Rockpile View - Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta

Moraine Lake is arguably the most iconic location in the Canadian Rockies, although Spirit Island in Jasper is right up there (I'll call it a tie). The thing about Moraine Lake, especially in June, is that you never know what you will get until you get there. I have been there at sunrise in glorious light, overcast skies, snow, rain and sleet. Each condition lends itself to interesting photos. Last month, it was overcast skies and a cold wind. As I walked up the trail to the top of the rockpile (my favorite place to shoot sunrise), I knew that it was going to be a challenging shoot. First, the rockpile was already pretty crowded and the overcast skies held no promise. Everyone was shivering and hoping for the best. My experiences shooting there in the past told me to be patient and wait it out (not my strong suit). Sure enough, maybe after an hour of waiting, we got a glimmer of light that briefly lit up a portion of the mountains and I was happy to get this shot. With a location like this, little goes a long way.