Antelope Canyon near Page AZ reality check

[Tim k]

I am planing a trip next month, and one of the stops is going to be upper Antelope Canyon.

I'm still a bit slow with the 4x5, but I am learning, if you give me enough time, I can actually get something on film.

So, question is; with the crowds that I am expecting, and limited focus light, do you guys think that am I setting myself up for a frustrating stop off? Should I leave the 4x5 in the truck and just take something quicker, that runs on batteries? I understand that the tourist infestation is nearly terminal.

I understand that there are other slot canyons nearby that are not so busy, that I do plan to drag the 4x5 into, but upper Antelope seems to be the most dramatic, and its a must see for me.

Look forward to your thoughts.
Thanks guys

[John T]

If you go to the Upper Canyon, you can buy a photographer's pass which gives you around 4 hours to wander around on your own. You still have to deal with tours coming through the canyon, but they aren't a huge problem. The biggest problem are the photographers who jump in front of your camera just before you are ready to take the photo and say "I'll be quick", take a photo, then move a couple steps forward, do it again and repeat. There was one guy that I had to gently remind that he wasn't the only photographer in the canyon.

BUT, in the end, it was worth it bringing my 4x5.

[eric black]

avoid weekends and youll probably have a great experience- remember to bracket, the light in the slots can be kind of funny at times- also check into prime time which when I was there was around 1 pm for the best light.

[Steve Sample]

I was in Upper Antelope Canyon in early December and still had a few people wandering around. But they moved out of the way quickly when they saw I was taking photos. I used a 4 x 5 and the day was a bit overcast. I needed a small flashlight to see my lens settings and the guide held a light on the rocks for focus. But with long..............exposures of 4 seconds plus at about f 16 I got great photos with my 150 mm lens using Velvia 100 film.

[windpointphoto]

I understand that the tourist infestation is nearly terminal.



Isn't this what all of us are?

[Mark Sawyer]

I understand that the tourist infestation is nearly terminal...

Keep an eye on the weather; Arizona's monsoons are forecast to start early (late June/early July) and be wetter than usual. Blue skies can turn ominous in under an hour. In a slot canyon, the flash flood from a storm can be truly terminal...

[Bill_1856]

Leave the cameras at home, enjoy the canyon, and buy a postcard.

[John T]

Ignore Bill_1856

Instead be a photographer and enjoy

[Tim k]

Isn't this what all of us are?

Umm :D

[Tim k]

Bill,

That might be the best advice, but I got this GAS problem that I have to justify from time to time.

[Eric Rose]

don't pass up lower antelope as well. fewer people.

[John T]

Oops. The photo pass is for the Lower Antelope Canyon, not the upper.

[Turner Reich]

Take the camera, buy some postcards, shoot some and have some fun. Don't worry about how much or how good, relax and don't pressure yourself.

[windpointphoto]

My wife and I went on a "photo tour" last Sept and it was a real cattle call. There were 4 photo groups, 2 reg tours and 1 tour with music. Even using the digital it was damn near impossible to set the small tripod up. And we had a good guide who really tried his best. The Upper is stunningly beautiful but very crowded. You cannot go into it without a guide and don't even try to drive yourself, you won't make it.

David Hedley recently posted a great photograph of the Lower Canyon and gave me this advice: Hi Len; I think the photo tours go to the upper canyon, which can get very busy. Most of my photographs are from the lower canyon - we made our own way there (i.e. not part of a tour), and were amongst the first people through the canyon, at around 9am in the morning.
HTH
David

[windpointphoto]

Hey Turner, glad to see someone else is up a 2AM on the posts!

[Duane Polcou]

http://www.americansouthwest.net/slot_canyons/water_holes/canyon.html

If you want the same experience photographically with no crowds.

[George Stewart]

I have shot Antelope Canyon several times; once with an 8x10-camera. Although I did get one or two good shots with the beast, I felt that my experience and results were better with the humble Nikon D2Xs. The speed and ability to bracket with digital make for many more and better images. My HDR images from digital were worth the effort. The main problem of shooting LF were the crowds of people. I ended up just setting the camera up, doing a rough focus, and stopping the lens well down. Subsequent shots were not framed or focused, as there is little light, but just aimed and shot.

IMHO, the best results are obtained with a DSLR or preferably MF digital, a wide lens, and a lot of bracketing. Digital's ability to bracket with the ultimate purpose being HDR makes it the way to go with respect to Antelope Canyon.

[Bill_1856]

Bill,

That might be the best advice, but I got this GAS problem that I have to justify from time to time.

Tim, I gave GREAT advice -- I don't always follow it.
Have a wonderful trip.

[Mike Reyburn]

I visited upper Antelope Canyon a couple of weeks ago on a Friday. My wife and I signed up for the 2 hour photo tour at $45.00 each plus a $6 per person permit. I took my view camera but discovered the the canyon was filled with several regular tours (one hour) plus two or three "photo" tours. I estimate there were at least 150 people in the canyon between 11:00AM and 1:00PM. We had so little time at each location that I was able to only use my Canon G10 digicam resting on my LF tripod. The majority of the visitors were foreign tourists. It appears this site in on the "must see" list for all tourists. The air was completely filled with dust. The guides throw sand and dirt into the air at the light beams to provide diffused light for everyone to photograph. You can imagine what this effect would be on LF lenses and shutters. Fortunately I left my gear in the backpack and only my G10 bit the dust. I did get several good pictures but the real value of the trip was just seeing the canyon.

