Our Rivière Cap-Rouge

Early morning winds and blowing snow prevented us from driving out of town for a snowshoe near Lac Beauport. Instead, I headed down to the Cap-Rouge River that runs just below our house. Since I was alone I took the time to set up my tripod and compose a series of shots highlighting the trees loaded with sticky snow. I love this natural view of the river combined with urban elements of bridge and rustic split-rail fence.
I used a hot shoe bubble level (Manfrotto #337) to guarantee a straight horizon. Pentax K10D, focal length 45 mm, f/13, 1/20 sec, ISO 100

Parc national des MONTS-VALIN

Last week Paulette and I explored this out-of-the-way Quebec park with a small group of snowshoeing friends. Clement temperatures, mostly calm winds and changeable light made for a special visit and captivating photo opportunities. Parc des Monts-Valin is known for its snow encrusted "phantom" trees. The overcast sky and snow-bound trees blend together creating a peaceful, monochromatic scene. Pentax K10D, 27 mm zoom setting, f13, 1/250 sec, ISO 200, WB set at 'cloudy'.

Up out of a warm sleeping bag at 6 am. At 6:25 am, snowshoes on and climbing 1 km towards Pic Dubuc (980m). Camera on tripod by 7 am. This atmospheric, warm-cool composition reminds me of Bryce Canyon in Utah, where sedimentary stone hoodoos substitute for snow sculpted trees. A fairyland!
Pentax K10D, 27 mm zoom setting, f11, 1/6 sec, ISO 100, shot in RAW with WB later adjusted to 7500K.

Check out des Monts-Valin for more.

Return to La Banquise

The winter season provides many advantages for the walker who loves open spaces. One of them is the pack ice (la banquise in French) that forms along the Saint Lawrence River. This is a wide angle view looking downriver and downwind towards Québec City.


I also like isolating close-up elements. Shards of ice are forced into infinite shapes by the river's tides and current. I took this picture lying down to remove the horizon and highlight the ice formation.

Water on Ice

A small stream thawed earlier this week. Temperatures plunge to -25 degrees Celsius refreezing most of the surface. The volume of water is so great it overflows the ice creating mini falls and ice ridges. The sun's slanting light adds a touch of warmth to the cold mix.