After driving and hiking what seemed like countless miles over 2 weeks without getting a shot, we finally got the sunrise of all sunrises overlooking the Enchantment Lakes. As you can imagine, we were screaming as the light was exploding around us. After all the effort put in before, moment likes these when perfect seasonal conditions, epic light, and an amazing location all come together makes it all worthwhile.
If you don't know this already, since the middle of September I have been job-free, allowing me to travel where I please in search of amazing photographs. I am even fortunate enough to be teaching photography lessons while I am at home recuperating from hikes, and I can't wait for the two private workshops I will be leading out to some of my favourite locations in the Rocky Mountains next month. The end of this year will be good!
I have many other photography goals for the next few months, however chasing weather and fall conditions was the first adventure on my to-do list. I found myself teaming up with the talented Australian photographer Matthew Hahnel for the first 3 weeks of my journey, and I couldn't have asked for better company. The crazy thing is, before picking him up at the airport we had only ever spoken over photography forums and Facebook. The internet and the people in this hobby are just incredible. Some of my very best friends and people I have most in common with have been met through online forums, and even here on 500px. Personally I'm just amazed someone could spend 3 weeks straight with me, without as much as a hiccup.
These first 3 weeks were filled with driving back and forth between Canada and the US, as we tried our very best to predict weather patterns, fall conditions and epic light. We started in Calgary, then up to Jasper, to Banff, then down to Glacier, over halfway to the oregon coast, then back up to Assiniboine, through the rockies and over to Mt Baker, and finally over to the Enchantments trailhead. After all this, we got epic light alright.....Mainly from the from the fronts seats of my Subaru as we drove from one location to the next. There is something amazing about witnessing rare weather and light, but when you don't have a camera and composition on hand it really just makes me want to jump out of the moving vehicle. I love nature and discovering new areas just as much as the next person, but I always want to bring back the memory of these places in spectacular form for others to see also.
In any case, after all the driving, witnessing epic sunsets from the car, hiking over 35kms in a day only to get skunked with rain, and then acting as pack mules to get all our gear and food up to this larch heaven for a 5 day camping trip, Matthew and I finally got our "OMG" moment. The photograph hardly does this sunrise and view any justice, but I hope the image and short story gives you a small sense of just how great it felt to finally capture something rare and spectacular!
Nicely done
Great Image