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Canadian Rockies Photography Tour

10 Nights Exploring Kananaskis, Abraham Lake, Banff and Yoho National Parks

Join us for ten nights exploring some of the most beautiful landscapes in the Canadian Rockies. From the quieter mountain valleys of Kananaskis to the rugged scenery around Abraham Lake and the spectacular peaks of Banff and Yoho National Parks, this tour offers a wonderful variety of photographic opportunities.

We'll spend three nights in each main location, giving us plenty of time to explore without constantly packing up and moving hotels. We'll start in Calgary, then spend three nights in Kananaskis, three nights near Abraham Lake, and three nights in Field, British Columbia.

This is a photography tour, not a formal workshop. The idea is to spend our time out in the landscape, enjoying the photography and making the most of whatever conditions we encounter. We'll be there to offer advice and hands-on guidance to anyone who wants it, whether that's help with camera settings, composition, or simply discussing different ways to approach a scene.

We like to keep our itinerary flexible. Although we have a number of locations in mind, the weather and light will often determine where we go. If conditions look particularly promising somewhere, we'll do our best to take advantage of them. Likewise, if we come across an interesting location along the way, we'll have the freedom to stop and explore.

Day 1: Arrival in Calgary - Sep 17th

We'll meet at our Calgary hotel in the early evening for a relaxed introduction to the tour.

This is a chance to meet your fellow photographers and guides, review our plans for the coming days, and answer any questions.

We'll also discuss what to expect for travel, weather, and the types of locations we'll visit.

Overnight: Calgary

Days 2–4: Canmore & Kananaskis Country – September 18–21

After breakfast, we'll leave Calgary and head west into the Canadian Rockies, where we'll spend three nights in Canmore.

Canmore is a great base for exploring this part of the Rockies, with impressive mountain scenery, beautiful forests, rivers and plenty of photographic opportunities close to town. We'll also venture into nearby Kananaskis Country, one of the quieter and less-visited regions of the Canadian Rockies.

Kananaskis feels slightly different from the national parks, with peaceful valleys, mountain lakes, extensive forests, and impressive limestone peaks.

Some of the locations we may visit include:

Wedge Pond: A lovely little pond with views of Mount Kidd. On a calm morning, the reflections can be wonderful, but the shoreline and surrounding forest also offer interesting possibilities.

Barrier Lake: A large reservoir surrounded by mountains and woodland. The open shoreline offers opportunities for wider landscapes, particularly when interesting clouds or light move across the mountains.

Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes: Set beneath some of the area's most impressive peaks, these lakes offer beautiful mountain scenery, rocky shorelines, and reflections when conditions are calm.

Canmore and the Bow Valley: We'll also explore areas closer to Canmore, including the Bow River, nearby mountain viewpoints, forested areas and smaller streams. There are plenty of opportunities here, from impressive mountain landscapes to more intimate scenes.

As always, we'll be looking beyond the obvious viewpoints. Interesting groups of trees, rock formations, landscape patterns, and moving water can all make wonderful photographs.

With three nights based in Canmore, we'll have plenty of flexibility to explore both areas and revisit locations when the conditions look promising.

Overnight: Canmore – 3 nights

Days 5–7: Abraham Lake and the David Thompson Highway, Sept 21st - 24th

Leaving Kananaskis, we'll travel north towards Abraham Lake, where we'll spend the next three nights.

This is a particularly interesting part of the Rockies, with rugged mountains, broad valleys, forests, and wonderful photography opportunities along the David Thompson Highway.

Abraham Lake is surrounded by impressive mountain scenery, and its changing water levels often reveal interesting shorelines, rocks and patterns.

We'll explore the lake and surrounding area, looking for compositions that make the most of the landscape and whatever conditions we encounter.

Other nearby locations are worth visiting, including sections of the North Saskatchewan River, Crescent Falls, and several impressive mountain viewpoints.

One thing I particularly enjoy about this area is that there's plenty to discover beyond the obvious viewpoints. The forests, rivers, and rocky hillsides offer excellent opportunities for more intimate landscapes.

We'll take our time exploring, stopping whenever something catches our eye.

Depending on the weather, road conditions, and how far we decide to venture, we may also travel north toward the Icefields Parkway and Jasper National Park.

The Parkway offers some of Canada's most impressive mountain scenery, with glaciers, waterfalls, forests, and towering peaks. We'll keep this part of the itinerary flexible so that we can make the most of the available conditions.

Overnight: Abraham Lake area – 3 nights

Days 8–10: Field, Yoho and Banff National Parks Sept 24th - 27th

Next, we head to Field, British Columbia, a small mountain community in the heart of Yoho National Park.

We'll spend three nights here, using Field as our base for exploring both Yoho and neighbouring Banff National Park.

