Jasper National Park

I recently had the pleasure of attending a photo workshop in Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada. It was led by Adam Gibbs and Alister Benn, two of the finest landscape photographers in the business. I had previously visited the Canadian Rockies in 2013 and was anxious to photograph this beautiful place again. The workshop was based in the town of Jasper. I was aware that there was a big wildfire in the area in 2024, but I wasn’t prepared for what I saw.

The wildfire burned approximately 123 square miles (70,000 acres) of land. Although some structures were burned in the town of Jasper, it appeared that most of the buildings were saved. Many tourists were about. But the extent of burned forest outside of town was devastating to witness.

How was the photography? Well, it took some adjustment on my part. At first, I was overcome with sadness looking at burnt trees as far as the eye could see. But coming closer to the devastation brought a gradual transformation of my feelings. There were spots where the fire skipped some trees and they survived. Aspens glowed white in a sea of darkness. Grasses and other plants appeared on the forest floor. Here and there a small flower poked through the ash and basked in the sunshine. So the long march to restoration of the forest began. There was hope.

I’ve posted a few photographs of this trip in my gallery of images taken in Canada. Some are grand landscapes which the fire didn’t touch. Others show burnt trees in what I feel is an artistic expression of a most challenging subject.

Aspen Survival