Bow Lake Overview – Where Is It And How Do You Get There?
When you head up to the Canadian Rockies to explore Banff, Jasper and Yoho National Parks, you’ve probably got Lake Louise, Moraine Lake and maybe Peyto Lake on your must see/photograph list. While those are arguably the most spectacular lakes to visit in the Canadian Rockies National Parks, there are many other awesome lakes and mountain vistas to see and photograph there. Bow Lake is one spot that is off the radar of most people at least for sunrise
Huge crowds of people often flock to Moraine Lake and Lake Louise for sunrise but you can have Bow Lake to yourself (or close) at sunrise. Bow Lake is located along the IceFields Parkway in Banff National Park. From the town of Lake Louise, head north toward Jasper National Park along the Icefields Parkway about 30 km until you approach Bow Lake on the left. There is a medium sized parking lot. At sunrise it will be virtually empty. The parking lot is right next to the lake. There is hike involved to photograph Bow Lake at sunrise or any other time of day. Just pull in, pick your spot, setup your camera gear and get ready to shoot.
What Makes Bow Lake A Great Photo Spot In Banff?
Bow Lake is an awesome glacier fed lake that is super easy to get to. As noted above it is a little off the radar so far. Lots of people stop there during the day but not so much at sunrise. Like most sunrise spots in the Canadian Rockies and elsewhere sunrise at Bow Lake can be hit or miss depending on the weather. Crowfoot Mountain is located right next to Bow Lake. When winds are calm, the entire mountain reflects in the lake. There are streams, wildflowers (in the summer), an old wooden footbridge and an historic lodge in the Bow Lake area. These make for lots of cool elements that may be included in sunrise photos at Bow Lake.
When Should You Go To Bow Lake For Great Sunrise Photos?
- Calm winds are the number one thing to look for. Giant Mountains tower over most of the lakes in the Canadian Rockies. When winds are calm, the mountains reflect in the lakes. If the hourly weather forecast calls for winds below 10mph, there is a chance of getting great reflection shots.
- Clear to partly cloudy skies are the number two thing to look for. For the best sunrise photos, the sun needs to be able to hit the mountain peaks to paint them with a reddish-orange glow. If the skies are totally clear the rising sun will paint the mountain peaks and as the sun continues to rise the color will drip down the mountains as the intensity of the color fades. If there are some clouds in the sky the sun may paint colorful stripes on the mountains as it rises. Depending on the thickness of the cloud cover, the clouds may light up and add even more color and texture to sunrise photos at Bow Lake.
- Bow Lake is best photographed when it is not frozen. That will generally mean sometime between April and November but will vary more and more as temperatures warm overall.
What Photo Gear Is Best For Photographing Bow Lake?
Whatever camera you have at the time you are taking a photo is the best gear to have. When photographing Bow Lake a cel phone camera can work just fine as well as a DSLR or something mirrorless. When standing at the edge of Bow Lake, the lake is a long lake next to a long mountain range. This landscape lends itself well to a panoramic shot and a tripod with a panoramic head.
When I photograph Bow Lake I sometimes use a regular DSLR with a 4×6 aspect ratio. For the sunrise photo featured here, I used a panoramic setup. That included a Canon 5D MK II sitting on top of an Induro carbon tripod with a Nodal Ninja panoramic head. In order to capture the entire length of the lake and the surrounding mountain range, something that can shoot images to stitch into a panoramic view or a camera that can shoot panoramic views and stitch them in the camera is best.
What Is The Story Behind This Panoramic Wall Art Photo Print Of Bow Lake?
This particular Bow Lake panoramic photo was taken on a cool spring morning. I’d been bouncing around between Bow Lake, Peyto Lake and Moraine Lake for a couple weeks. On this particular morning the forecast was for calm winds and partly cloudy skies. I’d gone to Bow Lake hoping to get an awesome sunrise photo 4 times prior to this and encountered too much cloud cover to get anything close to this.
On this particular spring morning I had all of Bow Lake to myself at sunrise. There was not one other person there. I got up well before the crack of dawn and was out at Bow Lake about 20 minutes before sunrise. The tripod setup used was the Induro Carbon Tripod with a Nodal Ninja panoramic head. The camera mounted to the panoramic head was a Canon 5D MK II with a 50mm or a 70-200mm lens attached. Both lenses were used for Bow Lake panoramic sunrise shots on this particular morning.
As the sun started to rise, the cloud cover was moderate all around and fairly heavy over the lake and Crowfoot Mountain. The cloud cover to the east was moderate as well. Fortunately it was not thick enough at the horizon the block the sun from shining through and hitting the mountain peaks around Bow Lake. The alpenglow on the mountain peaks was awesome and the clouds soaked up some brilliant color too.
After sunrise I hung around and took some interesting but less dramatic Bow Lake photos and continued onto other nearby locations that are incredible any time of day.
In What Formats Is This Giant Bow Lake Sunrise Wall Art Print Available?
This vibrant Bow Lake sunrise panoramic print is available in sizes up to 108 inches wide on a variety of papers and on canvas. If you prefer metal, it come in sizes up to 84 inches wide. For acrylic and wood it is available in sizes up to 96 inches wide. For really a really shiny and reflective print choose a metal or acrylic version. These look best in areas with diffused lighting because they are so shiny and reflective. If it will be in an area with lots of bright lights or natural light something on paper or canvas with a matte finish will probably look a lot better.
This print is available on phone cases, puzzles, towels and other home decor items, even shower curtains.
This particular photo won the travel category in the AAA World 2020 photo contest.
Leave a Reply