slot canyon support

[dave4242]

hi all,
with the "no tripod" policy for slot canyons is there a monopod that works well when doing long exposures for medium format or "hand held" LF cameras?
thanks!

[f9likethekey]

Last year I spent some time around northern AZ and southern UT with my 4x5 and ended up skipping all the slot canyons that had a no tripod policy. These tours typically are overpriced and rushed through (hence the no tripods). If you're in that area I would recommend some BLM land areas in southern UT vs any "tour" through a slot canyon.

[Jim Noel]

There used to be a monopod with a small tripod base. These might have worked,although Idoubt it because ofwind in the canyons. other than that, i don't think a monopod will be of much help for some of the very long exposures.
Now I'm even more happy I Went Before there were guided tours.

[Drew Wiley]

Find another slot canyon that isn't a big tourist attraction with cluttered formal tours. There are quite a few. Just be aware of safety issues in slots. There are several websites dedicated to the subject, giving locations, skill level required, etc. But all kinds of little ones exist which are off the radar completely, which can be every bit as interesting photographically. I don't know why everyone thinks they have to take pictures of the same thing, the same way.

[dave4242]

hi all,
I'm actually thinking of the slots in escalante but I thought using antelope would be easier for people to think of solutions. im interested in zebra mostly, i love the shots that people have taken but I keep reading about tight quarters and no place to setup my Canham so looking for alternatives. its been fun figuring out a lightweight handheld 4x5 but for long exposures wondering how to brace it so trying the hive mind
agree before when there was "photo" tours antelope was fun and an experience now every time I pass by there are so many buses and people I don't even consider turning off the highway.

[Drew Wiley]

Those slots can be pretty darn dark. If you want handheld, take a MF rangefinder; but even then, you'll be sorry if you don't have a tripod and sufficient depth of field at smaller stops. Do you really want to have people swarming around you with laptops and cellphones wildly taking snapshots? One direct answer - albeit an expensive one - would be a camera gyro. My older brother often did handheld Linhof Technika shots aboard helicopters (called choppers for a reason - vibration is bad), as well as on factory floors with severe mechanical vibrations rendering tripods useless. The gyro handled these conditions superbly. There is just so much more to see in that part of the world than Antelope Canyon. And down around Zion NP, I wandered into secluded little slots just a few hundred yards from the road without anyone else's footprints around. In Escalante, always ask at the Ranger Station first for the weather forecast before entering the appropriately named Death Hollow area upriver on the trail. There are quite a variety of slots south of the highway, but always plan for a hike with extra water and so forth. Again, there are websites describing these. And if trail access involves dirt roads, remember that slickrock clay can resemble a paved surface when dry, but become terribly slippery soap and sinking gluey muck when wet, making even 4WD travel nearly impossible. But your biggest regret might simply be not having enough filmholders. Gosh that is some amazing country.

[Doremus Scudder]

I was in Page, AZ about a year ago after a hiatus of some nine years. I didn't recognize the place and was really dismayed by the crowds and the commercialization. I didn't even bother to try to get to slots. I'll just have to settle for my great past experiences there (sometimes alone with my tripod for hours. I'd leave the camera working on a 20-30 minute exposure and scout for the next shot... Impossible now).

I'll likely not go back again. There are other places less-traveled; I'll seek those out. I think you should too.

Doremus

[Drew Wiley]

I've hiked in spectacular SW canyons for over a week without running into anyone else. I've also done the same thing in recent years in Sequoia and Kings Canyon Natl Parks, and even within Yosemite NP. Did it last year in Wyoming. Even dayhiking in the GGNRA and Pt Reyes Natl Seashore nearby I know how to find near total solitude for the day. The fact is, 98% of people all crowd into only about 2% of our spaces. I can only repeat the same advice I've given over and over again - study all those postcards, picture books, and Flickr snaps, learn where all those "must see" locations are, and then go the opposite direction!

[Two23]

I've hiked in spectacular SW canyons for over a week without running into anyone else. I've also done the same thing in recent years in Sequoia and Kings Canyon Natl Parks, and even within Yosemite NP. Did it last year in Wyoming. Even dayhiking in the GGNRA and Pt Reyes Natl Seashore nearby I know how to find near total solitude for the day. The fact is, 98% of people all crowd into only about 2% of our spaces. I can only repeat the same advice I've given over and over again - study all those postcards, picture books, and Flickr snaps, learn where all those "must see" locations are, and then go the opposite direction!

It's amazing what you can find when you go exploring on your own with fresh eyes.


Kent in SD

[dave4242]

Thanks everyone