This is one of the most scenic parts of the Canadian Rockies, with an incredible variety of landscapes within a relatively short drive.

Yoho National Park

Yoho is a wonderful place for photography, with towering mountains, impressive waterfalls, beautiful forests and the turquoise waters of the Kicking Horse River.

Some of the locations we may visit include:

Emerald Lake: Surrounded by forest and mountains, Emerald Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in the Rockies. We'll explore the shoreline looking for reflections, interesting foregrounds and smaller compositions among the trees and water.

Natural Bridge: An interesting section of the Kicking Horse River where the water has carved its way through the rock. This is a great place to photograph moving water and the shapes and patterns the river creates.

Takakkaw Falls: If the road is open, we'll have the opportunity to visit one of Canada's tallest waterfalls, set beneath the enormous cliffs of the Yoho Valley.

We'll also explore quieter sections of the park, particularly the forests and rivers, where softer light often creates lovely photographic opportunities.

Banff National Park

From Field, we'll also have opportunities to explore Banff National Park, especially the spectacular scenery along the Icefields Parkway.

This is one of the most scenic drives in the Canadian Rockies, with towering mountains, glaciers, beautiful forests and numerous lakes and rivers. Plenty of places to stop along the way, and we'll take our time exploring the best photo spots.

We may visit Bow Lake, Waterfowl Lakes, and the surrounding valleys, with wonderful opportunities for both grand landscapes and more intimate photographs.

We'll also spend time exploring the forests, rivers and smaller roadside locations that are so easy to overlook when travelling through such impressive scenery. Often, these less obvious subjects turn out to be the most rewarding.

One advantage of staying in Field for three nights is that we can be flexible with our plans. If the light looks promising in a particular area, we'll head there. If the weather is overcast, we might focus on forests, waterfalls, or smaller landscape details.

As always, the idea is to make the most of the conditions rather than follow a rigid itinerary.

Overnight: Field – 3 nights

Day 10: Return to Calgary Sept 27th - Arrive at hotel at roughly 3 pm

After a morning shoot, we'll begin our journey back to Calgary.

Depending on our schedule, we may have opportunities for a few final photo stops along the way.

We'll return to Calgary, where we'll arrange airport drop-offs for those travelling home, or you can spend the night in Calgary near the airport.

After ten nights exploring the Rockies, hopefully everyone will head home with wonderful images and plenty of good memories from our time in the mountains.

About the Tour

This tour is designed for photographers who enjoy being out in the landscape and exploring new places with like-minded people.

Rather than following a formal workshop structure, we'll spend our time visiting a variety of locations and making the most of the photographic opportunities we find.

We'll generally aim to be out during the best light, which may mean early mornings and late evenings, but we won't overlook the possibilities that come with overcast or less-than-perfect conditions.

Some days we'll photograph spectacular mountain scenery, while on others we may focus on smaller arrangements of trees, water, rocks, or patterns in the landscape.

There's no pressure to photograph in a particular way or keep up with a structured teaching programme. Everyone is welcome to work at their own pace and concentrate on the subjects that interest them most.

Of course, we're always happy to help. If you'd like advice on composition, camera settings, filters, or anything else related to your photography, we'll offer hands-on guidance throughout the tour.

We'll also be happy to review images and offer feedback when time allows.

Our main aim is to enjoy the photography, explore some beautiful places, and hopefully come away with images we're pleased with.

What's Included

Accommodation: Ten nights of accommodation, including our first night in Calgary, three nights in Kananaskis, three nights near Abraham Lake and three nights in Field.

Transportation: Transportation throughout the tour, beginning at our Calgary meeting hotel and concluding with a return transfer to Calgary Airport.

Experienced Photography Guides: We'll accompany the group throughout the tour, share our knowledge of the locations, and help everyone make the most of the photographic opportunities.

Optional Hands-on Guidance: Photography advice, help with composition and camera techniques, and informal image feedback are available for anyone who wants them.

Flexible Daily Itinerary: We'll adjust our plans to suit the weather, lighting conditions, and photographic opportunities.

A Few Things to Keep in Mind

The weather in the Canadian Rockies can be unpredictable, particularly at higher elevations. Conditions can change quickly, so it's important to come prepared for a variety of weather.

We'll be travelling by vehicle between locations, with frequent stops for photography. Most locations will be accessible from the roadside or involve relatively short walks, though some uneven ground is expected.

The itinerary is intended as a general guide. We may change locations or alter our plans depending on weather, road conditions, seasonal access and other factors.

We want everyone to have an enjoyable, relaxed experience, with plenty of opportunities to photograph some of Canada's most beautiful landscapes.

What’s Included

• Two professional photographer guides.

• Transportation to and from the airport.

• Ground transportation in two Suburbans

• Single-occupancy hotel accommodation for 10 nights.

What’s not included:

• Meals, Alcohol

• Air Transportation to Calgary

• Travel Insurance

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How challenging will the walking be? PLEASE READ – IMPORTANT!

Hiking? Who said anything about hiking?

Although this isn't a hiking tour, we'll do a fair amount of walking to reach some of our photography locations. Most walks will be relatively short, generally no more than a kilometre or so, but you should expect to be on your feet quite a bit throughout the day.

Some locations will involve walking uphill or downhill, often over uneven ground, rocks, roots or rough trails. You should be reasonably fit, comfortable walking on uneven terrain and able to carry your camera equipment.

If you have mobility issues or difficulty walking on rough ground, this may not be the right tour for you. Please consider this carefully before booking.

What camera gear should I bring?

We'll focus primarily on landscape photography, though we may encounter wildlife along the way.

My advice is to keep your camera equipment fairly simple. We'll be getting in and out of the vehicles regularly and walking to various locations, so there's no need to bring everything you own.

The following is a general guide to the equipment we typically carry. You don't need these exact lenses; similar focal lengths will work just fine.

If you enjoy wildlife photography and have a longer telephoto lens, you're welcome to bring it, but consider the added weight.

We'll send a more detailed list of what to bring before the tour.

Recommended Camera Equipment

• Camera body

• Wide-angle lens (approximately 14–24mm)

• Standard zoom lens (approximately 24–120mm)

• Telephoto zoom lens (approximately 70–200mm)

• Sturdy tripod with a ball head or geared head

• Comfortable camera backpack

• Polarising filter and ND filters, if you use them

• At least two spare camera batteries

• Lens cloth and lens cleaning supplies

• Lens hoods

You don't need to carry every lens at every location. Often, a camera and a couple of lenses are all you'll need.

Clothing and Other Essentials

Weather in the Canadian Rockies can be unpredictable, and conditions can change considerably throughout the day. Even if the forecast looks promising, it's important to be prepared for cold temperatures, wind and rain.

We recommend bringing the following items for our daily outings:

• Waterproof hiking boots or rubber boots

• Comfortable long pants suitable for walking

• Warm jacket or insulating layers

• Waterproof rain jacket

• Brimmed hat or warm hat, depending on conditions

• Sunglasses

• Headlamp or small flashlight

• Snacks and lunch

• Water or something else to drink

• Small daypack or camera backpack for carrying personal items

Dressing in layers is always a good idea, as temperatures can vary quite a bit between locations and throughout the day.

Optional Items

• Laptop computer for downloading, backing up and reviewing photographs

• Umbrella, which can be particularly useful when photographing in the rain

• Additional telephoto lens for wildlife photography

The main thing is to be comfortable and prepared for a variety of conditions. There's no need to bring an enormous amount of equipment, and travelling a little lighter will generally make the experience more enjoyable.

Deposits, Final Payments and Cancellations

A deposit is required to secure your place on one of our photography workshops or tours. Deposits are non-refundable unless we are able to fill your place with another paying participant.

Many of our workshops and tours require us to make advance payments for accommodation, transportation and other arrangements. These costs are often non-refundable, which is why we have the following cancellation policy.

Final payment must be received no later than 8 weeks (56 days) before the workshop or tour begins.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

If you need to cancel your booking, the following cancellation fees apply. All percentages are calculated based on the total workshop or tour price, not the remaining balance.

• More than 8 weeks before departure: All payments beyond the initial deposit will be refunded. The deposit is non-refundable unless your place can be filled.

• 6–8 weeks before departure: A full refund will be provided, minus the initial deposit.

• 4–6 weeks before departure: A cancellation fee of 50% of the total workshop or tour price will apply.

• 2–4 weeks before departure: A cancellation fee of 75% of the total workshop or tour price will apply.

• Less than 2 weeks before departure: No refund will be provided.

If we are able to fill your cancelled place with another paying participant, we will refund the full amount you have paid, including your deposit, regardless of when you cancel.

Any applicable cancellation fee will be deducted from payments already received. If the amount paid exceeds the cancellation fee, the difference will be refunded.

All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing.

Travel and Equipment Insurance

We strongly recommend that all participants purchase comprehensive travel insurance when booking one of our photography workshops or tours.

Your insurance should include coverage for trip cancellation, interruption, medical emergencies and other unexpected circumstances that may prevent you from attending or completing the trip.

We also recommend obtaining appropriate insurance for your camera equipment and personal belongings.

Participants are responsible for arranging their own insurance and ensuring they have adequate medical coverage for the duration of the trip.

Adam Gibbs Photography is not responsible for loss, theft or damage to personal belongings or camera equipment, or for personal injuries, except where liability cannot legally be excluded.