I arrived at Moraine Lake at around 6:00am, the forecast called for rain in the day but I could see more stars than clouds so I was optimistic. I made my way up the moraine (a rock pile caused by the pushing force of since melted glaciers) Once I was on top and set up, it began to rain. The rain soon changed to hail. While hiding under a large boulder I nearly fell asleep from the soothing sound of the hail landing on the rocks around me, but the odd hail stone kept finding its way down my shirt. The hail ended just as the sky began to light up, but at this point the sky was full of fast moving rain clouds. I decided to wait it out in hopes that the sun would eventually rise above the low hanging clouds to the east. Luckily my patience paid off, at around 8:30am the light began to shine though and I captured this image sometime within the hour that followed.

Here is an image of Peyto Lake in August. Because of the high altitude, this area can recieve snowfall any time of year. On this particular day I arrived at the trailhead just after a blizzard passed though. As quick as the snow left, the sun came out and began to burn off the thin layer of snow that blanketed the valley. I knew I didn't have much time, so I sprinted up the trail to the viewpoint. When I arrived most of the snow was gone, I took a moment to catch my breath and managed to find a small tree in the partial shade still holding a bit of snow, which made for a nice foreground feature. ©Joseph Carter

A brisk wind blows over Two Jack lake at twilight, creating a glassy reflection of the beautiful light show overhead. The impressive eastern face of Mount Rundle looms in the distance. ©Joseph Carter

A dark gloomy day is the perfect time for a walk though Johnston Canyon. On a bright sunny day, the white water passing over a waterfall reflects the sun much more than anything else in the scene which causes it to blow out (turn white). The diffused light evens out the contrast in the scene, which allows for a slower shutter speed creating the dreamy look to the water which everyone seems to love. ©Joseph Carter

The Kicking Horse river trickles over Wapta Falls as the last rays of alpen glow soak into the Peak of Mount Vaux. While not a very high waterfall, the fifty foot wide Wapta Falls is considered the third largest in Canada by volume. The large volumes of water are seen when the winter snow rapidly melts off the mountains during the spring run-off. Seen here in late winter (March). ©Joseph Carter

Although there was a slight wind which ruined the reflection on the majority of the lake, this small swampy cove along the shore was shielded from most of the ripples, and allowed for an almost perfect reflection of Mount Rundle. To achieve this composition I stitched two vertical images. ©Joseph Carter

Just a 45 minute drive down the Blaeberry Forest Service Road will bring you to the stunning Thompson Falls. Slightly farther up steam of the falls on the Blaeberry river, plans have been put forth to install a hydro-electric plant, which will destroy this amazing waterfall. ©Joseph Carter

A small stream floats along on top of a bed of moss and rocks and into Spillway Lake, ruining the mirror reflection of the distant Opal Range in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. ©Joseph Carter

The Opal Range reflected in Spillway lake, shortly before sunset. ©Joseph Carter

Silverhorn Creek weaves down the valley towards its destination at Mistaya River, as the last rays of alpen glow creep up toward the peak of Mount Weed. I owe this image to Darwin Wiggett, this is one of the locations he mentions in his book 'How to Photograph the Canadian Rockies'. It includes an image he took of each location and the best times to visit them. I walked slightly farther upstream from where his image was taken to where the creek seemed to turn the corner. I stitched three vertical images to get the composition I was looking for. ©Joseph Carter

The view from the top of Kicking Horse Mountain Resort at sunset in August. While waiting for my dinner at the Eagles Eye Restaurant one evening, I had to slip out to snap some photos of the beautiful sunset and wild flower display. The view was much too big to get it into one shot, even a panorama left much of the beautiful sky out, so I was forced to shoot two 8 image panoramas one of the land and one of the sky, then stitched the two in Photoshop.

