Banff National Park Photography Tour Simply Amazing

You have dreamed about your Banff National Park photography tour. Join us as we show you what we did to create a successful trip and how you can have your best trip ever!

Or, if you are not a photographer, you can still enjoy the incredible beauty of some of the most beautiful National Parks in the world.  You can follow along on our trip to see what we did so that you can create your own trip that is just right for you.   Check the planned trip itinerary from a previous post and see how we actually did following the plan.

Now let’s get going on the travel adventure of a lifetime.

Canadian Rockies Banff/Jasper National Parks Photography Tour Trip Journal

Day One Arrival

On day one of our journey, we flew in the Calgary, rented a small SUV then proceeded to Canmore which is just south of Banff National Park. Canmore is such a charming city. The city was active with people bustling about, but not to crazy busy. We were wondering if it was past the peak season and maybe crowds would be smaller for out entire trip.

Banff National Park Photography Tour Canmore Three Sisters

Canmore Alberta Canada Viewing Three Sisters Ridges

When we checked into our accommodations at Falcon Crest Lodge we received an amazing room. They upgraded us to a two bedroom suite with a full kitchen. The views of Canmore Three Sisters Mountains were fabulous.

Picturesque Canmore Banff National Park Photography Tour Peyto Lake Banff National Park Alberta Canada

The Lovely Charming Picturesque Canmore

We had an enjoyable dinner at a local Mexican restaurant that actually had a real Mexican Chef. The food was very interesting Mexican with a New York City twist.

Jasper National Park Canadian Rockies

Canadian Rockies Trip Itinerary Two Week Trip Jasper National Park

Jasper National Park Map

Thursday September 1st – Drive to Hinton

This day was basically a day of driving from Canmore to Hinton. The drive was supposed to be four and a half hours but it took us eight hours because we stopped every 10 minutes along the way. There was so much incredible beauty along the route as we made our way up the Icefields Parkway en-route to Jasper National Park. The beauty was almost overwhelming, we had to stop and capture it.

Banff National Park Photography Tour Peyto Lake Banff National Park Alberta Canada

Peyto Lake Banff National Park Alberta Canada

Thank goodness we will have time to go back and explore the nooks and crannies of those incredible spots later on in our trip. One thing of note, we were surprised how small yet how crazy-busy Jasper was.  It was the most active town or city we had been in so far in Canada. It was significantly busier than Canmore.

Flowers Banff National Park Photography Tour

Flowers Along the Way

For this part of our trip we simply stayed in the Holiday Inn in Hinton.  Simple, clean and less expensive than the resorts.  Being on the east side of Jasper helped us to focus our energies on exploring the east side of the park.

Friday September 2nd

On our second day of actual exploration of Jasper National Park, we decided to do explore several locations on the east side of the park. The first location we decided to hit was Miette Hot Springs.

Miette Hot Springs

The Miette Hot Springs are created by 140 degrees F water that’s coming out of the mountain. They actually have to cool the water off to make it cool enough for humans to endure. They have two pools one at 120 degrees and another one that about 105 degrees.

The experience was so strange because the actual temperature outside was about 47 degrees F, so while it was a little chilly as you’re getting into the pool you are warm and comfortable within moments. We did notice that while we were in the pools we seemed to hear every language under the sun being spoken by people in the pools. I must say we felt very international.

Maligne Canyon

After our refreshing soak it was off to Maligne Canyon and then Maligne Lake. This excursion was meant to be a trip to spy out the sites that we would be exploring more deeply later. Turns out some of the sites are so amazing we had to start exploring right away.

Maligne Canyon Falls Jasper National Park Banff National Park Photography Tour

I had no idea what Maligne Canyon actually was and I must admit I had a little bit of a bad attitude thinking that we should be going to more beautiful amazing places. Thank God my wife intervened and strongly encouraged me to take the hike.


Maligne Canyon Falls

The canyon is a river flowing very strongly which apparently has carved out this gash in the Earth’s surface. I was amazed at how deep it was and how fast the water was flowing through it. As we go lower into the canyon, we were able to get a better view of the river and it was a much more beautiful. From this view you can actually see the water flowing. The canyon certainly is worth your time and worth the hour or so long hike.

