Chasing The Last Light

• Prize
  Bronze in Nature/Sunset
• Photographer
  Jesse Leake
• Technical Info
  Sony A7r Iii, Sony 16-36mm F2.8 Gm, 16mm, 0.8 Seconds, F11, Iso 100
• Photo Date
  September 26, 2022

Last summer I spent a month in the Canadian Rockies, in part to get a shot just like this. It took three times climbing this mountain to get these conditions. The first time the clouds hid the view. The second time, there were no clouds, and I ended up forgetting my camera on the mountain top and had to return in the dark for it. The third attempt, involved an extra long off-trail traverse to reach this location as the main trail was closed. After enjoying this dazzling display of color, I hiked out, in the dark, under the watchful eyes of a Grizzly and her two cubs.

I am amateur photographer who loves traveling the world, ultralight backpacking, and exploring new mountain ranges. My photos are generally from more difficult to reach places and frequently from mountain peaks allowing views of grand, complex vistas. When I go to more popular areas, like Banff or Patagonia, I try to envision something that few photographers have captured. This may require hiking through grizzly bear territory in the dark to reach a unique hilltop before sunrise or climbing off-trail along a ridge to try to find a new perspective.