reflection... Incredible photographs where the landscape is perfectly mirrored by lakes

 

 

The perfect locations for a spot of reflection... Incredible photographs where the landscape is perfectly mirrored by lakes It may look like computer trickery and nifty photoshop skills, but these stunning images are nothing but the pure beauty of mother nature - and a very patient man. Photographer Kevin McNeal, 40, has spent the past six years searching for the perfect reflection, picturing landscapes and their mirror twins in the water. The images are the results of his journeys across North America where he locates the perfect spot and after careful planning, luck with the weather and hours of waiting, gets the shot. Double beauty: The mountains of Banff National Park reflected in Lake Fall Colors in Canada Mountain view: Hiding in the bear grass, the photographer captured the sun setting over Mount Adam reflected in the Takhlakh Lake in Washinton U.S. Mission: It took Kevin six years of trekking around North America to capture these perfect mirrored images, such as this in Banff National Park, Canada Mr McNeal became a nature photographer after ditching his life working on the cruise ships for one behind the camera. A majority of of the beautiful images were shot in national parks across the U.S. Pacific Northwest and in Kevin's native Canada. He used wide-angle lenses to achieve the shots and often returns to the same spot time and time again to work in the perfect conditions. Kevin, who lives in Seattle, Washington, said: ‘My favourite place to shoot is in the Canadian Rockies as well as the Maritimes in Eastern Canada. ‘I really like to have something strong in the foreground that really pulls the viewer into the image.' Morning: As the sun rises over the cliffs it paints the mountaintops in a warm yellow, reflected as a fiery orange in the lake below the Canadian Rockies Rocky hills: Pictured are Bow Lake, Alberta, Canada and Convict Lake in California Mountaineer: The Canadian mountains are Kevin's favourite place for landscape photography and they appear in many of his images, such as this one No fakery: Although the images look like they have been photoshopped, they are in fact the result of careful planning and close attention to the weather forecast Patience: Kevin McNeal spends hours on each location, awaiting the perfect conditions to best catch the sun's reflection of the background in the water below Misty morning: Fog rises over Assiniboine Mountain which is located on the border between Alberta and British Columbia in the Canadian Rockies ‘Many of the shots were physically and mentally tough. I would have to return to the same locations several times to get good weather conditions. ‘Without a doubt the winter images have always been the toughest to get. Some of the images I have been returning to the same location for several years and it is always a long process that can be very frustrating. But I do like the challenges and excitement when everything comes together. I'm on the road about 150 days a year which my wife Toni doesn't like very much but I wouldn't change it for the world.’ A summer's day: A glorious morning at a quiet lake near Pyramid mountain in the photographer's native Canada Ruby red reflections: The hunt for the perfect mirror image means returning to the same spot over and over and be ready the second the moment is right Native: A sunny day in Mt Rainier National Park, Washington, sees the mountain mirrored in Indian Henry's Pond Pink skies: Sunset over Schwabacher Landing in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming paints the sky in rosy colours Happy homes: Lake cabins by tranquil water in the Canadian mountains and in a U.S. National Park No Kidd-ing: Mount Kidd in Alberta, Canada, gets a twin in the water at its feet as the sun paints it yellow Wintry set: Snow covered mountain slopes under an icy-blue sky near Wilcox Pass in Alberta, Canada are perfectly copied in the lake Warm hills: Another visit to Indian Henry's Pond in Mt Ranier National Park resulted in this mirror image nearly too good to be true All real: This purple and fuchsia colour scheme over Wilcox Pass in Canada has not been added on a computer but after hours of patience appeared on the evening sky Serenity: Not so much as a ripple in the water to disturb the peace along the Rockwall Trail in Kootenay National Park in British Columbia, Canada Fight for beauty: Six years of travels may be worth it for images like this one, depicting a sunrise over Canada's Lake Louise, splashing pink and orange across the clouds Flower bed: Seemingly endless rows of red tulips line a watering system in Skagit Valley, Washington Subtle movements: The travelling clouds entice the viewer to linger on the picture of Nevada's Pyramid Lake in the early morning hours Right place, right time: A perfect copy of the steep hills surrounding Bench Lake, Idaho, U.S. can be seen in the water Purple reign: The majestic Forever Glacier rises high and mighty above the Canadian forests Under the surface: The mountain range at Upper Kananaskis Lake in Canada seamlessly blend into the water before unveiling the rocks below Foggy memories: The reflection in a shallow lake in Grand Teton National Park as the early morning mist lifts from the surface Rocky road: Twilight time at Lake Ohara in stunning Yoho National Park, British Columbia A starry-eyed photographer has captured the beauty of the Milky Way above the Himalayan night sky - after taking a midnight walk due to insomnia. Dedicated snapper Anton Jankovoy trekked up a staggering 15,000ft to reach a good vantage point to try and capture the perfect pictures. But after numerous attempts he failed to spot the amazing array of solar systems and stars he wanted to picture. Spectacular: These photos of the Milky Way above the Himalayas were taken by Anton Jankovoy on a midnight walk he took while unable to sleep Amazingly, however, the photographer chanced upon the phenomenal view after taking a late-night walk when he was unable to sleep. One image shows the sprawling collection of stars, planets and solar systems hovering above the highest mountain range in the world. The 23-year-old's results are spectacular - perfectly catching a series of stunning shots appearing to stop the movement of the universe in its tracks. And another shows a guest house stayed in by Anton as he made his descent, with the Milky Way above the mountainside chalet. Each one of the incredible images took hours to capture and expose - all while enduring freezing conditions. Anton, from Zhytomyr in the Ukraine, said: 'This photo is taken in the highest mountains in the world - the Himalayas. 