Maligne Lake

Maligne Lake is known for its boat tours that take you to some pretty incredible views of the lake and the surrounding mountains.

Iconic Maligne Lake Boat House - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Iconic Maligne Lake Boat House

Right from shore we were able to get some wonderfully gorgeous views, then we took a nice hike along the shore and and then it took us somewhat inland into the forest.

Iconic Maligne Lake and Boat House II - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Iconic Maligne Lake Boat House II

We will certainly be returning to this location for the boat trip as the skies clear up a little bit more so we will get a more stunning view of the surrounding mountains.

Back Home

The trip back from the Maligne Lake surprised us with some emerald blue rivers flowing along these Giant Granite walls jutting straight up into the air. We will certainly be returning to capture this view again.

Maligne Lake Road Incredible Views - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Maligne Lake Road

As you return from a Maligne Lake adventure at the end of the day, en-route to the city of Jasper, you need to cross this incredible bridge over the Athabasca River.

Crossing the Athabasca Jasper National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Crossing the Athabasca Jasper National Park

In the background you can see Grisette Mountain, Mt Dromore and Mt Colin in the distance. This scene harkens you back to the age of the gold rush. Spectacular!

Jasper National Park Wildlife

Oh we also saw a herd of elk grazing and some of the more mature males were sparring with one another. We were able to get quite close and seeing them that closely made me feel very close to Nature.

Elk Wildlife of Jasper National Park Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Elk, Jasper National Park Wildlife 

Saturday September 3rd

The main goal for this particular day was to get out to Spirit Island on Maligne Lake on the east side of Jasper the park. The day was starting very cloudy and a little damp so we knew the mountains from that scene would be shrouded in the clouds, so it would not be a good time to go on that tour. It could be said that I have a little bit of a one-track mind and when I have a main focus for the day. I could be a little bit myopic on the topic. So again, I was a little bit frustrated by not getting to see my main goal first but thank goodness my wife is always looking out for other great adventures!

Pyramid Lake

So we decided to head into Jasper, the town proper and explore that area a little bit and see what we could see. We headed a little bit north of town to The Pyramid Lake area. We took a short hike around Pyramid Lake and we discovered that they were preparing for a wedding.

Pyramid Lake Jasper National Park

Pyramid Lake Jasper National Park

My daughter had just gotten engaged so I was dreaming a little bit of how pretty it would be to have a wedding in that location. That was fun to think about and of course I had to capture some shots of the area.

Aspen Woods BW Pyramid Lake Jasper National Park Alberta Canada - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Aspen Woods BW, Pyramid Lake, Jasper National Park, Alberta Canada

Jasper Historical Society Museum

Then we went to the Jasper Historical Society Museum in downtown Jasper. The museum gave a wonderful history of the area and we learned so much.

Maligne Lake

After the museum, we noticed it was starting to dry up so we had a quick lunch and we headed out to Maligne Lake. We were able to get tickets for the tour and we were on our way.

Maligne Lake and Boat House Jasper National Park Alberta Canada - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Maligne Lake and Boat House Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

The afternoon dried up just enough for the 40 minute boat ride out to Spirit Island on Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park Alberta Canada. From this location you’re able to capture the iconic shot of the Spirit Island in the foreground and a bowl of stunning Peaks and the glacier that feeds the lake in the background.

Maligne Lake Spirit Island Jasper National Park Alberta Canada - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Maligne Lake Spirit Island Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

The view is breathtaking and almost emits a shock wave of exhilaration through your senses to view it in person.

Gosh I love the wonders of creation!

Maligne Lake Recap

Kelsey, the boat tour guide at Maligne Lake was knowledgeable, fun, and the source of many wonderful stories. I would strongly recommend this boat trip. To me it was enough to capture what I needed to capture as a photographer and the longer much more expensive photography boat trip was not required but of course you would be able to capture some other scenes from that trip.

Basically as soon as we got off the boat it started raining again. Our timing worked out to be so perfect. To me, the rain is generally not a problem in this area if it’s not just a low flat ceiling. If it’s a dramatic mix of clouds and rain and some sun, those types of conditions create views that are just spectacular.

