Banff National Park 7-Day Winter Photography Workshop
Banff National Park is not only Canada's first National Park, but it also gave birth to the National park system. The scenery in Banff is enough to take your breath away, especially when the snow starts to fall and creates a winter wonderland. With it's towering snowy peaks, sapphire waters, and lush meadows abundant with wildlife, Banff is filled with postcard perfect images. The Canadian Rockies in Banff National Park emerge sharply up through the landscape, and tower as high as 11,850 feet overhead. The mountain range has a sprinkling of glaciers, endless fields of aspen trees and gorgeous blue lakes are seemingly around every corner, so you better pack those extra memory cards and batteries for all the amazing scenery you will be treated to.
This is a luxury trip for those who want to experience winter and photograph the Canadian Rockies in one of their most beauty states. With the added bonus of being treated to some of the best food and accommodations in all of Canada -- including the Fairmont Chateau at Lake Louise.
We'll be visiting some of those iconic mountain landscape stunners, such as Lake Moraine, Lake Louise, Emerald Lake and Peyto Lake, just to name a few. We will also show you some hidden gems along the way like how Morant’s Curve helped shape the growth of the Canadian Pacific Railroads and train travel in the late 1800’s. The Canadian Rockies is truly the perfect place to expand your photographic skill set.
What to Expect
This workshop was designed by photographers, for photographers. With that in mind, we've painstakingly designed an itinerary that maximizes your opportunity to capture professional quality images.
Our main focus will be Landscape, including, Lake Moraine, Lake Louise, Bow Valley, and Peyto Lake, just to name a few. We'll also have ample opportunity for some Canadian Rockies Wildlife. Pack that long lens because there is a very good chance of seeing Wolfs, Elk and Moose.
Group Size
We designed this trip with these three things in mind: Photography, Comfort, and Learning...oh and Fun! Guess that makes it four things. While thinking of these things, we decided to limit the group size to 12. With 2 instructors, and comfortable transportation, we'll keep the ratio low, the comfort high, and most of all the learning experience maximized.
Time of the Year
We'll be headed to the Canadian Rockies for some of the best winter conditions the region has to offer. While the weather maybe a bit cold for some, we chose this time to offer great winter scenery of snowy peaks and frozen lakes. Sunrise and Sunset are at a civilized hour (unlike summer, when days are extremely long), and mosquitoes have all but died off. It's hands down, the best time to visit Banff and there are so many amazing places to visit!
Itinerary
Day 1 - Flight to Calgary, Transportation to Hotel, evening group orientation. Overnight at Sheraton Cavalier Calgary Hotel.
Day 2 - Morning Departure to Banff National Park, Lodging Check-in, Afternoon/Sunset Shoot. Overnight at Canadian Rocky Mountain Resort.
Day 3 - Full day in Banff/Canmore Area, Sunrise/Sunset/wildlife photography. Afternoon break/optional shopping. Overnight at Canadian Rocky Mountain Resort.
Day 4 - Full day in Banff/Canmore Area, Sunrise/Sunset/wildlife photography. Afternoon break/optional shopping. Overnite at Canadian Rocky Mountain Resort.
Day 5 - Full day in Banff/Canmore Area, Sunrise/Sunset/wildlife photography. Afternoon break/optional shopping. Overnight at Canadian Rocky Mountain Resort.
Day 6 - Sunrise shoot in Banff/Canmore Area. Check out from Canadian Rocky Mountain Resort and transfer to Chateau Lake Louise. Afternoon/Sunset photography at and around Lake Louise.
Day 7 - Sunrise shoot. Lodging check-out and return transportation to Calgary.
We will depart each morning well before sunrise to allow plenty of time to arrive at our first location of the day and setup. After sunrise we will visit at least one other location before returning to our accommodations to allow everyone to swap out those memory cards, charge batteries, grab lunch or even take a little cat nap.
Each afternoon we will depart after break in search of wildlife and the best afternoon light for photography and learning. We will arrive at our chosen sunset location and photograph until the sunlight has gone down.
We will be in the field approximately 5-7 hours each day, depending on weather and light conditions. Given the dynamic conditions of the Canadian Rockies, locations are often chosen last minute based on changing weather conditions to help ensure the best possible conditions for each location in order to maximize quality photographic opportunities.
No detail is overlooked and your every need catered to while we lodge in these luxury accommodations -- there is no better way to see the Canadian Rockies!
Travel
You will be flying into Calgary, Alberta International Airport (YYC). A travel site like www.kayak.com can be a useful tool for finding the lowest fare and booking online.
You will need a Passport to travel to Canada.
Meet Our Workshop Pro Instructors...
