Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Landscape Photography Locations => Topic started by: bellimages on June 08, 2007, 03:00:23 pm
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I see that there are four tour companies (listed below). If you have comments/recommendations as to which one is the best, I'd love to hear about it. As with anything, some are probably better than others. I'll be there in October, and want to make the most of the few hours that I'll be allowed in the caynon.
1. Antelope Canyon Adventures
2. Antelope Canyon Tours
3. Chief Tsosle's Antelope Slot Canyon Tours
4. Overland Canyon Tours
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I see that there are four tour companies (listed below). If you have comments/recommendations as to which one is the best, I'd love to hear about it. As with anything, some are probably better than others. I'll be there in October, and want to make the most of the few hours that I'll be allowed in the caynon.
1. Antelope Canyon Adventures
2. Antelope Canyon Tours
3. Chief Tsosle's Antelope Slot Canyon Tours
4. Overland Canyon Tours
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=121815\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Overland Canyon Tours!
option of Canyon X too.
Photographer friendly and understanding.
www.overlandcanyontours and 928-608-4072
A few of my images from Antelope taken April 2007 can be seen at: www.internationalhouseoflandscapes.com
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Note that you don't need a guide for Lower Antelope.
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There was one with an office in the strip of shops opposite the Best Western in Page, Az, which I used the first day I was there, but the next day I just drove to the entrance. In each case, I went on the photographers tours. Make sure you take this rather than a standard tour - you pay by the hour and are left alone, not ushered through like on the regular tours.
John
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Like kdphotography I also highly recommend Overland Tours. I've used them several times now and each time I came away with great images.
Don
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Note that you don't need a guide for Lower Antelope.
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Are you sure this is till true--I knoaw that it used to be the case but I have been on the Navajo Park Webside and read:
"You must have an authorized guide to Upper and Lower areas of Antelope Canyon. You can contact one of the outfitters below, to make reservations"
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Are you sure this is till true--I knoaw that it used to be the case but I have been on the Navajo Park Webside and read:
"You must have an authorized guide to Upper and Lower areas of Antelope Canyon. You can contact one of the outfitters below, to make reservations"
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AFIK - The point with upper is you can't get to it without a guide. For lower you pay your fee $13? and they "guide" you to the entrance (about 100 feet from the hut), there may be a technical time limit - I saw 4 hours somewhere, but you don't need to go with an organized tour (although some are available).
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AFIK - The point with upper is you can't get to it without a guide. For lower you pay your fee $13? and they "guide" you to the entrance (about 100 feet from the hut), there may be a technical time limit - I saw 4 hours somewhere, but you don't need to go with an organized tour (although some are available).
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That is really good to hear--as I have been confused from what I have read online...
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That is really good to hear--as I have been confused from what I have read online...
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I think the wording on the website is meant to imply that you have to use one of the Page tour companies, but in fact you can show up at the gate and hire a Navajo guide there. The only catch is that going during the off-season there may not be anyone at the gate, in which case you would need to use a tour company.
We're going in a couple of weeks, at this point I'm thinking we'll probably skip the crowds at the upper canyon and just go to the lower canyon. You can spend more time there anyway, plus it sounds like there's more to explore (it's a longer canyon).
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I think the wording on the website is meant to imply that you have to use one of the Page tour companies, but in fact you can show up at the gate and hire a Navajo guide there. The only catch is that going during the off-season there may not be anyone at the gate, in which case you would need to use a tour company.
We're going in a couple of weeks, at this point I'm thinking we'll probably skip the crowds at the upper canyon and just go to the lower canyon. You can spend more time there anyway, plus it sounds like there's more to explore (it's a longer canyon).
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If there's any was to squeeze in upper, it's worth while - it's very different. One other factor - check at lower about conditions, often there's water in parts, and if so you might want to adjust your footwear to you don't have to turn back. Also note that you can walk up top to the end then go down and comeback from the end if you want, or don't want to get your feet wet.
