The entire winter season in Alberta offers up some special, unique, or magical photo backdrops.
Whether you need a set of professional photos done up this winter or are in search of your own photo scenes, there are many ways to go about it, and many places to consider around Alberta for the best photo locations.
Things to keep in mind for an Alberta winter photo session:
- It will be cold! Dress appropriately, and ensure you have proper footwear. This is especially important for the more remote or rural photo locations. We do include a couple of indoor locations, too.
- Be sure to check ice conditions (and weather) before you head out onto any body of water in the winter.
- Make a day of it, and make room for other fun! Not everyone loves being photographed. But you can make these family photo days, engagement sessions, or candid moments a bit more fun by turning the shoot into a bigger day trip, a sightseeing adventure, or an overnighter.
Frozen lakes
Alberta’s lakes can be something special to see in the winter. Often, these frozen, natural wonderlands are made even prettier with snow-covered trees or peaks, wildlife, or from the colour of the ice. These lakes were not selected for skating, but just for their beauty!
15 Must-Visit Lakes in Alberta
- Abraham Lake, on the David Thompson Highway near Nordegg, gives you plenty of options for some mountain photos. The lake is usually frozen by early January, and the famous ice bubbles usually pop up around the holidays, as the lake freezes over. You can park at the Ice Bubbles Viewpoint in the middle of the lake for sweeping views of the ice (possibly bubbles), mountains, and forests.
- Upper and Lower Kananaskis Lakes are another of the large Rocky Mountain Lakes, with abundant photo opportunities. There are day-use areas open for the winter months, which put you directly in between the two lakes: North Interlakes and Panorama. There are trailheads here as well, so you can venture out away from the crowds in order to get better photos.
- Lesser Slave Lake Provincial Park has several of its day-use areas open over winter. You can get forest photography, the lake in the background, a sunset to the west, or simply candid photos while exploring the winter trails.
Cute skating photos
Skating is one of the easiest and cheapest winter activities and is often a top winter date idea. Especially in Alberta. If skating is part of your family, your relationship, or simply something you love to do, then you have some beautiful places for capturing it all on camera.
- The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise clears a portion of the gorgeous lake every day to allow for skating. Guests can rent a pair if needed. With this type of backdrop, the photo ops are endless.
- Lake Minnewanka and Two Jack Lake in Banff located on the Lake Minnewanka scenic drive, provide excellent photo ops with great mountain views.
- Sylvan Lake is usually frozen by the holidays and can be a beautiful place for photography at any time on a winter day. You can catch the sunset over the lake, with friends or family on skates, or wait for the outdoor lights to brighten up the park in the evenings.
- Jasper National Park’s Lake Mildred is maintained for ice skating and offers the park’s massive peaks for unbeatable winter scenery and memorable ice-skating experiences! There is an on-site rental shop, too.
Icy waterfalls
There is no guarantee that some of Alberta’s mightier waterfalls will be completely frozen when you arrive for your photos. But no matter the state of the falls, these areas provide unbeatable winter scenery, and they can make for memorable experiences or drives.
- Lundbreck Falls is easy to access and a short drive off Highway 9. The falls are in a year-round Provincial Recreation Area; so, on top of the views, the area also has picnic sites, established trails, and washrooms.
- Get the mountains in the shot, too, with a trip to Bow Falls in Banff National Park.
- Elbow Falls, part of Kananaskis, is a short drive west of Calgary and is another that is easy to access off the main road. You can also venture onto some of the snowy trails for other photo ideas.
13 Frozen Waterfalls to Visit in and Around Calgary During Winter
Prairie Sunsets
Blue, yellow, orange, pink, or purple, could be one of the colours you see in a bright prairie sunset over the winters in Alberta.
You may be lucky enough to catch one on a highway drive, from your own backyard or house, or you can plan around some epic locations if you need to catch it in a photograph. Luckily, there are some beautiful locations which are also easy to access.
- Crimson Lake Provincial Park is a short drive from Red Deer, Rocky Mountain House, and Highway 2, making it convenient for many Alberta families, couples, or friends. The public day-use area is west-facing, so clear days provide the lake with a beautiful overhead glow. Or, take a short walk down some of the winter trails.
- Elk Island National Park also has a west-facing beach and day-use area from where you can get sunset winter photos from a few spots, including an elevated lookout point over Astotin Lake. The entire park is filled with photo opportunities and offers an extensive trail system if you want to venture away from the day-use areas.
Light Displays and Festivals
Brighten the photo session this winter with some festive or holiday lighting. Some displays set a time limit at the end of the year, as they end with the holiday season. There are others which stay up all the way through the winter, too!
