by Dr. Fraz Anjum
October 12, 2018

Panorama of Spray Lakes on Smith-Dorrien Trail

“In nature light creates the color, in picture color creates the light."
                                                                             Hans Hoffman

Nature has thousands of interpretations with respect to time and space, it has millions of interactions within terrestrial, aquatic as well as metaphysical objects, thereby making nature an untamed entity. Human interaction with nature and its objects expresses itself in a range of abstract and concrete forms. Literature, poetry, science, ecology and many more are in an unending journey to explore the beauties of nature. Photography is just one of them, which I utilize to express my obsession towards nature and its objects through photographic arts.

Lower Kananaskis Lake covered with a thick cloud blanket (24 mm, f16, tripod)

Introduction:
Smith-Dorrien Trail also known as Alberta 742 is a gravel road that connects Highway 40 to Canmore travelling through the heart of scenic Smith-Dorrien Valley. The trail is very rough and narrow winding near Canmore and serves as a back door access to Peter Lougheed Provisional Park. The highest point of the road is Smith-Dorrien Pass which is 1905m (6250 ft.) above sea level. Starting from Highway 40 the first point of interest is the upper and lower Kananaskis Lakes which then passes through moose habitat through Mt. Engadine lodge that serves as a great spot for lunch or a drink. The trail then proceeds in parallel to Spray Lakes reservoir which is the main water supply source for the town of Canmore. It offers may good spots for beautiful landscape photography. Finally, the trail ends in Canmore Nordic Center where Quarry Lake Park and Rundle Forebay offer good locations for landscape photography. With this short article, I am presenting some of the photos taken during a day trip to the trail. The prominent spots through the trail are:

Lower & Upper Kananaskis Lake
The Kananaskis Lakes are crystal clear lakes featuring towering and ice-caped mountains. There are many peaks over 3000 m. The lakes can be accessible from Canmore Nordic center as well as from Highway 40 travelling 80 km west on Highway 1 from Calgary. The lakes are part of hydroelectric power created in 1950. Numerous hiking trails are well marked within the territory. The ideal time for shooting is early morning or late afternoon. Remember to bring a study tripod and neutral density filter in case long exposure is needed.

Lower Kananaskis Lake from north end (24 mm, f16, tripod)

Lower Kananaskis Lake from south end (24 mm, f16, tripod)

Lower Kananaskis Lake from south end (24 mm, f16, tripod)

Spray Lakes Reservoir
Spray Lakes reservoir is the most prominent water body which is long and narrow on the Smith-Dorrien Trail, which you cannot miss. Spray Lakes is the main source of water supply to the town of Canmore. The area also concentrated with campgrounds which are suitable for both RVs and tents. Mount Sparrow Hawk, The Rimwall and The Windtower present astonishing views from the northern side of shore.

Moose Meadows at Mt. Engadine Lodge 24 mm, f11

Moose Meadows at Mt. Engadine Lodge 24 mm, f11

Spray Lakes on Smith-Dorrien Trail

Quarry Lake
Quarry Lake park is a result of a collaborative project by Rocky Mountain Heritage Foundation and town of Canmore. The park is associated with 100 m deep lake, picnic area, swimming area and off-leash dog park. Reflections of Mount Rundle, Ha Ling Peak and Fariholme range create striking reflections on a still day.

An aerial view of Grassi Lake from Smith-Dorrien Trail

Quarry Lake

Reflections in Quarry Lake (50 mm, f11, handheld)

Three Sisters Mountains
Three sisters representing hope, charity and faith are iconic peaks visible from almost every part of Kananaskis and Canmore. The big sister (faith) is 2936 m, middle sister (charity) is 2769 m and little sister (hope) is 2694 m high. Albert Rogers in 1883 named the mountains Three nuns which were renamed by George Dawson in 1886 as Three Sisters. Three sisters are the most prominent peaks within Bow River Valley section of Rocky Mountains. The included images were taken at sunset near Policeman’s Creek where a small pond creates crystal clear reflection of peaks on a still day.

The Three Sisters

The Three Sisters shot from Policeman’s Creek

The Three Sisters shot from Policeman’s Creek

A little pond just after the wedge pond on Highway 40 showing reflection of sun on a sunny morning (Spillway lake).

Rocky Mountain Sheep

Rocky Mountain Sheep

A deer grazing in the field

Rocky mountain sheep, deer, moose and elk are frequent throughout the trail. Below I include few portraits of sheep and deer I encountered during my journey.

Camera Equipment
The equipment used to take images include:
Nikon full frame camera bodies
Nikkor 14-24 mm f2.8 lens (Wide angle lens)
Tamron 24-70 mm f2.8 lens
Nikkor 200-500 mm f5.6 lens (Telephoto lens)
Induro carbon fiber tripod
Hoya ND400 and ND 9 neutral density filter

Post processing of images were mostly done on Adobe Photoshop with minor use of Adobe Lightroom

 

Authors Biography & Contact Information

Fraz Anjum, PhD is Calgary based Photographer specializing in portraits, architecture and nature photography. He can be approached for family portraits and architectural photography.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Email: frazchemist@gmail.com
Phone: Phone: +1 587 582 5896