Good Light

On the morning of Canada Day, July 1, I arose early with the hope of getting a good photograph of the Spray Valley, south of Canmore. I arrived in time for sunrise at about 5:30 AM and got the photo I pretty much expected. The location was such that there were not a lot of other good photo subjects, so  I chose to continue south with the expectation I might see some wildlife foraging along the road early in the morning. I had already seen two moose on the drive down. They were not interested in being photographed and quickly disappeared before I could get a picture. Perhaps I would be luckier further down the road. Before I continue, here is the picture I took of the Spray Valley, my reason for making the trip in the first place.

I’ve been by this location on many occasions and I have photographed it  before, at sunset. I had an idea it might show better in the morning and I believe it did. What you see is the Spray Lake Reservoir, nestled in the valley of the same name between the Goat Range on the left and the back side of the Three Sisters on the right. You can see the first rays of the sun striking the top of the Big Sister on the right. This is about as good as it got; not much light gets into this valley when the sun is low in the sky. I realized that and decided it was time to move on.

I entitled this blog “Good Light” for what I saw subsequently, further down the Spray Lakes Road. I didn’t see any wildlife but I was treated to some very nice light for landscape photography. Photography of course, is all about light. Some days, particularly in the mountains light conditions can be truly special. I think this was one of those days. As I drove south, the weather worsened. It got colder and cloudier with rain showers and some snow flurries. The sky was quite turbulent with quickly changing cloud patterns. The sun was getting through sporadically, illuminating some areas and casting shadows in others, where obscured by the clouds. Things got quite interesting when I reached the area near Mount Engadine Lodge, about 40 km south of Canmore.

This next picture shows a triumvirate of peaks south and west of the lodge. From left to right are Commonwealth Peak, the Pig’s Tail and Mount Birdwood, largely enveloped in low lying cloud. The area in the foreground is a large marsh, an excellent place for finding moose. (But not yesterday).

This scene offered soft light in the foreground, patches of direct sunlight on the peaks, some blue sky on the left and some heavy cloud to the right. I liked the colour and the combination of highlights and shadows.

A little further north I got a pleasing shot of Mount Shark, located just west of Mount Engadine Lodge. The light in this scene is more subdued overall but really highlights the fresh white snow on the mountain. Very nice light!

On the way home, I got the following shot of Mount Nestor. Here the light is really interesting. The sky was a little hazy from the heavy mist, filtering the view of the mountain. You can see where the sunlight is getting through the cloud cover to illuminate the mountain peak, quite colourfully. I also like the shading and colour of the heavy clouds above the mountain, created by sunlight getting partially through.

One final shot is a beautiful scene I had driven past many times but had not yet photographed. Good day to get it done, so I stopped. This is Buller Pond, featuring Mount Morrison (left) and Mount Turner (right) in the background. You can see raindrops striking the surface of the pond, a light shower. There is also evidence of sunlight getting through, mirrored on the pond’s surface. The turbulence still apparent in the sky provides some beautiful cloud surfaces to screen and reflect light.

Although I did see another moose at Buller Pond, I was unable to get his picture. It wasn’t a day for wildlife but I arrived home pleased about the great light I had experienced and happy with the results of my morning.