Meet our master instructors and learn what qualifies them to give you a great experience during your workshops! While you're joining us, you will receive comprehensive digital photography instruction and tutoring by our team of award-winning photographers.
→ Aron Cooperman
Aron is a passionate photographer whose exposure to the camera goes back to his father, a successful director of cinematography in Hollywood. While he never formally studied photography Aron has sought out advice and mentorship from some of the industry best in the fields of landscape, portraits, music and journalism photography as a way to constantly develop new ideas, skills and techniques.
Aron believes that shooting what you are passionate about and what drives you will always produce the best photography. For Aron, it was the outdoors, nature and landscapes. Additionally, his passion for music brought him into the realm of live music and event photography. Currently, Aron is the house photographer at San Jose Civic. He has photographed musical icons such as Ringo Starr, Jackson Browne and Morrisey. He has also covered numerous events and festivals as a photographer for multiple print media sources.
Aron believes in story painted through photography and photographing people doing what they love. This has led him to work in portraiture, wedding, family, macro, and animal photography.
His passion for photography extends challenging his own skills to nurturing others. He excels in creative vision and composition. He has led many workshop groups and frequently participates in online forums with fellow photographers.
I’m a landscape and travel photographer based out of Oakland California. Although the city is where I live, nature is where I feel at home. Growing up in rural Michigan, I had the desire to travel and document my adventure along the way.
After graduating with a broadcasting degree and realizing I was a much better photographer than musician, I packed up my van and headed out west to a little park known as Yosemite. There I would spend the next three and a half years working in the wilderness department for The Yosemite Conservancy. It was during those years that I deliberately made the decision to dive headfirst into the photographic rabbit hole for good. While working in the park, I spent much of my time lugging camera gear around the high country and hanging out with my friends at the Ansel Adams Gallery.
I currently reside in the SF Bay Area where I work as a photography instructor. My travels have given me the opportunity to photograph the erupting Kiluaea volcano from air, as well as document dolphins in the Pacific Ocean. I’ve witnessed unbelievable light unfold before me and in an instant disappear. Those are the moments that I live for. I love sharing my passion for photography and nature with others and I’m grateful for the path that has lead me here.
Note: In the event a scheduled instructor for a particular workshop is unavailable, a replacement instructor will be scheduled.
While we make every effort, there is no guarantee that the assigned instructors for a scheduled workshop will be present.
What's included in the price?
→ The cost includes all accommodations (based on double occupancy), during trip dates, upon your arrival to Canada. Single room supplement is available (see pricing tab for info). All transportation during your workshop dates, all park entrance fees, water and energy bars during in-field transportation. Of course all your photography instruction and photo editing instruction is included as well.
What's not included in the price?
→ International arrival and departure flights to Calgary, Canada. Fees to obtain a Passport; baggage fees; instructor gratuities, personal expenses such as room service, alcohol, or additional beverages, laundry, phone service, activities or meals not listed on the itinerary. Travel insurance (strongly recommend).
What type of camera equipment do I need?
→ To get the most of your images a good quality DSLR is strongly suggested. Single point-and-shoot cameras often result in disappointment and frustration.
We'll be capturing amazing landscapes, and wildlife as well. Therefore a focal range of 24-105mm is ideal for landscapes, while a longer lens of roughly 100-400mm is needed for wildlife (longer is okay, if you have it). Prime or fixed lenses are great and will give you the best quality all around. Wide- angle lenses can also be utilized for some of landscape locations and night shooting if applicable, a 16-35mm is the ideal lens, but somewhere in that range works as well. If you don't have any lenses in this focal range we recommend companies, such as borrowlenses.com. Circular polarizing filters will help tremendously and neutral density filters can be utilized as well.
A sturdy, but lighter weight tripod is a necessity, especially if you have a large lens. At times we may be photographing wildlife in one location for more than an hour, so holding a big heavy lens can make you tired. Also, a tripod is essential for the longer exposures needed at sunrise and sunset.
If you tend to be heavy on the trigger finger, make sure you bring sufficient memory cards. Multiple 16gb and 8gb cards are a good idea, as is an external hard drive to back up your images (500gb minimum), with your laptop. If you want to view your images, get feedback and photo editing skills, your laptop is a must have.
Need Gear?Visit BorrowLenses for a special package designed specifically for Aperture Academy students for this workshop.
Is this a tour or workshop?
→ It's a mix of both. We do expect you to be familiar with the basic settings of your camera, because you don't want to be fiddling around with how to set the exposure when the light is off the charts and fleeting by the second - that would probably not be the best situation for getting the "shot," nor for learning. However, our instructors will be available in the field with suggestions about exposure, composition and technique; but in general, it's best to come with a working knowledge of your camera gear. If you're unsure, we highly recommend you sign up for one of our one or two day landscape workshops prior to taking this trip. Once back at the hotel though, we have options that are more of a workshop format, and we can offer you image critique and post processing skills.
