Tips For Photographing Slot Canyons

4.7

Added by Mark Handy

Explore breathtaking slot canyons with wonderful lighting throughout the day. The tours are guided tours by local Navajo.

Antelope Canyon is the most-visited and most-photographed slot canyon in the American Southwest. It is located on Navajo land near Page, Arizona, and requires you to book a tour guide. But don’t let that dissuade you – this natural marvel is well worth it, and this is a must-do for amateur and professional photographers alike.

The canyon is divided into two primary areas: Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon. The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tse' bighanilini, which means 'the place where water runs through rocks.' Upper Antelope is at about 4,000 feet elevation and the canyon walls rise 120 feet above the streambed. Located within the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation.

Ten tips for slot canyon photography Challenges for slot canyon photographers seem endless. They include extreme dynamic range, low light focusing, long exposures, small spaces, and lots of dust. Although slot canyons present many challenges to photographers, the well-prepared and properly equipped photographer will not be disappointed.

  1. In the U.S., most slot canyons can be found in desert areas like Utah, Arizona and California. Utah’s Buckskin Gulch is the longest slot canyon in the world, while Arizona’s Antelope Canyon is renowned for its bright colors and remarkable beams of light that shine through to the canyon floor.
  2. Antelope Canyon is the most-visited and most-photographed slot canyon in the American Southwest. It is located on Navajo land near Page, Arizona, and requires you to book a tour guide. But don’t let that dissuade you – this natural marvel is well worth it, and this is a must-do for amateur and professional photographers alike.
  3. In this VLOG you will get a behind the scene look at how they get those sun beams in slot canyons. How does Peter Lik get those amazing shots with the sun beams bursting though the canyon?

Lower Antelope Canyon is Hasdestwazi, or 'spiral rock arches.' Located within the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation.

Tours can be purchased in nearby Page, Arizona and range from $30 to $80 per person, depending on the time of the day and length of the tour.

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Tips For Photographing Slot Canyons
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Reviews

Tips For Photographing Slot Canyons National Park

Slot

Andrew Ho

🥇Top Contributor

about 2 months ago

Beautiful

The photos here can get a bit cliche but they are still amazing. You need to get a tour to visit Antelope Canyon. It's a really popular spot and most likely you have seen photos from here on any Arizona ad.

4.0

Andreas Brokalakis

🥇Top Contributor

3 months ago

Unforgettable experience

I have visited only the upper Antelope canyon and can attest that it is something that you should at least once in your life see with your own eyes. Since you can only visit the canyon with a guide or tour company, it is really easy to access and safe. However this is also the downside, as visiting in groups leads to a very crowded situation inside the narrow canyon making it hard to really enjoy the marvel of the nature. If I am not mistaken, tours can be organised in more private fashion with the aim of photography, but they can be quite more expensive and also may require more planning (i.e. booking several days earlier).

5.0

Crystal Sibson

🥇Top Contributor

4 months ago

Beautiful Canyon

I have been to both upper and lower Antelope Canyon. I think they are both worth a visit. The upper canyon gets more dramatic light beams and the lower canyon in much narrower. The only downside is that the canyons get quite crowded.

5.0

Elena Pearson

Tips For Photographing Slot Canyons Colorado

🥇Top Contributor

5 months ago

Beautiful canyon

Tips For Photographing Slot Canyons Canyon

It's an absolutely beautiful canyon. It can get chilly down there. You're required to sign up for a tour.

Tips For Photographing Slot Canyons Videos

5.0

Natalie F

🥇Top Contributor

5 months ago

Touristy, but totally worth it!

Guided tour, but so worth it. Colors blend together so intricately. Tour gave you a nice history of the area. Beautiful! So much to do in this area too!

5.0

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