Antelope Canyon Photo Tips – Part 1 Scenics

Page, Arizona is home to some of the most spectacular geological marvels you’ll ever see. Upper Antelope Canyon is possibly the most famous slot canyon on the planet, and with good reason. For photographers it’s as rewarding as it is challenging so here are my Antelope Canyon Photo Tips to ensure you get the best pictures you can. All of my pictures shown on this page were taken in a 45 minute window of opportunity. Here’s how to do it.

This article focuses on the scenic photography within Upper Antelope Canyon but there is so much scope for abstract photography within the canyon that it deserves it’s very own Part 2 – A Photographers Guide to Antelope Canyon.

First and foremost you’re going to need to make some vital adjustments to your camera settings before even entering the canyon. This will ensure your camera is optimized for the rushed and challenging conditions inside the canyon.

Here’s how it works. To get those stunning light rays, your Navajo guide will chuck a small shovel full of sand into the shaft of direct sunlight. The light hits the airborne sand and illuminates it beautifully. Here’s where the magic happens. The illuminated sand grains now bounce light off the canyon walls to create a momentary ‘light from within the canyon’, it’s quite astonishing the first time you see it. Here’s a shot of the process in action, see how the lower wall is lit up from the reflected light that hits the falling sand?

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