January 4th, 2019 brought a huge snowfall to Banff National Park. The 80+ cm (31.5 inches) of fresh snow made travel impossible on the mountain roads and in fact, the famous Icefields Parkway (Hwy 93) was closed for several days. At the first notice of the reopening of the Icefields Parkway, I headed for Banff National Park, knowing full well that the huge snowfall would present some wonderful photo opportunities.
My first stop was to photograph Castle Mountain about half-way between the townsites of Banff and Lake Louise. Check out the photo “Castle Mountain Sunrise” to see the result.
After photographing Castle Mountain, I headed up the just re-opened Icefields Parkway. The amount of new snow was incredible. In some places, the snow plows had only been able to cut a single lane through the huge drifts. After a long drive and frequent stops to photograph some other snow-covered areas along the way, I arrived at Mistaya Canyon, a beautiful and accessible canyon that is known for its distinctive curvy canyon walls. When I arrival, I was super excited to see that I would be the first visitor to the canyon since the huge snowfall/road closure, as the trailhead was untouched and under a meter (3 feet) of fresh snow.
With my camera gear and my special VAST equipment on my back, I donned my snowshoes and made my way downhill the bridge that crosses the Mistaya River and the canyon below. Once there, I setup my VAST equipment on the bridge and as it started to snow again, I worked quickly to capture over 600 images in just under 40 minutes. All those images would be necessary to assemble this high-resolution image with incredible depth of focus. Once the photo taking was over, I sat and enjoyed the view in complete solitude for quite some time. It was quiet and peaceful. There is just something I love about white fresh untouched snow in the mountains.
Scott is an award-winning photographer, world-renowned teacher of specialty imaging techniques, and computer scientist. His images have appeared in magazines and books around the world and his fine art prints adorn the walls of homes and businesses alike. In 2015, Scott received the prestigious international award of “Panoramic Photographer of the Year” by Kolor for his pioneering work in the field of high-resolution image-making.
Living next to the Canadian Rocky Mountains and Banff National Park, Scott spent many years focusing his photography purely on their natural beauty.
Date & Time | January 6, 2019: 2:10pm - 2:50pm |
Location | Mistaya Canyon, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada |
Coordinates | 51.942272, -116.721179 |
Focal Length | 70mm |
Aperture | F/16 |
Shutter | 1/50 |
ISO | 400 |
Num of Exposures | 623 |
VAST photos are the highest resolution photos ever made.
Learn more
Our ready-to-hang canvas prints are created using a specialty printer that carefully lays pigment inks down onto archival-quality fine art canvas material. The canvas is then stretched around a 1.5-inch-deep wood support structure to provide depth and elegance. Our canvas material has a delightfully matte finish that looks spectacular in any lighting conditions while retaining maximum vibrancy and contrast. Click here to learn more.
A VAST Print™ represents the pinnacle of the photographic medium. Each print is a true photograph created specifically for you using light-sensitive paper exposed in a darkroom with the industry's highest precision exposure technique. Your print is then sealed with a shine-enhancing protective glossy coating*, adhered to a sturdy aluminum composite backing, and finished in one of two ready-to-hang formats:
*Note: a non-glossy, satin matte coating is alternatively available on request.
Due to their record-setting resolutions, VAST photos are the most versatile images ever created, with the quality necessary to look great at any size and in any project. Purchasing one of our standard royalty-free licenses provides you with the digital file at your choice of resolution and a permit to use it for most types of projects. Click here to learn more.
For a premium license that gives exclusivity, glass-related use in North America, or use in merchandise for sale, contact us.
Total Pixels | 1,147,723,080 px |
Width | 39,480 px |
Height | 29,071 px |
Aspect Ratio | 1.36 : 1 |
Date & Time | January 6, 2019: 2:10pm - 2:50pm |
Location | Mistaya Canyon, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada |
Coordinates | 51.942272, -116.721179 |
Focal Length | 70mm |
Aperture | F/16 |
Shutter | 1/50 |
ISO | 400 |
Num of Exposures | 623 |
Here are some rough guidelines for this specific photo: