Jasper Park, Canada 2013

Canada's Jasper National Park September 29, 2013 through October 8, 2013. Niala Branson and I flew from St. Louis, on Delta Airlines, to Minneapolis St. Paul. Changed planes and then continued to Edmonton, Canada where we rented a car and drove four hours to Jasper National Park. Customs was no problem; however we did inventory all our equipment with the US Customs Office one week prior to our flight. It is important that you be able to prove what you took out of the US so that you do not have to pay customs when you bring it back in from Canada, The highway from Edmonton to Jasper was four lane all the way and was in excellent condition. Driving and road signs are the same as in the US. We did have to purchase Canadian money which we did through our local bank. Not all establishments in Jasper would accept US currency. The exchange rate was about 1 to 1 with the US dollar slightly lower than the Canadian money. You need to check with your bank daily because it fluctuates between the two countries daily. We had planned this trip months in advance booking air fare, car rental, and our cabin. The cabins, "Alpine Village", were really nice. Well maintained, with two queen size beds, full bath, and internet service. The main office offered a hot tub and store. We were only a few miles from downtown Jasper and were right on the Athabasca River. It was not uncommon to walk out the door and see Elk grazing on the lawns. I should mention that the lawns and landscapes were well taken care of. I took a lot of pictures and this is just a sampling of them. This presentation is in journal format so be sure and scroll through all of them. Hope you enjoy this presentation and email me if you have any questions concerning our trip or how I processed any of these photographs. Please use the contact form provided with this Smugmug Gallery.

Maligne Lake Boat Dock 10/02/2013: Reached our destination but it was late morning and very cloudy so any chance of lake shots with mountain reflections was not an option. However, in the world of photography there is always something to take a picture of. Couldn't resist the red of these canoes.

Nikon D600, 24-70mm Lens @ 24mm. Three exposures: Aperture f/8, Shutter Speeds 0.6, 1/4, and 0.6 with 0.0, -0.67 and +0.67 EV. Blended together in PS6.
JMG2654 HDR Web
Lake Cavell 10/02/2013: Mount Edith Cavell is a mountain located in the Athabasca River and Astoria River valleys of Jasper National Park, Canada, and the most prominent peak entirely within Alberta.

The mountain was named in 1916 for Edith Cavell, an English nurse and executed by the Germans during World War I for having helped allied soldiers escape from occupied Belgium to the Netherlands, in violation of military law. It was previously known as La Montagne de la Grande Traversée (the Mountain of the Great Crossing) because it stands above Athabasca Pass.

To reach the Edith Cavell access road drive south from Jasper on the Icefields Parkway (highway 93) 5 miles and take the well-marked turnoff onto highway 93A. Cross the Astoria River and continue 28 kilometers (16 miles) on the mountain road that winds its way to the trailhead. The road is not suitable for trailers which can be left at the parking lot near the highway.

Nikon D600, 24-70mm Lens @ 24mm. Aperture f/8, Shutter Speed 1/40 second, -0.33EV, and ISO 100. Processed in PS6 using numerous filters and layers.
JMG2717 Web
Astoria River 10/02/2013: As the day drew to an end we headed back to Jasper along the Mt Edith Cavell Road which runs parallel to the Astoria River. As the sun was going down we came across this beautiful red/pink sky from the setting suns reflection on and through the clouds. The glacial waters always make for a colorful foreground.
JMG2776 HDR Web
Lower Waterfowl Lake 10/03/2013: Lower Waterfowl Lake and Mount Chephren, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. What can I say about this picture but it was a perfect day for capturing this shot. The snow capped mountains, blue skies, and the sun overhead brought out the beautiful green hues of the lake water.

Nikon D600, 24-70mm Lens @ 31mm. Aperture f/8, Shutter Speed 1/60 second, +0.67EV, and ISO 100. Tripod. Processed in PS6 using layers, Perfect Effects 8, and Color Eflex Pro to bring out the color of the sky and the water. Hand painted the rocks with TK Actions saturation painting to bring out the red hues.
JMG2835 Web
Peyto Lake 10/03/2013: Peyto Lake is the most iconic and most photographed spot in Banff. We had to hike 2 tenths of a mile to this overview with a 100 foot grade, temperature of -2ºC = 28.4ºF which made the old lungs hurt just a little but well worth it. Took a lot of pictures of this area and climbed over the railing for a short hike for a better view. Met a young couple from China and we shared photography tips and spent some time shooting together.
JMG2872 Web
Peyto Lake 10/03/2013: Didn't have a fisheye lens with me and was not set up for a pano so turned the camera to an angle to capture the length of the lake. This is one of those times where you want to wait till noon or thereafter when the sun is overhead to shoot this lake as the sun brings out the blues and greens of the water.
JMG2910 Web

John Gilbert Photo Travel Journal

Jasper Park, Canada 2013

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