Moraine Lake is one of the most photographed lakes in the Canadian Rockies. (Probably only second to Lake Louise). I've shot it a few times but never at sunrise. I got there plenty early, climbing up the rock piles in the gray pre-dawn light. I set up my tripod and took a few shots. Ho-hum. Not a lot of color or dramatic lighting. I took down my tripod and was going to leave when I began a conversation with another photographer who was shooting there. She said that her best shots the day before came after sunrise. (Which somehow seemed counter-intuitive to me but anyways...) I was just about to put my tripod back up when another photographer asked if he could setup right in front of me. I said that I was about to put my tripod there. He decided to use the spot anyways. I firmly but politely indicated that I was going to shoot there. He moved on and I finished setting up.
The light show I had hoped for didn't quite happen. The light was nice enough and there was a bit of color in the sky. I got my shot. Just like everyone else does.
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| Moraine Lake - Banff National ParkThe "Iconic" shot |
Then I turned around and looked the opposite direction. The skies were a lot more dramatic. The vista was incredible. Added bonus? Though I am probably not the first to take this shot, it would be a lot harder to find one to compare mine to.
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| Moraine Lake RockpilesThe "Other" Way |
The first shot? They're a dime a dozen. Heck, here's the Flickr search if you want to compare.There's a lot that look like that first shot.
Maybe the next time someone wants to take my spot to get their iconic shot I should let them do me the favor.
