edmonton

YEG Lookbook: May

yeg, edmonton, may, sunset, walterdale bridge
| alannakyee

May flew by just as quickly as the spring blooms came and went! It was a warm and pretty month in Edmonton, more than making up for the long winter that sustained itself well into April. If it weren’t for seasonal allergies, this would probably be my favourite time of year here to photograph (with September’s fall colours, mild weather, and more reasonable sunrise times currently taking the crown).  There’s nothing quite like the anticipation of Edmonton’s bustling summer months, with the mercury rising and days lengthening! Take a look back at my May favourites from all around #YEG.

 

 

 

 

 

YEG Lookbook: April

yeg, lookbook, spring, april, north saskatchewan river, sunrise
| alannakyee

From a low of -18°C all the way up to +27°C, April was one of those capricious transitional months where we got a little bit of everything. Take a look at the photos below, and without context you might start to think that they were taken in four different seasons! But NOPE—that’s just what we endured here in Edmonton over the past 30 days. Here’s your look back at April in #YEG featuring thawing landscapes, a sun pillar, the northern lights, befuddled geese, and an ice-capped beach.

YEG Lookbook: March

lookbook, march, featured image, winter, spring, fog, sunrise
| alannakyee

Three months into 2018—can you believe we’re already a quarter through the year? They say that March comes “in like a lion, out like a lamb,” but I can’t say that that expression is reflected in the photos I captured this month. You can still feel that winter chill in the air and see the snow on the ground, despite the days getting longer and the fact that we’ve technically entered spring. Such is life when you live in the northernmost major city in North America, I suppose.

Minor complaints aside, March was still a pretty month to photograph, with the aftermath of fresh snow yielding some of my favourite shots. Here’s your monthly look back at March in #YEG:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ice Castles Edmonton

blog, edmonton, hawrelak park, ice castles, winter
| alannakyee

blog, edmonton, hawrelak park, ice castles, winterYou’re missing out on winter if you’ve never been to an ice castle.

Seriously.

Only three seasons after Ice Castles LLC (based out of Utah) first brought their glacial creations up north, it’s hard to imagine an Edmonton winter being quite as magical without them.  Whether you love or hate this time or year, visiting the castles are bound to leave you with a greater appreciation of the season (you have sub-zero temperatures to thank for the ice castles’ existence), and/or a little more inspiration to tolerate those last few months of cold.

And if you happen to walk away feeling neither—well, at the least, you’re guaranteed to come away with some Instagram-worthy photos. Here’s a look back at some of mine:

Ice Castles Edmonton 2017/2018 version, November 2017:

 

Ice Castles Edmonton 2017/2018 version, end of February 2018:

 

 

 

 

Ice Castles Edmonton 2016/2017 version, January 2017:

 

 

 

Using water from the North Saskatchewan River and taking 5000 man hours spread over 8-10 weeks to create, the castles stand in Hawrelak Park for two to three long months of winter ending around mid-March. Best time of the day to go? Just before sunset, on a day with clouds (the difference is clear between last year’s visit and this year’s visit). I hear night time is also supposed to be pretty spectacular, but I can’t speak from personal experience. Fingers crossed the Ice Castles crew comes back to Edmonton next year as I’d love to return for an evening visit!

A handful of other cities across North America (and one in New Zealand!) have had ice castles—have you been to one? What was your experience? Let me know in the comments below!

lookbook, edmonton, hawrelak park, ice castles, winter

This post has been written in the spirit of “Out of This World”, the theme of a weekly photo challenge set by the editors at WordPress.com.

 

 

YEG Lookbook: February

edmonton, yeg, whitemud ravine, nature, sky
| alannakyee

We’re two months into 2018 now which means the worst of this season’s winter weather should be behind us, fingers crossed! I had fewer opportunities than usual to shoot photos, but sticking with my goal of posting a monthly #YEG lookbook, I put together some views from the River Valley, the Flying Canoe Volant festival, the Ice District, Whitemud Ravine, and the Ice Castles. Enjoy this month’s look back at February in Edmonton:

Alberta Legislature Lookbook: Christmas

edmonton, lookbook, alberta legislature, christmas
| alannakyee

It’s the most magical time of the year to visit the Alberta Legislature! The grounds and building are festively decorated during each holiday season, and this year the atmosphere is made complete by the addition of Christmas music playing over the sounds system (which I hadn’t noticed in previous years). Here’s a look at what you’ll see during an evening walk in the area (highly recommended!).

The inside of the Legislature makes for a nice visit as well. Multiple choirs and other musical ensembles have put on noon hour and evening shows for the past 30+ years that are open for free to the public. Keep it on your radar for next year if you want to hear some holiday tunes (the programming this year finished on December 23).

The often overlooked Federal Building on the north side of the Leg Grounds is worth a stop for their gift shop called “Alberta Branded”. It’s stocked with all sorts of art made by Albertans from across the province.

Merry Christmas and thank you to everyone out there who helped support me in my photographic endeavours this year, which included setting up my own Etsy shop!

For some more festive photos, have a look at my Festival of Trees Lookbook here.