Alberta is the home to scenic lakes and waterways, lush meadows, and mountain landscapes that leave visitors breathless. Some of the top photography hot spots and locations on everyone’s list are Lake Louise, Two Jack Lake, and Bow Valley Parkway.
Lake Louise
Lake Louise is a great location for photo shots during the winter and summer months. There are different ways to explore the area and take photos, whether hiking or trekking in the Banff National Park or canoeing for a paddle. Lake Louise can be a challenge when it comes to photographing because of the contrast between the sky, mountains, and lake. Many choose to shoot multiple images or use a graduated filter to take better pictures.
Lake Louise is not the only scenic spot that photographers flock to. The Canadian Rockies are the home to stunning landscapes full of wildlife, waterfalls, lakes, waterways, and glaciers, offering ample opportunities to create spectacular images. Whether it is aerial shots, wildlife, mountain peaks, or the Northern Lights, the Rocky Mountains are every photographer’s dream and paradise.
Bow Valley Parkway
Highway 1A or the Bow Valley Parkway is a route between Lake Louise and Banff and a top location for animal sightings and wildlife photography. Animals that can be spotted in the Banff National Park include bighorn sheep, mountain goats, wolves, and coyotes. Deer, elk, grizzly bears, and black bears also live in the park. Some of the best places for wildlife shots in the Bow Valley region are the Policeman’s Creek Trail, Bow Valley Trail, Spray Lakes Road, and Canmore Townsite. Canmore is a great location to spot hummingbirds, with two species living in the area – Rufous and Calliope. Many households grow ornamental flowers and have bird feeders that attract hummingbirds. The Policeman’s Creek Trail is an excellent place to spot birds, including chickadees, woodpeckers, and owls. The best seasons for bird spotting are early summer and spring, and this is an easy route, regardless of skill level. The Bow Valley Trail is a top location to spot bighorn sheep, especially on the hillsides and cliffs. It is a great spot for wildlife viewing, and there is a good chance to spot deer, elk, mountain goats, and grizzly bears. The Spray Lakes Road is another location that offers ample opportunities for wildlife viewing. Bears, moose, elk, cougars, and coyotes live in the area.
Lake Minewanka Loop
The Lake Minnewanka Loop is also a prime location for landscape and wildlife photography, where attractions abound. Top attractions along the route are Lake Minnewanka, Two Jack Lake, Johnson Lake, and the Cascade Ponds. The Two Jack Lake is a photography hot spot where many come to capture the reflections of Mount Rundle. It is ideal for canoeing and paddle boarding, which also offer excellent opportunities for photographing and capturing mountain scenery and wildlife. The Cascade Ponds offer plenty of opportunities for ice climbing, swimming, fishing, hiking, and wildlife viewing. Lake Minnewanka is also a prime location to enjoy spectacular views and spot wildlife, especially during the spring season. Those who are lucky may spot bears, coyotes, wolves, fox, tail and mule deer, and elk. The area is also popular for bighorn sheep spotting. Lake Minnewanka can be accessed by public transit and car but some parts of the route are not accessible during winter.
Other photography hot spots in Alberta are the Bow River Bridge, The Three Sisters, and Lake Edith, Annette and Beauvert, which are beautiful glacially fed lakes.