Drive-Through Christmas Light Displays in Alberta
Must-Visit Places to See Magical Christmas Lights in Alberta
- Holiday Wonder and Glow Edmonton are both indoor light displays. And with this environment, you get excellent lighting to capture people and the magical holiday lights.
- Lethbridge’s Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden is hosting its annual Winter Light Festival, where you can grab excellent nighttime or sunset photos of your kids, as a couple, or as a family.
Head for the hills
There are many foothill destinations around Alberta which offer all of the province’s best scenery in one location: you can see prairies to the east, the hills around you, and often the Rocky Mountains in the background. And with sunsets in the west, and sunrises clear to the east over flat land, these spots can create magical photos.
- Alberta’s northern foothills can be captured in locations like Grande Cache Lake or William A. Switzer Provincial Park, near Hinton.
- The Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park is a short drive from Calgary’s western city limits, and has long stretches of pathways over the foothills; plus, a clear day will afford you views/backdrops of the Calgary city skyline, or the Rocky Mountain peaks.
- Bragg Creek Provincial Park offers several ways to capture the area’s beauty. Stop by the shores of the icy Elbow River, or venture through the wooded trails.
Small town architecture
This is one of the great opportunities to turn your photo sessions into a fun day or overnight trip. Finding the scenic small towns of Alberta also means learning about history, uncovering local art, and getting a taste of the local dining. Some areas offer a great collection of local architecture, preserved from Alberta’s earlier days.
- Fort Macleod’s downtown streets look as though they are from another time period because most of the buildings are actually preserved from the town’s boom era of the 1910s and 20s. The streets are brightly lit at night, too.
- Rowley is a preserved ghost town about 10 minutes north of Drumheller and provides several abandoned locations and preserved buildings for calming, serene, and beautiful photography. It could make for especially magical photos after a heavy snowfall. Be mindful of the permanent residents of the town and the private property around Rowley.
- Nordegg, which can easily be combined with a trip to Abraham Lake, has a small section of abandoned buildings from the town’s early-1900s coal mining days.
Backdrops in the Badlands
Get memorable shots on a trip to, or through, Drumheller. Or, you can plan for photo sessions at a number of stops around the Dinosaur Trail. There are also a few special viewpoints overlooking the Red Deer River, or the Badlands, which create perfectly snowy and serene shots.
- Take in the wintery hills of Alberta’s badlands from the west side of the Red Deer River at Orkney Viewpoint, or enjoy it from the opposite side at Horsethief Canyon. Both are a quick turn off the highways.
- Horseshoe Canyon, between Calgary and Drumheller, is gorgeous after a fresh snowfall and can be explored further via the main trails and staircase.
Winter Photos in Edmonton
Keep your winter photos closer to home, and explore many places for excellent winter scenery around Edmonton. The North Saskatchewan River Valley, and its steep banks, give you an endless supply of city and nature views. Plus, most of those areas are adjacent to trails or large city parks. Or, you can switch it up with plenty of pretty urban scenes around the city.
- Take your pick from dozens of River Valley lookout points: Keillor Point, Gallagher Park, and Rundle Park.
- The neighbourhood of Old Strathcona features preserved buildings, local art, and festive lighting, making it ideal for photo sessions at any time of day.
- Take your sessions to the edges of the city at natural areas like the Clifford E. Lee Nature Sanctuary, Strathcona Science Provincial Park, or Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park.
- Downtown Edmonton has superb architecture around every corner to help enhance any photo shoot. This includes locations such as the Legislature, the Hotel MacDonald, and the Ice Castles Edmonton.
Winter Photos in Calgary
Many neighbourhoods in Calgary offer festive lights, unique architecture, Bow River views, or even foothills and mountain views. These are all excellent scenes to plan your next photo shoot around, day or night. You may find urban cityscapes, hidden natural spots within the city, or a combination of both. Calgary’s foothills can also be the perfect place to catch a sunrise or sunset.
- Downtown Calgary’s huge variety of public art and murals is worth exploring on a walk or train ride through the streets. This includes St. Patrick’s Island, outside Studio Bell, or Stephen Avenue.
- Fish Creek Provincial Park gives you all the nature of a peaceful foothill park, but with the convenience of being inside Calgary’s city limits. There are several areas near the Bow Valley Ranch entrance and Visitor Centre, as well as further along the trails.
- Nose Hill Park in Calgary’s northwest has a few different viewpoints and directions you can capture for beautiful winter or holiday photos. This includes some with Calgary’s skyline completely in view.