Araz Jakalian Photography

"Sunrise at Lake Louise"

We arrived at Calgary airport at around 11pm, rented a car, had some chinese food at 1AM, then drove to the parking lot of Lake Louise, slept in the car for a few hours, got up at 4:15AM and captured this scene at 5:38AM exhausted but happy.

Poem by Julie Vigneaults

« Le sablier du silence »

Une léthargie nuageuse a envahie ma tête. Péniblement, elle m’infiltre dans le sablier du silence. De feu solaire en neiges éternelles, mes angoisses m’insinuent entres des montagnes de certitudes jusqu’à s’échouer vainement sur les plages d’un horizon de précarités. En fragile équilibre entre de vaporeuses confusions et le marbre d’une accablante éventualité, mon anxiété se mire dans un lac de paradoxes. Si le miroir limpide m’offre la perspective d’une baignade purificatrice, il me reflète aussi trop parfaitement mes ténébreuses réminiscences.

Je redoute obstinément la profondeur des eaux et tente de me soustraire à cette noyade symbolique. Je voudrais me hisser sur les parois montagneuses dans une ultime ascension de raison. Mais, je ne peux rien contre l’écoulement perfide du silence. Le sablier m’emporte et me laisse déchue, le cœur en pierres, aux pieds de la sombre réalité du paysage. Je t’attends désormais en silence, l’âme en avalanche, entassée parmi des cailloux qui formèrent, jadis, l’inukshuk de ta présence.

« The Hourglass of silence »

A cloudy lethargy has invaded my head. Painfully, it infiltrates me in an hourglass of silence. From solar fire into eternal snows, my anxieties insinuate me among some mountains of certainties until it stranded vainly on the beaches of a horizon of insecurities. In fragile balance of misty confusions and the marble of a devastating event, my anxiety is reflected in a lake of paradoxes. If the mirror gives me the clear prospect of a purifying bath, it also too perfectly reflects my dark memories.

I dread stubbornly the deep of the water and try to withdraw myself from this symbolic drowning. I want to climb on the mountain walls in a final ascent of reason. But I can not flow against the perfidious silence. The hourglass takes me and leaves me fallen with my heart of stones, at the foot of the grim reality of the landscape. Now I'm waiting in silence, my soul in an avalanche of stones who once used to form the Inuksuk of your presence.

"Sunset at Moraine Lake"

Moraine Lake is located near the town of Lake Louise, Alberta

I am fortunate enough to have a family of Swallows living in a bird house in my own bakyard. Once the chicks were born, the parents kept feeding them constantly which made for great photo opportunities.

This scene was created on the island of Maui, on the road toward the little village of Hana. The waterfall is fed my a much larger waterfall not too far away. Tranquil.

"Colours Of St-Zenon"

Although you don`t see it in the photograph, it was a cold, windy and wet day but well worth the effort.

"Untitled"
(panorama of 3 photos)

I worked really hard for this one! Let me explain. This beautiful waterfall named Waimoku Falls was captured on the island of Maui at the end of a trail called Pipiwai Trail. This part of the island is past the little village of Hana and practically at the opposite end of where we were staying. Eventhough I left before sunrise I only arrived at 6 pm, there is so much to see on the road to Hana (for example see Enchanted Forest below and Green Harmony above). The hike to this waterfall is almost 2 miles (3.2km) and requires, I was told, anywhere from 2 to 5 hours. So my dilema was: I`m at the opposite end of the island, it`s 6 pm, a 2 hour hike in front of me with diminishing light... Regardless, I hit the trail with a quick pace so I could make it to the waterfall before the light dissapeared. The hike was simply awesome, passing through so many variety of landscapes, I could not do it justice so I won`t try to describe it. The waterfall is located as you exit the Bamboo forest, yes bamboo forest! The first time you see it you simply gasp! You are at the bottom of a 150 foot towering waterfall looking straight up. At that point I had just enough light to capture the lower part of the waterfall as a panorama and left for the dark and long, long trip back... All worth it. The print is simply stunning with rich detail and beautiful colours.

"Enchanted Forest"
(panorama of 3 photos)

These beautiful Rainbow Eucalyptus trees were captured in this panorama at the Ke'anae Arboretum on the island of Maui. When the bark peels off, these beautiful colours are revealed. It was raining on and off, as it often does on the road to Hana, yet it was a bright day so the light was great for such a composition.

Send me an e-mail Araz@ArazJakalian.com