to Toronto Harbour when you are back downtown. You will witness the air traffic surrounding the Toronto Billy Bishop airport (CYTZ), formerly known as Toronto Island, and possibly take some original shots.

Porter Q-400 C-GLQM and C-GLQB at Toronto CYTZ 2016

19. This is the photo equipment used for my Toronto airport plane spotting session: Canon 5D MKII camera and the following Canon lenses: EF 50mm f/1.4 USM, EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM. No polarizer was used that day since I wanted to increase my margin of manoeuver with fast moving aircrafts under the February low intensity light.

Air Canada Rouge Boeing 767-300ER final 05 at Toronto 2016

American Eagle CRJ-701ER N523AE Toronto 2016

Aviation photography requires much planning for successful photos. But all your efforts will rapidly bear fruits once you are on site and you will not see time pass! Have a great plane spotting session and give me some news of your experience if you can!

Air Canada Boeing 767-375 (ER) C-FCAB in Toronto 2016

You can have access to other aircraft photos taken at Toronto through this link on my site:
photo galleries/aviation only

For other articles on aviation and photography, click on the following link: Aviation photography

Tags AF Point, AI Focus, AI Servo, Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge, air traffic, Air transat, Airbus A-330, aircraft photography, aircraft photos, airplane, airplane photography, airport, American Airlines, American Eagle, aperture, ATIS, autofocus, aviation, aviation photography, aviation weather forecast, B-737, black and white photo, blurred picture, Boeing 737-700, Boeing 737-800, Boeing 767-300ER, Boeing 767-375, Boeing 777-236, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787-9, Bombardier Global 5000, Bombardier Q-400, British Airways, C-GWSV, camera, Canada, Canon 5D MKII, Canon 70-200 f2.8L IS II USM, Canon EF 16-35mm f2.8L II USM, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM, Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM, Cessna 560XL, CL-415, CRJ-701ER, cropping, CYTZ, CYYZ, Emirates Airline, Environment Canada, Europe, GBL5, ISO, landing, light intensity, MD-82, Nav Canada, night photography, Ontario, photo, photo session, photographer, photography, photos, pictures, plane spotter, plane spotting, polarizing filter, police, Porter Q-400, RAW files, security, shutter speed, special effects in photography, TAF, take-off, Terminal 1, tips in photography, Toronto, Toronto Billy Bishop airport, Toronto Harbour, Toronto international airport, Toronto Union Station, United Express, VHF frequencies, Westjet, winter photography

Photos of Canada Photos of Quebec

Quebec City Photos: Autumn 2015

Post author By Stanley
Post date 11 October 2015

Hi,

Here are few photos taken two days ago in Québec with a Canon 5D MK II camera . The first picture is the exception, having been taken in St-Antoine-de-Tilly.

It was raining when the two following pictures were taken in Sillery. But this normally allows for good results since the colors are more interesting:

The Park Bois-de-Coulonge always means interesting surprises, year after year. There is always something original to shoot, providing the photographer takes his time. One can see the Sillery Marina from the top of the cliff. A row of aligned trees and the numerous masts of the sailboats taken out of the water before the cold season offered an interesting view:

The wind was blowing moderately, which allowed for the following picture:

Near a little creek, I tried different shutter speeds on two similar shots:

As I was ready to leave the park, I saw a newly wed and her entourage arriving for a photo shoot session with a professional photographer. I delayed my departure and used the pond to capture the following image, which was then inverted:

Wedding at the Bois-de-Coulonge Park 2015

Two men who were present for the wedding were standing close to the pond, staying at a distance for the photo session. I took the opportunity to discretely add the shadows to my photo:

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

Tags autumn, Bois-de-Coulonge, camera, Canon 5D MKII, photographer, photography, photos, Québec, Quebec City photos, shutter speed, Sillery, St-Antoine-de-Tilly

Photography

Flowers and plants photography

Post author By Stanley
Post date 4 April 2015

Butchart Gardens, British-Columbia, 2012.

Facing a field of flowers, a photographer has to choose among many possibilities. Here are just a few:

1) He can choose a really beautiful flower and make it the sole point of attraction. In that case, he must decide if the background will be free of any distractions.

A rose from the English Garden in Geneva, 2013.

2) He can profit from a blurred background that is of a color dramatically opposed to the color of the chosen flower.

A tulip in the Bois-de-Coulonge, Québec City.

3) He might favor an overhead or a low angle shot. As this choice of the angle of view does not apply only to flowers, I found in my archives a low angle shot of a pear tree located in St-Nicolas, Québec. Here it is, so that you can see what kind of effect can be obtained.

4) He can decide to show many flowers on the same picture, considering the interesting impact produced by all the color dots.

