Louise
Surely one of the most treasured spots to sit and watch as a new day breaks.
Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
July, 2009
Lake Louise, set in the Banff National Park in Canada is perhaps known as the Diamond of the Rockies for no other reason than its sheer beauty alone.
Having arrived in Canada on the previous afternoon after a long trans-Atlantic flight, the idea to beat the effects of jet lag were adopted with a 3am alarm call and the chance to shoot Lake Louise in all its splendour at dawn.
Following a 45 mins drive from Banff accompanied along the way with storms over the mountains lighting the otherwise black night sky, we arrived at Lake Louise in good time for sunrise.
Some may know the lake as a bustling tourist spot with coaches coming and going throughout the day. Dropping off their cargo at the water’s edge to take in the majesty of Louise before whisking them off to a further destination all to the sound of clicking shutters and the gentle whir of digital handy-cams.
For Claire and I the experience was to sit alone in silence; the only guests at Natures matinee performance…
The dedication to early starts could not be better rewarded.

Louise belongs to the following groups:
Canadian Rocky Mountains, Landscape Photography, Light and Reflection 1/24, Out of the Blue (75%+ Blue) and Photography Fun Available for sale asGreeting Cards, Matted Prints, Laminated Prints, Mounted Prints, Framed Prints and Posters

Phil Deaves
Happy memories of this delightful spot. This is a great job Paul…well done.
Paul Tupman replied
Thanks Phil… this was the second time for me to this spot, the first time it was frozen and covered with a blanket of snow! Lots of happy memories!
Ian James
Stunning shot paul an instant favourite. I love the way the rocks in the foreground are framed by the reflection in the water.
Paul Tupman replied
Cheers Ian… after setting up in the dark, it’s always a bit hit and miss as to what you will get from a long exposure, but once the light and colours started appearing then that’s when things started getting intresting and you can start framing your shot!
Dan Biggins
Paul, that’s fabulous-I love the rocks in the foreground, the rocks under the water and the stillness of the water itself. A fave? Oh yes!
Paul Tupman replied
Thanks Dan… It was a great experience to be there. Knowing the colour of this lake and then waiting for those colours to start appearing as the light came through was (without sounding too much of a geek) more exciting than I had imagined!
Cornelia Togea
great comp and colors!. Lovely nature, well captured.
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Cornelia… :-)
Stuart Chapman
An absolute beauty of a shot Paul and this is such a great place to have to yourself when so normally crowded. The cool cool blues add to the immense sense of calm and the rocks stand majestically even under the water.
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Stuart… I always look forward to what you have to say. It was a brilliant morning to have to ourselves, broken only when an American staying at the nearby hotel at got up to watch the sunrise and get some snaps. Nice chap and I hope we didnt intimidate him when we suggested he tried long exposures, etc… too much, too much!
Simon Gladwin
Sorry to favorite and run…I hate to do that but I had company and didnt want to loose the image. A super piece Paul. I love it from top to bottom. The crispness of the rocks is just perfect and the way they disappear from view as the lake deepens is just dreamy. The turquoise/cyan colour of the water gives or rather adds to a huge feeling of peace and serenity that I feel when I look at this photo. The depth is wonderful and the way the dramatic dark vee of the mountains in the background reveals the higher snowy peaks beyond is superb. Fabulous image Paul…just lovely.
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Simon, I really appreciate you taking the time to come back and really take in the image and give such a detailed comment. It’s a stunning setting so it’s a great joy to read such opinions and know that you have got some of that across to the viewer.
Thank you again… :-)
Alana Ranney
Very nice!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Alana!
TickerGirl
Beautiful capture of our beautiful Canadian Rockies.
This spot is very popular for photos, here is my version in sc from 2006, shot probably from the same point :)
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you TickerGirl… yes a very popular location which is why we got up at 3am to get the right shot!
