Tag: station de la Plage

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Photos of Quebec

Sunset at the Station de la Plage

An evening after the rain at the Station de la plage, Québec 2024
An evening after the rain at the Station de la plage, Québec 2024

A few Quebec City residents enjoy the last glimmers of daylight at the Station de la Plage, as the showers of the previous hour precipitated the departure of the other occupants.

Radar echoes showed towering cumulus clouds (TCU) approaching the area at around 19:00. These usually produce short-lived showers, letting light through here and there between the cloud formations.

For a photographer, the first ingredient in capturing a special sky is present.

The second prerequisite is that the setting sun’s rays travel a greater distance through the atmosphere, unblocked by a distant weather system. This makes it possible to observe such impressive shades of pink and red. So, we check the forecast to verify that this is no weather system coming the next day.

These two conditions greatly increase the chances of an interesting sky at dusk. It doesn’t always work, but let’s just say that planning improves the likelihood of a successful photo shoot.

That’s what happened on this August evening in 2024.

Evening sky visible through the installations at the Station de la plage, Québec 2024
Evening sky visible through the installations at the Station de la plage, Québec 2024

The photo above shows the shades of sky visible through the openwork ceiling of the Station de la plage. I like the minimalist look. It vaguely reminds me of the paintings of Canadian Newfoundlander Christopher Pratt. For him, the primary interest lies less in the representation of an architectural structure as such than in the addition of light that will transform the viewer’s perception.

Click on the link for more photos of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in Summer on my blog.

Categories
Photography Photos of Quebec

Line study in photography.

Old Quebec Stairs May 2023
Old Quebec Stairs May 2023

Photographers make little use of the intense midday light when it comes to achieving an interesting effect. However, as in this HDR photo of the stairs of an Old Quebec street above, bright light can be used to create shadow effects with horizontal, vertical and oblique lines.

Quebec City HDR Spring 2023
Quebec City HDR Spring 2023

Above, another staircase with lines running in all directions. But it plays only a partial role in this HDR photo, the rest being taken up by the scene in the distance. I was looking for a double effect of chiaroscuro and atmosphere. The foreground, dark and cold, contrasts with a brighter background with an uncertain sky. On the right-hand side of the photo, the tension eases and the blue sky and sun appear.

Street photography at the "station de la Plage" 2023
Street photography at the “station de la Plage” 2023

This image is what is known as “street photography“. Chance has placed this person in the right place with the right dress and the right umbrella. She is wearing a horizontally lined dress and holding an obliquely lined umbrella in front of the vertically lined fence of the “station de la Plage” in Quebec City. The gray sky avoids distractions and focuses attention on the main subject.

For this last photo, I didn’t have my full-frame camera, but a cell phone. The file was of inferior quality, so I had to improve the focus using photographic software with artificial intelligence capability.

Click for more photos of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans in Summer on my blog.

Categories
Photos of Quebec

The « Station de la Plage » in five photos.

Station de la Plage and showers in Quebec City.
Station de la Plage and showers in Quebec City.

Comfortably seated on the new terrace of Quebec City’s Station de la Plage, I wrote this article sheltered from the elements.

Phase 3 of the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain in Quebec City will have cost around $190 million. A site foreman confides: “The most complex part of all this was complying with the actual government requirements. We had to do a lot of digging and install infrastructure to prevent wastewater from being discharged into the St. Lawrence River. We also had to deal with the sudden increase in inflation: to avoid a $50 million overrun, we had to shorten the width of the children’s romper and cut where it had to least impact “.

While out cycling, I took the opportunity to snap a few shots of the construction progress around what will develop into the “station de la Plage”.

Construction of the stairs at the "station de la Plage", Quebec City.
Construction of the stairs at the “station de la Plage”, Quebec City.

The picture above shows the production of the reinforced concrete for the main staircase.

Below, the finished steps can be seen. What will become the swimming pool (on the left of the photo) receives its first coat of paint. A modification to the pool’s depth necessitated the installation of a fence.

Painting the swimming pool at the "station de la Plage" and installing the fence.
Painting the swimming pool at the “station de la Plage” and installing the fence.

It can disappear completely into the ground as soon as swimming is allowed. However, its operation is currently causing serious problems, as with all novelties. When the motor exerts too much force to raise a section of fence, it falls back down on its own. The presence of sand in the vicinity may have been ignored, or at least its effect underestimated, when the railing was designed. Sand is inserted into the gears with each day’s activity. And there’s no question of using grease to make it easier to raise and lower the panels: the sand would stick to the lubricant and further complicate operations. A technician has been working for weeks to rectify the situation.

The "station de la Plage" is almost completed.
The “station de la Plage” is almost completed.

The pool has now received a coat of blue paint. This creates a clear demarcation with the color of the river water, an effect that will also benefit photographers. Only a few preparations remain before the population can officially access the site. The Commission de la capitale nationale de Québec wants people to be able to bathe just in time for the Fête nationale des Québécois, on June 24.

From now on, the incredible popularity of the site with the public will have to be managed. Indeed, in their eagerness to access the beach, few individuals bother to read the current regulations. This task will fall to the security staff, who will have to utilize their teaching skills and diplomacy to get the message across.

Station de la Plage in Quebec City
Station de la Plage in Quebec City

Use the following address to leave a comment for the Commission de la capitale nationale de Québec.

Click on the link for more Summer photos of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans on my blog.

Categories
Photography Photos of Quebec

Station de la Plage, Québec City.

Building architecture at the "station de la Plage", Quebec City.
Building architecture at the “station de la Plage”, Quebec City.

With phase three of the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain now complete, the Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec must adjust to the popularity of its new facilities with the public.

Station de la Plage in Quebec City
Station de la Plage in Quebec City

In fact, the “station de la Plage” and “station de la Voile” are so popular that the planners had to quickly rethink parking management. On sunny days, thousands of people come to relax on the sites. Cars arrive laden with children and beach equipment, and everyone hopes to find a space for their vehicle.  But by 10 a.m., there’s nothing left.

The two beach and building attendants have their hands full observing everything that moves, correcting habits and arguing with people. Because, in addition to the scarcity of parking spaces, pedestrians are not tolerated strolling alongside their bicycles, either near the beach or on the elevated terrace.

Raised deck at "station de la Plage", Québec City.
Raised deck at “station de la Plage”, Québec City.

However, the rules and regulations posted on the National Capital Commission’s website are confusing. They stipulate that you must walk on the site and that bicycle traffic is prohibited. You might think that a person walking with his bike at his side would be complying with the requirements, since he’s not straddling it, but that’s not the case.

A month into the operation, a security guard tells me: “We’ve already notified over 400 visitors who were walking while holding a bike”. He wants the word to get out. But the facilities for accommodating bicycles are not keeping up with demand. The tree trunks near the main building help out, and serve as a place to put a padlock on busy days.

Trees used to lock bikes at the station de la Plage in Quebec City.
Trees used to lock bikes at the station de la Plage in Quebec City.

What’s more, with bicycles becoming increasingly expensive, many cyclists are reluctant to leave them unattended for a few hours, even when locked. Experienced thieves are notoriously quick. This first year of operations will therefore require some modifications to procedures and installations.

If you’d like to have your say, use this address: Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec. You can also request a follow-up by checking the appropriate box.

Click on the link for more Summer photos of Quebec City and Île d’Orléans on my blog.