Grand Circle

Escalante Butte – Lipan Point, Grand Canyon National Park

 Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Colorado River, Desert, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, Nikon D3x, Photography Technique, Robert H Clark Photography  No Responses »
Aug 042011
 

Escalante Butte and the Unkar Plains, Lipan Point, Grand Canyon National Park. Shot with a Nikon D3x and Nikkor 70-200mm lens at 150mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f11 for 1/2 of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. This one is short and sweet. I am leaving early Saturday morning for the North Shore of Lake Superior for my workshop with Alec Johnson. Alec and I are heading up early on Saturday to set up for the workshop and to get in a little shooting before everything starts in earnest on Sunday. We are looking forward to a great photography event for the week. I might be able to get in a post but time will be limited so for now I will leave you with another view from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. This view is from Lipan Point on the South Rim. The massive formation in the foreground is part of Escalante Butte. This is a late afternoon shot with an open, cloudless sky, and a hard blowing wind. I used the rock outcrops on a point away from the parking area to find some shelter from the wind. With the bright sky and no clouds I choose to shoot some of the canyon details and after some exploratory compositions settled in on this view of Escalante Butte and the Unkar Plains along the Colorado River. The low sun angles lit up the Escalante formation which provided at beautiful contrast to the diffused, soft light in the inner canyon.

As to technique I shot from a low tripod position for a more solid platform to combat the high winds. I also use mirror lock-up to help eliminate any other potential camera shake. The light was not changing too quickly so I had plenty of time to wait for the winds to cycle. Pretty simple, I know, but in windy conditions it pays to be patient and consistent in your shooting methods.

Well that is about it. I’ll send out an update if I can from Lake Superior.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

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Sandstone Flow – Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

 Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Desert, Glen Canyon, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, Navajo Lands, Nikon D3x, Photography Trips, Split Neutral Density Filters  No Responses »
Aug 032011
 

Sandstone Flow, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona. Shot with a Nikon D3x and a Nikkor 24mm PC lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f13 for 1/2 of a second. The white balance was set to 5500K.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. Only a few days now before the Lake Superior Workshop. The usual last minute details from work and family commitments, in addition packing, are consuming my time. It is interesting how everything becomes an issue or at the very least appears in the flow of energy while you are trying to get away. The trick I think is to prioritize them on a list and take care of the important ones first. Some of the issues, like a squeaky, spinning wheel, are loudest but will have no impact and therefore should be tabled until your return. I have given up on perfect, calm, trip preparation. I have tried it all. Pack late in a rush, pack early to get a jump on it, but in the end all the “monkeys are trying to jump on my back” to get attention. Oh well, it is what it is. And it is the price we pay for pursuing our passions. I do pack early. Often a week to two ahead. This is simple preparation of cameras and equipment which I manage off of a checklist. Then clothes. I keep outdoor gear in separate bins so it is easy to pull out and select based on the predicted weather conditions. I just try to stay in a defined flow as I get ready not trying to have too many ups and downs along the way. I am the type that likes to have all the ducks in a row so to speak. It just gives me a little peace of mind when I am away. So stay in the flow. I highly recommend this approach.

Today’s image is all about flow. The flow of time and energy. I marvel when I see these formations formed by the forces of water and wind. Sculptures created by the slow processes of nature in the flow of time. Nature is a patient artist. It is a good thing though for we need a counter balance to human impatience. We are constantly on the move to the next thing often unaware that we just missed something really important. Personally I am the master of this behavior and I need to listen to my own advice. When I am in the field I do finally stop. The noises in my head and the constant pressures of the “monkeys” nipping at my heals are released and I am, for a brief moment, free to contemplate something as sublime as this sculpted stone. So much color, light and shadow, and connection from earth to sky with ripples that gave way to lines, that rolled into waves, that carried me away. For a brief moment in time all that defines me in “the real world” is washed away in the stone waves and I am left to simply contemplate its complexity. The real world will come back soon enough. But on this day nature asked me to stop and stay awhile. On this day I was caught up in a different flow and time stood still.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

 

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Coronado Butte – South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park

 Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Colorado River, Desert, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Nikon D3x, Photography Trips, Singh-Ray Filters, Split Neutral Density Filters, sunset  4 Responses »
Jul 292011
 

Coronado Butte, South of the Grand Canyon. Shot with a Nikon D3x and a Nikkor 24mm PC lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f13 for 0.7 seconds.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. I am a week away now from the North Shore of Lake Superior Workshop and I am busy balancing my work load and getting ready for the trip. Packing is not really a problem for me as I keep shooting and outdoor gear organized. I do not like last minute packing because this is where you can forget something in the mad rush to head out the door. I have also been working on several new blog posts and I have to pull images to present at the workshop. So its never a dull moment.

Light at the Grand Canyon can go from contrasty and dull to sublime in a matter of minutes. And sometimes it takes just a little longer for the magic to occur. Several days before I took this image I scouted this location which required an off trail climb to get out to the rim. It is a spectacular location that works equally well for sunrise and sunset. This is Coronado Butte looking east at sunset. To the west a massive cloud was blocking the sun and for over an hour I pondered my chances of the sun being able to clear the cloud bank and dropping along the horizon. I knew if the cloud shifted enough the sun would drop into a clear slot and light up the butte. Within minutes of sunset my patience payed off and Coronado Butte was bathed in a brief but beautiful light. The rim edge glowed in the warm light as the clouds overhead revealed a deep blue sky.

This image was all about pre-visualization. I knew the sun angles and given the right atmospheric conditions I would be rewarded with an atypical Grand Canyon image. I used a Singh-Ray 3-stop soft edge split neutral density filter to balance out the sky and foreground exposure. My white balance was set to 5500K which I adjusted slightly in processing the RAW file.

Hopefully I can get out another post before heading out to Lake Superior. If not I will see you back here in a few weeks.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

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Mountain Sheep Canyon – Navajo Lands, Arizona

 Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Desert, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Mountain Sheep Canyon, Navajo Lands, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Slot Canyon, Slot Canyon Photography, Sony α900, Zeiss Lenses  4 Responses »
Jul 232011
 

Fracture, Mountain Sheep Canyon, Navajo Lands, Arizona. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 24mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f13 for 1/2 of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. One of the interesting aspects of writing a blog is finding out what posts are the most popular. WordPress offers a nice statistics section in their content management system that tells you the number of visitors, search criteria used to find your site, and a counter to the most visited pages. Interestingly, in my mind at least, there have been quite a few searches and visits to many of my Mountain Sheep Canyon images. Mountain Sheep is small, hidden jewel, located outside of Page, Arizona on Navajo Lands. The canyon is only accessible through a photographers trip offered by Carol Bigthumb of Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours.

Unlike Upper and Lower Antelope, Mountain Sheep Canyon is what I refer to as an open top slot. It has a straight in entry and only requires a little bit of scrambling. It takes some effort to get out to the canyon through sandy washes but the canyon receives few visitors making it a special place to photograph. Because of the wide open top light can be intense and often many of the formations are blown out. The better photographs come by looking for the reflected light on the canyon walls and creating compositions that focus on the lower parts of the canyon. The light changes rapidly and you should look for compositions during the trip in and out.

Slots are formed by the erosive forces of water that flow during flash floods through the sandstone drainages. Rocks, sand, tree limbs and other debris contribute to the carving of the canyon walls and are often deposited along the floor after a flood. The fast moving water scours the walls revealing intricate and colorful layers of stone. In many cases the water is caught in whirlpool like eddies that over time carve out chambers and alcoves in the rock. Ultimately this is how rooms in slot canyons are formed. The image above shows the beginnings of a small alcove where the swirling water has begun to carve a semi circular space in the stone. The group of rocks in the alcove are transient visitors and may move on during the next flood.

Thank you for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

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South Rim Sunset, Lipan Point – Grand Canyon National Park

 Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Colorado River, Desert, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, Navajo Lands, Nikon D3x, Photography Composition, Photography Trips, sunset  No Responses »
Jul 092011
 

South Rim Sunset, Lipan Point, Grand Canyon National Park. Shot with a Nikon D3x and a Nikon 70-200mm lens at 85mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f13 for one second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. I am finally home after being away for the last ten days to participate in my daughters pole vaulting camp. Not too much in the way of landscape shooting but a lot fun photographing the vaulters. Now that I am back I can concentrate on some of my latest landscape shots from my last trip to the Grand Canyon.