Medicine Lake

As we were heading back towards Jasper, we drove along Medicine Lake or known by the locals as disappearing Lake.  It was raining but the sun was flowing through also had made for a heart-stopping scene.

Medicine Lake Disappearing Lake Jasper National Park Alberta Canada - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Medicine Lake Disappearing Lake Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

The day turned out to be another perfect day. We finished the day with a wonderful meal.

Sunday September 4th

For this particular day we planned a little bit of a slower day so we could rest up somewhat. We had one main goal in mind after church; to get the close-up view of Mount Edith Cavell. By this point in our trip, our stay in Hinton, east of Jasper Park has come to an end. We are starting our transition to be staying in Jasper Park proper.

Mount Edith Cavell

The drive up the mountain to the Edith Cavell hiking area is very narrow with many switchbacks. It made my lovely wife very nervous so I drove extra slow so that we would make it in one piece.

Hiking Mount Edith Cavell Lake Jasper National Park Alberta Canada - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Hiking Mount Edith Cavell

We arrived to the parking area about 2 in the afternoon and at this point the lot was very full. Keep in mind we are in the middle of the Labor Day holiday weekend. We expected to see crowds all the time this weekend but this was the first that we actually saw significant crowd.

Hiking Mount Edith Cavell Lake Jasper National Park Alberta Canada - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Mount Edith Cavell

The hike up to the best of viewpoint of Mount Edith Cavell is a moderately difficult hike but with a little bit of perseverance pretty much everyone can make it.

Check the Video on Mount Edith Cavell

At this viewpoint, you get to see the glacial Lake that forms below the waterfall of the Angel glacier that is on top of the mountain. The view is breathtaking. It is certainly worth the hike.

Jasper House Bungalows on the Athabasca River

Finally it was time to get situated in our new digs for the next few days in Jasper Park proper. We are now staying at the Jasper House bungalows which is an adorable collection of cabins right on the Athabasca river that flows through Jasper.

 

Jasper house Bungalows Jasper National Park Alberta Canada - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Jasper House Bungalows Jasper National Park

Apparently elk, grizzly and all kinds of other assorted animals just roam through this location on a daily basis. This place is truly incredible.

Rainbows on the Athabasca River

As it was time to find dinner we were driving into the town of Jasper. We were greeted with a complete double rainbow right on top of the Athabasca River right in front of a range of mountains.

Rainbows Over the Athabasca Jasper National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Rainbows Over the Athabasca Jasper National Park

We must be living right or something to be blessed with such an incredible View!

Monday September 5th Labor Day

Today we started adventuring South Jasper National Park. Our main goal for the day was to hit the two waterfalls South of Jasper.

Sunwapta Falls Canyon and Gorge

We headed off first to Sunwapta Falls Canyon and Gorge. The weather was slightly drizzling so I was a little concerned with the light that we were going to have available to us for photographing the scene. When I got to the scene I was a little bit disappointed by the numbers of people that were there. Maybe I was just getting a little bit tired and too many people can be a bit overwhelming. I started shooting a couple of different areas trying to find the best view and I was still coming up a little bit short.

 Sunwapta Falls Jasper National Park Alberta Canada - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Sunwapta Falls Canyon Gorge

Then my wife pointed out the view at the top of the falls. There was a little island in the middle of the river and the Falls coming down from that. From that particular view you get to see some action in the falls but you also get to see the background and the scene of behind the falls so in my opinion it becomes even more interesting. Good job honey! Thanks for using your keen eye and being patient with me!

Athabasca Falls

Then it was time to hit Athabasca Falls.

The falls at this location were large and beautiful and interesting but my photography had just become uninspiring.

Athabasca Falls Jasper National Park Alberta Canada - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Athabasca Falls

I realize I was just getting very tired. It was time to head back to the cabin and get some rest.

After some much-needed rest and a lovely dinner downtown Jasper, Anne and I went for a walk along the Athabasca river right out the back of our cabin.

Evening Walk Along the Athabasca - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Evening Walk on the Athabasca River

It was on this walk that I believe the most inspired photography at the day occurred. It was partly because of the incredibly gorgeous scene and secondarily it was because of the great light.