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So, what's the difference "subject-wise" from upper to lower? I've seen some beautiful photos from Antelope Canyon. Are they upper or lower? Is there a lot less light in the lower canyon?
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Less light in upper. Here's a link that has some shots from both upper and lower - as indicated. BTW I suffer from a rare form of dislexia - in addition to not being able to tell left from right, I can't tell up from down - and I suspect that in the captions I've reversed upper for lower. In any event the second, darker set is where you need a guide to drive you in. The first, lighter set is where you can roam on you own.
http://www.timgrayphotography.com/gallerie...lope/index.html (http://www.timgrayphotography.com/galleries/200411antelope/index.html)
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Less light in upper. Here's a link that has some shots from both upper and lower - as indicated. BTW I suffer from a rare form of dislexia - in addition to not being able to tell left from right, I can't tell up from down - and I suspect that in the captions I've reversed upper for lower. In any event the second, darker set is where you need a guide to drive you in. The first, lighter set is where you can roam on you own.
http://www.timgrayphotography.com/gallerie...lope/index.html (http://www.timgrayphotography.com/galleries/200411antelope/index.html)
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TIM, thanks for that info. Your images of the canyon are some of the best that I've seen. One would think that the upper canyon would get more light than the lower one. I guess lower doesn't refer to being deeper down into the ground ..... but probably lower in terms of "beginning to end" ..... it being towards the end of the canyon.
How did you get images without any dust in the air? So many shots that I've seen show dust (from the crowds of people who pass though).
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TIM, thanks for that info. Your images of the canyon are some of the best that I've seen. One would think that the upper canyon would get more light than the lower one. I guess lower doesn't refer to being deeper down into the ground ..... but probably lower in terms of "beginning to end" ..... it being towards the end of the canyon.
How did you get images without any dust in the air? So many shots that I've seen show dust (from the crowds of people who pass though).
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I was there first week of December a few years ago.... no crowds, but the light wasn't vertical either - so no beams. I saw one other person in Lower, and went with a group of about 10 in Upper. I managed to get ahead of the tour going in and followed behind shooting backwards on the way out. There were a number of what appeared to be private tour operators in the parking lot where you turn off the highway (If you're not taking a tour from town) and I suspect I could have got a private tour with any of them (for a few more bucks). Also on the drive into upper the guide mentioned "Little Antelope" and "Rattlesnake" - if I'm ever back there I'll ask about getting into them - but I assume if there were any decent photo opportunities they would be circulating...
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Tim, did you take one of the "photographers" tours? If so, do they allow you to have sufficient time to shoot? Are there other "site seeing" tours passing by while the "photographers" are down there? Or do the photographers get their tour without other people?
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Tim, did you take one of the "photographers" tours? If so, do they allow you to have sufficient time to shoot? Are there other "site seeing" tours passing by while the "photographers" are down there? Or do the photographers get their tour without other people?
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I only had an hour, not the 2 hour tour (but might have been able to arrange a bit longer with the folks actually sitting at the gate. My group was the only one in there at the time (but off season). I've head that on the photo tour the guide will help manage the non photographers so they don't accidentally wander into your shot.
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I was at Antelope for the first time the last week in April, what a sight!
Here a few hints regarding bookings and photography once your are there:
1) If you have your own car, there is no point going through a tour operator. All you need to do is to drop in the day before or first thing in the morning and to book a photography tour from the 'front desk' (a hut in the desert).
2) Four or five jeeps will leave at the same time, one of them dedicated to the photography tour. The best time for vertical rays is about 11 a.m. Time in Page is very confusing because lake Powell covers both Utah and Arizona and the Navajos keep their own time. So I can't remember if we had a 10 or 11 departure! In any case there is only one photo tour in the morning.
3) The guy running the photo tour is very competent and friendly. He will ensure that you get as little disruption as possible from the other tourists, but it is a tall order. He will also move the group from location to location to hit the rays just at the right time.
4) A robust tripod is mandatory. I went out with a good monopod and frankly wasted a lot of shots. Many exposures require 30 seconds! Interestingly I had a higher proportion of good shots in faster exposures with my pocket G7 (stabilised) than with the SLR + monopod!
