Scenes from the Vermilion Lakes

Banff National Park

Earlier this week, I made the short journey to the Vermilion Lakes, just outside the Town of Banff. This location is an all-time favourite. Its conditions rarely disappoint and this occasion was no exception.

This first picture, featuring Mount Rundle is a great example, one of many photographs I was able to take of mountain peaks mantled with clouds.

This next image, featuring two peaks of the Sundance Range is graced with a dramatic sky of cumulous clouds and bold, blue sky.

I completed my morning shoot with a visit to another favourite location, a small isolated pond adjacent to the third and most westerly of the Vermilion Lakes. This was the last photograph for the day. As you can observe, a light rain had begun. I wisely chose to retreat to the car, anticipating a heavier rainfall. It turned out to be a good call!

While visiting the pond, I took photos of some of my favourite subjects. These remains of old trees offer lots of texture and character, always an attraction for photographers.

My final image for today, also at the pond has many interesting characteristics. Firstly, the reflections of the stump on the water’s surface, creating an almost perfect mirror image. Much of the water is covered with reflections of the clouds, as well. I was also able to capture detail of the pond’s bottom in areas close to my position, using a polarizer filter on my lens to reduce the glare on the pond’s surface. The polarizer works well for these areas because the angle of the lens relative to the water is much steeper than for more distant areas in the background.

That’s it for today. With summer arriving soon, I look forward to getting more often.