At 8:22 am, two hours after having arrived at the lake and two degrees warmer, we moved to a new spot in the hopes of capturing that brief moment when the sun rose between in the mountains. Kevin,a gracious host, gave me first choice on spots. I grabbed this one to get the tree as a leading line.

To make this image work, I knew I needed a low perspective. Laying down on the ice shelf at the waters edge, I lowered my tripod into the lake. A faint smell of sulfur wafted upwards. It was an indication of the hot pool that created the oasis of melted ice before me. It was also a potential foreshadow of this position landing me cold and wet when I fell through the thinning ice. Those that know me know that this would not be the first time. But it was worth the risk and, fortunately, this time, I won the battle.

The heavily overcast sky meant that we would not get a star burst. Instead, we were treated to an explosion of reds, oranges and yellows as the sun erupted over the horizon. While the entire spectacle lasted less than five minutes, its memory will be a treasure I relish for a lifetime.

As I sit at my desk in New Jersey, I already miss Banff; its scenic beauty and friendly people still strong memories in my mind. With dozens of images to cull through and edit, I will have daily touchstones for a couple of weeks. I will relish those touchstones and their ability to keep my memories fresh. Eventually, though the memories will fade into the ghosts of time past. All is not lost, though, we have already made our reservations to return in the spring.

I hope you enjoy

Canon EOS 5D Mark III
¼ sec at f/16 Bias: 0 EV
Lens: EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM @ 16 mm
ISO: 800
Edited in: Adobe Lightroom 2015C