Abraham Lake

[Kyle Jones]

I made the trip to Abraham Lake, north of Banff, last January to take my shot at the ice bubbles. Now that I've been there, I'll be much more prepared for my next attempt. All of these are focused stacked.

As always, any thoughts are welcome.

1) Actually my last comp of the day and taken after any sunset color had left. Funny how after wandering around in the ice for a few hours, I found my favorite spot almost when I'd gotten back to the car.

2) Another comp from that last spot. In this one, since I was up a little higher, you can see the edge where someone had swept away some of the snow.

3) I took this further down on the lake during sunset color. I was struggling to find a clear spot and was sweeping the ice clear with my hands. The bubbles weren't as big here either.

 

[JimFox]

Hey Kyle,

Interesting shots here.

I like seeing the difference between #1 and 2 just from you shooting higher up.

#3 is pretty cool with what looks like a flat sheet of glass.

So these were sunset? It seems like most of the shots I have seen from there have been sunrise, or I thought they were sunrise. But I was always wondering why sunset wouldn't also work. Does the sun set behind the peaks? Is that why sunrise seems to be preferred?

A couple of things I have picked up for hopefully my visit come January... bring a broom! Actually I guess that is just one thing, but I plan on bringing my own broom just in case.

Jim

 

[Jameel Hyder]

Love the first one.

 

[AlanLichty]

The bubbles in the ice are pretty amazing. I do like the definition of them in the first image. So basically you stumbled onto spots where someone had swept away the snow to expose this? Not something I would have thought about before seeing these.

 

[Ben Egbert]

Amazing bubbles, I like the bubbles in the first, but overall prefer the second image. But all of these are keepers and very good images.

 

[Kyle Jones]

Hey Kyle,

Interesting shots here.

I like seeing the difference between #1 and 2 just from you shooting higher up.

#3 is pretty cool with what looks like a flat sheet of glass.

So these were sunset? It seems like most of the shots I have seen from there have been sunrise, or I thought they were sunrise. But I was always wondering why sunset wouldn't also work. Does the sun set behind the peaks? Is that why sunrise seems to be preferred?

A couple of things I have picked up for hopefully my visit come January... bring a broom! Actually I guess that is just one thing, but I plan on bringing my own broom just in case.

Jim

Yes, these were sunset. The third shot was looking to the North and the others to the east. At this time of year, the sun is pretty far south for both sunrise and sunset, so I'd aim for good light - you can find comps either way.

My tips: 1) Give yourself time to scout. Doing it again, I'd want to arrive by lunchtime and spend several hours walking around looking for interesting features and lining them up with mountains. I made the mistake this time of following my usual plan (walk further than the other people there in order to find nice, pristine features). Turned out the best spot was right by the parking area - I think the largest bubbles can often be found by the shore. 2) Yes, bring a broom. The place is famous for its wind, but we didn't have much and there was a loose layer of ice/snow that hid the prettier ice below. 3) When sweeping, sweep MUCH more than you think you need. I'd have liked my last shot a lot better if I had given up on the tiny bubbles and swept out a larger area to see more clear ice and cracks.

Love the first one.

Thanks Jameel - my favorite too!

The bubbles in the ice are pretty amazing. I do like the definition of them in the first image. So basically you stumbled onto spots where someone had swept away the snow to expose this? Not something I would have thought about before seeing these.

I hadn't either. For the last shot I posted (actually the first of these I took) I swept off the snow with my hands. I stumbled on the spot for the first two shots while heading back to my car. Now I know better

Amazing bubbles, I like the bubbles in the first, but overall prefer the second image. But all of these are keepers and very good images.

Thanks Ben. I'd like the second better if I couldn't see the sweeping marks.