Currently browsing posts tagged with "aspen"
Jasper’s Fall Colors

Fall colors in Jasper, Alberta, Canada
After all the recent lake shots, I figured I’d post something a little different. This is an aerial view of the Athabasca River and a train snaking through Jasper town amidst splashes of brilliant Fall colors.
PS: I’ve been too busy lately. If I am late in replying to your question/request, my apology. I do try to answer emails and post new photos when I can.
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First Light on Pyramid Mountain

Golden sunrise light on Pyramid Mountain – Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada
I waited for nearly two hours to get this shot. It wasn’t a spectacular sunrise, but eventually, first light lit up the side of Pyramid Mountain for a few minutes. I love catching first light on mountain peaks mirrored by a perfectly still lake surface.
There is a sense of separation in this composition: the distant cloud formation seems to mimic the rock formation under water, and a piece of driftwood serves as a lone element connecting with the distant trees on the other side of the lake. The ethereal light on the mountain is the force that binds these displaced elements together. As I wrote in my previous post, light is what you see. I hope you see what you seek.
PS: Perhaps this scene looks familiar? It is the same location where I shot Every Man Should Paddle His Own Canoe.
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Patricia Lake Autumn Sunrise

Golden aspens awaiting first light as the morning mist rises from Patricia Lake, Jasper National Park – Alberta, Canada
I shot this image about fifteen minutes prior to my previous photo, Layers of Stillness. From this view, turn 120° left to see the alpenglow on the Triden Range. Patricia Lake is small and easily accessible, but when those aspens turn colors on a crystal clear lake water surface, this place is incredibly photogenic. Throw in a moody cold Autumn mist rising under a colorful sunrise sky, this place can take one’s breath away. The best part about this beautiful morning sunrise? I saw only two other sunrise watchers enjoying this scene in silence. Out on this small lake, I found my own space and time, and I loved the absolute stillness of this quiet sunrise. This was one of those rare intangible moments that I can’t described nor captured with my camera. I think of myself as a “light chaser”, but it is not just about the light, it’s about finding those “pauses” that make time stands still. “Light” is what you see.
About this entry
- Published:
- 19 Oct 2011 / 12:05 AM
- Tags:
- Alberta, alpenglow, aspen, Canada, Canadian-Rockies, cloud, fog, foliage, Jasper, Jasper-National-Park, lake, Patricia-Lake, Patricia-Mountain, pebble, Portfolio, reflection, rock, sky, stone, sunrise, water
- Comments:
- 27 Comments »
Every Man Should Paddle His Own Canoe

Morning light and autumnal reflections on Pyramid Lake, Jasper National Park – Alberta, Canada
This photo is one of my favorite landscape shots that I’ve done to date. Technically speaking, this shot was difficult for me to pull off. I went to Patricia Lake for a sunrise shoot. After two hours of flat light and choppy water, I decided to move to Pyramid Lake where I found calm water just as the morning light began to light up the aspens on other side of the lake.
I setup my tripod inside this canoe, thinking that I’d get plenty of opportunities to experiment with different compositions; but every single movement I made caused ripples in the calm lake water, ruining the reflections. Then the wind started to pick up, sending ripples across the lake. So I sat inside this canoe and waited patiently for my shots as the morning light dappled in and out of the clouds. To get a good exposure was also a challenge. I stacked a two stops soft edge and a two stops hard edge Lee GND filter to keep the highlights in checked and to prevent the mountain details from getting lost in the shadows.
I love this shot not because of the technical challenges, but because how I felt so connected to this scene as I sat inside this canoe with my tripod and remote shuttle release cable. The wind was a blessing in disguise as it allowed me to contemplate about what I wanted my image to convey. Since I was in Canada, it’s fitting to quote Wayne Gretzky, “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” In this shot, I aimed the canoe not at the light directly, but where I anticipated the light would be when I reached the other side of the lake. I’ve been paddling my own canoe since I was sixteen. Although my canoe might be old and leaky, it always takes me to where I want to go. Of course, I am speaking metaphorically. This canoe didn’t move at all during the time I sat in it, but it took me on a journey, a self-discovering journey that I will always remember.
About this entry
- Published:
- 09 Oct 2011 / 11:03 PM
- Tags:
- aspen, Canada, Canadian-Rockies, cloud, Fall, foliage, Jasper-National-Park, lake, mountain, Portfolio, Pyramid-Lake, Pyramid-Mountain, reflection, sky, sunrise
- Comments:
- 54 Comments »
About this entry
- Published:
- 02 Nov 2010 / 12:13 AM
- Tags:
- aspen, autumn, Fall, foliage, Grand Teton, tree, US National Park, Wyoming
- Comments:
- 39 Comments »
“Morning Has Broken…” on Oxbow Bend

Oxbow Bend’s aspens basking in Autumn morning light, Grand Teton National Park – Wyoming, USA
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About this entry
- Published:
- 26 Oct 2010 / 12:55 AM
- Tags:
- aspen, Bird, Fall, foliage, Grand Teton, mountain, Mt Moran, Oxbow Bend, reflection, river, Snake River, US National Park, Wyoming
- Comments:
- 52 Comments »
Oxbow Bend Autumn Moon Companions

Autumn morning on Oxbow Bend, Grand Teton National Park – Wyoming, USA
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About this entry
- Published:
- 07 Oct 2010 / 02:02 AM
- Tags:
- aspen, Fall, Grand Teton, moon, moutain, Mt Moran, Oxbow Bend, Snake River, tree, US National Park, Wyoming
- Comments:
- 34 Comments »
Pre-dawn Stillness on Oxbow Bend

Pre-dawn colors and reflections at the Oxbow Bend, Grand Teton National Park – Wyoming, USA
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About this entry
- Published:
- 04 Oct 2010 / 01:20 AM
- Category:
- Landscape, Long Exposure, Photo, Travel
- Tags:
- aspen, Fall, foliage, Grand Teton, mountain, Mt Moran, Oxbow Bend, reflection, river, Snake River, stone, sunrise, tree, US National Park
- Comments:
- 38 Comments »
About this entry
- Published:
- 12 Oct 2008 / 12:34 AM
- Tags:
- aspen, California, Eastern Sierra, foliage, hike, lundy-canyon
- Comments:
- 31 Comments »
About this entry
- Published:
- 04 Oct 2008 / 01:05 AM
- Tags:
- aspen, Bishop Creek Canyon, California, Eastern Sierra, foliage, Lake Sabrina, tree
- Comments:
- 40 Comments »