Cover Shot, March 2020

Our March 2020 issue is dedicated to landscape photography and features guides to photo opportunities in the Northern Rockies and Florida. Also in this issue is a how-to primer on astrophotography, and a discussion of the relevance of tripods considering advancements in image stabilization technology.

On the cover is a photograph of Moraine Lake in Banff National Park by James Kay. Here’s the story behind the shot.

“How often do we show up at a new location, one that we’ve never photographed before, hoping for dramatic sky conditions and actually have it happen? I can only remember three locations in all my years of photography where my first visit provided the best photographic conditions that I’ve ever witnessed there, regardless of how many times I’ve returned. This sunrise at Moraine Lake in the Canadian Rockies is one of those locations.

“There was a sliver of clear sky on the eastern horizon, perfect cotton-candy clouds floating above the peaks, and little wind. I began planning this composition more than one year before I loaded up my truck and drove 900 miles to set up my tripod here and then watch as this amazing scene unfolded before my eyes, just as I had imagined it would in my wildest dreams. We all get lucky occasionally, but I’ve found that luck usually comes down to lots of planning, hard work and effort, kind of like Thomas Edison’s famous quote about his genius and how it was really 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration. Fortunately for me, I really enjoy that 99 percent part.

“Photography has always provided me with a wonderful excuse to wander around in some of the most spectacular locations on earth at the most beautiful times of the day, seeking out compositions just like this. The Canadian Rockies is one of those nirvana locations on the planet that should be on every photographer’s list.”

–James Kay

The March 2020 issue is now available in a variety of digital formats including Apple News+ and will be on newsstands beginning Tuesday, February 18.

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