From the Mists by JustinGrimm

I'm not sure about the rest of you, but as a landscape photographer I have created a "bucket list" of rare shots I dream of capturing. This is not a list of specific exotic locations I wish to shoot though. Instead, it is a list of rare combinations of light, weather conditions, and natural formations that I am constantly on the lookout for. This misty hoar frost scene taken from the beautiful Bow Lake of the Canadian Rockies is the first time I've managed to witness one of these very specific combination of elements. Because of that, it is probably my favourite image I've ever captured. Many things needed to come together for conditions like this to occur, and if you are lucky they may happen for a few days, or most likely only hours over the course of a year. An extremely cold weather front pushed it's way through the mountains early this winter season, before the lakes had managed to freeze over. If this cold front brought snow, the incredibly detailed and fragile hoar frost would have been hidden. If the lake had been frozen over, the mist from the open warmer water would not have added the much needed humidity in the air needed for the frost to form. Without a break of the clouds and fog, the light wouldn't have hit the peak or foreground. If I wasn't out at an epic mountainous location, well then this wouldn't be one of my bucket list shots! A lot of things needed to happen, you get the picture. What made this morning even sweeter is that it was spent with two of the most talented photographers and friends I know, Erin Babnik and Ted Gore, on the last day of their short trip up to my Canadian stomping grounds. Being from the warmer areas of the US, and not having the extra layer of natural back-bacon insulation on their bodies, meant they were a tad bit colder then I was on this -25/-30 celsius morning. Even with my shoulder dipped in ice water, my snow-pants crusted with a layer of ice, and my damn toe warmers failing to heat up, I was distracted enough to barely even notice anything outside of my viewfinder. I shot and composed images continuously for the 3 hours we spent out here, and managed to capture this fleeting moment when the peak stood out from the heavy mists. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and that I could accurately convey this magical combination of conditions through my image. Thanks for looking! via 500px http://bit.ly/1GQiZ6V

Crystalline Chamber by JustinGrimm

Very rarely do I find a composition that I am truly thrilled about at first glance. However, after crawling my body down into this small winter window I was extremely excited about what I saw through the camera. There is something about organized complexity in images that is very hard to find and pull off, and this spot checked every box on my list of things I hoped to find. Over the course of three and a half days I focused all my attention on shooting these icicles. I honestly don't even want to mention how many hours I was laying on the ice. I will say though, If anyone is interested you can see the melted outline of my body here until spring. Even though this cave looks relatively large, the longest icicles pictured are barely over a foot high. This made for a tight squeeze and a technical nightmare to photograph, however by using some focus blending techniques I was able to render the entire scene sharp. Though unlike my typical perfectionist ways, I could not use a tripod for the massive focus stack. Instead I had to resort to using one of the greatest inventions of this century as my camera support....A box of Wet Wipes. The best dual purpose item ever in my opinion. Dual purpose, but only SINGLE USE!!! Don't get it twisted. All kidding aside, I hope you enjoy the image as mush as I do even if it is relatively subdued. Although I have witnessed some truly incredible light and natural conditions over the past year, this would have to be my personal favourite and most inspired composition to date. ***If you are interested in learning the techniques used to capture this image over Skype lesson, or curious about taking a private Rocky Mountain photo tour, please use my personal email address. My new website is currently under construction*** justingrimmphoto@gmail.com via 500px http://bit.ly/1AreUV1