My trip to Banff and Jasper National Parks last year seemed like it was blessed by Mother Nature as we wandered through the Canadian Rockies. It seemed that every time we visited a lake, the waters were very still, and we were able to get some great reflection photos. Even when the lakes were rippled, the wind stopped blowing when we got there and stayed that way until we left. One morning when we headed out to visit Vermilion Lakes for sunrise, it had rained during the night, and as we drove toward the town of Banff, the weather was atrocious. Low-hanging clouds, rain and cold were everywhere. I think everyone in our group didn’t think that there would be any photography being done that morning. As we got close to Banff, the skies seemed to open up and, miracle of miracles, the sun came out over the lakes. This was the first time I had shot Vermilion Lakes in the early morning hours and, as you can see, the landscape was beautifully bathed in the soft early morning light.