Moonlight Sonata | Mount Chephren, Alberta

Mount Chephren in Banff National Park receives bright sidelight from the moon during the night with ice and snow on the shore of the river in the foreground.
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I had the idea of capturing this image of Mount Chephren in Banff National Park, moonlit from the side to highlight the texture of her famous face along the Mistaya River Valley. After studying the pattern of the moon's position weeks in advance, I determined that I had a window of about 1-1/2 hours on a certain day to make this a reality.

I arrived and slept on the side of the road in my Jeep, set my alarm for 12:30 am, and hoped for the best. The stars aligned for me as I awoke to a clear sky and some adrenalin. I put on my waders, snowshoes, and backpack, setting off through the bush and down the lakeshore in the darkness with my trusty headlight.

I remember the overwhelming sense of fulfillment as the whole night came together seamlessly, just as I had envisioned. The crisp winter air, starlit skies, and sounds of rushing water were a symphony to my senses, like a beautiful song.