Travel | MiKS Media Photography

Writing-on-Stone – Travel Photography

by Kasia Sokulska | Nov 11, 2017 | Travel

On the way from Waterton National Park to Drumheller, we decided to stop at Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park. I have been meaning to take a trip there for a while now and was excited to finally be able to do so. Although in Waterton area the smoke cleared up, majority of the time we’ve spent driving through a very hazy world . The fires in British Columbia, this year, have created very many hazy days over the summer, but this one was one of the worst. There were moments when the haze let up a bit, but all in all it was pretty thick. It was a pity, because the views, we encountered, were quite spectacular. The landscape at Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park is, simply, out of this world. Drumheller has nothing comparing to this place in terms of hoodoos (at least, what is accessible to motorized tourists). The weird rock formations were covering the sides of the whole river valley as far as eye could see.. And, as an added bonus, the valley has been used by Native Americans as a place of keeping records, carved in stones of the hoodoos. Some of them, we were told, over a thousand years old. It is, definitely, a place I would like to explore some more, since we did have just enough time to take one of the shortest hikes, giving us a glimpse of this amazing slice of Alberta. See for yourself.. ;D

Kasia

Waterton, Before the Fires – Travel Photography

by Kasia Sokulska | Oct 25, 2017 | Landscape, Travel

As the weather becomes colder, I find myself missing summer more and more. It is a good thing, I have so many pictures from our travels to look at. With my family visiting from Poland we were given a perfect excuse (not that we ever needed one, really ;D) to travel all over our province to show them around. This time, we have taken them to visit Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta. And, as we found out later, it was a great thing that we have visited in August. The whole area suffered from fire damage later on and our pictures became rather historical.. I’m so glad I have been able to show my family the beauty of the places we have seen now. It’ll take a bit of time for the damage to be repaired..

Unlike our Jasper / Banff trip, the sky was filled with smoke and clouds and rain, during our full day of exploring the park. It allowed me for some pretty dramatic pictures at times, which I do enjoy taking. You know me, if I have a sky to work with, I will incorporate it for sure.. I have also been given a chance to work more with a fish-eye lens, not by design, but because I simply forgot my normal wide angle lens. But, it allowed for some cool shots to come out of my camera and, I decided, it was all in all, a good thing. Let’s the pictures speak for themselves, though. Enjoy!

Kasia

All In A Day’s Work – Travel Photography

by Kasia Sokulska | Oct 11, 2017 | Landscape, Nature, Travel

As the weather continues to deteriorate (they are forecasting snow for the next 24 hours) my mind seems to be drawn more and more to the time when sun was shining bright, it was warm and everybody was in a mood for exploring. Yes, I do mean summer ;D.

The trips we take with family and friends are a great time to indulge in some travel photography. There are so many beautiful places in Alberta Rockies. We have had a pleasure, this summer, to take some of our family and friends for a trip throughout Jasper and Banff National Parks. Today, I would like to share images from the last day of this adventure. We have managed to fit a visit at Columbia Icefields including the SkyWalk, Lake Louise and Vermilion Lakes, with stops in between, whenever a place caught our eye. So many absolutely stunning places to visit. We are used to them, having been visiting for years, but it was so great to watch the first time visitors falling in love with our mountains.

Well, enough of the chit-chat, lets enjoy a little bit of summer beauty.

Kasia

A Summer Day In Jasper NP – Alberta Travel Photography

by Kasia Sokulska | Sep 26, 2017 | Nature, Travel

I love visiting Rockies in summer! Just the fact that one can explore without layers of clothes to keep one warm is so appealing. No need to worry about road conditions and closures, no need for heavy winter gear. There are things, of course, one needs to prepare for such a trip. Bug spray, sun screen, lots of water, snacks and a jacket or a sweater – we are visiting mountains, after all, are a must. Good pair of shoes and a bear spray are a good idea as well, especially when one thinks about hiking. But all in all, it is so much easier to plan and travel during the hot months of summer. This year’s weather didn’t disappoint at all. It was nice, sunny and warm and, as I said in my previous post ( Summer Travel – Alberta Travel Photography ), we were lucky to have mostly (there was some haze in the morning but it has cleared up later that day) haze – free skies. We have managed to visit our most favorite spots, including a Jasper Skytram ride to the top of Whistlers Mountain. From way up there is a great view into the valley below. That view allowed us to see the scope of the damage the pine beetle infestation has caused to the forests in Jasper NP. The browns you see on the pictures are dead pine trees, covering vast area. We were told that average age of pine trees in nature is 60 to 80 years and that fires allow for renewal of forests and that young trees have much better defense mechanisms than the old ones. These trees down in the valley were more than 200 years old and had no way of protecting themselves from pests. Combine this with relatively warm winters (not cold enough to eradicate the beetles) and we see how much damage was done to the forests.. No wonder there was a strict fire band in the mountains. The dead dry trees would burn explosively quick.

But, enough of that. Let’s see what memories I’ve brought back from that lovely August day in jasper National Park.

Kasia

Summer Travel – Alberta Travel Photography

by Kasia Sokulska | Sep 21, 2017 | Nature, People, Travel

I’m not very happy that summer passes so quickly in these parts.. There is not enough time to take full advantage of it, however, we do what we can. This year we have had a rare opportunity to take some of my family and friends along for a trip to the Rockies. It was a wonderful adventure, though there was not much time for fine art photography. There is simply not enough time to wait for a perfect light / conditions, especially when you try to cram as many places to show your visitors as you can. However, one can always practice a bit of travel / family photography while visiting all those beautiful places in Alberta Rockies.

Today, I am going to share some pictures I have taken during our first day visiting Jasper National Park. We were lucky, for most parts, to escape the haze caused by smoke from the BC fires that have been covering our skies far too frequently this year. The first evening, after we arrived, welcomed us to Jasper with beautiful golden light and, as always, breathtaking scenery. We have also been able to see some of the wildlife at the park. We have also been able to show our visitors what not to do, while we encounter animals. It always amazes me how tourists leave caution behind and get too close to wild animals to take a picture. There are, pretty much, always either elk or mountain sheep close to the highway there, between Talbot and Jasper Lakes. People, not only stop by suddenly, while driving to get a closer look (we are talking here Trans-Canada Highway, which is very busy most of the time with all sorts of vehicles, including huge trucks that pass by every time of day and night, which will not be able to stop suddenly), but also leave their vehicles and walk up to those animals to take a picture, letting their children do the same. This year, with free park passes, there were a lot more first time visitors, it seems, and, perhaps they never realized the danger of such behavior… However, my hope is, with mentioning about this in my post, I will be able to raise awareness of this danger. The animals may seem docile, but you never know what might spook them, and when they are scared, they will do whatever it takes to escape, which includes attacking people who are too close and blocking their way. I won’t even mention the danger of trying to cross busy highway on foot to get to those animals…

But, enough of this. Let’s enjoy first part of this visit to the Rockies!

Kasia

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