I’ve technically been photographing these two for yearrrrrsss, haha!!! 😉 And this Banff anniversary session may be my favorite time so far. The first time was almost 3 years ago now for their engagement session that they came down to do in Glacier National park. The following summer they were married in Canmore and we had wanted to plan some way to go into Banff and get some photos. Ultimately the timeline and some health issues kept us from doing that. BUT it was the craziest day anyway as it was mid summer and it POURED rain. The mountains were totally socked into the clouds. We wore Patagonia puffy jackets, it was so cold. So we probably wouldn’t have seen much in Banff anyway. But it gave us the perfect reason to do an anniversary session in Banff. The plan was to do it in October and the day before I was supposed to head up there we cancelled. The forecast called for rain and snow, and it definitely rained and snowed. It just wasn’t what Tara was dreaming of. So we held off and planned to do it this summer when it was more likely to give us a dreamy sunset.
It was dreamy alright!!! I actually had a wedding in BC a couple days before so the day of the shoot I drove over to Banff. British Columbia is lit up on fire and sadly the valley’s had started to fill up with smoke and haze. I thought it might clear before Alberta but it didn’t. We got so lucky. It was absolutely perfect at Mistaya Canyon and Bow Lake. High enough we could still see the mountains and just enough of a filter for the sun but not orange. Wildfire smoke can turn EVERYTHING orange and it’s horrible. But we didn’t get that! It was incredible!!
We finished of at this amazing spot above Peyto Lake. Little adventure to get there as neither one of us remembered exactly where to go and you don’t have cell service. We took my route first on a hike up a steep hill and I was so wrong. SORRY TARA! After a quick backtrack we found it just before the sun was going to set behind the mountain. It was STUNNING!!! I was so excited but secretly a little bummed at the time. The smoke had filled the valley in the distance and it just didn’t have that typical Peyto Lake view you see in all the photos and left the lake hazed over. But ultimately as soon as the images were on my computer I realized how epic these are! Who gets this?! Honestly it might be cooler than that regular Peyto view! 🙂 Some of my favorite images EVER!
These two are ridiculously sweet and caring. I had a brief conversation with Tara a few days before this and let out how my stress level was just sky high. And that there was light at the end of the tunnel but in the meantime I was running at max capacity and it wasn’t good enough. They sent me on my way after the shoot with snacks for the road including my macarons, my faves! And gave me this finger massager, which is now my new fave thing! It lives in my purse. And an essential oil diffuser for the car! SO needed as I’ve put in 4300 miles the last 3 weeks for work. You two, are too kind. I love and adore you! Thank you so much for including me and asking me to preserve your love story over the years. It has been a great honor! Let’s just do it forever, k?!
XOXO, J.
