One of the best early-season (April-May-June) photo locations to free up from ice and snow is First Vermilion Lake in Banff National Park. It’s a classic photo stop for any serious landscape photographer visiting the Canadian Rockies because of the stunning reflection you can get of Mount Rundle and Tunnel Mountain in the shallow waters of the lake.
You can access the lake (along with Second and Third Vermilion Lakes) on the Vermilion Lakes Drive just west of the Town of Banff. The best light is in the morning and evening (unlike some locations, this spot does lend itself to both dawn and dusk shoots), with the alpenglow you see in the above photo happening in the evening.
Happy shooting!
John
PS – for the ‘book’ on photo locations in the Canadian Rockies, check out the How to Photograph the Canadian Rockies eBook series.
