Behind the Shot
Ryan won an outdoor photography contest, and instead of cash or photo equipment or a trophy, the award was travel credits. While Ryan was excited, the award came with an unexpected hitch: “The travel credits had to be used on the same trip at the same time, and I didn’t have long to plan how to use them. I decided to visit a place I had wanted to check out for a while, so I took a couple friends up to Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. I got a sweet cabin, and we spent a week driving around taking pictures.”
Ryan takes a serious approach to his vacation photography. “I tend to torture myself when I’m traveling for fun by doing the same thing I’d do if I were being paid by a client. I wake up super early every single day to catch the sunrise. I’ll try to plan ahead, and I like to go check out new places. I ended up here at Two Jack Lake about 45 minutes before sunrise.”
An unparalleled view of Mount Rundle and a gorgeous reflection on the water made Ryan’s early departure worth the effort. “I was blown away by how the beauty of the landscapes are just kinda handed to you (in Banff). The beauty is endless. You don’t have to spend a lot of time searching out beautiful places in Canada; they are just stacked on top of each other.”
Ryan approached his trip with fresh eyes. “Unlike other places I’ve visited, or places I know about, I didn’t have a specific picture in mind before I visited. I didn’t have a location locked in my mind like I typically do with other popular spots, so it was nice to view this area with new eyes and not have to hold all these preconceptions of ‘this is the shot you want to get when you are here.’ Shooting here felt new. It felt cool.”
