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Writer's pictureNele Remstedt

Six quirky, must-take photos in Canada’s Northwest Territories


Photography in the Northwest Territories - Credit: Angela Gzowski & NWTT

The Northwest Territories is certainly photogenic - from extreme seasons and landscapes to unforgettably unique experiences and traditions, the spectacular NWT provides an endless source of inspiration to even the most amateur of shutterbugs.


Looking for a few suggestions before you point and click? Here are six unreal snapshots to take in the Northwest Territories.

 

Walk on water


Throughout the winter, the NWT’s great lakes and wild rivers freeze over. Because Northerners are a resourceful bunch, we put these frozen waterways to good use, transforming them into ice roads. Youll find these temporary highways across the Northwest Territories. An ice road connects Aklavik with Inuvik, as well as many Sahtu communities along the frozen Mackenzie River. Ice roads link Nahanni Butte and Sambaa K’e up to the Dehcho regions’s highway network and draws motorists to Dettah from Yellowknife over Yellowknife Bay.


Find a clear patch and then watch for oncoming cars. Stare deep down at the lake or river below, judging how thick the ice is by the cracks, and then strike a pose for a selfie as you walk – or sprawl out – on the water.


Ice Road "Footsie" - Credit: Mike Lee

A real freeze frame


It's true, it does get cold here in the winter. But when the temperature dips to -25°C or lower, that just provides ample opportunities to get creative.


How? Leave a banana out overnight. Once it freezes solid, use it hammer in a nail. Better yet, boil some water, launch it an in arc overhead and watch it immediately - and magically – become a cloud of ice.


Winter photography fun - Credit: Aaron Tambour

Or to get really ambitious, grab a box of noodles and go outdoors. Now, pinch a generous mouthful between chopsticks and carefully hold them in place for a few moments until they freeze. Then just let go and walk away for a gravity-defying sense.


The imagination is the only thing that can get in your way.


Blanket toss


Those lucky enough to celebrate Inuvialuit Day in Inuvik on June 5 are blown away by the blanket toss, where residents – and even some visitors – get the rare opportunity to take flight. Where else can one take a selfie as someone flies above you in the background?


Inuvialuit blanket toss - Credit: Alasdair Veitch

Up close giants


A drive through the southern regions of the Northwest Territories brings you through bison country, giving you the chance to take close-up photos of some of the world’s largest land animals from the safety of your vehicle.




End of the road


It's the journey, not the destination.

But when you reach the end of the road – that line where you literally cannot drive any further, where the continent abruptly stops and becomes the sea – you will want to commemorate this moment. Reflect on all that you’ve seen and then snap a photo of Tuktoyaktuk, at the top of the world.


Arctic Ocean sign in Tuktoyaktuk - Credit: Destination Canada & NWTT

A person for scale: giant teepee


In a land as expansive and majestic as the NWT, the size of grandeur of your photos can get lost without a point of reference. The giant teepee on the Fort Simpson Papal Ground Flats will look all the more spectacular when you’re dwarfed in comparison to it.

 



 

Further information on the Northwest Territories can be found at www.spectacularnwt.com.

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