Slot Canyon Colors

WigPro · April 7, 2012

I spent some time in Northern Arizona and Southern Utah a few weeks ago and managed to visit one of the area slot canyons and was fortunate to have the place pretty much to myself.

Shots were all taken from a tripod and using a wired remote to eliminate any camera shake. I shot using live view and was able to somewhat frame using the articulating screen.

My exposures varied and I purposely underexposed many since I was on a tripod and movement wasn't an issue.

I used my Olympus E-30 with the 9-18 wide angle lens. Click pic for larger version.

Thanks in advance for looking and comments and critique is welcomed and encouraged.

Jim

kdog · April 7, 2012

Hi Jim, welcome to the Landscape forum! Nice series. One of the challenges of shooting the slots is dealing with those patches of direct sunlight in the canyon that cause blow-outs in your shots and wash out colors. The easiest way to deal with them is to compose your shots around them.

Do you get to any other places around Page on your trip?

Cheers,
-joel

WigPro · April 7, 2012

kdog wrote: »

Hi Jim, welcome to the Landscape forum! Nice series. One of the challenges of shooting the slots is dealing with those patches of direct sunlight in the canyon that cause blow-outs in your shots and wash out colors. The easiest way to deal with them is to compose your shots around them.

Do you get to any other places around Page on your trip?

Cheers,
-joel

Thanks Joel - this shoot was one of the most challenging I have ever faced for exposure, nearly impossible to get good even light and very difficult to avoid the direct light. I cropped some out and of course when composing tried to avoid it as much as possible. But not on every shot and sometimes I wanted the sunlight to get some brighter color.

I didn't do to much else around Page drove from there to Monument Valley then continued North to Moab and then on to Grand Junction Colorado where I am now.

Still have some traveling to do....headed up to Montana where I leave my rig and fly to work in Alaska all summer.

Jim

DonRicklin · April 7, 2012

Really nice series. I'll be in Page in a couple weeks to try my hand at smilar shots! Hope mine come out as well!

Don

WigPro · April 7, 2012

DonRicklin wrote: »

Really nice series. I'll be in Page in a couple weeks to try my hand at smilar shots! Hope mine come out as well!

Don

I can give you a few tips. This is the Lower Antelope Canyon and I did NOT take a tour, if you just go and pay at the Indian stand at the parking lot for the canyon and if you have a good camera and a tripod with you they will let you go on your own for 2 hours. You MUST have a tripod to be allowed in without being on the tour. It cost me $20.00.

The later in the day you go the better, since you won't have to deal with the direct sunlight pouring in from overhead...I should have gone a little later or early in the morning.

As Joel mentioned try and compose you shots without the overhead light. Plan on using the tripod almost exclusively and you will want to take fairly long exposures stopped way down for depth of field. I used a real wide angle lens which helped. It is very narrow and hard to get just the right angle. I also used a remote to trigger the camera.

Good Luck I will be anxious to see your results.

Jim

kdog · April 7, 2012

WigPro wrote: »

Still have some traveling to do....headed up to Montana where I leave my rig and fly to work in Alaska all summer.

Jim

Wow, what a life. Color me envious.

WigPro · April 8, 2012

kdog wrote: »

Wow, what a life. Color me envious.

I'll fill in a few more details...just to make you even more envious! I work at a remote lodge in Alaska as a fishing guide June through September, then I spend my winters somewhere in the lower 48 in my small 5th wheel camper. Hey someone has to do it!

I appreciate the kind comments, fishing is my first passion and photography is my second!

There are links in my signature which will direct you to my website, the Lodge and my travel blog.

Thanks

Jim

DonRicklin · April 8, 2012

WigPro wrote: »

I can give you a few tips. This is the Lower Antelope Canyon and I did NOT take a tour, if you just go and pay at the Indian stand at the parking lot for the canyon and if you have a good camera and a tripod with you they will let you go on your own for 2 hours. You MUST have a tripod to be allowed in without being on the tour. It cost me $20.00.

The later in the day you go the better, since you won't have to deal with the direct sunlight pouring in from overhead...I should have gone a little later or early in the morning.

As Joel mentioned try and compose you shots without the overhead light. Plan on using the tripod almost exclusively and you will want to take fairly long exposures stopped way down for depth of field. I used a real wide angle lens which helped. It is very narrow and hard to get just the right angle. I also used a remote to trigger the camera.

Good Luck I will be anxious to see your results.

Jim

Thanks for all the insights. I will have a travel (Sirui T-025 5-Section Carbon Fiber Tripod with C-10 Ball Head) and Wireless remote with my Sigma 17-70 2.8 lens mounted on the Pentax K-7.

The timing of our being there may be a issue, though. My wife will be with me and wants to se the canyon, too, Maybe we tour the upper canyon together earlier and I walk the lower alone later in the day. She has walking/stair issues.

