Fall in the Canadian Rockies Photo Tour Results – John Smeeton
Below are John Smeeton’s six favorite photos from the 2011 Canadian Rockies Fall Tour. Great having you on the trip John!

©John Smeeton
Abraham Sunrise
The adage “f/8 and be there” was surely intended for this shot. One of the many great things about a photo tour is that a skilled guide, like Darwin or Alan, can interpret the local weather conditions and take the group to where they can get the most out of it. Half-awake I hiked by headlamp with the rest of the group to the shore of Abraham Lake, set-up low looking eastward and came alive as the underlit clouds progressively exploded with colour over the next 20 minutes. It was a pleasure to stand there, cable release in hand, and admire nature’s artistry. Canon 5DMII, TS-E 24 f/3.5L II, 100 ISO, 0.8s, f/11.

©John Smeeton
Aspen Impression
A long exposure captured the leaves’ and branches’ motion in the light breeze at this aspen grove near Preachers Point on Abraham Lake. I remember thinking at the time that a landscape painter would surely find this vista every bit as irresistible as did this landscape photographer. Thanks to some post-processing, I met the painter halfway. Canon 5DMII, 24-105 f/4L, 100 ISO, 65mm, 0.4s, f/11, Singh-Ray 5-stop ND.

©John Smeeton
Aurum Vista
We walked down the hill from Aurum Lodge to capture the sunrise over Abraham Lake. I twiddled about and made some OK shots but I just wasn’t feeling the love. I decided to head back to the Lodge for a hot cup of coffee. I shouldered my tripod, took a dozen steps up the hill, glanced up and over to my left and voila! The majesty of the trees standing witness to the fog-shrouded mountains was not only a scene I just had to capture, it also energized me for another great day of photography in the Rockies. Canon 5DMII, 70-200 f/4L, 100 ISO, 200mm, 0.3s, f/11.

©John Smeeton
Canyon Study
This was taken under an overcast sky in the late-afternoon at the Kicking Horse River in Yoho National Park. It’s a three-shot HDR that looked pretty good in colour but the black and white conversion really emphasized the incredible texture in the rock formations. Canon 5DMII, 24-105 f/4L, 100 ISO, 40mm, +/- 2 EV bracket mid 1.3s, f/8, Singh-Ray 5-stop ND.

©John Smeeton
Mistaya State of Mind
I’ve lived in Calgary for 17 years, less than three hours drive from the Mistaya Canyon. I’m at a loss to explain how, until now, I was unaware of this photographer’s treasure trove that lay just a short walk beyond the tree cover along the Icefields Parkway. This was taken on the Mistaya River just upstream from the Canyon. Getting a bracketed three-shot capture while keeping the lens surface dry of the wind-blown rain was a challenge. Canon 5DMII, 24-105 f/4L, 100 ISO, 28mm, +/- 2 EV bracket mid 1/15s, f/11.

©John Smeeton
Waterfowl Confection
Even in the pre-dawn shadow the silent vista that greets you as you emerge from the trees to the edge of Upper Waterfowl Lake is awe-inspiring enough to almost make you forget to capture the images you came there for. Then, like a kid in a candy store, the challenge is to choose something to savour from amongst the limitless (but, at sunrise, time-limited) visual confections offered-up by nature. I like this shot, taken on a frosty morning, because it combines the serenity of the reflection and low-lying fog with the nobility of the sunlit mountain. Canon 5DMII, 24-105 f/4L, 100 ISO, 40mm, +/- 2 EV bracket mid 1/8s, f/11.
October 22, 2011 at 8:51 AM
Gorgeous work. John, you are a master of light and form.
October 22, 2011 at 11:56 AM
Spectacular images! I like your detailed descriptions of how you got the shot.
October 22, 2011 at 2:30 PM
Great shots! The mountain in the Waterfowl Lake shot is Howse Peak
October 22, 2011 at 4:19 PM
Wonderful images, love them all, but particularly the last one.
October 23, 2011 at 8:57 AM
Awesome photos John! It’s really a pleasure to see all these places again through other people’s eyes. I’m glad you got that little bonsai tree in “Aurum Vista”.
Best Regards,
Doug
October 23, 2011 at 3:13 PM
Spectacular! Thanks for trekking out in the cold whilst half asleep so that we can enjoy your clicks!
October 23, 2011 at 3:29 PM
Great shots John. It was a great pleasure shooting with you that week!
October 24, 2011 at 9:35 AM
Excellent work. The texture in Canyon Study is supperb. The descriptions are detailed and poetic.
October 24, 2011 at 3:31 PM
I am at loss for words. Spectacular shots. Reminds me again why we continue to love the WEST! We need a nudge like this now and again Thanks John
October 26, 2011 at 7:56 AM
Très belle gallerie.
February 9, 2012 at 8:11 PM
BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS. I particularly like the last one with the mountain reflection. it is stunning.