My Canadian Adventure in Summer 2008

01/08/10

It’s been exactly two years since my trip to Canada where I met with few fellow photographers from across the Globe (the trip took place from 25th July – 3rd August 2008). We spent 10 amazing days photographing the Canadian Rockies.

We started of heading to Jasper National Park, which is inside the Rocky Mountains. There were plenty of stops to take images of the amazing Canadian nature. It truly is breathtaking. We continued south along the Ice fields Parkway, again, stopping to shoot, there were plenty of Glaciers to see. One of the most famous is the Columbia Ice fields. We stopped shortly to photograph it but unfortunately, there was no time to actually visit it. Afterwards we headed to Radium, and the Columbia River Valley, which is just 1.5 hours from Banff and spent about 3 days there photographing. After that we headed further south through the Rockies all the way to Waterton National Park in southern Alberta, stayed overnight, explored the area, and then continued slightly East to "writing on stone" park, north to Dinosaur Valley and the Badlands, Drumheller.

One may argue that it must be really easy to take images of a beautiful landscape. It is to a certain degree. At the end of the day the beauty is just ‘there’ in front of you to photograph. However I found it quite challenging. First of all, I am not a landscape photographer and secondly I felt quite overwhelmed with the beautiful surroundings. I didn’t know what to photograph first! Landscape also looks better at a certain time of the day but it wasn’t always possible to be there at the ‘right’ time. I must admit that despite all that, I had a lot of fun at having a go at photographing a stunning landscape. Even though taking images that are interesting and technically right takes a lot of experience and it certainly is a skill. One must also have an eye to know how to enhance the beauty. What I have however learnt was that even the most stunning landscape photograph can never compensate for the experience of actually being there to witness the beauty. That’s simply priceless.

My highlights from this trip were most of all meeting the same minded people and seeing nature of an outstanding raw beauty. I will always remember watching the sun rise above the Rockies and colouring the highest peaks red. I will never forget seeing the grizzly bear in wild. I will remember the smell and the power of the Athabasca falls, the emerald colours of the Horseshoe Lake, the endless beautiful pine forests everywhere, the dramatic skies day and night, the peaceful still waters of Alberta lake, the alien landscape of the Dinosaur Valley, climbing up the mountains to view the Rockies from the bird-eye perspective, the chillness of the Columbia Glacier and snow on the mountains in summer, the hot day when we visited the silent Frank slide – a town buried underneath tons of stones, the smell of a burnt forest where I left my footsteps in the ashes…there was so much to absorb! Oh and how could I ever forget the warm hospitality of the Canadian people!

The trip and the whole experience was such an adventure and would I do it again? You bet!