Mel Brackstone
I’d really love to see this part of the world sometime! Beautiful image and framing of that reflection, Paul!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Mel! There are so many stunning locations to visit… I’m sure we all have a list of places as long as our arms! I would definately recomend this place as well as a drive through the Icefields Parkway… the best drive ever!
Sharon Mau
It is very beautiful!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Sharon
Tatiana R
Beautiful image, so peaceful!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Tatiana, it was indeed peaceful!
GabrielK
gorgeous landscape
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Gabriel
TaniaLosada
Wonderful!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Tania!
Rhana Griffin
Yay! Its here!
You know what makes this image for me Paul? Aside from the lovely straight horizon of course giggles... I adore the way the v-shape light reflection caused by the inversion of the mountain reflections reaches out and captures that single rock in the foreground.
The colours are splendiferous also. I do believe I may have a new all time Paul Tupman favourite.
Paul Tupman replied
It’s here, it’s here! Thank you, thank you Rhana… indeed, the masters would be turning in their graves if they thought the young photographers of today couldn’t even get a straight horizon line!
Very happy for this one to top your list and I think I may have equally found a new favourite Rhana Griffin superlative in “splendiferous” Great word!
Laurette Ruys
amazing photo, certainly captures the majesty of the place. beautiful tones.
Paul Tupman replied
Thanks Laurette… and to think that is the actual colours in the lake! Wonderful place.
Sue Kane
Wonderful scene!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Sue
Lisa Kenny
very nice Paul….calming
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Lisa… :-)
Ken Thomas
Magnificent view!!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Ken
vagabondimages
Stunning shot Paul, have always wanted to visit this location, maybe one day :)
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Simone… and I would recommend visiting this location a thousand times over. Just do it before the crowds!
Gary L. Suddath
masterful image
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Gary… :-)
Elana Bailey
Like Simone, this place is on my ‘places to visit’ list, too. Wonderful comp and capture. Well done, Paul. An instant fave.
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you so much Elana… there’ll be a Redbubble meet at Lake Louise before we know it!
Gavin J Hawley
Absolute stunner of a shot. You have done a fantastic job on this. well done, :-))
Paul Tupman replied
Thanks so much Gavin… :-)
Shaun Whiteman
A beautifully composed shot, this is stunning Paul!!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Shaun… much appreciated.
John Kowalski
Spectacular shot Paul! looks like a wonderful place to be visiting, a beautifully captured image!!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you John, it certainly is a wonderful place to visit.
Michael Breitung
perfect composition!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Michael!
prbimages
Spectacular image, beautiful!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you… much appreciated.
tinnieopener
Pleased you could share this with the rest of us on RB….
Thanks Mate
Regards
Mark
Paul Tupman replied
Thanks Mark and thats what it’s all about, sharing the experience. :-)
Bryan Freeman
Beautifully framed and composed, I love it. Simply awesome.
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Bryan… much appreciated.
Karin Taylor
i love this cloudy blue, it’s heavenly
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Karin… you can’t go wrong with the colours of the lakes out there!
lorilee
Beautiful!!!!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you lorilee
Blair Wainman
Beautiful capture!! I love the tones and the vertical composition!! Great depth in this shot!!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Blair… much appreciated.
Tracy Faught
Wow! Lucky you! It’s so worth getting up early to have the experince of a scene like this! Stunning! WELL DONE!! ;]
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Tracy… definately well worth getting up early for!
mimi yoon
as if the earth stopped breathing and posed for you to have your moment….
breathtaking, paul…. : )
Paul Tupman replied
If the earth would do that for me, then I would never get any sleep!
Thank you Mimi for writing a such a comment that would make anyones day!
:-)
ViktoryiaN
It´s breathtaking! The colors are stunning!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Viktoryia… :-)
Scott d'Almeida
brilliant
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Scott.
Ronald Rockman
Excellent, well done
Rock
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Rock.
Terence Russell
I was recently just across the border from this park in Glacier NP, USA. I would expect the scenery to be similar, but saw nothing like this. Marvelous capture, What causes the milkiness?