Antelope Canyon is a beautiful place but in my opinion, it has been extensively commercialized and is not the place it used to be 25 years ago.

[Sideshow Bob]

If I never see another photo of Antelope Canyon it would be fine with me.

Gale

[Jim Michael]

I asked my wife about this as she photographed in both the upper and lower canyon a couple of years ago. She said that although there were a lot of people in the upper canyon it worked out OK since they posted someone to stop traffic while an exposure was being made and folks were cooperative. She was shooting with her Hasselblad with a group that was mostly shooting digital.

[Michael Rosenberg]

I visited upper Antelope Canyon a couple of weeks ago on a Friday. My wife and I signed up for the 2 hour photo tour at $45.00 each plus a $6 per person permit. I took my view camera but discovered the the canyon was filled with several regular tours (one hour) plus two or three "photo" tours. I estimate there were at least 150 people in the canyon between 11:00AM and 1:00PM. We had so little time at each location that I was able to only use my Canon G10 digicam resting on my LF tripod. The majority of the visitors were foreign tourists. It appears this site in on the "must see" list for all tourists. The air was completely filled with dust. The guides throw sand and dirt into the air at the light beams to provide diffused light for everyone to photograph. You can imagine what this effect would be on LF lenses and shutters. Fortunately I left my gear in the backpack and only my G10 bit the dust. I did get several good pictures but the real value of the trip was just seeing the canyon.

Antelope Canyon is a beautiful place but in my opinion, it has been extensively commercialized and is not the place it used to be 25 years ago.

Hey Mike,

Glad to see you made it back. It was neat bumping into you on the road.

Some friends of ours were passing through Page at about the same time, and had the same experience. We had just been in Peek-a-Boo and same thing, packed with people and a lot of boot marks on the walls. Slit canyons are just too popular any more, and don't offer the same experience and awe.

Mike

[Tim k]

I visited upper Antelope Canyon a couple of weeks ago on a Friday. My wife and I signed up for the 2 hour photo tour at $45.00 each plus a $6 per person permit. I took my view camera but discovered the the canyon was filled with several regular tours (one hour) plus two or three "photo" tours. I estimate there were at least 150 people in the canyon between 11:00AM and 1:00PM. We had so little time at each location that I was able to only use my Canon G10 digicam resting on my LF tripod. The majority of the visitors were foreign tourists. It appears this site in on the "must see" list for all tourists. The air was completely filled with dust. The guides throw sand and dirt into the air at the light beams to provide diffused light for everyone to photograph. You can imagine what this effect would be on LF lenses and shutters. Fortunately I left my gear in the backpack and only my G10 bit the dust. I did get several good pictures but the real value of the trip was just seeing the canyon.

Antelope Canyon is a beautiful place but in my opinion, it has been extensively commercialized and is not the place it used to be 25 years ago.

Yuck, see this is what I am worried about, thank you. Maybe I should take one of those cardboard disposable cameras. Yes, thats it.... and if I could find one in 8x10 with Velvia, with a really fast lens.
I suppose one could just put everything in a baggie, and decide at that moment whether to be a tourist or a photog.

[Tim k]

If I never see another photo of Antelope Canyon it would be fine with me.

Gale

Bob, the funny part is that I AGREE with you.

[Chuck Pere]

Maybe try a wide angle Holga pinhole:
http://www.freestylephoto.biz/193120-Holga-120WPC-Wide-Angle-Pinhole-Plastic-Medium-Format-Camera?cat_id=2202
Fast Delta 3200 film?

[scott_6029]

JACKSON BRIDGES - PERIOD...hire him to guide you around to fantastic places...most off the beaten path around Page and he will take you to unique canyons as well...better than antelope imo and not as 'photographed' - with NO other tourists.

jacksonbridges.com

i have used him several times. You may see my canyon shots on my website...and I would agree the canyons are 'overshot'...but worth seeing for sure. I think with jackson you would enjoy yourself. it's a private tour basically. he only takes 1-3 photographers at a time.

he can also take you around page for other fantastic photography. and because he is a photog, he gets it.

And he will help you with gear etc. I have done 4x5 and 7x17 with jackson...great guy too.

Best.

[scott_6029]

Tim, I also used 4 x 5 for the canyon shots. Just bring some plastic baggies for your lenses and film. not that big of a deal. In addition, Jackson can assist with exposure recommendations, metering, etc. if you would like help in that area.

[Tim k]

For what its worth...

We did lower, with the 4x5 and it was not any problem at all. When they saw all the junk we were packing, they simply gave us a photo pass. Basically they just left us alone for all the time we needed. But they did say only 4 hours.

There were a lot of people, and it was crowded. But the people sorta came and went in waves.

Never did make it to upper. After all morning in lower, we were wiped out.

[Mark Sawyer]

If I never see another photo of Antelope Canyon it would be fine with me.

Gale

But just once, I'd like to see it depicted as the traffic jam/tourist trap it has apparently become...