5) The environment is EXTREMELY dusty: first because you walk over thin sand/dust and second because, in order to capture rays of light, your guide will throw a handful of dust in the air. A fair proportion of that ends up on/in your camera. Don't even think of changing lenses on the fly... This creates an additional problem for non SLRs: my G7 collected tons of dust each time the lens retracted automatically. This still blocks the camera periodically. No amount of blowing and dusting has got it back to peak condition.
6) If you have a fancy tripod, then set it up above head level. On a 30 second exposure the odds of nobody walking into the frame are very slim indeed. This is a very small and very crowded place.
7) Last but not least: hang on to your kit and hat! The guides seem to take pleasure in driving like maniacs on the sand tracks meaning that you definitely need one hand to hold on to the car. It is also very windy, with one of my fellow passengers losing her hat although it was pinned to her shirt.
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I was at Antelope for the first time the last week in April, what a sight!
Here a few hints regarding bookings and photography once your are there:
1) If you have your own car, there is no point going through a tour operator. All you need to do is to drop in the day before or first thing in the morning and to book a photography tour from the 'front desk' (a hut in the desert).
2) Four or five jeeps will leave at the same time, one of them dedicated to the photography tour. The best time for vertical rays is about 11 a.m. Time in Page is very confusing because lake Powell covers both Utah and Arizona and the Navajos keep their own time. So I can't remember if we had a 10 or 11 departure! In any case there is only one photo tour in the morning.
3) The guy running the photo tour is very competent and friendly. He will ensure that you get as little disruption as possible from the other tourists, but it is a tall order. He will also move the group from location to location to hit the rays just at the right time.
4) A robust tripod is mandatory. I went out with a good monopod and frankly wasted a lot of shots. Many exposures require 30 seconds! Interestingly I had a higher proportion of good shots in faster exposures with my pocket G7 (stabilised) than with the SLR + monopod!
5) The environment is EXTREMELY dusty: first because you walk over thin sand/dust and second because, in order to capture rays of light, your guide will throw a handful of dust in the air. A fair proportion of that ends up on/in your camera. Don't even think of changing lenses on the fly... This creates an additional problem for non SLRs: my G7 collected tons of dust each time the lens retracted automatically. This still blocks the camera periodically. No amount of blowing and dusting has got it back to peak condition.
6) If you have a fancy tripod, then set it up above head level. On a 30 second exposure the odds of nobody walking into the frame are very slim indeed. This is a very small and very crowded place.
7) Last but not least: hang on to your kit and hat! The guides seem to take pleasure in driving like maniacs on the sand tracks meaning that you definitely need one hand to hold on to the car. It is also very windy, with one of my fellow passengers losing her hat although it was pinned to her shirt.
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I have to add something, seeing as it is one of those places that is sooo exquisite.
Upper really is THE tourist site, one is packaged in and out. The Lower site is THE one, you just drive up, pay your $20 for 3 hours and take a 2 min walk to the canyon.The upper site is all one level, whereas at the lower you have stairs/ladders (quite easy to handle with gear in a backpack) and I would say much more grandeur, more space, fewer 'tourists', more time - it is very easy to spend 3 hrs inside. You have I feel more options in the lower, the lighting is very simliar. If you have a choice of days, one really doesnt want to visit either if the wind is blowing, tis bad enough with the sand/rock conditions without sand drifting down from the desert above.
Enjoy, -the lower slot
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It sounds to me that dust is a major problem. We all invest a LOT of money in our gear. And it sounds like the gear is going to be covered in dust. Suggestions? Are there coverings (ie: bags) that can be pucahsed to keep dust off a camera/lenses?
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It sounds to me that dust is a major problem. We all invest a LOT of money in our gear. And it sounds like the gear is going to be covered in dust. Suggestions? Are there coverings (ie: bags) that can be pucahsed to keep dust off a camera/lenses?
