NEOWISE in the Skies over Banff, Canada
It has been a once in a lifetime – more like millennia – event. The comet NEOWISE has been visible in the dark skies over my home town of Banff, Alberta, and it’s been a highlight of my career to photograph it. Knowing it’s such a rare event has added an exhilarating element to the creative task of capturing it, and to see it converge with such celestial wonders as the aurora borealis has been an unforgettable experience.
It has been a once in a lifetime – more like millennia – event. The comet NEOWISE has been visible in the dark skies over my home town of Banff, Alberta, and it’s been a highlight of my career to photograph it. Knowing it’s such a rare event has added an exhilarating element to the creative task of capturing it, and to see it converge with such celestial wonders as the aurora borealis has been an unforgettable experience. You can find my favourite images below!
According to NASA: “Discovered on March 27, 2020, by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) mission, Comet NEOWISE is putting on a dazzling display for skywatchers before it disappears, not to be seen again for another 6,800 years.”
→ All of these images are available as limited edition prints in our online print shop.
Comet NEOWISE over Banff, Canada. Photo: Paul Zizka.
Comet NEOWISE, noctilucent clouds, northern lights and mountains all join forces to create the most amazing celestial display over Banff, Canada. Photo: Paul Zizka.
Comet NEOWISE above Bow Falls, Banff National Park. Photo: Paul Zizka.
NEOWISE cruises over Cascade Mountain and the Town of Banff, Canada. Photo: Paul Zizka.
A climber descends by headlamp with NEOWISE looking on in Banff National Park. Photo: Paul Zizka.
Comet NEOWISE travelling over the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and the Spray River, Banff, Canada.
→ All of these images are available as limited edition prints in our online print shop.
To the Ends of the Earth: An Evening with Paul Zizka
Take a journey to remote landscapes around the world, from the icebergs of Antarctica to the crystal waters of Polynesia, the eerie deserts of Mongolia to forgotten corners of the Canadian Rockies. Join us for an evening of storytelling and photography with award-winning photographer, Paul Zizka.
Take a journey to remote landscapes around the world, from the icebergs of Antarctica to the crystal waters of Polynesia, the eerie deserts of Mongolia to forgotten corners of the Canadian Rockies. Join us for an evening of storytelling and photography with award-winning photographer, Paul Zizka.
Register to attend this live event or watch a replay afterwards!
June 5, 2020 - 6pm-7:30pm Mountain Time
Tickets are just $10. 10% of ticket sales will go to the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Paul Zizka Now on Patreon!
I finally have the opportunity to offer more in-depth material, online, to those who are seeking it. So, I’m excited to announce that you can now join me over on Patreon for Live Q+As, photo tips and advice, stories behind the images and photo critiques! I’ll let you into my home, my world, and give you a window into my process and my journey as a photographer.
I often get asked about the story behind my images and how they were created. I also get questions about all aspects of photography and frequently fall short on time to answer them because of my travels and workshop teaching.
Well, I’m home now, for a while. I finally have the opportunity to offer more in-depth material, online, to those who are seeking it. So, I’m excited to announce that you can now join me over on Patreon for Live Q+As, photo tips and advice, stories behind the images and photo critiques! I’ll let you into my home, my world, and give you a window into my process and my journey as a photographer.
I invite you to watch the introductory video below check out the details on Patreon!
Two tiers are available:
The first – Behind the Images with Paul Zizka – is just the price of a latte ($5 USD) per month and gives you access to weekly Patreon-exclusive content.
The second is something I’m particularly excited about – a 1-on-1 Mentorship Program with five spots only. Five students snagged the spots in just the first two hours of my launching. For all those of you who are interested, I am considering adding some spots. Stay tuned!
In the meantime, I highly recommend you sign up for Behind the Images with Paul Zizka, as there will be plenty of opportunities to learn there. I will also post there any time a student is off again on their own trajectory and making room for someone new.
Paul Zizka's Guide to Photography in the Canadian Rockies (Banff to Lake Louise Edition)
Maximize your time and shoot like a local! In this 130-page opinionated guide, seasoned Rockies photographer Paul Zizka gives the inside scoop on 60+ locations between Banff and Lake Louise. Discover his top picks for subjects that are photogenic, inspiring and filled with creative potential.
