After I took pictures of the sunset, I packed up, and I started to make my way home. I was fifty meters into my walk when I noticed something was flying. Turning my head, I noticed it was five Mallard Ducks. I’m pretty sure they were the same ones I have been seeing in the area since last summer. They were born last summer, and they had decided to spend their first winter in the Canadian Rockies. They had survived a couple of cold spells, including the long one in December and early January. Either a predator got them into the air or perhaps they were moving to the bigger open water area for safety during the night. After they had made one circle, I thought it was too late to get their picture with the remaining sunset colours. But they decided to make one more circle, and this time I was ready with the camera in hand. As they started to descend, I got a picture of them and the warm colours of the sunset.
Sunset
As the world gets more out of control, the bigger role nature plays in helping bring calm. When I’m out there, it’s a time to relax, time to breathe and time to find answers to all those questions circling in the head. I dove into the parking lot as the remaining vehicles were on their way out. I grabbed my pack and hit the trail and let my mind wander to any issues that needed dealing with. Listened to the birds and watched the trees sway from side to side in the wind as I made my way to the spot where I wanted to watch the sunset from. When I arrived, I put my pack down and got the camera ready. I watched the surrounding light change, I still had about 20 minutes left for the warm colours to arrive. I started to relax as I leaned against a tree and watched the sky. For the half hour I was there, the world’s problems were pushed away by the wind. Once the show was over for the day, I made my way to my car with my mind in a better place.
Ice Bubbles
I saw my first ice bubbles some time in the 90s, crazy times, while walking over a frozen river. Learned how they form at a later time. Wherever you have organic matter decomposition underwater, thanks to bacteria, methane gas is produced and bubbles upward. Now you just need cold temperatures for ice to form and the gas to get trapped. Final piece, no snow on top of the ice to hide the bubbles from your viewing pleasures. So, it’s possible to see trapped methane bubbles at any body of water in the Rockies and at home if you’re having a bubble bath and leave the windows open when it’s minus thirty degrees Celsius outside. Over the last number of years people posting pictures of the ice bubbles have made them very popular on social media. One of the most popular places for ice bubbles is Abraham Lake, located east of Banff National Park, even though many posted it as being in Banff. After social media, the lake led people searching for their own images of the bubbles.
One of the best places in Banff NP is the back of Minnewanka Lake, but to get there you have to hike about 18 kms one way. A few years back I did that hike, ate lots of chocolate that day. Most of the winters, I look for bubbles near to home. In this case it was near a bend in the river before a few snowfalls took the view away.
Massive Range
For the last few hours of the day I was looking up toward the sky. If the last light got below the clouds, the whole sky was going to light up. Work came to an end, while everyone else were making their way to their vehicles, I headed for the nearby trails. I was starting to see what was coming, excited, I moved quickly. For the next half an hour I moved back and forth on a small section of the trail. It was not the ideal spot for sunset pictures that evening, but no time to walk anywhere else. I knew the area and I was going to get a few good pictures. The river ice was questionable that evening, so that removed some options. I took a few pictures looking northeast, and then looking east. But back of my head the big show was going to be to the west. The big ending to the day started. There was no interesting foreground, I knew that as soon I had hit the trail. But the sky looked amazing, it was going to be the highlight and below it the outline of the Massive Range. Keeping it simple was the way to go that evening.
One reason I enjoy nature photography is the way I feel inside as I’m watching something beautiful. It’s like a visual energy entering the eyes and going right into the brain and from there spreading to the rest of the body. I have no drug experience I can relate it to, other than, you guess it, good chocolate after a long hard hike. It does not matter if it’s a sunrise, sunset or flora or fauna. The hit always lasts longer than the moment and I can’t wait until the next one. Fifteen minutes after I took this picture, I was walking over the bridge with a visual high and looked west. Faded, there were still some colours in the sky. Even the sky did not want to forget that evening.
Herbert Lake
I knew the sunset was going to take place that was worth waiting for. But would the water calm down enough to get a nice reflection. For few minutes it did just as the light was at its best. After taking handful of pictures, the wind picked up in speed and the small lake was covered with ripples.
Storm Mountain
The goal was to get out for a couple of hours, to look for a spot where I could take pictures of a mountain, bathing in the warm light at the end of the day. Started my walk, saw a couple visiting Banff NP, said hello and kept walking. They started walking behind me, I hoped they would stop because they were not dressed to go where I would end up. Few hundred meters later they stopped, I kept going for a km until I found a spot to take pictures. Walking along a river with snow, ice and open and hidden water can be tricky. I did not want others to take the risk by following me. I still had an hour before I would start to take pictures. Looked around to become familiar with the area I had not visited for two winters. The light I was waiting for arrived, started taking pictures with the river front of me and the mountain in the distance. As the photography session was coming to an end, I looked back.More clouds had gathered and there was a good chance they were going to light up when the sunlight got under them. Walked hundred meters and found some open water in the foreground and the rocks I thought would add to the image. About 15 minutes later I was looking at a beautiful sunset, kept taking pictures until the light was gone. I had just enough warmth in the hands to pack up and start walking back to the vehicle. Once I started walking the hands warmed up and I was energized, got two opportunities to take pictures in one evening.
Bow River
It was fun getting this picture. The sun was setting and the light and the colours were moving fast in the sky. The Bow River was getting close to freezing over, enough to walk on, but not to cross over. Walking with my ice cleats, slowly moving to find the spot where I was going to set my tripod. Once I noticed the ice bubbles, I decided they were going to be in the foreground of the image. But they were one third of the way into the river. Watching the light and checking the condition of the ice with each step, I made my way to the ice bubbles, got on my knees to get the bubbles in the frame and then quickly got the picture before the colours left the sky.
Mount Rundle
I did not think there was going to be a bright sunset. For most of the day the sky was clear, in the last couple of hours all that changed. I was outside all day, so instead of heading home, I decided to wait to see if the clouds would light up. I was getting cold, but it was worth the wait.
