Johnston Canyon Engagement | Laura Barclay Photography

Erin and Bart wanted to incorporate a bit of adventure and hiking into their engagement shoot, and decided somewhere in Banff National Park would be perfect. We hiked into Johnston Canyon just before sunset and ended up being the only ones on the entire hike. It was so calm and peaceful, and unlike how I had ever seen it before. Usually the trail is packed with tourists, so it was quite a treat having no one else around.

My hubby and dog tagged along on the shoot, and we spent the evening exploring the caverns and caves of Johnston Canyon. They also brought their dog, and being a huge dog person, I always love when couples want to incorporate their pups into the session. The four of us had a great time hiking and chatting along the way, and it was such a joy spending time with these two.

Erin and Bart were so easy to work with and had fun making each other laugh. When we got into the cave, it was hilarious trying to relay what I wanted them to do over the crashing noise of the waterfall. My hubby and I ended up recreating the pose from a distance so they could see what I was trying to shout!

*This spot is always a favourite with couples, but I want to mention that this cave has now been closed to public access to protect the nesting habitat of black swifts. The park is handing out pretty hefty fines to trespassers, so unfortunately I won’t be shooting at this amazing location anymore. Since I am a Biology graduate, I like to nerd out a lot, so for anyone else that is interested, the reason the park has done this is because this cave is the only known nesting sites of black swifts in Alberta, so it is obviously of great importance that they are not disturbed.*