Autumn Reflected

Headline

For one brief week each year, Wedge Pond becomes a celebration of autumn.

Short Description

Golden aspens, evergreen forest and the first touch of snow combine in a fleeting display of autumn colour at Wedge Pond in Kananaskis Country. Reflected in the still waters below, Autumn Reflected captures one of nature's most beautiful and short-lived performances.

Extended Description

Wedge Pond is one of the most photographed locations in Kananaskis Country. Most visitors arrive, walk to the water's edge and photograph the familiar wide view of Mount Kidd and Wedge Mountain.

This photograph tells a different story.

I had visited Wedge Pond three times over the course of two weeks, waiting for the aspens to reach their peak colour. Their brilliant yellows last only a short time before autumn winds scatter the leaves across the forest floor.

Rather than photographing the entire landscape, I chose to isolate the largest stand of aspens with a telephoto lens. Behind them, the deep green evergreens provide a natural stage, while the season's first snowfall traces the gullies and textures of Mount Kidd. Finally, the calm waters of the pond reflect the entire scene, completing a composition that exists for only a few days each year.

Autumn Reflected is a celebration of timing—being in the right place during one of autumn's most beautiful and fleeting moments.

Behind the Lens

This photograph reminds me that returning is often just as important as arriving.

I knew the colours would only last a short time, so I kept coming back to Wedge Pond, watching the aspens change a little more each day. The temptation was to make another classic panorama, but something about the brilliant yellow trees kept drawing my eye instead.

Sometimes the strongest photograph isn't the biggest view.

Sometimes it's recognising that one part of the landscape is quietly telling a better story than the whole.