michaelmarcoux
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at a slot canyon while exploring the beauties of Arizona.Time
Later in the day is best to avoid harsh light and direct sunlight.Lighting
Direct sunlight ruins the shot so I chose to go later in the year and later in the day so that the sun was low in the sky.Equipment
My equipment has improved over the years but at this time I was using a Nikon D7200, tripod (a necessity for HDR shots) and a wide angle lens.Inspiration
I had seen some really beautiful slot canyon shots and wanted to see if I could produce something worthwhile. I was visiting a photographer friend who wanted to go with me and was willing to share his knowledge and experience of the canyons and techniques to produce the best shots. It was an opportunity I couldn't resist.Editing
Most shots in the slots produce the best results when they are HDR as there is such a wide variety of lighting in each shot, from very dark to quite bright. This is a composite of several shots so that the dark and light areas are all visible.In my camera bag
These days I usually travel with my Nikon D850, tripod, a variety of Nikon lenses including macro, wide angle and telephoto (both zoom and fixed) and 1.4 teleconverter. I love my Nikon 500mm PF lens as it is light, sharp, and made for handholding with fast autofocus and great vibration reduction for situations when using a tripod isn't practical.Feedback
If you want to include the sky in a slot canyon shot then it is best if it has some clouds to give it character. Since the sky in Arizona is so often clear you'll have to check weather reports and likely do a few trips before getting nice wispy clouds that make the sky look so good. Later in the year and later in the day are also best.