An excerpt from: How to Photograph the Canadian Rockies by Darwin Wiggett
First, a warning: the 14.5-kilometer road up to the base of Mount Edith Cavell is narrow and winding with many tight switchbacks and it is covered with potholes, frost heaves, and broken pavement. Motor homes and trailers are not allowed. If you prefer or need someone else to do the driving, small group tours are given daily from Jasper (ask at the tourist office in town). One way or another, you must get yourself up that road to experience one of the premier photographic destinations in the Canadian Rockies.
The classic shot of
The second favorite option for photographers is to continue to the main parking area at the end of the road, and hike a short distance on the Path of the Glacier Trail (either the upper or lower loop) until a nice foreground appears. The lower trail follows a braided stream up to a melt-water lake about 800 meters from the parking lot. The upper trail loops to the same spot but takes a higher route through a large rockslide. Either route is productive, but most photographers opt for the lower trail because it is less strenuous and most shooters prefer flowers and moving water to a boulder field for a foreground. The majority of photographers never make it to the meltwater lake for sunrise. That’s a shame because here you can capture orange alpenglow reflected in a turquoise lake full of mini icebergs that have sloughed off Angel Glacier. This is truly an amazing spot, with the formidable face of Edith Cavell peering down on you from directly overhead. The only way to get the icebergs, the lake at your feet, and the glowing peak above your head into a single photo is with a wide-angle lens (20mm or wider - see photo 3). If you use a longer lens, you’ll crop out part of the vista. Of course, you may prefer to concentrate on detail shots of the glacier, or the patterns of ice in the water, and if so a short telephoto zoom is perfect for this purpose.
After sunrise, it’s worthwhile to hike up to Cavell Meadows which are four to eight kilometers loops depending on which way you decide to go. Your rewards are plentiful; eye-level views to Angel Glacier, meadows dotted with summer wildflowers, and tons of furry entertaining critters (pikas, marmots, chipmunks and ground squirrels - see photo 4).
Although most photographers consider Edith Cavell a sunrise destination, great images can be made here in almost any light. Overcast light is great for intimate abstraction, flowers, and wildlife. Sunny evenings are also perfect for the play of shadow and light across the surrounding peaks. So, if you are not a morning person, no need to fret. Just get up the road to Edith Cavell and fine images are waiting to be made. The Edith Cavell road is open from mid-June through October.
Photo 1
Photo 2
