Mountains – heath ofee dot com

It’s Glow Time

Heath OFee — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:10:19 +0000

Forgive the pun in the post title – I couldn’t help it

This is Quarry Lake in Canmore, AB at sunrise. Whenever I shoot mountains at sunrise or sunset, it’s always a bit of a surprise when sun gets to just the right angle to light up the mountain peaks. And then, of course, it’s a scramble to find all the compositions you want before that perfect light disappears.

Equipment:
– Canon EOS 5D Mark II
– Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L

Vermilion Sunrise

Heath OFee — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:10:01 +0000

It had been a long time since I last shot a sunrise, so when Rick and his gang suggested we hit the Vermilion Lakes just outside the Banff townsite, I was pretty excited. We awoke about an hour before the sun was to rise and made the longer-than-expected drive from Lake Louise back to the Vermilion Lakes. Unfortunately, the lack of clouds in the sky made the pre-dawn light a bit less than ideal, but as soon as the sun rose above the mountains the lakes were bathed in delicious golden light.

There were probably 8 or 10 photographers in this area when the sun came up all jostling for a few great compositions that were to be had with some rocks and tree stumps in the water. In an effort to avoid the crowd and find something unique, I ventured just a little ways away and found this little dock which I instantly loved. I spent a good amount of time framing a bunch of shots in this location and couldn’t be happier with what I came home with.

Equipment:
– Canon EOS 5D Mark II
– Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L
– LEE Filters Foundation Kit
– Lee 4×4 3-stop ND Filter

Evening Reflections

Heath OFee — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:10:17 +0000

Another shot from Emerald Lake today. I spent a good amount of time taking photos on the far shore that you can see in the frame below, but from the moment we walked past this dock when we arrived, I knew I had to incorporate it into a composition. It was almost time for us to pack up and head home for the night by the time I got back to this location, but I made Laz and Halford wait for me while I set up this shot…and I’m glad I did

No Words

Heath OFee — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:10:07 +0000

This is one of those shots that I had to get while up at the summit of Sulphur Mountain. Those lookout/binocular things are just too cool to pass up

While you get a bit of the view of valley in which the town of Banff sits in this shot, there is really no substitute for actually being there and seeing it for yourself. No words can describe how amazing it is to be on top this mountain looking down at such epic beauty.

Minnewanka

Heath OFee — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:10:24 +0000

One of the stops the Chris’s and I made on the way back to Golden from Banff was at Lake Minnewanka. I vaguely remembered being brought to this amazing mountain lake when I was a child, but had no recollection of how stunning it was. We arrived a couple hours before sunset, and the light was pretty fantastic…especially on the mountainside featured in the image below.

I will be going back to Lake Minnewanka later this summer. For sure. The beauty is amazing, and we really only spent time on a very small portion of the shoreline…there’s so much left to explore, and I can’t wait.

The Kicking Horse

Heath OFee — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 13:10:50 +0000

The Kicking Horse river is awesome, and this location is pretty amazing. In this frame you can see the the beginnings of a waterfall, but what you don’t see is the natural rock bridge that it plunges underneath. Years of erosion by this powerful river is responsible for the phenomenon, and I’ll be sharing a photo from just downstream of the bridge in the coming days.

I Want To Go To There

Heath OFee — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:48:33 +0000

I know at least two of my readers (and probably a good many more) will get the TV reference I’m making in the title of this post, and for me this quote couldn’t be more true right now. We have had an absolutely miserable February and beginning of March here in Calgary (temps around -20C for a few weeks) and I would absolutely love to be relaxing in one of those Adirondack chairs enjoying a chilled brew. But, alas, I’m stuck here in the Canadian deep freeze for at least a little while longer

This photo was taken in a very swank house in a very swank neighbourhood in Indio, California while I was there in January. My parents in law have a place down there and are good friends with the amazing folks who live in a stunning Tuscan style home right on a golf course. I had the luxury of spending an afternoon here, and in between tours of the home and relaxing, the owners graciously allowed me to take a few shots in their amazing backyard. The view is outstanding and the stonework is nothing short of amazing. I should have a few more images to share from this fantastic home in the future. I don’t know about you, but I want to go to there!

Canon EOS 50D, Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5, 10mm, F 11, ISO 100

Chateau Lake Louise Sitting Room with a View

Heath OFee — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:54:07 +0000

This was one of the last places I visited during my last trip to the Chateau Lake Louise and I’m very happy that I did. I was pretty sure this would make a decent HDR photo because of the very dramatic difference in light levels between the view through the window and the ambient light in the hotel. I just processed this one last night and I’m quite happy with the results…when I look at this photo I feel like I’m back at the Chateau looking at that beautiful view! Let me know what you think:

Canon EOS 50D, Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5, 10mm, F 8.0, ISO 100, 5 Exposures

The details: 5 exposure HDR tonemapped in Photomatix, layer masking in Photoshop, contrast, clarity, sharpening in Lightroom, noise reduction in Noiseware.

Pathway to the Falls

Heath OFee — Thu, 27 May 2010 02:57:05 +0000

Wow, is spring/summer ever busy! I don’t think we have a free weekend from now until the end of June…crazy. Needless to say, I haven’t been out shooting too much in the last week because things have been so busy. While I try to find some more inspiration, here’s a photo from my trip up to Johnston Canyon a few weeks ago. This was probably half-way up the trail to the falls and I thought the curving pathway and trees made for a pretty cool scene. Let me know what you think:

Canon EOS 50D, Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5, 10mm, F 8.0, ISO 100, 3 Exposures

The details: 3 exposure HDR tonemapped in Photomatix, color, contrast, clarity in Lightroom and noise reduction in Noiseware.