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Terrence… we did stop and chat with an American guy who turned up and stopped to watch as we took our photos. He did actually say that he felt that the Canadian Rockies were more rugged than over the border in the US, so give it a look if you get the opportunity. The lakes get their emerald and turquoise colours from a clay like substance called Rock Flour which enters the lakes from the glacial melt water, turning the water milky. Aside from that, a long exposure will always add to that effect!
Thanks again.
Kelly d
Stunning image:)
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Kelly… :-)
WilliamJoseph
spectacular shot. I’m sure the surroundings helped!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you William… to be honest I am in awe of that part of the world… stunning surroundings!
Peter Zentjens
We have just returned from a trip to Iceland and even there we were already discussing our next “target”. The Canadian Rockies with Banff as the centrepiece just keep on cropping up more and more.
A superbly beautiful landscape like this makes me want to go and experience it myself even more!
Thank you for sharing, thank you for inspiring!
Paul Tupman replied
Hi Peter and thank you. This is the second time I have been to the Rockies now and I would recommend it to anyone. Banff is a great base to start from with so much on offer in and around the town. My biggest recommendation though would have to be the drive from Banff to Jasper through the Icefields Parkway… simply stunning! Last time we drove this in March as part of a long road trip from Vancouver and the scenery was spectacular. To see it again, but in a different season was no less breathtaking… in fact we did the drive twice on a return trip from Banff-Jasper. You can never have enough time for this place!
Iceland is a place that I would like to vivit too one day, so perhaps you’ll have a few pointers for me one day… thanks again.
Peter Zentjens
Thanks for the tips Paul! When we go it probably will be something like a 3 week Vancouver – Vancouver tour. It could be something for next year but I’m not sure yet, keeping our options open. Banff & Jasper and the drive inbetween are most certainly already on the list! :)
If you ever need any Iceland info, just give a yell, we have tons! I’ll upload some of my photography from there later this year in one or two calendars. It’s a stunningly beautiful country I can assure you, and with there monetary crisis a lot cheaper then it used to be.
Paul Tupman replied
Thanks again Peter. The first road trip that I did was vancouver-Vancouver, taking in the rockies, the prairie lands, the gold route as well as Vancouver Island… so much to see!
I’ll be sure to come to you for tips on Iceland.
Pascal Lee
Fantastic Shot paul, love the stilness of the water very well composed,
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Pascal… very much appreciated.
Marcela Diaz
I have no words to express how beautiful and perfect your composition is! Everybody has already said it all :) It is just breathtaking! You did an excellent job Paul! Straight to my favorites! :)
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you very much Marcela, as well as for the favourite. :-)
netcybergirl
JUST PERFECT.
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you netcybergirl.
katka2132
So amazing colours, capture and light. I love it!!!
Paul Tupman replied
Thanks again katka
Jayme Rutherford
Lovely capture! I love the blue tones.
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Jayme.
Luka Skracic
Stunning work Paul, it all comes together so flawlessly, ace image.
Paul Tupman replied
Thanks very much Luka… very much appreciated.
3XEternity
Wow! Love this!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you 3XEternity… :-)
LTPhotography
Fond memories also of this lovely area and lake, well captured here!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you… yes, lots of fond memories to take from this place!
Donald Cameron
Majestic image, not a bad location at all!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Donald. Yes, not a bad lcation at all!
jennaloke
this is so beautifull
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you jennaloke.
Allise Fountain
Crazy, the perspective is like it’s not real
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Allise.
Sue Nueckel
Sublime Paul!!!!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Sue!
Tara Lemana
Stunning shot Paul, the glass-like quality of the lake is just mesmerising. Instant fave, very, very good!!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Tara, very much appreciated.
AmandaH
Stunning shot… :o)
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Amanda… :-)
Matthew Reilly
Sensational!!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Matthew!
Ian Stevenson
very nice, great atmosphere
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Ian.
