Photographing Elfin Lakes near Squamish has been on my agenda for quite some time. Well, I finally made it up there and it did not disappoint. Elfin Lakes, a spectacular duo of lakes nestled in Garibaldi Provincial Park. It is only a short drive from Squamish, British Columbia. After you have left your vehicle at the parking lot it is an 11km hike with a steady gradient to Elfin Lakes and the Elfin Lakes Shelter.
We chose to head up to Elfin Lakes in early October midweek in an attempt to avoid the crowds. Due to relatively easy access and a well-maintained path, this part of Garibaldi Provincial Park can be exceedingly busy. The forecast had been rather dismal so we were a little surprised to see as many folks as we did. However, we were all rewarded for chancing the weather as we ended up with a glorious day and a truly magical sunset.
As soon as we arrived at the lakes I had an idea for the kind of image I wanted. I figured out where the sun was going to set and walked around the two lakes to see if I could get a good angle with some nice reflections and the mountains in the background. We arrived not long after lunch and the sky was clear towards the south with some clouds arriving from the north. The lake was still, the reflection on point, so my thoughts were, “bring on the clouds”.
An important thing to consider when shooting sunsets in the mountains is that you lose the sun before the sun actually sets. Preparation is key. About an hour before the sun was due to dip behind the mountains I went to set up my tripod and start snapping some test shots. My specialty is big landscapes and I knew I wanted a long exposure. I knew I wanted to try and capture a sun star as the sun dipped below the mountains. I had an angle in mind for the sunset. However, first, I wanted to capture an interesting cloud pattern with the Elfin Lakes Ranger Hut in the frame.
The clouds were changing rapidly and I had to move quickly. I took a couple of shots of the hut and then darted over to the other lake to set up my shot for the sun star. It could not have worked out more perfectly. As the sun disappeared behind the range the clouds lit up and the reflection was just about perfect. I cannot believe it took me 12 years to find myself photographing Elfin Lakes.
Camera Gear & Settings
Nikon D810
Nikon 14-25mm f/2.8
Nisi Filters ND 10-stop filter
14mm
30 seconds
f/14
ISO 64 for Ranger Hut shot
ISO 250 for sun star shot
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