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a] (http://index.php?act=findpost&pid=123641\")
Many companies sell rain covers for cameras, and I would think using one of them could also be useful in dusty/sandy conditions. I certainly plan to use mine.
This should get you started: [a href=\"http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=sort&A=search&Q=&sortDrop=Price%3A+Low+to+High&bl=&atl=&pn=1&st=categoryNavigation&mnp=0.0&mxp=0.0&sv=3313&shs=&ac=&fi=all&pn=1&ci=3313&cmpsrch=&cltp=&clsgr=]http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...h=&cltp=&clsgr=[/url]
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Indeed there is a lot of dust, but it is not a problem if you follow these instructions:
- Choose your lens carefully: you won't be able to change it! I picked my 17-40L
- Have a fresh CF card in place: 1 Gig was too small in RAW for 2 hours, I should have used 2Gig. Don't expect to have time for lots of deletes on the fly. Again, don't expect to change it
- Have a neutral filter in place. Nothing that loses light (you need everything!) and nothing that rotates like a polariser: it would catch sand/dust
- Carry a big blower with you as you will spend 10 minutes at the end cleaning your equipment. I usually have a 'rocket' in my kit bag and it did a superb job
Note: my EOS 20D is not weather-proof but no dust got inside
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.....and in addition to trying to keep the equipment clean (sort of) - any suggestions for what lens to use so you don't have to change while in the Canyon?
I see one suggestion above that wasn't there when I was typing my post. I also have a 17-40 lens - any other suggestions?
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Hi,
I'll add another question to this. After following this string I've decided to head on up to Antelope Canyon next Friday. I see most photographers talk about going to Lower Antelope Canyon as the best spot partly because of fewer people. It seems that all the pics I've seen with light shafts in it are from upper Antelope. So, for this time of year, will Lower Antelope Canyon have any areas with light shafts coming through or is that just in Upper Antelope? Also, I've heard some say that Lower Antelope is good in the morning and afternoon. Does it make sense to try to do Lower Antelope in the earlier morning, then cross the road and go to Upper for the noontime light?
Ted
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Ted,
I am at Page, Az now, I shot at the upper canyon, on Tuesday, because I wanted the muilt light shaft. I been there this year and last year and I have not been at the lower canyon yet. The light shaft is what makes the picture for me. The Indian guides will stop traffic so that you will get the picture. A wide angle lenses around 20-28mm is a good lens for full shot of light shaft. The best time is, get there around 11:00 am and get your 2 hours in (11-1).
Trying the Horeshoe again, tomorrow. I don't have the right lens.
Hi,
I'll add another question to this. After following this string I've decided to head on up to Antelope Canyon next Friday. I see most photographers talk about going to Lower Antelope Canyon as the best spot partly because of fewer people. It seems that all the pics I've seen with light shafts in it are from upper Antelope. So, for this time of year, will Lower Antelope Canyon have any areas with light shafts coming through or is that just in Upper Antelope? Also, I've heard some say that Lower Antelope is good in the morning and afternoon. Does it make sense to try to do Lower Antelope in the earlier morning, then cross the road and go to Upper for the noontime light?
Ted
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Ted,
I am at Page, Az now, I shot at the upper canyon, on Tuesday, because I wanted the muilt light shaft. I been there this year and last year and I have not been at the lower canyon yet. The light shaft is what makes the picture for me. [a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=124628\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Lester,
Thanks. I agree with the light shaft. I think that's what takes the image from beautiful to an 'oh my gosh'. Did you book with one of the tours beforehand or just show up that morning? If you get into the Lower Antelope let me know how that is as well.
Thank you,
Ted
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I was in Antelope last, in June of 2006. The wind was blowing 30-40 mph hour in the open desert. Sand clouds were everywhere.
Inside the canyon, sand was pouring down from 100 feet above and covered everything. My camera was red in every crevice. Despite this, I captured some absolutely lovely images that day with a 24-105 IS L on my 1DsMkll. The light was gorgeous, soft and lovely.