What is the currency in Canada?
→ Canada has it's own dollar with roughly a .9 exchange rate (changes daily). Every place we visit will take the US dollar and credit cards with no problem, so no need to exchange currencies. If you're traveling from outside the USA, it may be a good idea to exchange currency before your trip, or at the airport, upon arrival.
What type of food will we be eating?
→ The food is just the same as in the US, right down to the McDonald's and Subway's. We will provide granola bars/snacks in the van during our outings, so if you have any special needs or allergies, be sure to let us know.
Are there any baggage limitations during the trip?
→ Airlines put a limit of 50lbs on your checked bag, so we like to stick with those guidelines for your clothing bag. Please be sure to keep your luggage to just one suitcase per person and one camera bag per person. Camera gear can get heavy so as photographers we completely understand this. We always recommend carrying on your camera gear if at all possible. See airline regulations for size/weight restrictions.
What will the weather be like?
→ Winter in the Canadian Rockies can be very cold,well below freezing temperatures is a real possibility. Mornings and evenings can be very chilly, so please bring very warm layers to cover your entire person. We will be walking on ice in some places, so buying a pair of ice spikes to cover your boots is highly recommended. Ask your instructors for ideas on which ones will be best suited for the conditions we're dealing with.
I plan on traveling alone. Do I need to bring someone?
→ No, you don't. However, tour price is based on double occupancy, so we will place you with other solo travelers of the same gender. However, if you prefer your own room, we can make arrangements for single accommodations for a supplemental charge.
Do you recommend trip insurance?
→ YES! We recommend purchasing travel insurance to cover any non-refundable registration fees, travel, lodging, equipment rental or any other related expenses. Some of us at Aperture Academy use Travel Guard for our travel insurance needs.
Do I need a passport to visit Canada?
→ Yes, you're traveling to another Country, so a passport is required. They are easy to get if you don't currently have one. Just allow 3 months for processing time, to be on the safe side. Generally it takes about 4-12 weeks to receive a your passport, after mailing in the appropriate paperwork.
Do I need vaccinations to visit Canada?
→ If you're worried about it, then the answer is yes. You can find the most current information at; http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/canada
Or simply contact your physician, or primary health care provider.
It's not required and most don't get any types of shots or vaccinations, and are perfectly fine. It all depends on you and your own health and level of concern.
Have more questions?
No problem! We are happy to answer them: Email Us! or call (408) 369-8585.
Workshop Price and Deposit
The 2019 workshop fee is $4795. A $1500 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your space. Balance is due by July 1st, 2018. Due to the exclusivity of this trip, and the limited number of seats available, refunds are as follows:
Refundable Balance: 150 days (five months) or greater (not including deposit)
No refund within 149 days or less of the start date
Seats are transferrable
Please Note: Returning student discounts are not applicable to Sojourn Series workshops.
What is/isn't included?
The workshop/tour price includes:
Luxury Accommodations (based on double occupancy) For a single supplement add $ 1800
All guide and instructor services
All in-country transportation
Park fees
Water and in-field snacks
The workshop/tour price DOES NOT include:
Transportation to/from Canada
Meals
Alcoholic beverages
Instructor gratuities
Travel insurance
Additional/optional excursions not listed in the itinerary
I have been on a few photo workshops but this was my first with Aperture Academy and it was, by far, the best. The venue, the organization, the hands-on instruction was superb. It didn't hurt to have two most pleasant people leading the workshop. Not only did I learn new stuff, it was a most beautiful place to visit and the whole group dynamic was wonderful. I will be back. Thank you!
Doug Said...
I have done a number of 2 day workshops, this is my third Sojourn. I would strongly recommend Aperture Academy. In Banff, we did not always have great weather on our side, but Stephen and Ellie worked hard to get us in the best position. Persistence was a good lesson Banff. I also learned the importance of scouting for potential shots. Banff is a great location, much different than the Colorado Rockies.
Scott Said...
I've been on quite a few photography workshops over the years. This was by far the best workshop experience I have had. The pristine and beautiful countryside, luxurious lodgings, fun workshop attendees, and awesome instructors made this a photography adventure that I will never forget. I can't believe the knowledge I gained and images I captured. Thank you so much Stephen, Ellie, and Aperture Academy for the Banff and Lake Louise memories I will always treasure.
Students of the Aperture Academy are eligible for special discounts and promotions from our partners.