A field of flowers in Saint-Nicolas, Québec.

5) He might also use the flowers as accessories to direct the eye of the viewer to another point of interest like, for example, a building with special architectural characteristics.

Industrielle Alliance building, Quebec City, 2012

Flowers as accessories to improve a beautiful landscape in the background.

Sunflowers on Île d'Orléans — Sunflowers on Île d’Orléans

Photo of a part of Banff downtown, Alberta, Canada 2014

The flowers and the bumblebee are two interesting subjects; they complement each other in this picture. It would be hard for me to decide which one I prefer.

Bumblebee on a flower in the Parc du Bois-de-Coulonge, Québec City

Unless there is no other possibility, it is better to avoid shooting flowers under full sun as there will be considerable reflection on their petals. If you have no choice, use a polarizing filter, well adjusted, to reduce the undesirable effects of direct sunlight.

The ideal day to get out and take pictures of flowers is a day without wind, where there is a bright light but dimmed by an overcast sky.

The quality of colors and contrasts will be maximized if the pictures are taken during the morning or at the end of the afternoon.

Aperture has a definite impact on the final result. With a wide aperture (smaller numbers like F2.8 or F4.0) you will get a sharp subject with everything blurred around it. This will make your flower stand out. With a small aperture (bigger numbers like F14, F16), both foreground and background will be sharper, with an even better result using a wide-angle lens. Your flower will lose a bit of its impact as all the elements in the picture will now shine. Below is a picture taken in Ontario, during the Ottawa Tulip Festival.

Macrophotography:

April 2012 on the Plains of Abraham: A bee makes its way out of a crocus.

1) Remove any dirt from the plant you want to capture and choose a plant whose petals are in perfect condition.

2) Use a tripod, a remote control release and the mirror lock-up (MLU) function for better results.

3) The camera should ideally be used with manual focus, for improved sharpness. In order to verify if the picture will be in focus, look at the LCD screen and enlarge the picture (5X or 10X). You will immediately see if a minor adjustment is needed to get a sharp photo or to improve the depth-of-field.

The histogram should be checked upon taking the picture to immediately compensate for the necessary amount of light.

You can use a flash to reduce aperture. You must adjust it so that it’s not shooting at full power otherwise there will be too much reflection and you will lose all the delicate nuances of colors and contrasts.

A method that will produce surprising results is called “zoom burst”. You slowly move the zoom of a lens on all its focal length while the shutter remains open during the process. You must select a speed that is slow enough to accommodate the full deflection of the zoom. You should know that many shots are normally needed before you get a satisfying image.

Every lens offers different possibilities:

1) The macro lens is useful if you wish to capture very precise details on the flower. To add an interesting effect, you can even spray the flower lightly with water so that a few droplets remain on the petals.

2) The wide-angle lens allows you to transform an image and give it an original perspective. The effect will be more important if you shoot the flower from a special angle like, for example, from the ground up. If you must lie on the ground, use a little carpet to keep yourself clean and dry. I bought a right-angle finder to ease the workload when shooting under complicated angles. This could be a potentially interesting addition to your equipment.

3) Finally, the telephoto allows you to pick a particular flower and, because of compressed perspective, offers you a background filled with multiple colors.

Let’s end this section with a mushroom picture. The same principles apply with regards to simplicity, settings and angles of views. I could have chosen to show only an oversize shot of a mushroom, or take only part of it, but I preferred an approach that would allow me to show the radically different shapes of the specimens found at the Laurentian Forestry Center in Québec.

Mushrooms around the Canadian Forestry Service building , Québec 2014.

Photography

Night Photography

Post author By Stanley
Post date 19 February 2015

Empress Hotel at dusk, Victoria Harbor, Canada 2014

1. Ensure you bring : tripod, remote cable, flashlight and timer.

2. Use of RAW (.TIFF) is highly recommended. There is a greater potential for corrections afterward, if something is not according to your taste.

3. Noise reduction activated on the camera.

4. If the winds are calm: ISO between 50 and 200.

5. If there are strong winds: ISO 400 might be useful to avoid a blurred picture caused by the continual small vibrations of the tripod due to a long exposure. That is why a heavy tripod is always preferable.

Trailing lights on boulevard Champlain, Quebec City

6. If you wish to take a picture of people moving at a normal pace, and you have access to quality lenses, it will often be necessary to use ISO 800 to get a clear shot. This setting could allow the shutter speed to be adjusted at about 1/200 which is plenty to obtain a picture that is not blurred; that is unless you are not using a long focal like 200mm or more.

7. For people shots, it is better to have your back to the remaining light on the horizon, unless your goal is to capture a silhouette.

