
Peyto Lake is one of a handful of iconic turquoise-colored lakes in Banff National Park, that lie at the base of peaks of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Rock powder, produced by nearby glaciers, makes its way into these lakes and remains suspended in the water. Sunlight reflecting off this suspended rock powder gives the lakes their unique color. Although beautiful in the summer months, a less often viewed scene is when fresh snow surrounds the lake but the lake itself has yet to freeze over. Once the ice forms, the lake becomes snow-covered and the best viewing does not happen again until June.
The viewing area of Peyto Lake was closed for 2 years as Parks Canada reconstructed trails and viewing platforms around the lake. On October 9th, 2021, access to Peyto Lake reopened and the first snow of the season fell a few days later. I knew this was my opportunity to get there and capture a VAST image of Peyto Lake surrounded by white while still having mountain peaks reflected in the water.
My visit to Peyto started many sleepless hours before sunrise. As luck would have it, not only was Peyto surrounded by fresh snow, but the forecast indicated that the morning of October 12th would have high aurora borealis activity. I photographed the lake with the Northern Lights dancing overhead and being reflected in the lake for many hours with the peak of the storm happening around 3:30 am. As the aurora storm petered out around 4:30 am I moved to a new location, set up the specialized equipment I would need to create this VAST image, and waited.
Sunrise would happen at 8 am but in order to capture all the images I needed to assemble this ultra-high-resolution image, I needed to get going and started shooting around 6:45 am. By the time I had photographed most of the foreground, the early morning sun rays kissed the peaks of the mountains. I then captured those sunlit mountains and the lake reflections, and my fieldwork was done. In total, I had been outside at Peyto Lake in -10 C (14 F) weather for 10 hours. It was time to warm up, head home, and start the long process of assembling this VAST image.
Date & Time | October 12, 2021: 5:45am - 7:40am |
Location | Peyto Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada |
Coordinates | 51.714146, -116.509344 |
Focal Length | 135mm |
Aperture | f/5.6, f/11, f/16 |
Shutter Speed | 10 sec - 1/400 sec |
ISO | 400 |
Number of Exposures | 1960 |
VAST photos are the highest resolution photos ever made.
Learn more
Our photographic prints are created using a specialty, large-format fine art printer designed to produce archival, museum-grade prints. They are true "chromogenic" prints: light-sensitive paper exposed in a darkroom using state-of-the-art lasers to produce the sharpest possible image. Click on the icons below to learn more or click here to explore further.
Our photographic prints are available in one of two finishes: glossy and lustre. Glossy prints have a rich, silky saturation and are great for environments where the lighting and reflections have been carefully thought through. Lustre prints have a bright, sparkle-like finish that diffuses reflections and are therefore more versatile for environments where the lighting and reflections are less under your control.
Your print comes with two certificates of authenticity hand-signed by the artist and the printmaker: one that you will affix to the finished piece and one that remains standalone. Additionally, your print's provenance is tracked and verified using state-of-the-art digital technology. Learn more.
Our acrylic glass displays are ready-to-hang works of art that contain one of our photographic prints sealed between flame-polished acrylic glass and an aluminum backing. A hidden mounting brace on the rear causes the display to gracefully "float" off the wall for a sleek, modern frameless look that complements nearly any decor style. Click on the icons below to learn more or click here to explore further.
Purchase a rights-managed license to use this photo file. A license provides you with the full resolution digital image file and a permit to use it for a specific project. Use the form below to begin the licensing process or click here to learn more.
Total Pixels | 1,177,749,996 |
Horizontal Pixels | 53,556 |
Vertical Pixels | 21,991 |
Aspect Ratio | 2.44 : 1 |
File Size | 6,730 MB |
Width @ 300ppi (perfect) | 14.88 feet |
Height @ 300ppi | 6.11 feet |
Width @ 150ppi (near-perfect) | 29.75 feet |
Height @ 150ppi | 12.22 feet |
Date & Time | October 12, 2021: 5:45am - 7:40am |
Location | Peyto Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada |
Coordinates | 51.714146, -116.509344 |
Focal Length | 135mm |
Aperture | f/5.6, f/11, f/16 |
Shutter Speed | 10 sec - 1/400 sec |
ISO | 400 |
Number of Exposures | 1960 |
Contact one of our VAST experts to license this VAST photo: