What Are The Three Sisters And Where Are They?
The Three Sisters in Canmore, Alberta, Canada are a trio of mountain peaks known as Big Sister, Middle Sister and Little Sister. They are located in the Canmore/Kananaskis area just outside the town of Banff and Banff National Park. They are among many mountain peaks in this area inside and outside the boundaries of the more well known Banff National Park. They can be seen from all around the town of Canmore and beyond. At sunrise, the Three Sisters peaks glow and reflect in a body of water.
What Is It Like To Travel Canmore And Photograph The Three Sisters?
Canmore is like the town of Banff but outside of Banff National Park. Canmore is a bit bigger, has more real stores and restaurants often with more reasonable prices. There is an abundance of lodging in Canmore than also to be less expensive than lodging in Banff. Whether you stay in Banff or Canmore you’ll be in pretty close proximity to the Three Sisters. For budget travelers there are hostels and campgrounds. For more discerning travelers, the sky is the limit all the way up to the Banff Springs Hotel. Though Development is spiraling out of control, there are still plenty of beautiful, scenic natural areas around Canmore.
What Does It Take To Get A Wall Art Quality Sunrise Photo Of The Three Sisters In Canmore?
The first thing you’ll need to do is scout out the Canmore area to find a good location to photograph the Three Sisters. There is a nice view of the Three Sisters from the balcony of the Alpine Club of Canada and there are numerous other views all around the town. I’d been going to Banff, Canmore and the Canadian Rockies in general for several years before I found this particular spot.
A couple times when I stayed at the Alpine Club of Canada in Canmore, I saw photo similar to this on the wall. I asked them if they knew where it was taken and they pleaded ignorance every time. Surely anyone who worked at the Alpine Club of Canada in Canmore would know where a photo in Canmore was taken. I suspect they did know but wanted to preserve the place. I’d call it one of the top-5 and certainly top-10 photo spots around the Banff/Jasper area that are reasonable to hike to for sunrise. Sunrise at Moraine Lake, Sunset At Maligne Lake, Sunrise At Peyto Lake, Late Fall At Peyto Lake, Sunrise at Bow Lake, Early Winter Sunset At Castle Mountain and Sunrise At Lake Louise may be better photo spots than the Three Sisters at sunrise but its a tough call.
In order to get a great wall art quality photo print of the Three Sisters in Canmore you’ll just need to get to Canmore for sunrise and do some research to find a great photo spot!
What Is The Best Gear For Photographing The Three Sisters At Sunrise In Canmore?
It all depends on the location you choose to photograph the Three Sisters. Some locations like the balcony of the Alpine Club of Canada call for a longer than average zoom lens and maybe a panoramic setup. This reflection shot is somewhere between a panoramic shot and standard 4×6 aspect ratio shot. Either one will work but a single 4×6 frame is generally sufficient.
Most any camera will do. If you want to make big prints then you’ll probably want a DSLR or a mirrorless camera with a larger sensor. For smaller prints or just posting online a cel phone or point and shoot camera will work just fine.
What Is The Story Behind This Canmore Three Sisters Sunrise Wall Art Photo Print?
As mentioned above, I’d been going to the Banff/Jasper/Canmore area for a number of year before I even saw this scene. Once I saw a print of it, I started wandering around Canmore looking for a spot to get a reflection shot of the Three Sisters. I’d photographed them without reflections from the back of the Canmore Alpine Club of Canada but that was more of a distant aerial view with no water around.
I drove and hiked all over Canmore looking for this particular spot and for the life of me could not find it. I was initially excited when I saw a similar print hanging on the wall of the Alpine Club of Canada in Canmore. That excitement was dashed when everyone at the front desk claimed they had no idea where the photo was taken. They had to know and it had to be within no more than 5 miles from the Alpine Club.
I spent another day out wandering and driving around Canmore and still had no luck. There are some ponds around Canmore and a rive flows through the town. It didn’t seem like there was any possibility of getting sunrise reflections of the Three Sisters reflecting in any of those water features. After searching and searching and searching online and playing with maps, I finally found a potential spot. I first when down at sunrise and found it.
It seems likely that the staff at the Canmore Alpine Club knew exactly where is was. They of course knew it was a pretty awesome photo spot. They also knew if they told everyone where it was and how to get there, the area would get swarmed with tourists and photographers, the environment would degrade and the area would be full of trash. I share their concern and will not post directions to or the location to get this shot. It is a small delicate area. If it started to draw crowds anything like Moraine Lake does it would be a complete mess and nobody would enjoy it.
I was there in late spring. Once i figured out where it was, I went down for both sunrise and sunset shots a number of times. Cloud cover was often too thick to get any color on the mountains but this was one shot I was determined to get. For 5 straight days I got up for sunrise and returned for sunset. After so many year of not finding this location I was going to do everything possible to come away with some at least halfway decent.
After numerous early mornings and late evenings I did come away with some shots I was happy with! That was one more Canadian Rockies area bucket list photo in the bag!
In What Formats Is The Canmore Three Sisters Sunrise Wall Art Print Available?
These sunrise wall are prints of the Canmore Three Sisters are available on a variety of different materials. The largest size available is currently 40×60 inches. That size and smaller sizes are available on a variety of matte and glossy papers, metal, acrylic, wood and canvas prints.
In areas with lots of natural or artificial light, a matte finish is generally better. Metal and acrylic and glossy or metallic paper print can also be on the reflective side and are better hung in areas with low or diffused lighting.
This Three Sisters photo is available on a variety of home decor items including fleece blanks, shower curtains and pillows. You can show it off on phone cases, shirts and other apparel as well as canvas tote bags that make great grocery shopping bags if your local stores no longer offer plastic grocery bags and you want a secure bag with handles for grocery shopping.
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