Cave & Basin Historic Site in Banff National Park

Found in Alberta's Rocky Mountains, Banff National Park's Cave and Basin historic site commemorates the birthplace of Canada's National Parks system which began in 1885. The area features natural thermal mineral springs, including one located inside a cavern which has been incorporated into the structure. The once popular swimming pool (seen on numerous vintage postcards) has since been removed, but a tile outline shows where it once was.

It was in 1981 that the Cave and Basin became designated a National Historic Site of Canada. There are several placards commemorating the history of the area, and although it's not a large place to explore, it is a beautiful spot to spend an hour.

Cave & Basin in 1915.

Cave & Basin in the 1920s.

New Artwork at River Bee Books

In news that surprises no one, I have a real soft spot for unique, local businesses (particularly those in beautifully restored downtown buildings) who also happen to be supporters of my original "Hometown Series" in Medicine Hat, Alberta.

Over the last few months I've delivered a collection of custom framed canvases to Bridget at River Bee Books with this shot overlooking the cliffs ending up in the new shop scheduled to open this spring. I do love a good bookstore, and can't wait to see all this hardwork come together for their grand opening. Check out those tin ceilings!

Professional Photographers Already Know This

Everyone thinks the prerequisite to becoming a professional photographer is the ability to take a "good" image, but if we're digging for specifics I'd argue that it's always been bigger than that.

The real secret is timing.

It's recognizing when you can capture something rare. It's storytelling in choices. It's bringing people into your work by sharing a perspective often easily missed.

Case in point, last night around midnight an ice fog had decended over Medicine Hat. I was on my way home and while passing the Saamis Teepee on the highway the fog was so thick that I thought the lights on it had been turned off.

I pulled off to have a look and only as I rounded the corner did it begin to reveal itself. The fog was causing the lights on this familiar landmark to bleed into the haze and I immediately recognized in that moment, that even after all the teepee shots I'd grabbed over the years, here was one that I didn't have.

Needless to say when the image went up this morning on the Editing Luke page it began to spread quickly. Timing gave it purpose. Timing made the shot more interesting. It had a story. My point is that when you're really playing the game, this is what actually makes the difference.

2022: Medicine Hat, Alberta Images of the Year

On the local front, 2022 marked the 10 year anniversary since I began photographing Medicine Hat, Alberta as part of my Around the Hat / Hometown Series.

On one hand I started the year feeling like maybe the series had run its course, and on the other hand quickly saw that engagement had never been higher. 

As it turned out there were quite a few surprises that followed - some high-profile features, notable print installations, and even a couple of new experiences to boot. With enough encouragement, it's safe to say the series isn't going anywhere. Here are just a few of the "hometown hits" that received the most engagement in 2022.

2022 Instagram Travel Features @editingluke

As we roll into the yearly recaps for 2022, I was feeling like I hadn't done that much outside of work on a documentary all year - which granted, has been a lot. But when I dug up all of the "official reshares" on my travel content this year it was ... well, awesome lol ... New York, Berlin, Miami, Brussels, Dallas, Winnipeg, Seattle, Calgary, Paris, Los Angeles, Montreal, Victoria, Honolulu, Osaka, Edinburgh, Ottawa, and on and on.

I did a lot of experimenting in 2022 to get my work seen by travel partners while being very strategic about not just building a profile to be mined for content. It's a complicated trade-off, but it seems to be working. The variety of locations in these features is a solid achievement given how competitive this is - and for that, let me say thank you and express how grateful I am to have found eyes for what I share here and on the Editing Luke site. 

Now the real question - where to next?