Mountain marvels: Tips for photographing winter in the Canadian Rockies (PHOTOS)
Written for Daily Hive by Kim Logan, a freelancer writer, filmmaker, and outdoor enthusiast residing in Alberta.
While the Canadian Rockies exude beauty year-round, in winter, they transform into an enchanting wonderland and look like a scene from a fairytale.
For award-winning travel and landscape photographer, explorer and educator, Stanley Aryanto, it is his favourite season to photograph.
Winter brings unique challenges to even the most experienced photographers. Temperatures plummet, daylight hours are limited, nights are dark, and snowfall is not uncommon.
When Aryanto left his career as an engineer and relocated to Lake Louise in 2018 from sunny western Australia, he had zero experience photographing cold environments. A few years later, his winter photography has garnered numerous awards and accolades.
We spoke with Aryanto about considerations for overcoming winter photography challenges, and these simple tips and tricks will empower you to capture a dreamy seasonal photo for your Instagram every time.
Take advantage of harsh winter conditions
During extreme cold snaps in Alberta, temperatures can dip as low as -40°C. While there may be a deep urge to hibernate during these times, facing the cold could mean capturing some stunning natural phenomena.
One frosty February day during Aryanto’s two-and-a-half years living in the Canadian Rockies, he captured sun and moon halos. These white rings around the sun and moon occur when light refracts off ice crystals suspended within wispy cirrus or cirrostratus clouds.
While not rare, they are not an everyday occurrence.
Stanley Aryanto/The Wicked Hunt Photography (Supplied)
“They look kind of like a rainbow but less colourful,” Aryanto said.
Extreme cold snaps can also produce light pillars, an optical phenomenon caused when ice
crystals refract light. Aryanto explains the light pillars typically take on the light source’s colour.
Stanley Aryanto/The Wicked Hunt Photography (Supplied)
“It’s pretty trippy. The light looks artificial – like a streetlight or spotlight beaming up into the sky. It’s like something you would see in a sci-fi film. The first time I saw it I thought there was an alien invasion upon us.”
Timing is important
As days are short in winter, Aryanto suggests taking advantage of sunset and sunrise.
Stanley Aryanto/The Wicked Hunt Photography (Supplied)
“The great thing about winter is that you don’t need to get up at 4 am for sunrise. Golden hours are much later in the morning and much earlier in the evening. They also last much longer due to the low elevation of the sun.”
Check your local weather reports for timing and if you are shooting during the day, Aryanto suggests being aware of which direction the sun is coming from to achieve the desired shadows and highlights.
Stanley Aryanto/The Wicked Hunt Photography (Supplied)
“When you can predict the sun’s angle and where it’s going to hit, you can create some unique photography.”
Location, location, location
Banff National Park and the surrounding areas are teeming with photogenic spots for your
winter capture. There are three standout locations that Aryanto recommends and where he
typically takes photographers on photo trips.
He explains that west of the Banff townsite, a section of Vermillion Lakes is fed by a thermal
spring and does not freeze.
Stanley Aryanto/The Wicked Hunt Photography (Supplied)
Stanley Aryanto/The Wicked Hunt Photography (Supplied)
“There’s an opportunity to capture open water, the frozen lake, and the reflection of Mount
Rundle. It’s a great spot for capturing dramatic sunsets and sunrises.”
Mount Rundle towers over Vermillion Lakes, one of the most photographed mountains in the Canadian Rockies.
Stanley Aryanto/The Wicked Hunt Photography (Supplied)
Abraham Lake yields more photography opportunities. “There’s a good chance you’ll see
methane bubbles here. The bubble pancake is a cool effect that appears when methane bubbles rise to the surface and freeze over time.”
Stanley Aryanto/The Wicked Hunt Photography (Supplied)
One of Banff National Park’s most popular spots, Lake Louise offers opportunities for unique composition with a magical ice castle situated on the skating rink and the frozen lake enveloped by soaring peaks.
“Like Vermillion Lakes, you can capture the contrast between the frozen lake and water feeding Lake Louise Creek.”
Bonus tip: Hardware and settings
Aryanto prefers to keep his camera settings simple if he is shooting during the day.
“I would usually shoot on aperture priority mode instead of manual mode and ensure I have an F stop between F-nine to F-11. This produces the deepest depth of field and ensures the
foreground and background are as sharp as possible. If I open it wide at F 2.8, the foreground won’t be as sharp as the background and vice versa, depending on what’s in focus.”
Stanley Aryanto/The Wicked Hunt Photography (Supplied)
“Long exposures work well in winter because they can create another layer of capture. A filter can help achieve a long exposure by limiting the light.”
Aryanto says a long exposure can help capture fast-moving clouds as streaks in the sky.
“If you’re shooting with a phone, one of the most important things is controlling the light. Holding the focus point will bring up the ‘AF lock,’ which locks in the exposure and focus. You can scroll up and down to increase or decrease the exposure and recover the details.”
Aryanto claims he is not exceptionally talented and does not own the best camera on the market, believing the key to creating breathtaking and award-winning photography is to convey a unique perspective and he has made this his mission.
“I have developed my skillset through trial and error and time in the field. I hope to inspire
others to do the same.”
For more photography tips, check out Aryanto’s courses and mentorship programs. If his images inspire you, prints are available for purchase online.
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