Alpenglow
The pink or red glow on mountains opposite the rising/setting sun, caused by atmospheric scattering. Best seen on clear horizons—pair with Moraine Lake Sunrise Tour for peak color.
Sunrise & Photography Glossary
- No guest minimums
- Small groups
- Guided experience
- Blankets & hot drinks
- Pickups: Canmore • Banff • Lake Louise
small‑group sunrise shuttles and tours with local guides. We handle, timing and parking—so you can just enjoy the first light on the Ten Peaks.
Clear, plain‑language definitions for sunrise timing in Banff and common photography terms used on our tours.
Sunrise Terms
A
Astronomical Twilight
Sun is 18° below the horizon; the sky is at its darkest stage of dawn with minimal ambient light—useful for Milky Way set-ups.
Antitwilight Arch
The wide rosy band opposite the rising sun—often overlapping with the Belt of Venus; Earth’s shadow sits beneath it.
B
Belt of Venus
A rosy band of light above the horizon opposite the sun at dawn/dusk, with Earth’s shadow beneath it—often visible over the Valley of the Ten Peaks.
Blue Hour
Cool-toned period before sunrise (and after sunset) when indirect sunlight gives the sky a blue cast. Great for reflection shots—see Experience Moraine Lake.
Backscatter (Atmospheric)
Enhanced haze/glow when looking toward the antisolar point; can deepen twilight color bands.
C
Civil Twilight
Sun is 6° below the horizon; usable natural light for most activities. Ideal for portraits before sunrise at Moraine Lake.
Crepuscular Rays
Sunbeams that appear to radiate from the sun due to light scattering between clouds and terrain.
D
Dawn
The general brightening of the sky that begins morning twilight before sunrise.
Daybreak
The visible appearance of daylight following dawn; often used interchangeably with sunrise.
E
Earth’s Shadow
The dark bluish band above the horizon opposite the sun during twilight, caused by Earth blocking direct sunlight.
Equinox
Around March 20 and September 22; day and night are nearly equal length—sunrise azimuth shifts are most noticeable around these dates.
F
First Light
The first visible illumination touching the landscape before the sun’s disk appears—watch peaks glow first.
G
Golden Hour
Period just after sunrise when light is soft, warm, and low-angled—ideal for landscape texture. Book the Sunrise Tour or Dual Lakes Sunrise for maximum effect.
H
Hour Angle (Sun)
Astronomical measure of time/angle since the sun last crossed the local meridian; relates to sun position at dawn.
Horizon Glow
Diffuse brightening near the horizon prior to sunrise; influenced by aerosols, humidity, and topography.
L
Local Apparent Sunrise
Sunrise time based on the true position of the sun and local conditions (terrain, refraction).
N
Nautical Twilight
Sun is 12° below the horizon; horizon line becomes faintly visible over water or snow—good for silhouettes at Lake Louise and Moraine Lake.
R
Rayleigh Scattering
Scattering of shorter wavelengths by air molecules, making twilight skies appear red/orange near the horizon.
Refraction (Atmospheric)
Bending of sunlight through the atmosphere that makes the sun appear earlier at sunrise and later at sunset.
S
Sunrise
Moment the upper edge of the sun first appears above the horizon—prime time for color and reflections. See the Moraine Lake Sunrise Tour.
Sun Pillar
Vertical shaft of light extending above the sun near sunrise/sunset, formed by ice crystals reflecting sunlight.
T
Terminator
The moving line dividing day and night across Earth; near dawn it advances toward the observer.
Twilight
The period of diffuse light before sunrise and after sunset: astronomical, nautical, and civil.
V
Virga
Rainfall that evaporates before reaching the ground; can catch dawn light for dramatic shafts and veils.
W
Winter Solstice
Around December 21 in the Northern Hemisphere; latest sunrise times occur near this date at many latitudes.
Photography Terms
A
Aperture
Lens opening (f-number) controlling light and depth of field.
Autofocus (AF)
Camera system that automatically adjusts focus on a subject.
Auto ISO
Camera automatically sets ISO to maintain exposure within chosen limits.
Anticrepuscular Rays (photo)
Rays that appear to converge at the antisolar point; often a compositional element at dawn.
B
Bracketing
Capturing multiple exposures (e.g., −1/0/+1 EV) to blend or choose the best result.
Back-Button Focus
Assigning AF activation to a rear button for faster, independent focusing.
Bulb Mode
Shutter remains open while the release is pressed—used for long exposures.
C
Chromatic Aberration
Color fringing from lens dispersion; often corrected in-camera or in post.
Composition
Arrangement of elements within the frame to guide the viewer’s eye.
Crop Factor
Sensor-size multiplier affecting field of view compared to 35mm full-frame.
D
Depth of Field (DoF)
Zone of acceptable sharpness in front of and behind the focus plane.
Dynamic Range
The range between the darkest and brightest reproducible tones.
Diffraction
Softening caused when stopping down too far, as light bends around the aperture blades.
E
Exposure
Combination of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO determining image brightness.
Exposure Compensation
Intentional bias in metered exposure to make the image brighter or darker.
EV (Exposure Value)
A scale that combines shutter speed and aperture to represent exposure levels numerically.
F
Focal Length
Optical distance determining field of view and magnification.
Focus Peaking
Edge-highlighting aid for manual focus on mirrorless/EVF cameras.
Filter (ND/GND/CPL)
Neutral density, graduated ND, and circular polarizer filters used to control light and reflections.
G
Graduated ND (GND)
Filter with a gradient to balance bright skies and darker landscapes.
Grain (Noise)
Random variation in brightness/color; at high ISO it becomes visible as noise.
H
Histogram
Graph showing tonal distribution from shadows (left) to highlights (right).
HSS (High-Speed Sync)
Flash technique allowing shutter speeds faster than the camera’s sync speed.
Hyperfocal Distance
Focus distance maximizing depth of field from half that distance to infinity.
L
Long Exposure
Using slow shutter speeds to blur motion (water/clouds) or capture low light.
Lens Distortion
Barrel/pincushion perspective bending; correctable in-camera or post.
N
Noise Reduction
In-camera or software process to reduce noise, potentially at the expense of detail.
ND Filter
Neutral density filter that uniformly reduces light to allow longer exposures.
R
RAW
Unprocessed sensor data file giving maximum latitude for editing.
Rule of Thirds
Composition guideline dividing the frame into thirds horizontally/vertically.
S
Shutter Speed
Exposure time that controls motion blur and light intake.
Stop
A doubling/halving of light; used to describe exposure changes.
Stabilization (IBIS/VR/IS)
Camera or lens tech that counteracts shake for sharper images (In-Body IS, Vibration Reduction, Image Stabilization).
Spot Metering
Exposure metering based on a small, central (or selected) area of the frame.
T
Tripod
Three-legged support to keep the camera steady for sharp or long exposures.
Tilt-Shift
Lens movement to control perspective or plane of focus; also used creatively.
Time-Lapse
Sequence of images captured at intervals to create accelerated-motion video.
V
Vignetting
Darkening toward the corners of an image, optical or added for effect.
Viewfinder
Optical or electronic window for composing and focusing the image.
W
White Balance
Color temperature setting to keep whites neutral under different lighting.
Wide-Angle Lens
Short focal length lens providing a wide field of view.