If you have ever been to Banff, Alberta, Canada, then you know what to expect; Postcard landscapes, and clean mountain air, that in my opinion smelled like fresh pine. Tourist leisurely strolling down the main street that leads you to the iconic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. (Wait a minute, let’s be a little bit more honest here, while all the above is true, the tourists are not always as chill as I made them out to be. I will elaborate later in the post.) The Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel is a castle in the mountains, you can see it from quite a distance away, and it draws you in, and makes you feel like you are discovering some magical secret. Now I would love to walk you through one of Canada’s oldest and most established hotels, but that will have to wait for another time. Maybe next year when Ryan and I visit again. But for now I want to take you for a walk along the paths to the back of the hotel. Carved out of the side of a cliff edge, in the forested wooden laneways that take you through the trees and to the waters edge. The ground is mossy and green, and you can almost see mountains and crystal clear water in the distance. The closer you get, the better your view is, and the as you pass each tree, more and more of the scene opens up in front of you. Its a treat for the senses. Its one of those places you can marvel at, as time slowly passes you by. The prize; mountains that wrap around you like a panoramic photograph, the sound of rushing water from the falls that sooth the soul and see through water that captures every detail of the sun’s light.
Late in the summer we had the opportunity to fly to Alberta for a commercial photo shoot in the Rocky Mountains. We joined Wellness Lifestyle Blogger Christine Channer to photograph her Banff portrait session. We had the best weather you could possibly imagine. It was glorious, and hard to believe we were photographing her against such a perfect setting, the Rockies look like every painting you have ever seen of them. Stately and peaceful, and to think this is pretty much every Albertans backyard. We started the photo shoot in the behind the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, and ended in the town of Banff. Right before the last images were captured a young reindeer trotted down main street Banff. It was the cutest thing, he walked in the right lane and then stopped at a crosswalk with a bunch of people around and then kept on going towards the hotel. Tourists from all parts of the streets were running towards him, in a full out sprint just to take a photo. At least 5-10 tourists ran past us after I took the photo you will see of the reindeer below. I was lucky enough to catch the photo I did, from where I was standing. It is never a good idea to chase a wild animal.Â
We were so thrilled to be the photographers for Christine’s blog, and can’t wait for our next shoot (next week) to shoot some of her favorite recipes. Thank you Christine for the opportunity to photograph your Banff portraits. We loved every minute of it. Christine’s blog is a mix of recipes, nutrition information, and tips for beauty, body and the mind. be sure to check it out.
Cheers
& Ryan
P.S- Later on that evening, while we were all walking to our cars at the end of the shoot we saw that baby reindeer again. Like a true diva, the reindeer was standing on the front lawn of the Fairmont posing for photos. Tourists were taking photos of the reindeer with their phones using flash, and it didn’t even phase the reindeer. Perhaps two worlds have truly collided in Banff.
