For the longest time, I have had this detailed picture in my mind of being in a boat with high canyon walls around us as we navigate the waterways. But as I unfolded the layers of memory from my mind, I realized that the image comes from the detailed planning that I did for a trip to northern Arizona years ago which got aborted when trip companions decided to drop out at the last moment.
In the spring of 2018 we finally made it.
Southern Utah & Northern Arizona are blessed with unique world class natural beauty. The Grand Canyon NP and Zion NP are destinations in themselves and dwarf other less travelled sites like the Antelope Canyon where nature has successfully used water as a tool to sculpt soft rock into shapes and formations leading beauty which can be artistic, abstract and flowingly natural at the same time. In my opinion no trip to the southwest is complete without seeing the Antelope Canyon but given the logistics of the place, it needs some early planning.
There are 2 locations: The Upper and the Lower Antelope Canyon and 2 types of tours – “Sightseeing” for 60 minutes and a “Photography” tour for 120 min. Most people choose the sightseeing version and there are multiple slots during the day. The mid-day ones are the earliest to sell out because the light in the canyon is the best, however this also means that you have to deal with really heavy crowds, short tempered guides. The early AM and late afternoon ones are quieter but then the light in the canyon is past its prime. In comparison, the photography tour runs only once a day when the light is the best, but you spend 2 hours inside, and it costs a lot more.
Given we decided on the trip late, I consider myself extremelylucky that I was able to reserve a spot for a Upper Antelope Canyon photography tour just 3 weeks before the trip. I checked maybe 5 or so tour operators before I was able to find one who had an opening (and I triple emailed them to make sure that they do not lose my spot due to any reason). All tours are run by Navajo natives as it is on their federally marked land, so expect a different experience than say a trip to Disneyland.
Antelope Canyon Navajo Tours have their main office 2 miles outside the city of Page, AZ. I made sure to visit them a day before my trip to make sure that they had my spot. I am usually not this paranoid but given that they had “reserved” a spot for me without any money changing hands and openings were so hard to find, I thought extra caution was worth it. They confirmed my reservation but still refused to take any money asking me to be there at 10am the next day – an hour before the prescribed time for the tour.
The next morning as I normally do before a planned shoot, I did my research of the location, conditions and chose & configured my gear. I checked the tripod, attached the base plate to my Fuji XT2 body, ensured batteries in the camera and grip were 100% charged and attached my 10-24mm Fuji Lens. In the camera I set the auto focus and ISO settings and film emulation setting to “Fuji Velvia” for saturated colors. Pretty much, the gear was tuned to the shoot, and I still had my camera bag with other lenses if I realized that I needed to switch on location. Most importantly research had educated me to shroud the camera in a rain cover due to the dust and sand in the air. This information was useful, because it really meant that changing lens is risky because if dust or sand gets on the camera sensor it results in a botched shoot or even worse painstaking hours to remove dust artifacts in the digital image during post processing.
I was at the tour office at 10am, greeted by a line of tourists all looking for a spot for the days planned sightseeing tour. When my turn came to get to the counter, I provided my reservation details and they confirmed my spot and finally the money changed hand … and then they asked to see my gear… Really! I think I actually asked the guy on the counter if he was serious…. I mean, I paid for the tour their asking price of $130, what difference does it make if I actually shoot with a mobile phone or a relic point shoot – or for that matter if I even shoot at all. But no – they wanted to see a SLR and a tripod and no exceptions. The reasoning they gave me was that the spots are limited and they want to make sure that the real enthusiasts/ professionals get a spot. The other benefit of joining a photography tour is that you can take a backpack (presumably with your photo gear), whereas in the regular tour, no packs of any kind and only a water bottle is allowed.
My tour had a total of 4 people including me, and per their guidelines the tour started on time and we departed the office area @ 10:45am in a large functional but beat up 4WD driven by our guide Charles. It was a 10-minute off-road drive to the entrance of the canyon, and by the tour start time of 11am, we were all at the entrance. Charles’s guidance was simple – “stay together and follow me” – and with that he pulled up his scarf to cover his mouth and nose (I was to find out why later).
