If you are ever up at the crack of dawn in the middle of nowhere and you see other humans with you hovering around you, I would take a wager that most likely ,they are photographers. There really is no logical reason why anyone would wake up that early, drive in the dark for two hours to catch a sunrise.

Now, if you are camping and you can just crawl out of your tent to watch the sunrise, that is another story.  But you can’t camp at Lake Moraine.  S

So yes,  this day at Lake Moraine was essentially just me, my friends, and perhaps five other photographers.  For sure, one of the perks of getting to the lake that early is that there aren’t any tourists around, so you really get to enjoy the nature in peace, and not have to worry about having a bunch of strangers in  your photos.

Granted, Lake Moraine (and perhaps Lake Louise) may be the most photographed lake in Banff, so your photo is probably going to end up like another generic photo, but hey, crossing that one off your bucket list is a feat!

My theory on Lake Moraine being photographed so much is due to its easy to access: the lake is literally next to the parking lot, so there is no hiking involved. But besides that, the view is also stunning! Alpine lakes surrounded by the Canadian Rockies: it was picture perfect moment.  What still amazes me about Lake Moraine is that the lake changes color depending on your vantage point and how close you are to the water.  My friends and I climbed up a rocky dirt path to the top of this hill behind the lake, only to discover that there is a walking path that leads you there!

Why do things the easy way when you can do it the hard way, right?

This was back in May and the lakes were still partially frozen, which made it difficult to capture reflections, but I liked the textures of the ice and I think it makes this shot slightly more unique.  On top of that,  I know that it gets a little hectic in the summers as it is high tourist season, so I am glad that we got to beat the summer crowd.

I do hope to return again one day to see how this lake looks when it is completely thawed! (I just need to figure out if I can do that AND avoid the summer crowds)