Don

WigPro · April 8, 2012

DonRicklin wrote: »

Thanks for all the insights. I will have a travel (Sirui T-025 5-Section Carbon Fiber Tripod with C-10 Ball Head) and Wireless remote with my Sigma 17-70 2.8 lens mounted on the Pentax K-7.

The timing of our being there may be a issue, though. My wife will be with me and wants to se the canyon, too, Maybe we tour the upper canyon together earlier and I walk the lower alone later in the day. She has walking/stair issues.

Don

It sounds like you have everything you need. The Lower Canyon and I believe the upper canyon both have stairs and ladders you need to climb. I know first hand the lower canyon has a few that are NOT easy to get up and down and several other sets are a piece of cake. The one at the end is a very high climb up a series of 4 separate ladders, not difficult, but then again it could be an issue.

A upper canyon tour in the morning and a separate afternoon tour may be the way to go. I am not sure how many stairs / ladders are in the upper canyon since I chose not to take a tour.

Have fun.

Jim

DonRicklin · April 8, 2012

WigPro wrote: »

It sounds like you have everything you need. The Lower Canyon and I believe the upper canyon both have stairs and ladders you need to climb. I know first hand the lower canyon has a few that are NOT easy to get up and down and several other sets are a piece of cake. The one at the end is a very high climb up a series of 4 separate ladders, not difficult, but then again it could be an issue.

A upper canyon tour in the morning and a separate afternoon tour may be the way to go. I am not sure how many stairs / ladders are in the upper canyon since I chose not to take a tour.

Have fun.

Jim

I was given to understand that the upper Canyon was much more of a walk right in and out canyon with few if any stairs and yes the lower was much more strenuous that way.

My wife sketches, so I feel she should be able to fine plenty to relax, sit and sketch while I hike and shoot the lower!

Don

WigPro · April 8, 2012

DonRicklin wrote: »

I was given to understand that the upper Canyon was much more of a walk right in and out canyon with few if any stairs and yes the lower was much more strenuous that way.

My wife sketches, so I feel she should be able to fine plenty to relax, sit and sketch while I hike and shoot the lower!

Don

Well I can honestly say the lower canyon has quite a few ladders in it and is very narrow and a couple of the ladders are at sharp corners in the canyon and take some maneuvering to get down. The entrance itself is a fairly steep narrow ladder...I had to turn around and go down ladder style. The parking lot at the lower canyon has a nice shelter with picnic tables under cover to get out of the sun and weather, so she could relax there while you go down the canyon.

That sounds like the best plan...have fun it is a beautiful spot and worth seeing. Since I chose not to do the upper canyon, I can only speak for the lower and I would imagine the ladders out would be difficult for her. I almost walked back up through the canyon and came out the entrance and in hind sight that probably would have been the better way to go.

Enjoy,

Jim

squirl033 · April 12, 2012

DonRicklin wrote: »

I was given to understand that the upper Canyon was much more of a walk right in and out canyon with few if any stairs and yes the lower was much more strenuous that way.

My wife sketches, so I feel she should be able to fine plenty to relax, sit and sketch while I hike and shoot the lower!

Don

yes, the upper canyon is just a straight walk-in, no stairs or ladders, but the only way to get there is with a guided tour. if you decide to take a tour, pay the extra $15 or so and take the extended "photographers" tour - it gets you a good hour more time in the canyon than the regular tours, and you can actually get shots with no people!

while you're in Page, try to make time for a visit to Horseshoe Bend. it's just a couple of miles south of Page, right off the highway... there's a short drive to a gravel parking area, then about a 3/8 mile hike to the canyon rim. the view is astounding, but not for the acrophobic - it's about 1100 feet straight down, and there are no guard rails. you'll need a full-frame body with a wide-angle lens to get it all in, otherwise you'll have to take multiple frames and stitch, but it's an amazing sight! best time to go is between about 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. too early, and the canyon's in deep shadow, too late and you're shooting into the sun.

DonRicklin · April 12, 2012

Rocky,

Thank you for the added info and confirmation on the Upper Canyon. I will likely take advantage of that.

As to Horseshoe Bend, it is already on our Itinerary on the way east from the Grand Canyon. I was last there 40 and 20 years ago. Looking forward to the return visit!

Don

squirl033 wrote: »

yes, the upper canyon is just a straight walk-in, no stairs or ladders, but the only way to get there is with a guided tour. if you decide to take a tour, pay the extra $15 or so and take the extended "photographers" tour - it gets you a good hour more time in the canyon than the regular tours, and you can actually get shots with no people!

while you're in Page, try to make time for a visit to Horseshoe Bend. it's just a couple of miles south of Page, right off the highway... there's a short drive to a gravel parking area, then about a 3/8 mile hike to the canyon rim. the view is astounding, but not for the acrophobic - it's about 1100 feet straight down, and there are no guard rails. you'll need a full-frame body with a wide-angle lens to get it all in, otherwise you'll have to take multiple frames and stitch, but it's an amazing sight! best time to go is between about 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. too early, and the canyon's in deep shadow, too late and you're shooting into the sun.

Slot Canyon Colors

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