Darlene Virgin
Love this shot!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Darlene!
Brad McEvoy
Brilliant!
Paul Tupman replied
Thanks Brad!
Sean Jansen
Awesome capture, glad you had a chance to visit our diamond of the Rockies !! You photographed this brilliantly !!
Paul Tupman replied
Thanks Sean… second time visiting this diamond!
Alf Caruana
what a magical capture just wonderful
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Alf.
funkybunch
great shot of one of my favourite places in the world
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you funkybunch… one of my favourites too!
Brook Gerard
Reminds me of 4400, Awesome work. :) Cheers
Paul Tupman replied
Thanks Brook… I just had to Google 4400 to see what you meant. I get you now!
Elysia Ranking
wow.. such a beautiful shot. Id love to be there.
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Elysia… :-)
Melinda Gaal
Stunning photo! Stunning location!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Melinda… it is a stunning location!
Christian Froe...
simply amazing!
Paul Tupman replied
Thank you Christian… :-)
Ruben Vicente
Awsome blue tone, great view.
ratscat
really great capture – the blue is amazing.
I have happy memories of sitting here just watching the world go by. I would love to visit again sometime – meanwhile shots like this remind me….
Christine Wilson
this was certainly worth the early start
Birgitta
There seem to be about 20 shades of blue here!
And I feel like I could walk right in to this..
simply amazing. :)
RavenSoul
AMAZING such a Beautiful spot!
Lucindawind
stunning shot . .I was there last summer and the whole area left me speechless ! its sooooo beautiful
bobculshaw
Beautiful shot Paul. Have emailed to my son – he got married at Lake Louise two years ago.
Jennifer Prome...
great composition, the water is like silk. beautiful tones. great work
Laurie Search
This is just so beautiful!
Lemonn
Great place love it !!!
Cathleen Taraw...
Now that is a very good reason to get up early. Beautifully taken Paul.
Carmen Cilliers
I seem to always miss your new uploads Paul – mind you I’m probably one of the slackest R-bubblers around! Glad to see you are still taking such stunning photographs. You remind us how beautiful the world still is.
Harry Snowden
Awesome point of view…great place… eh?
Mary Campbell
Supberb, lighting and the stillness of the water in the morning is the best, you captured it really well.
Dream Vision I...
Beautiful! Have always wanted to visit…maybe one day :-) cheers!
Cathleen Taraw...
Congratulations, you are featured on the Photography Fun group homepage :)
Andrew Pearce
pristene & beautiful. love it :D
pmistric
Wonderful. My eye leads to the triangle. Goodness..all of your images are always such stunners.
Rebecca Cozart
Stunning. You have a fabulous portfolio.
Crystal Williams
Wow…beautiful spot.
Brendan Schoon
An amazing picture, great composition! I can see you’ve thought about the composition as always and the exposure is more than perfect! The overall picture is a masterpiece which would be a great asset for the Lake Louise visitor center… And not just a small version, no the big version XXXL… lol! So that every person would see it when they’ll visit the visitor’s center! The italic text below is posted on the magnificent journal with the story behind this picture! An instant favorite, for sure!!
Paul, you did an amazing job to create a shot like this. I enjoyed reading the story behind it and was very surprised about the amazingly long exposure 300 sec!! Truly amazing! I wonder how you did this, my long exposures (more than 100 sec) always start to turn overexposed.
Excellent story and an excellent photograph, I’ve seen Lake Louise on midday, and, Yep it was way to crowded, even when I’d hiked all the way up to the tea-house! When I visit Lake Louise again, I would like to make a picture of it, during sunrise, from the highest tea-house. The sun will rise right behind the hotel if I’m not mistaken…
Fabulous work!
Brendan
Heather Davies 12 days ago
What a wonderful start to your day, peace, surrounded by such amazing beauty. :)
Ann J. Przyojski 11 days ago
Outstanding. Incredible gallery Paul