Sunshine Village

Sunshine Village sits high in the Canadian Rockies above Banff, a ski resort perched at treeline where wide-open alpine bowls, rugged peaks, and sweeping mountain panoramas combine to make it one of the most photogenic high-altitude locations in the country. In winter, the runs and lifts give you dramatic foreground interest against snow-capped summits, and the village buildings add a sense of scale to the vast landscape. Shoot from the upper lifts looking back toward the valley for expansive wide-angle compositions, or use skiers as moving subjects to add life and motion blur to your frames. Clear bluebird days after a fresh snowfall are ideal, with the snow sparkling and the peaks crisp against a deep blue sky. Golden hour light catches the snow beautifully in the morning. A gondola ride gets you up quickly, and a 24mm to 70mm zoom handles most situations well here. (Banff, Alberta, Canada)