I carefully cleaned the camera and lens afterward with a camel's hair brush and a micro fiber cloth. DO NOT use a blower - you will drive the fine pumice like sand inside the mechanisms. Use a fine brush and a micro fiber cloth. Both can be found cheaply at Wal-Mart or Lowe's or whatever floats your boat. Both the lens and the camera function flawlessly today.
Don't let the sand scare you away. If you have a plastic bag you can fashion a jacket for your camera out of the plastic bag.
Just do not attempt to change lenses inside the canyon. And don't use a blower.
Touring Antelope is more like a crowded, sandy bus station, than the pristine desert oasis one sees in the images. I would do it again in heart beat.
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This is just a follow up on this based on my two trips to Antelope Canyon this summer. On both trips I took the 2 1/2 photographers tour with Antelope Slot Canyon Tours. My first time at Antelope Canyon was July 3rd. There were 4 or 5 of us in the group and the guide was very good. He pretty much helped herd crowds and put dust in the air to get the shafts to illuminate and then let us set up and do our thing. I thought it was fairly crowded, but there were moments between groups when I could get some good shots. All in all, it was very good. The second time was Aug 22d. Same company, but different guide. This time there were about 12-14 in the group, mostly families with children using pocket digital cameras. The guide thought it was her duty to tell us exactly where to stand and where to take what snapshot. It was very annoying. This was hardly a photograpers tour. It was an extended 'let's take the family into the canyon tour'. The crowds on this trip were about double what I saw in July. There were very few moments where you weren't wall to wall people. The worst part was despite her assurances to the contrary, the tour guide left the first chambers before the sun rays started and spent most of the time in the far part of the canyon where the sun rays never shine. We didn't return back to the first chambers until the rays were already gone. It was a complete waste of time. I will never use Chief Tsosie's Antelope Canyon Slot Canyon Tours again. Their photographers tour is not for photographers, it's for whoever just wants to spend a longer time in the canyon. I understand they can't control who signs up for what, but they should be able to control their guides and where they spend their time and how they treat photographers. Don't get me wrong, she was very nice, but did not treat the group like a tour of pro or semi pro photographers. She treated us (frankly like most of the group was) a family snapshot walk through. A minor point, but an important one for photographers. It had recently flash flooded through the canyon and removed about 4 feed ot sand from the base. What remained was damp and did not provide the dust necessary to get the shafts illuminated. Our guide basically said, too bad. I saw another company's guide carry in 3 bags of dry sand from outside to use. A simple thing, but indicative of someone who cares and knows how to take care of their photographers. Finally, even though it was supposed to be 2 1/2 hours, we left their base in Page at 1035 and were back at Page by 1245. Take out driving time and the stand outside and hear her explain what ISO is we had maybe 1 3/4 hours inside. I said before that I liked the first guide, but I heard that he was let go from them and doesn't give their tours anymore.
My lessons learned from my two trips are: Don't go in the summer if you can avoid it. The chance of getting great photos (to me that means without people is slim). Perhaps late May or early June would be best. Second, I'll ask a whole lot of questions about other companies photo tours to see if I can fine one that will treat their photographers more appropriately. Also ask them which times are best. For late Aug, the time the shaft seemed to hit the bottom seemed to be only between 1130 and 1200.
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Well, as long as this thread has been brought up again, here's my two cents - in Upper Antelope, having an eyepiece extender, such as Canon's "Angle Finder C" is a massive help. There are similar after market devices for other cameras, and Nikon probably has such a thing for their cameras.
Upper Antelope is so constricted in places that it is difficult to walk without hitting your tripod/camera against the wall - it's single file passage only. The Angle finder allows you much more leeway in setting your camera up and still being able to see what you shoot.
Your neck will thank you!
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Shower cap from the local motel and a blower. Pop the shower cap on anytime your not actually shooting. I have some "lovely" shots where the cap was still on....DOH!
It sounds to me that dust is a major problem. We all invest a LOT of money in our gear. And it sounds like the gear is going to be covered in dust. Suggestions? Are there coverings (ie: bags) that can be pucahsed to keep dust off a camera/lenses?
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