I have spent the better part of the past 15 years exploring the Canadian Rockies. This has amounted to countless days and nights seeing what’s around the bend, bushwhacking, walking up creeks, and following my nose. Originally, I didn’t explore with the purpose of sharing information. I simply enjoyed being curious in the mountains. Most of the time, the camera stayed in the bag, until I finally bought my first DSLR in 2007.
Over the years, I pulled the camera out more often, and eventually launched into photography as a profession. I also gathered a great deal of information, and thought it would be a shame not to make that information available to others so that they can enjoy and photograph some of those special places. After all, I find it immensely rewarding whenever I get to play a small part in getting people out exploring and connecting with their creative side.
So, after many months of work, I'm excited to announce this ebook:
Paul Zizka's Guide to Photography in the Canadian Rockies – Banff to Lake Louise Edition
Maximize your time and shoot like a local! In this 130-page opinionated guide, seasoned Rockies photographer Paul Zizka gives the inside scoop on 60+ locations between Banff and Lake Louise. Discover his top picks for subjects that are photogenic, inspiring and filled with creative potential.
Special Features
* 60+ locations organized into regions:
In and Around Banff Town
Lake Minnewanka
Bow Valley Parkway
Banff to Lake Louise via HWY1
Lake Louise and Area
Year-round (four season) content with season-specific info for each location.
All major day hikes between the Town of Banff and Lake Louise.
The best spots to shoot aurora borealis, wildflowers and fall colours.
Easy-to-use symbols to guide you through each location, as well as access to online map.
Listing of resources, recommended books and apps for photographers.
Printable Gear Checklist for Outdoor Photography.
Suggested itineraries for 1 or 3 days in summer and winter.
© All contents copyright Paul Zizka and Meghan J. Ward, 2018.
Behind the Image: Emergence
I took this black-and-white on a shooting marathon at Mount Assiniboine a few years ago. I only had two nights in the area and the conditions were so good I went without sleep to make the most of the opportunity. I went everything over those 48 hours: in thunderstorms, fresh snow, aurora borealis, inversions, fogbows, you name it. And it was late September, that time of year when the larches are glowing gold – arguably the best time of year for photography in Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park.
I took this black-and-white on a shooting marathon at Mount Assiniboine a few years ago. I only had two nights in the area and the conditions were so good I went without sleep to make the most of the opportunity. I went everything over those 48 hours: in thunderstorms, fresh snow, aurora borealis, inversions, fogbows, you name it. And it was late September, that time of year when the larches are glowing gold – arguably the best time of year for photography in Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park.
After a night shooting the northern lights and running around to try to find breaks in the cloud cover, I finally decided to return to the Naiset Huts to catch a nap since I could no longer escape the clouds. Just as I was about the enter the cabin (which was already nearly full of fast-asleep people), I spotted a few stars glowing above the mountains. No rest for the wicked! I realized the clouds were an inversion and that a sunrise at the Nub (a nearby spot which is the most photographed backcountry location in the Canadian Rockies) could offer great potential.
As I made my way past Assiniboine Lodge, I did a double-take when I caught a glimpse of the pyramid of Mount Assiniboine floating in the dawn sky, all lit up in alpenglow. It was an absolutely incredible sight. I was pretty determined to get up to the Nub, but felt the scene that was immediately available guaranteed an image more unique than anything I could hope for at the popular vantage point higher up.
I set up the tripod, pulled out the long lens, and took a few frames of this scene, as the clouds were constantly swirling. This was my favourite one. The fog below kept the base of the mountain quite dark, while the alpenglow lit up its higher sections. The dark blue sky above bookended the composition, and made it look like the "Matterhorn of the Rockies" was doing a levitation act.
Shot with the Canon 5D Mark III and the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS lens, at ISO 400, 30 seconds, f/11. I often use this image in workshops as an example of the power of compressions and isolation of the long lens in landscape photography. I hope you like the image and the story!