I went to visit Antelope Canyon the other day in Page, Arizona, hoping to tour the Lower Canyon. However, that was closed temporarily so my friend Alison and I went to Upper Antelope Canyon. Even for January, it was fairly crowded.
The one rule change they have instituted is that tripods are no longer allowed! Panic set in as I have always used a tripod here as it is highly needed due to the low light conditions inside. So I did the best I could by setting my camera to a higher ISO which makes my sensor more sensitive to the low light but produced digital noise. To get rid of the noise, you use software to eliminate it at the expense of detail. I was mostly shooting at a shutter speed of 1/40 sec. which is slow but manageable at a focal length of 24mm.
The Lower Canyon used to have a photographer’s tour during the winter where you could go by yourself for 2 hours. That has been eliminated. They do have a photographer’s tour at the Upper Canyon but the cost was quite steep. This will be the last time I or Ali will visit Antelope Canyon
Entrance to Upper Antelope Canyon
dawn2dawn photography 
20 responses to “Antelope Canyon- One Last Time”
It is a beautiful spot and I can understand its popularity. 7 Billion People and counting…. the pressure will continue to rise. đŚ
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yes its amazing. its a very popular spot but there are so many possibilities to take an unique shot.
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I love that place. We were lucky to have a wonderful guide and low traffic. Your photos are beautiful!
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Thank you very much Sandra
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Unfortunately, it’s being loved to death just like our beautiful Zion. Thanks for the heads up. I haven’t been to the Upper Canyon in a few years, even then it was crowded early in the morning. I enjoyed the Lower Canyon a couple of years ago and was able to get several excellent images without a tripod. I won’t be going back either.
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Excellent images!
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Thanks Kelly
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Definitely over run
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Your photos are still great despite all the constraints, like no tripod. I went through Lower Antelope Canyon with a tripod some five years ago. It was okay, but they kept having tours and people were coming and going all the time while I was trying to take pictures.
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Thanks for the nice comment and the crowding is worse so it is difficult to get a good shot
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Amazing photo’s! A pity though, that with all beautiful places, masses of people flock there and spoil the atmosphere.
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Thanks for the nice comments
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There’s some deep canyon hikes in Utah that are pretty amazing too. Great shots!
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Sad to read your report since I have always wanted to go there. I will have to do it sooner than later.
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So sad to hear about the number of people at Antelope Cyn and the changes that are being implemented. This is one place that has been on my bucket list forever. I hope I get to enjoy it sometime without a mob of people also enjoying it. Your photos are lovely despite the lack of a tripod. Looks like you’ve made it to the Wave too. That is one of my ultimate bucket list locations. Was it incredible?
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Thanks Lexi! I’ve been to The Wave 5 times and was still blown away. It never fails. Best time to visit these locations is in the winter when not so many people are visiting but we have had a very mild winter this year.
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5 times … wow!! If I actually ever finally make a plan to go I will have to ask you some navigation, logistics questions. It is definitely unfortunate how some of these incredible natural wonders are being over run. We hiked the Zion Narrows last year and I was shocked at how many people there were lining up for the park by 8 AM. Fortunately, if you keep on going far enough you lose most of the people. Enjoy your next adventures!!
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Let me know when you’re in the area and I can lead you to places not many people go. I’m a seasonal park ranger at Zion and we feel the pressure from the crowds. It’s getting out of hand.
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Oh thank you so much. I will definitely take you up on that offer sometime đ What a great job. My husband and I hiked the Narrows last Memorial Day. It was incredible. Colorado unfortunately is experiencing an incredible migration here and it too is out of hand. Might be headed to Montana đ
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Glad you enjoyed the Narrows. I too will be looking to relocate in the near future for some peace and solitude.
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