Photography Trip: American Southwest: Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend Overlook

American Southwest is the home of many amazing natural wonders, offers spectacular scenery of cliffs, canyons, buttes and sand formations. This region is shaped by the millions of years of volcanic activities and erosion caused by the strong winds and flash floods.The part of the Southwest, also known as the Grand Circle, is a 1400-mile loop that covers many National Parks, Recreation Areas, Canyons in the southwestern Utah, northwestern New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and southwestern Colorado. The Grand Circle offers year around opportunities for adventure, vacations and photography.

Recently we toured a small portion of the Grand Circle – Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend Overlook near Page, Arizona and were blown away with the dramatic, awe-inspiring panoramas and vistas. We already know that pretty soon we are going back to the region to complete the remaining Grand Circle, covering The Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyons, The Monument Vally, The Arches, The Bryce and Zion National parks.

Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend Overlook are both located near Page, AZ on the Navajo Nation land, very close to the popular Lake Powell and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (NRA). Antelope Canyon is located off route 98, while Horseshoe Bend Overlook is located on route 89 few miles away. Antelope Canyon is probably the most visited and photographed slot canyon in the Southwest. Over millions of years, the flash floods and wind have gently carved the Navajo Sandstone making it one of the most beautiful slot canyons in the area. Excellent patterns, shapes on the sand walls, beautiful light and rich hues make it an extremely beautiful places to visit and photograph.

There are two sections of the Antelope Canyon – Upper Antelope Canyon and Lower Antelope Canyon. The Upper Antelope Canyon (AKA the Corkscrew Canyon) has easy access, is easy to navigate and requires no climbing, making is the most visited among the two. The entry to this canyon is restricted to the guided tours only. Many tour operators run Upper Canyon tours from Page. We took the Antelope Slot Canyon tours operated by Chief Tsosie. He operates 1 1/2 hour scenic tours and 2 1/2 hour photographic tours to the upper canyon. The 10:30AM tour reaches the Upper Canyon when light is at its best.

The Lower Antelope Canyon, on the other hand is a more difficult hike than Upper Antelope — it is longer, narrower in some areas and difficult to navigate but offers some outstanding photo opportunities. The Lower canyon is fitted with many ladders which makes it slightly easier to hike. Unlike Upper Canyon. Lower canyon can be visited without a guide by paying $23.50 entrance fee. A special photography pass allows extended (up to 4 hours) stay in the canyon. The best light is available in the morning and late afternoon. I would recommend reaching Lower canyon by 8:00AM and staying there till noon to experience some of the best light (including light beams as the sun gets higher in the sky).

Curves and Texture on Lower Antelope Canyon wall

Circle of life @ Lower Antelope Canyon

Patterns in Lower Antelope Canyon

Photography Tips:

• Best time to photograph Upper Canyon is from 11:00AM to 2:00AM while Lower Canyon is early morning or late afternoon. It is possible to visit both canyons in one day by visiting Lower Canyon early in the morning, then going to the Upper Canyon at 11:00AM and then coming back to the Lower Canyon later in the afternoon.
• Plan to spend at least 2-3 hours in each canyon.
• Inside the canyon, the lighting can be very tricky and contrasty. Low light level results in very long exposures, often in seconds. A sturdy tripod is a must for photographing the canyons. A remote or quick release can prove very useful as well.
• Bracket your exposure.
• Expose for the highlights and let the shadows fall where they may.
• Upper Canyon can get crowded during the pick season and may create some additional challenges for setting up a tripod and taking good pictures.
• Lower Canyon is narrower than the upper canyon and navigating it with the tripod and the camera can get trickier but not impossible.
• Inside Lower Canyon, be prepared for shooting some awkward angles, mostly upwards.
• Make sure that the batteries are fully charged. Carrying extra battery is a good idea.
• 20-120mm (in 35mm equivalent terms) range can be sufficient to compose good pictures but the canyons offers countless photo opportunity so use any lens that you have.
• Sandy floor inside the canyon makes it tricky to change lenses, especially if the place is crowded. Using plastic bag to cover the camera while changing a lens may not be a bad idea.
• Don’t forget to look behind and above you to exploit most photo opportunities.
• Please be considerate towards fellow photographers and other visitors.
• Most importantly, enjoy yourself.

