Dean Oros Photography + Design | Thunder Bay, ON

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CANADIAN ROCKIES AERIAL REVAMPED { 3 images } Created 8 Sep 2015

Any high angle of the snow-capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains is a spectacular view. I know that’s stating the obvious, but how often do we have the chance to see them? Unless you’re a frequent flyer, it’s not a regular occurrence.

Over time, how we recall what we've seen may change. I'd been planning to revisit these photographs for some time. I'm happy to share them with you now. I recall how and when I captured them. Flying home to Toronto from shooting a wedding in Yukon, I hadn’t planned to photograph from the plane. My full-size cameras and lenses were disassembled, packed away in the overhead compartment. As we flew over the mountains, I was so mesmerized by the view I just had to try with the camera I had on hand: an iPhone 4S. Yep, an iPhone 4S. I'd been using a new app which allowed for RAW capture. Now was a good time as any to push the little camera phone and software to its limit. It was August 2015.

I managed to finagle my way to a bulkhead window, and started shooting. There were obviously many challenges with this approach, which I won’t delve into here, but suffice to say and happily so, these images capture the beauty of what I saw. This was probably the moment I discovered how much I loved nature photography.

The Rocky Mountains stretch more than 4,800 km (3,000 miles) from the northernmost part of British Columbia in western Canada, to New Mexico, into the southwestern United States. Within the North American Cordillera, the Rockies are somewhat distinct from the Pacific Coast Ranges, the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada, which all lie further to the west.

The Canadian Rockies Revamped Aerial Series was released January - February 2022.
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  • In this photograph I love how the sun illuminates and casts shadows across the peaks and valleys of the mountains. I love that this image was captured in August from approximately 30,000 feet. That the altitude was so cold there are glacier lakes and layers of snow as far as the eye can see, even though at sea level people are sweating from heat and humidity. <br />
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It’s amazing to photograph a scene that could be 120 million years in the making. I appreciate that I was able to photograph while looking out a commercial passenger plane window, shooting with only a tiny iPhone 4S camera phone. And, that I was able to revisit this series of photographs six years later, and use improved post production techniques to bring them them closer to my recollection of what I saw.<br />
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While the majority of my work is made using dedicated high-resolution camera gear, on occasion I’ll use the latest model camera phone I have on hand, currently an iPhone 13 Mini. Because, sometimes the best camera is the one I’m carrying when I wasn’t planning to shoot. But I always carry how I see things.
    Canadian Rocky Mountains_IMG_0441 - ...tif
  • WINTER SCENE? IT WAS SUMMER.<br />
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What a sight. It was August. One of the hottest summer months in Western Canada. Flying over the peaks and valleys of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, it was a scene of ice and snow.<br />
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Photographed in 2015, revamped Feb 2022, one has to wonder how climate change has affected these Rocky Mountain peaks. If I fly over western Canada this August, I’ll be sure to photograph them.
    Canadian Rocky Mountains IMG_0454c_e...tif
  • Appreciating Mother Earth is good for the soul. This scene of the Canadian Rockies is not often seen. I hope my re-imagined photography provides a glimpse of just how magnificent this scene is when viewed in person. When in the mindset that everything on Earth is connected, including humans to the planet, the mystery and grandeur of life sinks in. <br />
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The high altitude of the Rocky Mountains maintains cold temperatures and snow year round. Captured late August from 30,000 feet.
    Canadian Rocky Mountains_IMG_0444a -...tif