Byron Harmon arrived in Banff from Tacoma, Washington in 1903 as a travelling photographer. The landscape and the spirit of adventure which permeated the Rockies captivated Byron and set the stage for his life's work. He became Banff’s first resident photographer and filmmaker, photographing until his death in 1942.

Byron Harmon embarked on his photographic career with a homemade camera and no film. He had set up a small portrait studio in Tacoma, Washington but had no money left for film. Not to be dismayed, he found himself a client and pretended to take her portrait, asking for a small deposit. Using the deposit to buy film and claiming that the original photograph was unsatisfactory, he took the woman's portrait in earnest and never looked back.