Jasper National Park is filled with incredibly gorgeous views around every corner.

Tuesday September 6th

After a day of some rest we are feeling pretty invigorated for this particular day. We were continuing our exploration south of Jasper and our goal for the day was the Glacier Discovery Center.

Jasper Lutheran Church - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Jasper Lutheran Church 

Glacier Discovery Center

Of course on our way down to the Discovery Center we had to stop multiple times for any interesting view that struck us. The light was gorgeous that morning and we probably stopped ten or fifteen times before we arrived at the Discovery Center.

Incredible Beauty South of Jasper Hwy 93 - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Incredible Beauty South of Jasper Along Icefields Parkway Hwy 93

The Glacier Discovery Center is basically a visitor center at the foot of multiple glaciers with a fantastic view up into the glaciers. We could have decided to buy a ticket for the ride up into the glacier.

Columbia Icefield Glacier - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Columbia Icefield Glacier Jasper National Park

That would have been a wonderful time but we tend to frequently do the things that none of the rest of the crowd is doing.

Wilcox Pass Hike

So we decided to hike up Wilcox pass on the other side of the valley which would then give us our own basically private view of the Icefields.

Views From Wilcox Pass Hike - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

View of Columbia Icefield Glacier From Wilcox Pass Hike

The hike up Wilcox pass was a relatively rigorous four hour hike but it was certainly worth the effort. We were mostly alone for most of the hike and the views were breathtaking.

Check out videos of the Glacier and Wilcox Pass Here!

Banff National Park Canadian Rockies

Canadian Rockies Trip Itinerary banff national park map

Banff National Park Alberta Canada

Wednesday September 7th

On Wednesday we are sadly saying goodbye to Jasper and headed off to Banff National Park.

 

Views From Hwy 93 South From Jaster - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Crossing The Athabasca South of Jasper


We will be driving by some of the scenes that we had already explored.

Views From Hwy 93 South From Jaster - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Mountain Ranges South of Jasper on Hwy 93

If any scenes capture our eyes with great light on the way South we will stop again and I tried to capture some more images en-route.

Peyto Lake Revisited

One place we know we’re going to stop again is at Peyto Lake. One of my friends told me about a hike at Peyto Lake where you could go around the south end of the lake basically and get away from all people. We knew we were going to take that hike. We arrived at Peyto Lake and it was somewhat overcast or even mostly overcast but one thing we’ve learned here for sure is no matter what the weather go out in it because it will change.

Views From Hwy 93 South From Jaster - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour

Peyto Lake Rainbow Below Banff National Park

So we found the hike down the east side of Peyto Lake basically getting us towards the South tip. Then we found a rock outcropping where there was evidence of people being there but it certainly wasn’t the huge throngs. In fact there was only one young man there during the time we were there shooting. We stayed there for probably an hour as the weather conditions improved and then got worse and improved and got worse. During the time we got all kinds of great content.


Check out the little Peyto Lake Video

Bow Lake Failed Attempt

Satisfied with what we had captured, it was time to head farther south. You wanted to stop at Bow Lake but when we got there it was completely and totally socked in and it was raining pretty hard so we continued South.

Castle Mountain

We decided to check into our new residence for the next 5 days at the Castle Mountain Chalet near Castle Mountain. I must say this place is very nice. We are staying in one of the three Suites, with a full kitchen and a glorious view.

View of Castle Mountain - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

View of Castle Mountain from our cabin at Castle Mountain Chalets

Note for foodies, we found surprisingly incredible food at the Baker Creek Bisto on Bow Valley Parkway near Castle Mountain.

Bear Creek Bistro - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Great Food at the Bear Creek Bistro

Perfect for you foodies.  The service was a little wonky (they did not communicate well and they did not up sell us on other great food) but the food was New York City fantastic.

Lake Louise

After we checked in we decided to head over to Lake Louise to perform a little reconnaissance and maybe capture a few images.

Breathtakingly Beautiful Lake Louise - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Breathtakingly Beautiful Lake Louise

Again being it was a bit damp and close to the dinner hour it was almost nobody there at all.