Horseshoe Bend Overlook is located about 5miles south of Page on route 89. The overlook is about a 3/4 mile hike from the parking lot. The view from this point is simply amazing and must be experienced in person. It is thrilling to look down from a steep cliff, at the beautiful green Colorado river making a horseshoe-shaped turn through the bright orange colored rocks. There are no safety railings at this point, so one must be extra careful while enjoying the spectacular vista from the overlook.

Horseshoe Bend Overlook Trail

The Horseshoe Bend

Rock formation

Another rock formation

Rock patterns

Photography Tips:

• The best time to visit Horseshoe Bend Overlook is late morning to early noon when the Sun is behind or above you.
• A very wide lens (16mm in 35mm equivalent) is required to cover the entire bend comfortably. 24mm lens (in 35mm equivalent term) is just enough to cover the entire bend.
• Consider using a polarizer to remove haze and reflection. Any warming filter (or using cloudy WB on digital cameras) can provide dramatically different results.
• Consider HDR If shadows of the cliff create very contrasty lighting situations.
• Look around the bend for some interesting rock formations.
• The hike to the bend has some ups and downs and is very sandy, making it a little strenuous. Carry lots of fluids.

Homemade light box

I am not into product photography so I never paid any attention to the lighting requirements for such photography. Recently, I decided to sell some of my photographic gear online and hence needed to publish a few photos of them. This was my chance to try out some table-top photography. Even though I am not a product photographer, I understand that the key to good product photography is in the lighting. I know that direct lighting created by on-camera flashes or studio lights can hardly produce any good results. Such lighting produces harsh shadows and unwanted reflection from metallic or reflective surfaces. A soft, diffused light can make a world of difference in the resulting photographs.

A common solution for the small product photography is to use a soft light box or tent. There are many different types of light boxes or tents available in the market, costing anywhere between $50.00 t0 $150.00. I wasn’t very sure whether I wanted to spend that kind of money on the Light Box that I might not use very often. So I searched the internet and found this site with very nice instructions for a DIY lightbox. I decided to give it a try. It turned out to be an interesting weekend project for me.

After spending about $30 and half an hour, this is what I got:

Instructions provided on this site are very simple and straightforward. I must thank Joseph Holst for providing a well illustrated guide. I had a lot of fun experimenting with this light box. Here are some of the sample images that I took using this light box.

The only problem I have with this light box is that it is not collapsible and takes up a lot of storage space. Also, I cannot change the background easily.

In any case, it was a gratifying experience to build this lightbox myself.

Black birds are here…

Don’t get me wrong, I love the New England winter. But by middle of March I get a little weary of the cold weather and start longing for the warmer, cheerful spring weather. It’s April already, spring has officially begun and I am waiting for trees to start flourishing, flowers to bloom and song birds to return with their cheerful songs.

Last few days I have been hearing and noticing black birds in the wetlands. Red Winged Black Birds are all over, showing off their red feathers and singing their familiar oak-a-lee song. I love to watch their antics in the swamps, jumping from one cat-tail to another. They bring back the energy to the dull, lethargic winter environment. Even though they’re not the most melodious ones, their songs bring a smile on my face. Every time I hear them, I know that spring is in the air and other songs birds will be here very soon…

Red Winged Black Bird, showing off @ Parker River NWR, Newburyport, MA

Common Grackles return to the area along with the RWBBs. They are also heard and seen near the swamps and wetlands. Even though they can actually be a nuisance, I don’t mind them at this time…

Common Grackle @ Westford, MA

Welcome back, black birds…