Mount Jimmy Simpson reflects in a flood plane filled to the brim with spring melt water. ©Joseph Carter

The large mysterious boulders along the shore of Medicine Lake were left here by passing glaciers thousands of years ago. After the spring run-off the water of Medicine Lake begins to disappear into underground caves below the lake, much like a bath tub. ©Joseph Carter

The road to Moraine Lake is best described as a roller coaster without rails. If it wasn't for the fact that it`s been recently paved it would be quite an adventure. Nearing the end of the`narrow road, the views begin to open up to the amazing valley. Luckily there are a number of designated spots to safely pull over and explore the roadside; though I would watch your step, it`s a long way down! ©Joseph Carter

With this viewpoint being only a few steps from my front door, it was easy to run out in my pajamas when the sky began to light up without notice. What should have been a wonderful relaxing moment was reduced to an awkward rain dance in an attempt to keep the hoards of mosquitoes off of me. As it turns out the dance wasn't very effective against the mosquitoes.. but it did rain. ©Joseph Carter

Along the Yellowhead Highway just east of Jasper, is a little spot known to photographers as `The Glory Hole` thanks to the consistently good lighting conditions the area produces. Unfortunately the day I visited was overcast and blah, so I quickly turned my focus from the grand landscape to the more subtle intimate scenes. Obviously struck by the intense green of the algae I began searching for interesting patterns in the `slime` after a few minutes I began to turn my polarizing filter from its most intense position and when I did, the interesting reflection of the trees in front of me appeared. I flipped the image vertically in photoshop because I think it makes the reflection a bit easier to comprehend, yet it throws off your sense of what is up and down, creating an instability that I like. ©Joseph Carter

Whenever I make the 3 hour trip over to Calgary, I try to make a stop at Vermilion Lakes just outside of the town of Banff. This particular day I met up with a couple Geese who were honking at me about how the ice is supposed to be melted by the time they get back from vacation. ©Joseph Carter

This gem of a lake along Highway 1 reminds me of blue kool-aid. While walking around the lake looking for interesting compositions I came upon a gap in the trees that framed the reflection of Chancellor Peak perfectly, I set up my tripod, and waited patiently for the breeze to subside, to capture the reflection as clearly as possible. ©Joseph Carter

I`ve visited Wapta Marsh on a number of occasions and I always see this up-turned set of roots from a distance. This particular day I decided to embrace the soakers and ventured into the marsh toward the roots. Im glad I did because it turned out to be a rather unique scene. It was quite a challenge to get close enough to the water to include the reflection. If you look at the moose tracks in the foreground you get an idea of what I was standing in. Lets just say I`m lucky I didn`t lose a shoe. ©Joseph Carter

A different view of Castle Mountain from Altrude Creek near the trail-head to Copper Lake. ©Joseph Carter

The Beaverfoot Forest Service Road passes over many small creeks that are making their way down toward the mighty Kicking Horse River. This image, taken in early winter, shows a creek that is within hours of freezing over. The rich blue colour of the ice below the water created a beautiful contrast with the white snow. ©Joseph Carter

Only a 30 minute drive from my home, I find myself at Wapta Marsh quite often looking for unique compositions. This particular day I wasn' t feeling the creative vibe, so I opted for the more technical approach and created this 8 image panorama. If you look closely at the mid-ground toward the right you can see the interesting up-turned root formation featured up-close in an earlier image. My favorite part of this image is the piece of lumber kindly left behind by the resident beaver. ©Joseph Carter

I spent about 40 minutes crouched on a small rock just off the shore of Two Jack lake waiting for the light to be just right. I had a hard time deciding where in the frame the large foreground rock should be and took a few shots with it centered and to the left, I decided the image looked most balanced with the rock more toward the right. ©Joseph Carter

When I came upon this Bull Elk along the road to Pyramid Lake in Jasper one August afternoon, he seemed fairly content chomping on some grass in the ditch, but when he noticed me snapping photos of him from my passenger window he proceeded into the forest for some privacy. My plan for the afternoon was to find something interesting to shoot while waiting for the sunset and I figured it couldn't be too hard to find him, so I threw on my 200mm lens and headed into the bush. It wasn't quite as easy to find him as I thought it would be, but before long I spotted his antlers glowing brightly in the sun as he sat there chewing on some fresh grass. I snapped a couple shots while he turned his head to check me out. I took my time getting around in front of him as I didn't want to scare him into charging me. After about half an hour snapping shots from different angles, I decided to let him finish his lunch in private, before he used me for his afternoon workout. ©Joseph Carter

This impressive sunset view includes the lesser known Spillway Lake in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park and a mirror reflection of the Opal Range and the distant Elk Range to the right of the image. ©Joseph Carter

I must have been hunched over snapping photos of this rock for 30 minutes until my battery died. I look forward to visiting it again, there was so much to look at, I didn't even get to the other side. ©Joseph Carter