Taking In The Breathtakingly Beautiful Lake Louise - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Taking In The Breathtakingly Beautiful Lake Louise

So we were able to explore freely and capture all kinds of great images.

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise Grand Chateau On The Lake - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise Grand Chateau On The Lake

We knew we were going to come back there again for sunrise over the next day or two. Now we were hungry and ready to call it a day!

Thursday September 8th

Today we got to more fully explore Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and we also made it down to Banff.

Lake Louise

At Lake Louise it was moist and foggy but again we were patient and just waited around for the sky to break a little bit.

Lake Louise Autumn Bright Sunrise Banff National Park - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Foggy Lake Louise Banff National Park Alberta Canada

Then it did for us and I think we got some really great images.



Lake Louise Autumn Bright Sunrise Banff National Park - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Foggy Lake Louise Banff National Park Alberta Canada

We’re not really going to explore much of  the glorious Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise today so we’ll probably go back again tomorrow.

Lake Louise Autumn Bright Sunrise Banff National Park - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise

Moraine Lake

Moraine Lake is everything I hoped for and more! It was so incredibly gorgeous. There was fresh snow on the Peaks, the water was deep blue, the crowds were small when we got there. I spied out the canoes over on the east side of the lake. They make for a gorgeous interesting background in an image.

Moraine Lake Wedding Canoes Prints - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Incredible Blue Waters of Moraine Lake Banff National Park Alberta Canada


Moraine Lake Wedding Canoes Prints - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Colorful Canoes of Moraine Lake Banff National Park Alberta Canada

We saw at least one or two wedding photographers photographing couples in that amazing location. Just imagine, your wedding photos being taken into place like this. Yep, that would be incredibly memorable.

Moraine Lake Wedding Canoes Prints - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Renewing the Wedding Vows Moraine Lake Banff National Park Alberta Canada

At the Southwest part of the lake there’s a whole bunch of logs all stacked up.  It looks like during flood season they washed up on shore. I knew going over to that location would provide a very interesting view of the entire lake and the ridges up above.

Moraine Lake Wedding Canoes Prints - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Over the Logs at Moraine Lake Banff National Park Alberta Canada

While I was climbing out on the logs there was one point where the logs were a little soft and I actually fell through a little bit so if you decide to do the same thing be very cautious as you’re climbing out on the logs. It was worth it but it can be a little tricky at the same time.

The City of Banff

I have mixed feelings of Banff, I’ve heard so much about how crazy busy it is. But yesterday I had a friend tell me sure they love Jasper but their heart has been stolen by Banff. So we needed to explore the city of Banff a little more. So for this afternoon when we have the time it was time to do it.

We drove into Banff and we are surprised how lovely it was. It was not crazy gorgeous like some of the things we had seen this morning but it was very lovely. We decided to park the car and walk through the city first.

Cascades of Time Gardens

We first hit the Cascades of time Gardens which was at the administration building that was the historic first Site of Banff National Park and all of the Canadian national parks.

Cascades of Time Gardens - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Cascades of Time Gardens Banff National Park

The building is a lovely rock structure and the gardens would have been lovely but it appears they’re in the middle of a reconstruction project so check back in a few years and it will be amazing again.

Banff Avenue

We walked down Banff Avenue to get the great view of the bustling city streets filled with tourists and the Mountain scene behind it. It really is a great View. It’s kind of a combination of Chicago and Vale Colorado altogether.

Banff Avenue The Bustling City - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Banff Avenue and The Bustling City of Banff

While main street was bustling it was not overwhelming at all. There are all kinds of great shops filled with great food and desserts and things to buy. All kinds of great stuff for tourists. We bought chocolate! 🙂

Banff Fairmont Hotel

Then it was time to go to the Banff Fairmont Hotel. For this first time, we mostly just wanted to check out the views from the outside of the hotel. Yes the view is amazing. We planned to go back in the next few days to actually go into it and explore it more seriously.

The Fairmount Banff Springs - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

The Amazing Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

The most important thing is we found the Viewpoint to capture the great classic image of the hotel. It certainly is worth checking out this amazing Historic Hotel.

