______________________________________
P H O T O G R A P H Y
travelled to Arizona but have never heard of Antelope Canyon.
Located on Navajo reservation land just outside the town of Page,
upper and lower Antelope Canyons are a holy mecca for slot
canyon photography. Equally worthy of a visit by non-
photographers, the hordes of vacationers power-boating on Lake
Powell are apparently oblivious to these world-class slot canyons
just a few miles away.
Rifts in the earth created by centuries of wind and water, the
canyons can be several hundred feet high and yet only a few yards
wide in places. With patterns worn in the red Navajo sandstone and
dimly lighted from above, the interplay of shadow and reflected light
-- and laser beams of direct sun if you're there at the right time --
slot canyons are unlike any other place you're likely to experience.
Antelope is one of the world's very best. It's certainly the most
photographed.
Despite its relative anonymity with the masses, you're not likely to
be there alone. Enough people, especially photographers, know
about Antelope and the space is sufficiently confined that it can get
quite crowded. Crowded with tourists, crowded with Navajo guides,
crowded with tripods. This place is worth it however, and there are
ways to carve out personal space for reflection or photography.
More on that in a moment.
First, some logistics. You can't just drive up to Antelope Canyon
and walk in. It's on Navajo land and you'll be a guest of the people
that live there. That means you must hire a Navajo guide, which is
actually pretty easy to do. In fact, I booked ours ahead of time
through the Powell Museum website. They take bookings for
several licensed tour operators. We used Antelope Canyon Tours
by Roger and Carolene Ekis.
You'll want to schedule a tour for the time of day and length of visit
that fits your needs. Here's my suggestion for photographers going
to the canyon in the summer months: Go just before noon and take
the "extended" tour. Why mid-day? Because you will have your
best chance to photograph sun beams, like the one in the photo on
the left. These laser-beams of light can be the ultimate Antelope
photo or just a delightful surprise. In either case, you'll only see
them at mid-day when the sun is directly overhead.
Why take the extended tour? Because that's your best chance to
carve out that personal space and (relative) solitude that I
mentioned earlier. The extended tour is essentially a second hour.
The majority of your fellow tourists will only be there for the first
hour, and while they're on the truck travelling back to the parking
lot, you'll be left in relative peace and quiet. At least until the next
tour arrives. But hey, that's enough time to rip off about 150 shots.
Trust me, I did it.
In case you are wondering, you pay more for the extended tour.
Figure $40 to $50 per adult, and that doesn't include a tip for your
guide. My advice, don't complain about the cost. Seriously, only
the most obtuse or unfeeling would object after seeing living
conditions on the reservation. Besides, even forty or fifty billion
wouldn't make up for the historical wrongs done to these people.
Pay your money and say thank you.
Now for the truck ride to and from the Canyon. There's really
nothing I can say to prepare you for it. Picture benches bolted onto
the back of a flat bed truck, with a canopy over top. Now picture
that truck, jammed with tourists, hurtling down unpaved roads at
(what seemed like) 60 miles an hour. The dust plume is probably
visible for miles. Use the seat belts . . . and hang onto your hats
and small children. Thankfully, it's a short ride, and your arrival at
the entrance to the canyon should calm any frayed nerves.
Earlier I mentioned an upper and lower canyon. The upper canyon
is the most popular, easiest to navigate, and the one I toured. The
upper canyon allows you to walk in at ground level and is only about
a quarter of a mile in length. The lower canyon requires ropes or
ladders to descend into it and isn't for the sneakers and sandals
crowd.
The lower canyon is also more susceptible to flash flooding.
In 1997, 11 tourists died when a flash flood tore through the lower
canyon. The Navajos have taken measures to prevent this from
happening again, but you should check the weather report yourself
before leaving. It's also important to know that downpours many
miles away can create these floods. If you doubt the danger and
ferocity, consider the photo to the left. That piece of driftwood was
15 feet above the ground and was probably lodged there during a
flash flood. Thousands of people have safely and enjoyably toured
both canyons. Just be aware of the danger and use common sense.
Photographers will have to deal with two specific challenges. One is
a constant "drizzle" of very fine sand that descends upon you from
above. Don't expose the inside of your camera any more than
necessary. Lean over your camera when changing film or lenses,
or go outside and then return. On particularly bad (windy) days you
may even consider using a camera hood to protect your equipment
while shooting. The other challenge is that the lighting is very
subtle. There are only two solutions: Shoot at a high ISO (not a
good solution) or use a tripod. I strongly recommend the tripod.
At 50 or 100 ISO, exposures of 20 to 30 seconds are not unusual.
Bracket your shots, as your camera's meter can be easily fooled.
And no flash! It will wash out all the color and you'll be disappointed
with the results.
Photographing in Antelope means that you can throw out the
conventional rule book. Don't be afraid to point your camera up,
down or sideways. There are no conventional perspectives inside
the canyon. Allow some areas of your composition to go black.
It will enhance the photo and you're not likely to capture the full
dynamic range of light and shadow. Also avoid direct sunlight
except when shooting the sunbeams. Any direct (rather than
reflected) light will burn out to white.
Don't be afraid to try some unconventional things. I've seen great
photos of people standing directly in a sunbeam. The effect is
ghost-like. I've also seen 20 or 30 second exposures where people
wandered around in the shot, leaving little ghost trails behind them.
This is a fun place to experiment and burn lots of film.
And don't forget to step back and admire this monument to the
forces of natures. Antelope Canyon is a spiritual place to be quietly
absorbed by photographer and non-photographer alike, especially
in its quieter moments.
and light
Antelope Canyon
Antelope Canyon
or other use of images or text is expressly prohibited.