I do not know if we got lucky with Charles or if this is the standard way these tours are run, but the photography tour is an immersive experience. There is not much talking by the guide except – “setup here and shoot pointing there”. There is no blurb about the history of the place, who discovered it, stories about people who died there in a flash flood or “look up – that is the impression of an elephant’s face”. It’s all about taking you to a special location for an interesting view so you can take some good pictures. You jostle with fellow photographers for position in a cramped space, look for that unique composition, use your tripod in creative angles – all in search for that perfect shot… and I loved it. To make the most of it, photographers should be experienced in shooting in dim light, very familiar with their camera systems and settings, adept at tripod mounted shooting and composing and shooting quickly as the light changes constantly.
Once inside, the canyons walls, the colors, the texture of the rock and the sunlight from the cracks above will cast their spell and instill one of two emotions: awestruck as in frozen in wonder at this natural marvel, or frantic shooting because you know you have only limited time and hence must shoot as much as you can. Having done this, I would suggest using the first few minutes just observing the place, its exceptional beauty and the otherworldly sense it inspires. Also spend some time connecting with your guide and discussing how he has planned the shoot and what are his suggestions in terms of shooting spots etc.
The 2hr photo itinerary runs methodically – as a photographer you will be treated special comparatively to the other sightseers. While the sightseers are basically hurried through for their 45m tour, the photographers are treated with more respect. The guides all know each other and help each other out in keep people out of your frame, giving you the extra 30seconds for that last shot. During the shoot, you traverse the complete length of the canyon and come back to the starting point – giving ample time to get some good photographs.
Once in photography mode, your camera will 100% of the time remain mounted on the tripod and your work will be:
- Get to the spot pointed by your guide
- Open up tripod, aim, compose and shoot
- Wait for Guide to call “end of shoot”
- Pack up and walk to the next spot
- Repeat
Given the large crowd, your time in a location is limited. Your guide will constantly communicate with other guides to keep the other crowds out of “your” section of the canyon and he will set a timer for say 3-5 min for that specific location. Don’t be surprised if he starts counting down the seconds 30, 29, 28 …. As I said before, this is not the time or place to “learn” – it is all about execution of your skills.
Every world class photo destination has what pro photographers call “the money shot” – it is what they get paid for by their clients. The money shot here is shafts of sunlight piercing through the rock above and hitting the ground. The guides do an excellent job of timing their tour and the stops so that you magically arrive at the best location for that shoot a couple of minutes early, and by the time you are set up, the shaft of light starts dancing on the rock and inching the floor – you can actually see it in front of you (if you are brave enough to peel your eyes from your viewfinder). The max photo groups that I found congregated were 2 total, making the space cramped, but as I said sharing your space is important. To further enhance the sunlight, guides are equipped with a spade which they use to shovel sand from the floor and throwing it on the walls such that the particles of sand float in the air and it gives a sense of texture to the sunlight. If you shoot low enough shutter speed, you can actually capture movement as in a “waterfall of light” and believe me it looks awesome. The only downside is that all this dust and sand (and it is very fine sand) needs a place to land and it usually is on your gear and hence why a rain jacket on the camera is necessary if you are worried about your gear. It also has a tendency to enter your lungs and hence why guides normally have their mouths and noses covered because they are here many times in a day. This is also the reason why I do not recommend changing your lens in that environment as you risk getting particles on your camera sensor.
In some spots where I could not setup a decent shot or composition, I resorted to shoot with my mobile phone (and I must say Samsung performs much better than an Apple, I compared both). The guides are very experienced photographers with mobiles (guess what visiting families ask them to do most) and it was Charles who showed me the nuances of advanced settings in my Samsung Note 8 to fully exploit its capabilities. So, I recommend learning how to shoot with your mobile in pro mode and using it freely as you walk through the canyon. It would not surprise me if your best shot was with your $800 mobile compared to the $5000 pro gear that you were weightlifting.