Well it is that time of the day again we’re a little bit tired. Time to go get a glass of wine and maybe a jacuzzi and then go find some dinner. We will get you more tomorrow!

Friday September 9th

Moraine Lake and Lake Louise Revisited

On this particular day, our goal was to revisit two places we had already been to and then to explore two new places that we haven’t seen yet. The weather forecast was telling us it was going to be only partly cloudy after sunrise time, so we want to visit again Moraine Lake and Lake Louise to capture those scenes early in the morning with the scene all lit up by the sun rise and to get those mountain peaks reflecting on the gorgeous lake.

Then we wanted to head back up to Bow Lake to capture the jutting cliffs and the glacier reflecting on the deep blue lake below that we had missed days earlier because of the fog and rain.

Finally we want to head Northwest of Lake Louise and capture Emerald Lake.

Lake Louise Sunrise

Sunrise at Lake Louise was indeed beautiful.

Lake Louise Early Morning - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Lake Louise Banff National Park Alberta Canada

The weather was quite brisk but there were still quite a few serious photographers out ready to capture the sunrise on the cliffs above because it had been so cloudy recently everyone was anxious to capture some great images.

 

Lake Louise Early Morning - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta CanadaViewing Lake Louise Banff National Park Alberta Canada

We captured a few here and gathered a few of different Vantage points but our real goal for the Morning Light was Moraine Lake so we’re relatively quickly departed to Moraine Lake.

Moraine Lake Sunrise

In my opinion, Moraine Lake is the best gem we have seen so far. I suppose I’m talking from an artistic perspective. It has the best blend of everything to make an image artistically beautiful. The incredibly Deep Blue Water, the canoes in the background, the towering rocky snow capped behemoths in the background, pure perfection.

Moraine Lake Early Morning - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta CanadaThe Amazingly Beautiful Moraine Lake Banff National Park Alberta Canada 

While it is true the quantity of great scenery in the Canadian Rockies is astounding, it is at this particular scene that created the passion and the dream to make me come here. And yesterday the weather cooperated perfectly to capture the perfect picture that I have been wanting to capture the whole time.

Moraine Lake Early Morning - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

The Logs at Moraine Lake Banff National Park Alberta Canada 

This is sunrise at Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta Canada. The sun was shining on fresh snow covered mountain tops. It was so fun to see this incredible scene and I was as giddy as a kid at Christmas time to have the opportunity to capture this view.

Moraine Lake Early Morning - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Colorful Canoes at Moraine Lake Banff National Park Alberta Canada 

Wow, just wow!

Bow Lake

Bow Lake and the glacier are large protrusions relatively close to a small lake so that the reflection of the mountain can be relatively easy easily captured in the lake if the lighting conditions are good.

The Gorgeous Bow Lake - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

The Gorgeous Bow Lake Banff National Park Alberta Canada

We still had pretty good light but by this time the wind had come up a bit and the water was a little bit rough. I decided to use several filters that blocked out the light to create a very long exposure image and that would smooth out of the water and could possibly give me a great reflection. This was a purely experimental shot.

The Gorgeous Bow Lake - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

The Gorgeous Bow Lake BW Banff National Park Alberta Canada

Again we got away from the beaten trail and we were all alone for most of this time while capturing the mountain. It was so incredibly peaceful.

Emerald Lake

Emerald Lake is situated in such a way that it could capture wonderful evening light as the sun is going down.



Emerald Lake Yoho National Park British Columbia Canada - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Reflections Emerald Lake Yoho National Park British Columbia Canada

So we headed out there in the evening to do our best to capture a great image. For this particular image, the clouds came in again and we were left with pretty flat light. So we had to try a couple of the other tricks to get an interesting image.

Emerald Lake Yoho National Park British Columbia Canada - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Canoeing Emerald Lake Yoho National Park British Columbia Canada

We were using rocks in the water and logs in the water to give us some interest in the image and we just played quite a bit. I think this particular image works pretty well considering the lighting.