Today’s image was made from Lipan Point on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. If I had to make a choice of favorite shooting locations on the South Rim, Lipan Point would get the nod. The vista looking towards the East Rim Palisades is truly remarkable. In my humble opinion when I think about the grand landscape my mind invariably goes to this view. It is an arguable point and some of you may choose other locations from Yellowstone, Glacier, or even Yosemite. But my heart lies here. On a recent trip to the National Gallery of Art I found myself pondering some Albert Bierstadt paintings. In many of his paintings the foreground was rendered in detail which gave way to a vastness of suffused light and detail. His paintings often used atmospheric effects such as dramatic lighting, fog, clouds, and mist to complement his work. Though I am not comparing my image to the work of Bierstadt, his paintings were on my mind as I shot this day. The late afternoon light was beautiful. A gusty wind whipped up dust in the inner canyon and the Painted Desert beyond. The wind, in fact, was brisk and I had to find a sheltered shooting position on a point out from the overlook. Shooting with a large lens like the 70-200mm can present problems with camera shake in the wind. To help I shot from a lower position with my tripod legs spread wide to provide more stability. Focusing was done manually through live view and I used a small weighted beanbag on top of the lens to dampen some of the wind movement. I also set the camera to shoot with Mirror Lock-Up. In most cases, not always though, wind comes in cycles of high intensity to near stillness. When confronted with wind pay attention to the cycles and wait for the calm cycle to trip the shutter.

At this time of the day, and year, it pays to understand how the sun will illuminate the canyons features. As the afternoon sun moves lower in the sky, light will begin to soften in the inner canyon to the point where certain landforms are lit while others are not. In this image the sun is strongly illuminating Escalante Butte, to the left, and Cardenas Butte, to the right. The inner canyon light is softer and there is only a hint of light along the upper rim of the East Palisades. The effect is truly beautiful and dramatic. The image has a strong foreground with detail that gives way to an atmospheric condition brought on by wind blown dust particulates. The paintings of Bierstadt were indeed on my mind this day. To understand how the light changes and is affected by other environmental conditions compare this shot with the June 23, 2011 post which was shot on a different day.

The image was processed to emphasize the leading lines that draw your eye into the image. The line of “light” running up Escalante Butte on the left gives way to the darkened ridge line that frames Cardenas Butte. From there I increased the contrast and detail in the Colorado River to lead the eye towards the lighted rim of the East Palisades and the mass of Temple Butte in the Upper left. This image remains one of my favorite shots I have taken from this location.

Thank you as always for stopping by to visit.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob


 

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Sandstone Wave – Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

 Abstracts, Adobe Lightroom, Arizona, Color Burn Technique, Glen Canyon, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, Nikon D3x, Photography Technique, Singh-Ray Filters, Split Neutral Density Filters, sunset, Twilight Photography  No Responses »
Jun 252011
 

Sandstone Wave, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona. Shot with a Nikon D3x and a Nikkor 24mm PC lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f13 for 1/4 of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. In an article I posted on the Singh-Ray blog I talked about photographing images at the edge of light. I am continuing to explore this notion and to attempt to make images that capture the last fleeting moment of light before it disappears. I was shooting in an around the area surrounding this wave of sandstone. Earlier in the afternoon the light illuminated all of the formation, washing out most of the subtle color in the layers of sandstone. As the sun set I started watching the light move up and realized I had an opportunity to capture the edge of light. In this case I was attempting to shoot formation just as the last waves of light hit and before the sun dropped below the horizon. The nice part about this time of day is there is still a lot of soft, ambient light which helps bring out subtle details. The beautiful flakes of stone and striations were full of color-yellows, rose pinks, magenta, and a chalky blue-white. In the distance Navajo Sandstone hills gave way to soft clouds.

