It was the morning after a good amount of snow had fallen onto Banff National Park. I had the day off and I was out taking pictures of beautiful winter scenery. I have taken many pictures of Castle Mtn from the road, I never get tired of it. For a while it was just me on the road, the few times I stopped along the way to take pictures of the morning light.
Cascade Mountain
From the bottom of the valley to the top of the mountain, it's winter wonderland.
Castle Mtn
Castle Mountain is one of the more viewed mountain in Banff National Park. Millions of eyes gaze at it each year, while travelling on Trans-Canada Highway, Bow Valley Parkway and from few while travelling on the waters of the Bow River. Most of the pictures I have taken of it are from the east of the mountain, it has more character from that direction. Over the years I have taken pictures of it from several locations, but most of them along the Bow River. I still have other location in mind, just waiting for all the parts that make a good photo to come together. For this image I was back along the Bow River, finding a location where there was open water during a period of cold temperatures.
Cascade Mountain
If you have some clouds and some clear sky, there is a good chance of an interesting sunrise. Its worth heading to the Vermilion Lakes for, setting up the camera equipment and waiting for the sun to rise. Did not get he reds or the oranges, but got some bright warm yellows, a nice contrast to the cool blue on the ground.
Cascade Mountain
When driving through the mountains I often comes across beautiful views from the road, I would tell myself I'll take that picture another time. I stop waiting for the next time and started taking those pictures as the opportunities come. I was returning on the Minnewanka Lake Road loop, Cascade Mtn and the surrounding looked great with the snow that fell the night before.
Mount Rundle
With longer nights during winter, it does not mean I'll be sleeping that much longer each night. When the conditions are good I like to take advantage of it by going outside to take night pictures. It was a cold night, but it was clear and the wind was calm. I stayed out until it was too cold, come back with few good pictures.
Castle Mountain
Before the snow arrived I was standing along the Bow River in the evening to take pictures of Castle Mountain. I always look for open water, I found this small pool of water, just what I needed to get the pictures I wanted. I took few variations of the picture being posted, moving slightly left and right, back and forth until getting what I felt was the best picture for me.
Mount Rundle
Few nights back the temperature was minus 30 degree celsius and the forecast was for the winds to pick up and take the temperature to minus 41. Perfect time for night photography. I put on as many layers as I could and then headed out. The plan was to take 16 thirty seconds consecutive exposures, then return home and combine them all together with the magic of software to create star trails. With first quarter of the moon out, not all the stars were going to be visible, which was what I wanted. What was a nice surprise were the low clouds, they add to the mood. After setting up the equipment and taking few test shots. I let the camera handle the rest while I did my best to stay warm by dancing in the dark. I should have called it a night after the last image, but I decided to play around more with few different locations and shots before heading home as the winds started to pick up.
Cascade Mountain
Many parts of the Bow Valley open water has been covered with ice and due to lack of snow, I have been busy looking for ice bubbles to take pictures of. Checking to make sure the ice was safe enough to stand on and to walk on. Any where organic matter was decomposing releasing methane gas, bubbles were to be found. I found many places, but only few gave me the pictures I wanted.
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.
Mount Rundle
Sunrises are about scattering light. During sunrises and sunsets, sun is low on the horizon, sunlight has to travel through more of the atmosphere. Colours like blues and violets with shorter wavelength get scattered out by small particles, droplets and molecules in the atmosphere. But letting in longer wavelength colours like yellow, orange and red. The clouds catch the longer wavelength colours and reflect them to the ground.
Pilot Mountain
Yesterday morning I was travelling through the Bow Valley in the morning, looking for subjects to take pictures of. The first few pictures I took was of Pilot Mtn covered with snow from few days back. The morning light hitting the top part of the mountain and the snow covered trees in the foreground and on the slopes of the mountain. With the cold temperature, it was winter time.
Cascade Mtn
Not a bad place to call home. After some snow had fallen as I was making my way to work, I stopped along the way to take few pictures.
Castle Mtn
It looks as if the winter has arrived this week, with snow and cooler temperatures. But just few days ago the valley was without snow. I was off the beaten path taking landscapes pictures. Last year a beaver family moved into the area, water was raised, resulting in this pine and other trees dying. I had to move around the water, trying to find a spot that was dry and at the same time get a reflection of Castle Mtn.
Cascade Mtn
During the falls the larch trees seem to get all the attention when it comes to fall colours in the mountains. There are other trees and shrubs that add to the colours during the fall, one of those are the trembling aspen trees. Normally aspen propagates through root sprouts, which can create a very large clonal colonies with a single root system. By mass a aspen colony is considered to be the largest organism on earth. Each colony is its own clone, all the trees in a clone will have similar characteristics, for example producing a wonderful bright tone of yellow at the same time with the occasional red colour showing up.
Cascade Mtn
Another picture taken around town of Banff before heading for work. One of my favourite way to take picture of Cascade Mtn, from town by the shore of Bow River.
Mount Rundle
It snowed yesterday and last night, this morning with the sunrise the place looked like a postcard. While making my way to work, I saw the beautiful light toward Mount Rundle, I quickly got my camera out and started to take pictures. After this picture from top of the Bow Bridge, it was time to look for other opportunities.
Castle Mtn
More fall colours seen while driving through Banff National Park, I take this road often, so when I was headed out I had the gear I needed to get the picture. Pulled off the road and stepped out and took the picture. Knowing the area goes a long way getting the picture I want.
Fall Colours
The last few weeks I have been going around taking pictures of fall colours, front and in the back country. I have been going on hikes to get the pictures, for these two pictures I just had to make a stop along the road. In both cases I knew where I wanted to take the pictures, I was just waiting for the right moment.
Mount Temple
It has been few years since I was hiking in Paradise Valley. Just before the sunrise I started the hike, middle of September is a great time to do the hike, the beautiful views have a added bonus, fall colours from the larch trees. In few hours I was toward the back of the valley, I had my camera ready when the sun started to come over Mount Temple. I quickly got the pictures and then started to explore again.
