antelope canyon

Antelope Canyon- One Last Time

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

Antelope Canyon. Upper or Lower?

Arizona, Desert Southwest

If you can only do one of these, I would do Lower Antelope Canyon. Why?

Antelope Canyon is an amazing slot canyon near Page Arizona on Navajo Tribal Land. During the off season, the people at Lower Antelope Canyon will let me go on my own for 2 hours. It’s called the photographers permit. It’s about $35. The Lower is about a mile long and you can walk to the entrance in a minute. At the Upper, you have to be driven out to the trailhead and be guided through the canyon which is only a 1/2 mile at most.

These images and more can be purchased as prints or downloadable files at dawn2dawn photography

Upper Antelope Canyon — The Upper has its beauty

The other thing I don’t like about The Upper is that you have to return the same way you came in. That means bumping into all the people going in to the canyon. That can be a problem when you have that perfect shot lined up and people get in the way. And then you’re probably in some else’s way. In the Lower Canyon, you enter in one spot and exit at the other end. Usually everyone is moving in the same direction.

If you’re claustrophobic, then maybe the Lower isn’t for you. You have some tight spots to squeeze through and ladders to negotiate.

Arizona Landscape — The classic shot of the Corkscrew in Lower Antelope Canyon

If you are going to seriously photograph Antelope Canyon, don’t go during the busy season from Mid-March through October because you won’t have fun as the guides will rush you through. Although this is the season you are more likely to see the beams of sunlight at midday. And remember to shoot with a tripod and bracket all of your shots. You don’t want to ruin this opportunity.