This shot is all about the timing and you have to pre-visualize the last strokes of natures light source. You also have to keep your eye on the horizon and watch the suns position as it drops. Within a few minutes of setting up this composition I knew I would get a last brush of light across the top of the wave. In order to maintain the balance of light I prepositioned a 3-stop, Singh-Ray Soft Edge, Split Neutral Density at the point where I believed the last rays of light would strike. Then I just waited and watched the light. I made a few test exposures to check my histogram and then took the shot. Not only did I get a beautiful wash of light across the top but I was able to pick up the subtle illumination of sandstone edges in the wave like striations. As it turns out this was the keeper of the day for me.

The RAW image was processed in Adobe Lightroom to ensure I had enough headroom in the file to bring out the edges and colors. This file is extensively dodged and burned with both light and dark layers to create the 3-D effect evident in the stone. There is also a color burn layer to accentuate the soft colors in the file.

Thank you as always for stopping by to visit.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

 

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Sandstone Portal – Lower Antelope Canyon

 Antelope Canyon, Arizona, Desert, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Lower Antelope Canyon, Navajo Lands, Photography Trips, Slot Canyon, Slot Canyon Photography, Sony α900, Zeiss Lenses  4 Responses »
Jun 042011
 

Sandstone Portal, Lower Antelope Canyon, Navajo Lands, Arizona. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 24mm. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 1 second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. I had just a bit of time between my trips to post this image. I will be heading back out tomorrow for work in Washington, DC and then out to the Grand Canyon and Page, Arizona the following week. Today’s image of this beautiful sandstone arch was shot in Lower Antelope Canyon. I continue to be amazed by the geological diversity found in a slot canyon. Here, at a turn in the canyon, subtle striations give way to an arching fin of stone carved by the forces of water. A sculpture revealed ever so slowly over time by the subtle removal of material. I wonder just how long it took. And how much longer will it take for water to carve away until it separates completely and is washed away. Eons I should think.

One of the techniques I use when shooting in slots is to shoot from a low camera position. I do this to help emphasize vertical height and to bring in foreground elements to aid in composition. Here I am working with some implied motion created by the layers in the stone. By shooting low and including the mass of rock in the foreground I can create dynamic leading lines that take your eye up the fin. The light is also working for me in the composition as the fin is beautifully lit and subsequently framed by the darker walls beyond. The original RAW file and the final Photoshop Master File was processed to accentuate the leading lines and the play of light.

I’ll be back in a few weeks with shots from the Grand Canyon and some new slot canyon images from Canyon X.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

 

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Sandstone Fins – Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

 Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Desert, Glen Canyon, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, Navajo Lands, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Sony α900, sunset, Twilight Photography  2 Responses »
May 312011
 

Sandstone Fins, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Sony SAL 20mm lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 1/2 of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. Over the next few weeks I will be pretty busy with work related items including some travel time. To this end I may not be able to get up another post  before I return towards the middle of June. I will tell you that the back end of my travels will take me once again to the Grand Canyon and up to Page for a little slot canyon photography. I will be shooting in Canyon X, Secret Canyon, and out at the Fins at Waterholes Canyon, all on the Navajo Reservation. I have wanted to shoot both of these canyons for quite some time and I am quite excited to see them. The Fins are a collection of striated stacks of sandstone similar to todays image. If I have a chance to post another image before I get away I will. But if not I will see you again in a few weeks.

Today’s image was shot at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. On the road leading out of Page, towards the Glen Canyon Dam, there is a turn off to the right that will take you to a parking area. From there it is an easy hike in multiple directions out into the sandstone play land along the lakes edge. You do not have to travel far to find interesting sandstone formations and patterns. There are quite a lot of these sharped edged, stacked sandstone fins, that really glow in the early morning or late evening light. This image was shot in the late evening when I had just arrived in Page. I came down just after checking into the hotel just to unwind from the trip. It was an evening of beautiful light and a great way to start off another shooting adventure.