'Patience': The pictures take hours to expose, so Anton turned to meditating as a way of coping with the cold 'The photo of the Milky Way above the mountain range is in the Mardi Khola valley with the beautiful stars above it. 'It wasn't tourist season and only nature lovers were there. At night none of them slept and made lots of noise which I could not stand. So I got clothed and went out for a walk instead and saw the absolutely stunning view. 'I quickly got my camera as fast as I could and got the shots. 'I love the pureness of nature and the beauty of the mountains and endlessness of the Universe. These are the things that inspired me to take this shot. 'I find it very sad, that with the lifestyle of modern humanity, one out of five people never gets to see the Milky Way. In the big cities everybody is rushing about living their daily lives, without even knowing that wonders like that exist here on Earth. 'Sometimes it's just enough to look up or around to see how wonderful it can be - these pictures prove that.' Anton's stunning shot above the Himalayas has won him professional acclaim. And the Ukrainian photographer revealed how he turned to meditation in a bid to stave off the chilly conditions experienced in Nepal. He said: 'When I was taking the shots it took a long while. I could never imagine this photo would get so popular - maybe I need to go to the Himalayas more often.' The experienced landscape photographer added: 'I adore photography, especially landscapes because I can just sit there and observe the nature around me. It's so peaceful. 'But because Milky Way images need very long shutter speeds they take a lot of patience. I've learnt how to endure the freezing cold by meditating. It's surprising but it really helps. 'All my childhood I dreamt about mountains and hoped to visit Nepal one day. Now I have done that. It has taken a lot of dedication and patience but the result has been worth it.' Milky Way: The distinctively shaped galaxy in which our solar system is located is difficult to capture on film Stunning vista: The sun sets on Forsinard Flows RSPB reserve in Sutherland in the Scottish Highlands Mists and mellow fruitfulness: The hazy hills around Glastonbury Tor in Somerset The Assynt mountains from the summit of Cul mor in the Scottish Highlands Crowning sunlight: The clouds open at Ballynahone bog in County Derry, Northern Ireland Gentle countryside: Halnaker Windmill amid a wheat field on the South Downs National Park near Chichester, West Sussex Waves crashing over rocks at the coast the Point of Stoer in the Assynt Mountains A moorlandd pool in the Assynt Mountains and the Scottish Highlands Mystical: The view over Butermere in the Lake District at dusk Eye-catching: A flower-filled meadow and pool near Stac Colgach in Sutherland Dawn awakening: The start of the day at Bass Rock in the Firth of Forth Rugged beauty: The Old Man of Storr at dawn on the Isle of Skye Top of the world: The impressive view from the summit of Sgorr Tuath in the Assynt mountains Wild and wonderful: The view from Blackbeck Tarn towards Buttermere in the Lake District National Park in Cumbria Stark: The Suilven mountain viewed from near Lochinver in Sutherland A Scots pine tree stands proudly by Loch Maree in the northwest of Scotland Colourful: A rainbow lights up the sky surrounding Glen Affric in the Scottish Highlands Foreboding: Dark clouds surround the hills of the Lake District Misty mountains: A panoramic view of a shimmering Loch Leven in Glencoe village near Fort William, Highland region of Scotland Pure beauty: A lone building throws atmospheric shadows over a breathtaking vista at the wild Loch Leven Caught in time: Black Mount Hills covered in brilliant white snow on a sunny winter's day and mirrored in a frozen Lochain One atmospheric picture shows mist rolling in over Loch Leven near Glencoe village in the wild Scottish Highlands. Another shows the plunging V-shape of Loch Achtriochtan and its mirror image as it plummets towards the lake. The imposing Black Mountains are seen still capped in snow on a sunny winter's day and reflected in the glittering frozen Lochain below. Still waters run deep: Dark rock sweeps down to a perfectly calm lake at Loch Achtriochtan, Glencoe True blue: A spectacular early morning in Grasmere near Ambleside at Cumbria's Lake District Awe-inspiring view: Loch Ba' rises up in the distance behind the rolling clouds over Rannoch Moor The grand slope of Lochan na h-Achlaise glows in a soft light above the craggy Rannoch Moor, while a more gentle scene captures the blues of an early morning in Grasmere near Ambleside at Cumbria's Lake District. Once home to many of the Lakeland poets, the area has a rich history that is still honoured today by captivated artists, writers and craftspeople. A typically British autumnal scene across Loughrigg Tarn near Ambleside in the Lake District Twice the fun: This amazing panoramic view of Loch Leven reveals detailed reflections of distant mountains including Pap of Glencoe and scudding clouds Pretty as a painting: Reeds poke out of the still water at Lochan na h'Achlaise among Black Mount Hills of Rannoch Moor 'The scale of the landscape is also awe-inspiring, while wild weather brings out the drama and character of the scenery. 'I’ve explored and photographed the Highlands in all seasons and it remains a constant source of inspiration – nature in its raw state.' Incredibly, many of the pictures were taken using the pre-digital technique of physical transparencies. Postcard view: A panoramic landscape picture taken at Ullwaters, in the Lake District Snapshot of history: Alnwick Castle in the distance against shimmering water in Cumbria