The final take is that of yourself and it is worthwhile to give your guide a heads up so he/she can get it at a particularly interesting location. It is the final frame to capture the memory of your unforgettable experience in this truly world class nature’s work of art.
Helpful Tips
Background
Slot Canyons are formed by water erosion of sandstone and limestone rock over time. Usually these canyons run deep and 1-3 ft wide on the surface from where the light of the sun enters the canyon. Over time the erosion and weathering by water leads to unique shapes and forms on the rock and the colors change with the time of the day following the movement of the sun outside.
The state of Utah in USA has the densest population of slot canyons in the world with the majority of them in the southern part of the state bordering with Arizona. Antelope Canyon is a world-famous example of slot canyons and is widely photographed for its unique beauty. It is located on Navajo tribal land near the city of Page, Arizona and consists of the Upper and Lower Antelope canyons.
Why go there: Light reflections off smooth weathered rock, sunlight shafts piercing the canyon, textured face of rock – all leading to sometimes abstract but always intriguing nature photography
Logistics
- Best Months for Photography: Late March – October
- Best time for Photography: The Sun’s movement overhead is critical, so the time changes with the calendar month. Plan for a 2-hour window around the sun being directly overhead. For example, for a trip in late March, 11:00am – 1pm is the best time for photography.
- Who to go with: Both canyons are located on native American Navajo tribal land and any visit requires a tour guide. All tour guide companies are run by the Navajo and there a handful of operators with base offices in the city of Page and some with offices outside the city. Book with a reputed tour company who organizes a good photo tour. There are many flavors – one accompanying photo tour was shorter than ours. Check reviews online before booking.
- Where to go: There are 2 canyons – upper and lower, tourists get distributed between the two. Inside of the canyons is similar, but in the lower antelope canyon, you descend into the canyon, and it is more confined than the Upper. Photography tours are run in both.
- Tour Options: 1hr sightseeing tour, 2hr photo tour (2hr spent in the canyon, travel time to & back from the canyons is extra). Book the photo tour early: The best light is during March – Oct. If you are travelling during this period, best to book 3months plus in advance – especially if within the busy summer tourist season.
Shooting
- Cameras are known to fail inexplicably, fall down etc. If you are on a photo tour, have a backup plan. A current generation mobile phone in pro mode with RAW capture can be a viable backup plan in this situation given limitations of location.
- Take a rain cover to shroud your expensive camera / lens from the dust
- I took my photo backpack inside, but I should have left it in the hotel. If your batteries are charged, and you have a decent ultra-wide zoom (35mm Full Frame: 16-35mm, Mirrorless:10-24mm or equivalent) you are more or less covered. My suggestion would be to absolutely try to minimize your gear for inside shooting.
- If you must shoot close up shots, suggest a second body with the appropriate lens attached. There are 2 reasons for it : One is that you are always shooting in a rush in cramped space, second is that there is sand and dust in the air that can get on your sensor if you try to change lenses.
- Leave the flash in the car. No flash shooting permitted.
- Learn to use the HDR mode on your camera and your mobile.
- Since the shooting is quick, you will not have much time to review your shots on your camera (mobile is easier given the larger screen), know your target apertureo◊-
- Shoot with people in the frame. People are so focused on shooting the rock, they forget to add the people to the story.
- Learn to use the pro camera mode on your mobile and shoot freely with it.
- There is enough light for autofocus to work, so focus on your composition.
- There are 4 primary shots inside: Texture on rock, Sunlight shafts, Colors & Shapes. Each requires a careful use of apertures and shutter speeds
- For the sunlight shafts, make sure you take some with slow shutter speeds to get effect of motion of the sand in the air
- ISO: Since you will be shooting on tripod, consider setting your ISO to the native ISO for the best resolution. For my XT2, it is 200. If you use in “Auto ISO” mode, your camera will calculate ISO automatically and sometimes shooting at high ISO (translates to artificats, less details, noise etc.)
- When shooting tripod mounted, even the act of pushing the camera shutter release button can cause a shake. Hence a remote trigger can be handy -either a wired or a wireless type. Or you could use the built in self timed trigger in your camera.