Photo Album: 33 Pictures of Banff That Make Me Want To Go Back for a Do-Over
Banff, Canada is on our list of top 3 places we’ve ever visited and these pictures of Banff show why. The views are spectacular. The people are warm and friendly. And, the mild summer weather is a welcome break from the oppressive Southern heat at home.
These pictures of Banff were taken on an old Canon Rebel T6 and an iPhone XR when I was just getting into travel photography. Now that I have more experience and have upgraded my equipment somewhat to the Canon R8, I am itching to go back and see what I could capture.
In the meantime, I hope these pics inspire you to plan a trip to Banff!
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Downtown Banff Pictures
Downtown Banff is a charming mountain town with endless photo opportunities. The rugged rocky peaks provide a dramatic natural background to the town’s vibrant cafés, boutiques, and historic architecture. You are pretty much guaranteed postcard-perfect compositions around every corner.
The town gets busy early making for some primo people watching if you are into that. However, for pictures of empty streets like these or the best chances of spotting wildlife like moose and elk walking through town, plan to be downtown by 6am.
Johnston Canyon Pictures
Johnston Canyon is a must-do if you are visiting Banff. But, if you are there during high season like we were, know that like all of Banff’s most popular spots, it get crowded early. Throughout the week, we tried repeatedly to get into Johnston Canyon and found the parking lot full three times. The fourth time was the charm and it was worth the wait.
Johnston Canyon features two incredibly photogenic waterfalls that are accessible via an easy hiking trail. The hike to Lower Falls is just under one mile. You can continue another mile and a half to the Upper Falls for even more stunning views. Johnston Canyon was one of our favorite spots.
Yoho Natural Bridge Pictures
Over thousands of years the Kicking Horse River carved its way through limestone to create this natural stone bridge. It’s definitely a must-see in Banff and a prime example of why you’ve got to experience certain places in person.
I’d love to shoot the Natural Bridge with my new gear, but I still don’t know if I could ever capture how beautiful this place is.
Bow River and Bow Falls Pictures
The Bow River flows through Banff and there are countless spots to snap beautiful photos. Early in the season, the water is a pale icy blue and it grows darker as the melting glaciers deposit more rock flour into the water.
Bow Falls sits at a bend in the river just behind the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. The waterfall is less than 10 feet high, so by itself it isn’t one of the most notable in Banff National Park. However, the wide river bend in the shadow of the Rockies provides some stunning photo ops. Plus, the area is easily accessible with lots of parking and a walking path from the Fairmont.
We booked a river float trip that starts at Bow Falls for a waters eye view of the Bow River. Unfortunately, the local wildlife was not out to play during our trip, but the views were still magnificent.
Pictures of Banff Landscapes
What can I say about Banff’s landscapes? Jagged mountain peaks, pristine glacial lakes, green forests, and powerful waterfalls create picture perfect views everywhere you look.
We drove the Icefields Parksway from Banff to Jasper and stopped countless times to take in the scenery and snaps photos. Its hard to take a bad one no matter what camera you choose when this is your subject.
Moraine Lake Pictures
No trip to Banff is complete without a stop at Moraine Lake. This glacier-fed lake is probably the most photographed spot in the whole national park, and its easy to see why. The bright turquoise water surrounded by the steel grey mountains and green forest is postcard worthy.
The color of the water shifts from deep jade to electric blue depending on the light and clouds. We hiked the rock pile for a panoramic view and rented canoes to get a close up shots from the water.
We shot these with both the iPhone and the Canon and all the pictures turned out great. Because, how could they not? No matter what camera you use, its hard to capture just how gorgeous this place is.
Athabasca Falls Pictures
The Athabasca River squeezes through a narrow gorge creating the stunning Athabasca Falls. The roar of the falls is almost deafening. This stop in Jasper National Park was one of our favorites.
Short hiking trails provide different vantage points around the falls to capture your favorite shots.
Peyto Lake Pictures
Peyto Lake is another Banff stunner that totally blew us away. From the viewing platforms up on the ridge, you get this view of those wild blue-green colors. Peyto definitely deserves its status as one of the most iconic lakes in the Canadian Rockies.
Banff Wildlife Pictures
Wildlife is everywhere in Banff and you definitely need a good camera to capture pictures. These were all taken from our car as we happened upon these close encounters and luckily they turned out for memory keeping.
The bear crossed the road as we drove the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper. Driving through the Fairmont property, we found a huge herd of elk wandering the golf course.
This gang of big horn sheep held up traffic for almost half an hour as they casually licked the salt off the road before moving along.
Emerald Lake Pictures
Emerald Lake is a brilliant green glacial lake located in Yoho National Park. A hiking trail circles the lake, providing multiple different angles of the lake.
Pictures of Banff Conclusion
Look, its hard to take a bad picture in Banff Canada, no matter what camera you are using. The landscapes, colors, scenery, and wildlife are all breathtaking. But, that being said I can’t wait until I have the opportunity to post a part 2 with my new gear!
