This was one of those rare mornings where everything aligned. I arrived at Lake Louise long before dawn, in near darkness, guided by starlight and the faint promise of morning. The air was still and cold, the kind that bites through gloves and camera batteries alike. I set up near the shoreline, watching as the sky began to glow and the mountains whispered their form into the lake. Then, just for a few minutes, the peaks caught fire—lit by the first light of day while the lake remained glass-still, reflecting every detail.

This image was taken in those fleeting golden minutes. No wind, no tourists, no distractions—just alpine quiet, perfect symmetry, and light as pure as it comes.