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Find light in the Dark

This is the one thing Upper Antelope Canyon is known for..Light Beams.. The view is unreal and it happens only for a short period of time (when the Sun is right...
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This is the one thing Upper Antelope Canyon is known for..Light Beams.. The view is unreal and it happens only for a short period of time (when the Sun is right above us).. I got very lucky to capture this after watching cloudy sky rest of the day!
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NIKON D7100

settings

Aperture f/9 ISO 100 Shutter 3/1 Focal Length 200/10

upload_date

May, 2016

Views

436

Likes

+72

Awards

Summer Selection

Peer Award

+11

Superb Composition

Outstanding Creativity

Absolute Masterpiece

Superior Skill

Top Choice

Magnificent Capture

All Star

Emotions

Happy

Top Ranks

Top 10 rank

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Top 20 rank week 1

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Behind The Lens

Location

Upper Antelope Canyon

Time

this shot was taken around noon, when the sun is right above the canyon slot.

Lighting

Lighting is the only thing that makes this image so unique! These light shafts appear only for few minutes during a clear sky day. With so many tourists/ photographers around, it gets quite difficult to get a shot that you like. Why? Well because of so many people around you, there is hardly any space to move! The light shaft lights up the surrounding area, giving it a feel of a cave with one single light shaft lighting up the entire area, giving it a "torch light effect". The light shaft makes this image not only very unique, but also really really dynamic. Hard shadows, few highlights, gives this image a beautiful contrast. Thanks to the light, the texture of the rocks is accentuated as well.

Equipment

I used a Nikon D7100, Sigma 18-35mm Art lens and a light weight Dolica Aluminum Tripod.

Inspiration

The fire to capture the wonders of Nature is what inspired me! I was blown away when i first saw the images of Upper Antelope Canyon and since that day, i wanted to capture something like this. The view was like a movie set! While the camera was taking photographs, i was busy gazing at the view! i was so glad that i got to experience the magic of the Upper Antelope Canyon and i just wanted to showcase it to the world!

Editing

The shot was already outstanding and required minimal post processing. Simple tricks like dodge/burn, curves and contrasts adjustments gave me this look!

In my camera bag

I now have a Nikon D610 as my main camera and Nikon D7100 as my spare camera. I have Nikon 50mm f1.8 prime, Nikon 80-200mm f2.8, Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 Art lens and a Tokina 16-28mm F2.8 wide angle lens. i also carry a Sirui 240XL carbon Fiber tripod.

Feedback

Camera Settings: -Keep you lens in its aperture's sweet spot, somewhere between f9-f11. -Exposure bracketing, exposure bracketing, exposure bracketing. Exposure bracketing is the only was to capture the highlights and shadows. -i kept camera in Aperture mode and took 5 exposure brackets (several times), from -3 to +3. Don't bother about the shutter speed. -Make sure you have a very very stable tripod and a tripod head that will support your camera and lens! If your tripod fails, i personally cannot imagine getting such shot. General Advises: -Be super quick when setting up your tripod (assuming you are in Upper/Lower Antelope Canyon). There is a swarm of tourists and photographers who will not care about your shot. If you waste time looking for buttons, well, you just might miss your shot. -Watch you tripod legs, people dont see your tripod and unknowingly will end up kicking your tripod. I covers the two tripod legs with my own legs to protect it. -Practice setting up your camera and tripod before going to antelope canyon. -Get a tripod that stands stable with minimum leg spread. Spider legged tripods get kicked more as the legs spread too far, plus they are kind of flimsy. -Once you have your shot, check if everything is sharp and if you have some space, move around. No point in taking repetitive shots from the same spot (just make sure you have few shots to choose with!!). Change your angle, zoom in/zoom out, see if you can get a different angle.

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anujsahai

anujsahai

Find light in the Dark

This is the one thing Upper Antelope Canyon is known for..Light Beams.. The view is unreal and it happens only for a short period of time (when the Sun is right... Read more

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow anujsahai

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This is the one thing Upper Antelope Canyon is known for..Light Beams.. The view is unreal and it happens only for a short period of time (when the Sun is right...
Read more

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Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.