As I travelled the short distance to the Vermillion Lakes Scenic Drive on the edge of Banff, Alberta, Canada, I was hoping that the clouds I was seeing would fulfill their promise. Sometimes you think they are going to play nicely with the sun, only to find out it was all just a tease. That was not going to be the case on this morning.

 

I drove directly to a place I had previously scoped out, a spot where a group of photographers had gathered the previous morning. I had gotten to it late the day before, opting instead for an early drive to a vantage point where I could watch the sunrise over downtown Banff.

For the first 30 minutes on this day, I was the only human being in sight. The sky shifted from dark blue and deep purples to the bright orange and red hues that are the payoff for an early rise. Soon other photographers arrived, as well as three tourists who walked out onto the end of the frozen peer I had set my tripod up on.

They looked like they were having trouble getting their faces lit properly against the brilliant sunrise, so I offered to take a picture and send it to them. As fate would have it, it’s one my favorite shots from the morning, a two-shot panorama. And they seemed to appreciate the results when I sent them the image. I’d say this was a good morning. 🙂

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