If I have the time I often like to begin a shooting trip in this manner. This was not my intended destination but it served to get my mind in the right frame and helped me to unwind and get ready for the next day. All too often we arrive with very little time to prepare and have to jump straight into our main subject. The results can be discouraging and I can think of many occasions where I have lost a days worth of shooting by simply not having my head in the right frame of mind. Learning to ease in, such as in this case, has helped me calm down and experience the light and feeling of a place. In many cases by letting go in such a way your “wind down” excursions can produce some very nice images. Afterwards a nice dinner and then checking your equipment sets a relaxed tone for the next day. Give this a try on your next trip.

I will see you again in a few weeks, and hopefully, with a lot of new images from a spectacular slot canyon.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

 

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Enveloping Storm – Grand Canyon National Park

 Arizona, Colorado Plateau, Colorado River, Desert, Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Circle, Landscape, Landscape Photography, National Parks, Photography Trips, River, Sony α900, Zeiss Lenses  4 Responses »
May 292011
 

Enveloping Storm, South Rim, Grand Canyon National Park. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Zeiss 24-70mm lens at 40mm. Image exposed at ISP 100 at f16 for 1/2 of a second.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. This image was shot at Moran Point on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. I woke on this day to a canyon enveloped in storm clouds and while I did not hold out much hope for any photography this morning I still drove out to the rim to check on the conditions. When I arrived a stiff wind was blowing and the clouds began to lift and roll out from the canyon floor. At sunrise the clouds lifted towards the east to reveal the sinuous curves of the Colorado River. Ever so subtle, the rising sun lit up the river, and brought shape to the canyon beyond. Within minutes however, the eastward blowing storm soon enveloped my position and pelted me with ice and rain. I had a dickens of a time keeping the lens clear of water droplets. I was able to get 6 shots off before the vista became cloud bound again. By this time the rain was falling in earnest and I had to pack up.

In all honesty when I got up that morning it was all I could do to force myself out into storm. I was thinking a little more sleep and breakfast at the El Tovar Hotel sounded like a much better idea. But I had never seen the canyon like this before so I just willed myself to move. Six shots. That is all I got. Six photographs captured on a CF card. But it is not all that I got. I will tell you that watching the storm roll through nearly brought me to tears. The sheer power and majesty of being in that moment is still with me today. I can still see the swirling clouds rolling up from the canyon floor. The North Rim horizon was completely socked in. Scale and distance was lost in the clouds, swept away to the east on a brisk wind. I can still feel the stinging touch of ice and hear its pinging notes as it struck my camera. Nature put on a show for me that morning and I felt small and humbled by this gift. Six shots. That is all I got. That and a lifetime of memories. Oh, and I did get breakfast at the El Tovar.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

 

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Ghost Dancer – Upper Antelope Canyon, Navajo Lands, Arizona

 Antelope Canyon, Arizona, Chiaroscuro Lighting, Colorado Plateau, Desert, Grand Circle, Navajo Lands, Photography Technique, Photography Trips, Slot Canyon, Slot Canyon Photography, Sony α900, Upper Antelope Canyon  4 Responses »
May 142011
 

Ghost Dancer, Antelope Canyon, Page Arizona. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Sony SAL 20mm lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at 3.0 seconds at f13.

Hi everyone and welcome to today’s post. Well, it is now late spring when a photographers thoughts turn to chasing light beams in Antelope Canyon. Ok, I know that I might be stretching things a bit for some of you who think that spring fosters the sling of Cupid’s Arrow. I cannot speak on matters of the heart but for me, May is the time when the angle of the sun changes and brings spectacular beams of light in Upper Antelope Canyon.