8. For extended exposure, use the autofocus “one shot” setting until it stops working due to insufficient light. Then use manual focus. Or use manual focus all along, with Liveview, if you prefer it that way, for extra precision.

9. Mirror lock-up function must be activated to avoid vibrations caused by the shutter action.

10. Use a remote cable when taking the picture to avoid useless vibrations.

11. If you wish, you might think of selecting a specific AF point to ensure a better focus if there is a small area that matters the most to you in the picture.

12. Do not use the FULL AUTO mode during night photography.

13. The three most important modes are 1. Aperture (taking care of slightly overexposing for surrounding lights) 2. Speed 3. Manual. There is one more reason to overexpose a bit if you work with the RAW format: there is more data information in light than in shadow, so once the picture is taken you have access to more data to play with to adjust the dark sections of the picture.

14. If you expect an exposure longer than 30 seconds, use BULB mode.

15. Night pictures are best taken using the camera bracketing funtion (-1,0,+1) and this, every two minutes.

16. The best period for night shots is 15 minutes after sunset, until official night time, which you can find on the internet. As this period is quite short, it is important that you know in advance what is of interest to you and where you will position yourself when comes the time for the picture.

17. Total darkness is not what is the most favourable in night photography. But you can certainly obtain interesting results using black and white.

18. Beware of surrounding light reflection in your lens.

19. Histogram has to be reviewed to ensure that there is no serious overexposure.

20. It is preferable to choose an aperture between F11 and F16 for maximum sharpness as well as an adequate depth-of-field.

21. If shooting a subject against the remaining light over the horizon, there might be quite a contrast in lighting between where you stand and where your subject is positioned. You might think of using grad filters (3-6-9-10) to help correct this huge light difference, or you can transform the standard photo session into an HDR one. Or both! There are also filters specifically designed for sunrise and sunset periods that can improve your shots.

All the photos were taken with a Canon 5D MKII

Photography

Aperture, ISO and Speed

Post author By Stanley
Post date 16 February 2015

A Decision Has to be Taken

You must decide the ideal combination between the following: aperture, speed and ISO. All three are interrelated and choosing one has a direct influence on the other two.

You are facing a beautiful landscape in which you want everything to be in focus: you decide that the aperture is what matters the most. Choosing aperture as the priority is a very popular choice. Let’s consider that you choose F16, which should give you a very interesting depth-of-field but will demand a lot of light. You have to compensate somewhere. If there is not much movement in the scene, and you have access to a tripod, you might decide to choose a slow speed, which allows more time for the light to enter the camera. Doing so, you won’t need to crank the ISO and you will avoid adding useless noise to your picture.

In the picture below, aperture is set at F16. The vegetation in the left corner draws the viewer’s eye toward the pedestrians, and then progressively to the quai des Cageux. We finally see the Quebec bridge, the longest cantilever bridge in the world.

If you decide that speed is a priority, you will have to compromise ISO or aperture. ISO will have to be increased to improve light sensibility, but doing so will increase the size of the grain in the picture. Depth-of-field will have to be adjusted as well since a higher speed does not let much light enter the camera. You won’t be able to pick F16 this time. So you will eventually find that there are some out of focus areas in your picture. With a bit of practice, you can be less demanding on the speed, providing you can follow the subject with your camera (it is like if you were slowing down the subject, so less speed is required).

The picture below was a bit particular: it was taken when I was on a boat rocked by waves. The eagle was far away and was traveling in the opposite direction, thus increasing the relative speed of the subject. The Canon 5D MKII was hand held and 400mm focal was necessary. Speed was crancked at 1/1600 and the ISO required was set at 5000. Naturally, the grain in the picture being larger, slightly diminishes the quality. This was a necessary compromise if the eagle was to be taken in flight.

Eagle observed in the Campbell River region. Summer 2012.

It is getting dark and you want a photo with absolutely no noise and you decide that the aperture is what matters the most. You make no compromise and choose ISO 50. This setting requires a lot of light, because the lower the ISO, the higher the demand for light. In order to make sure that your picture will not be blurred, a tripod will be necessary, since there will be an extended exposition time. In the picture below, the shutter has been opened for ten seconds, with a 9.0 aperture, 200mm focal and 50 ISO. Only the small branches in the foreground are blurred.

IMG_0617 - Resize Queen Mary 2 Québec 2012 watermark eng

Note: in general, it is better to use a tripod as often as possible, even in daylight, in order to optimize quality. Choose a heavy enough tripod to prevent vibrations under windy conditions. A light tripod is easy to carry but does not allow for acceptable pictures in adverse weather. It’s obvious that this Queen Mary II photo would not have been as precise if a light tripod had been used. In this case, it would have meant that continual vibrations would have been recorded during 10 seconds. The boat would have been totally blurred.