Emerald Lake Yoho National Park British Columbia Canada - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Lovely Chalet Emerald Lake Yoho National Park British Columbia Canada

Saturday September 10th

Johnston Canyon

By Saturday after all of our hiking and photography, I certainly was getting a bit tired. Hey I’m old and I’m probably not in the best shape of my life. My wife and I have committed to doing the Whole30.com, 30 day cleanse after this trip to help us get back in shape but that’s a different story altogether. The main point is, I didn’t have the energy to climb up Mount Kilimanjaro or anything like that, so today’s excursion had to be obtainable yet beautiful at the same time.

We kept hearing about Johnston Canyon over and over again and it was within five minutes from our Chalet under the incredible Castle Mountain. This particular day was supposed to be a bit drizzly and so it would be a perfect day for a hike. I thought we might just do the lower Falls but Anne, being the eternal dynamo that she is, you could tell it was on her mind to go all the way up to the Upper Falls. I braced myself for a tough day of hiking and grudgingly started the quest.

Johnston Canyon Hike

Part of the deal is, you don’t really know if the place is going to be beautiful. Well thank God, Johnston Canyon is indeed it worth your while for hiking. The total height to the Upper Falls and back is 4.7 kilometers. In my in my opinion the lower Falls are more naturally beautiful in an artistic way. The Upper Falls are beautiful in a huge powerful way. Hopefully my images will do it to some justice.  You can see what I’m talking about.

Johnston Canyon Hike Upper Falls Lower Falls - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada Be sure to check out all the details on the blog post: https://waynemoranphotography.com/blog/banff-national-park-photography-tour-simply-amazing/

Johnston Canyon Hike Upper Falls Lower Falls

We were very glad we went on the hike. One secondary note, we are doing this hike on a Saturday and it appears all the tours from Banff came up to the area cuz we’re relatively close to Banff at this point. The parking area and the hike was quite busy.

Views on Bow Valley Parkway to Banff - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Views on Bow Valley Parkway to Banff

Lake Minnewanka Banff

Lake Minnewanka is also on all the lists of things to see. There is a recommendation to go on a boat tour in the morning, we passed on that opportunity but instead took the driving tour around the lake. We found several quiet gorgeous viewpoints of the leg and it truly is worth seeing.

Lake Minnewanka Banff - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Lake Minnewanka Banff

We finish the day barbecuing some steaks at our Chalet in the shadows of the stunning Castle Mountain. Mmmmmmm perfection

Sunday September 11th

Oh my goodness, we have arrived at our last full day in the in the Canadian Rockies. We have to try to see all the things that were left to be seen.

After starting the morning off at Banff Park Church we decided to go for a driving tour around Lake Vermilion which is just on the outskirts of Banff. This tour gives you some incredible views of the mountains surrounding Banff.

Fairmont Springs Hotel Banff

Now it was finally time to explore Fairmont Springs Banff.



Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Grand Views From The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

Yes you’ve seen the pictures you heard some of the stories of the incredible history of this most glorious hotel in the world.

Video view of Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel 

They are surprisingly open to tourists even though they are a very busy Hotel.

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Great Ballroom Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

We had free reign of many of the grounds and just walked around snapping whatever caught our attention.

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel - Banff National Park - Canadian Rockies Banff National Park Photography Tour - Jasper National Park Alberta Canada

Back Courtyard Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel

It truly is a stunning place and it’s worth some of your time to check it out.

Monday September 12th

Oh my goodness, it’s time to depart. In a way, we will be lost without access to this incredible beauty. We will be able to save some of the views and our pictures and videos but they are dim shadows compared to the reality of the place.

Lives Changed

Our lives have been changed because of the sights, sounds and the experiences we had in this amazing place. Our hearts will be hurting longing to return to the incredible beauty. For us, this is probably a once-in-a-lifetime trip but it is indeed a worthwhile trip because we were able to see and experience the overwhelming beauty of this place.

Plan Your Trip

If you’re looking to plan a trip like this for yourself be sure to check out the itinerary that we used for this trip. It is just a rough itinerary and we planned it with flexibility to so we could make adjustments based on weather and personal preferences along the way.

Conclusion

We certainly enjoyed ourselves on this trip and I hope we encouraged you to make the trip yourself. You will be forever changed and you will be so glad that you made the adventure.

Until next time, get out and capture the adventure!

 

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Written by Wayne Moran - Visit Website
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