This image was made in Upper Antelope Canyon, located just outside of Page, Arizona, on the Navajo Reservation. The Navajo guides are very good on the timing of the beams in the various chambers and will place you at the right time to capture them as they emerge. But it pays to be attentive to other opportunities. In this instance I was setting up for a shot more to the camera right position when I looked into the chamber beyond to see this subtle wisp of light. The beam literally shimmered and danced hence the name of this shot, “Ghost Dancer”. I see many things in this image that speak to spiritual matters. The dancing beam and the beautiful light illuminating the canyon roof are powerful archetypes. But if you look closely at the buttresses, and with imagination, you can see many faces etched in the rock. And at the top of the first buttress is an orange ellipse with pointed rays like the sun. The Navajo guides can show you many things carved into the rock by the forces of wind and water. For them the canyon is a spiritual place-a sacred place that is home to many living spirits. After many trips here I have begun to find some faces of my own. They reveal themselves slowly and only if you are ready to see. In my first trip to the canyons I really did not see. Like many first time visitors I aimed my camera at anything that glowed. But over time I have slowed down and now walk the chambers with a more “in the moment” approach. When you slow down many things are revealed to you. I can hear the wind and the subtle falling sounds of minute grains of sand. The dynamic chiaroscuro lighting envelopes you-darkness gives way to light and back to darkness. The rock itself is cool to touch and if you run your hands along the surface you can feel the lines of age cut by natural forces. Light and dark, ancestral faces and animals embedded in the rock, and dancing ghosts of light; if you do not believe this place has a spirit then you have no soul. A strong statement I suppose. But seeing and feeling is believing.

Double Light Beams, Upper Antelope Canyon. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Sony SAL 20mm lens. Images exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 6 seconds.

Ghost Beam, Upper Antelope Canyon, Navajo Lands, Arizona. Shot with a Sony a900 and a Sony SAL 20mm lens. Image exposed at ISO 100 at f16 for 8 seconds.

The Laser, Upper Antelope Canyon. Shot with a Sony α900 and a Sony SAL 20mm lens. Image exposed at f13 for 15 seconds.

 

With the above in mind I want to layout a few tips while shooting in the canyons. Before I even talk about equipment or shooting I would ask that you go in with an open mind and a sense of respect. For many of the Navajo guides this is their home and the home their ancestors. Take only pictures and leave only footsteps. The light beams are very popular and the canyon will be very crowded during the summer months. To get the best possible results you should book a Photographers Tour. I would suggest contacting Carol Bigthumb of Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours. Carol or her guides will place you in the right position and hold back the crowds to allow you the chance to capture some truly amazing images.

As to equipment you must go light and you must be prepared to make quick changes. I carry two bodies with matching quick release plates. One is set with my 20mm or 24mmPC lens and the other with a 24-70. The shots above were all captured with my 20mm which is my weapon of choice. The canyon is narrow and if I need to “zoom” in I just shift my position.

All my shots are done in Manual Mode. I am an old “match needle” guy and I like the control of adjusting the +/- through the Command Dial. As to exposure I will set all controls to what the camera meter believes is correct and view the histogram. Keep in mind that with such extremes of light the histogram will show clipping in the darks and the highlights. I look where the bulk of the mid-tones are located and change my exposure to move those zones to the right and more towards the middle if I can. Make sure you have the blinkies turned on. Some highlight blow-out is to be expected but you want to avoid blowing out the tones in between the mid-tones and highlights. From there take a shot and then bracket around this point.

A tripod is required, period. Exposure times are long and you cannot hand hold your camera to get these shots. Leave the flash at home. The Navajo guides will ask you not to use flash and your photographic results will be quite disappointing. And along with the tripod do not forget you electronic shutter release. Shoot in mirror lock-up mode to minimize and potential camera shake.

Shoot with low ISO. Todays cameras are quite good at controlling noise but I still prefer the shooting at ISO ranges of 100 to 200 and longer shutter speeds. A longer shutter of from 2 seconds or longer is necessary to capture the ghost like beams. The guides will toss sand into the light and longer shutter times will give you the shimmering movement.

When possible shoot from a low tripod position. When the light beams occur their contact with the ground will produce a hot, white spot. By lowering the camera position the spot becomes thinner and less pronounced. As you can see the dynamic range of light is incredible. Deep shadows to blown out highlights. Bracketing exposures for blending will help you in post processing. However I will tell you the shots above were done in a single capture so it can be done.

I do not use filters to enhance the color. The intensity of light and color is already there. I do not use the Auto WB but instead set my exposures on the K scale. Typically I set this in warmer light to 5500K. If I want to pull out more cooler tones I will set it to a tungsten setting around 3200K.

If you are planning a trip to Antelope Canyon I hope this small bit of information will help you take some great images.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Hozógo nasádo (Navajo): Walk in Beauty

Bob

 

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