Tangle Falls is located just off the Icefield Parkway on the way to Jasper, the name comes from the mountaineering term 'Shin Tangle' which is an area that is difficult to traverse. This image is taken fairly early in the day, before the morning fog had a chance to dissipate, creating a nice sense of depth. ©Joseph Carter

During the summer months the Rocky Mountains explode with colour from an incredible variety of wild flowers. ©Joseph Carter

Hiking up into the Bugaboos is like traveling to another world, I recommend it to anyone not too afraid of heights. This shot of Snowpatch Spire was taken in early summer, wildflowers carpet the ground up here and their buds are ready to open any day now. ©Joseph Carter

I found this tiny shell (the size of a pea) in the sand and placed it on a patch of lichen growing on a rock. I used a reverse lens adapter to get a closeup with the lichen filling the background. ©Joseph Carter

In late spring, the water level is low on Upper Kananaskis Lake, but Serrial Creek is doing its job to change that. I used filters on my lens to allow for a long shutter speed which gives the water and clouds a soft look. ©Joseph Carter

Cascade Ponds are located just outside of Banff on the Lake Minnewanka Rd. On this particular morning I arrived at the ponds slightly early, the foreground grasses and distant trees were still in shadow which gave me some extra time to search for the perfect foreground to include. After a few minutes the light crept over the hills to my left and I had my shot. ©Joseph Carter

Along the trail to Angel Glacier on Mt Edith Cavell, you will pass over this beautiful stream. Healthy bushes of wildflowers hang over the flowing water, as the large colourful boulders create interesting cascades. ©Joseph Carter

A few kilometers east of Jasper you will find Punchbowl Falls. An interesting waterfall, although getting to this viewpoint requires a hair raising tip-toe across a steep slope. ©Joseph Carter

A perfect summer day on top of the moraine at Moraine Lake in Banff National Park. The lakes vibrant colour is caused by a very fine rock powder created by glaciers grinding against the mountains as they melt. Once the water makes it to the lake, the rock powder becomes suspended in the water, reflecting light back with different hues of blue or green. ©Joseph Carter

A lone hiker makes his way along Gorman Creek, through the brilliant autumn colours of the Purcell Mountains. The destination is Gorman Lake, located just over the hill in the distance. A popular hike located just outside Golden, BC. Don't forget your bear spray... this is grizzly country. ©Joseph Carter

A small pond reflects Crowfoot Mountain, just north of Bow Lake, which you can see just a sliver of in the distance. A snow storm that is just blowing in is creating the beautiful misty appearance. If you ever visit Bow lake, stop in at Num-Ti-Jah Lodge for a bowl of Klondike Chili.

Western Canada's second highest waterfall, Takakkaw Falls is a sight to be seen, heard, and felt. The falls is actually made up of three cascades, which becomes more pronounced in this three second exposure.

High in the Purcell Mountains along the trail to Gorman Lake, plant life explodes into a rainbow of colour to compensate for the stark white winter that is sure to follow. ©Joseph Carter

The clouds break allowing the sun to light up the brilliant fall colours at Wedge Pond in Kananaskis Country. ©Joseph Carter

A closer look at the detail along the shore of Wedge Pond. ©Joseph Carter

A cool cloudy autumn afternoon in Kananaskis Country, just north of Boundary Ranch. ©Joseph Carter

Located a short drive from Field BC, Emerald Lake is the largest lake in Yoho National Park. ©Joseph Carter

A subset of the Waputik Mountains, The President Range towers high over Emerald Lake in Yoho National Park. ©Joseph Carter

Nearly frozen over, Lake Agnes can be accessed from a 3.5km trail beginning at the shore of Lake Louise. The reflected peaks are The Devils Thumb (left) and Mt. Whyte (right) Seen here shortly after sunrise. ©Joseph Carter

Nestled deep in the northern Purcell mountains, Silent Lake is a sight to behold. Earning its name from the mountain pass that contains it (of the same name). Seen here in Fall. During a short period in summer this area is carpeted with wildflowers. ©Joseph Carter

Looking west from Silent Pass toward David Peak and Spillimacheen Glacier. The outlet stream of Silent Lake flows through the forground. ©Joseph Carter

The most popular view in the Canadian Rockies. Lake Louise and Victoria Glacier reflect in the ripples of the lakes outlet stream. ©Joseph Carter