Small- Antelope Canyon-7
Dec, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
I took this photo inside Upper Antelope Canyon near Page, Arizona at the point where when you look up there is a view that is quite unique. The upper part of the canyon turns into a view of Monument valley at sunset which is spectacular! The canyon walls combined with the spectacular light make for a fantastic photograph.Time
It was high-noon which is actually the best time of day to be inside this canyon. The light bounces off the walls to add drama into an otherwise shadowy and dark and dull scene. As photographers, we are always in search of the best light, and as a landscape photographer this usually means the first and last parts of the day. Antelope canyon is refreshing in this aspect as it allows one to photograph throughout the day. The only danger is floods and running out of battery/memory cards!Lighting
The photo's lighting is natural even though I could see myself using flashes inside the canyon perhaps in the future. The sunlight from the middle of the day backlights the rock making it glow a brilliant orange.Equipment
I had to use a tripod as the canyon is still very dark in the middle of the day. I used my Nikon D750 as well as a Rokinon 14mm lens on the front to create the drama. The last piece of kit was a remote trigger release to avoid camera shake.Inspiration
I was told to look up by my guide, and after doing so I saw the brilliant scene he was describing. I broke out the tripod and tried to level the "false" horizon of the Monument Valley sunset above me. This gave me a sense of vertigo, but it was worth any bit of sickness. I wanted to capture the entire range of light in the scene as I took a bracketed shot so that shadows would not be too dark and highlights to bright.Editing
I didn't do too much in post with the image. I blended the 5 bracketed shots in Lightroom to bring the range of light into being manageable first though. I then just did some simple adjustments to the shadows and highlights to make them more pleasing while also making sure to set the white and black points in the image. I played with the colors to make them 'pop' while maintaining accuracy to the way it was. The last couple of things were to bring up the vibrancy and saturation as well as doing a wider panoramic crop.In my camera bag
I carry a very heavy bag with me when I travel. I use a ThinkTank Hard Drive bag of their Airport lineup. I carry a tripod on the outside of the bag which is a Manfrotto tripod which is very heavy with a pan/tilt head on top (which I do like). Inside the bag is my D750 as well as a GoPro as far as the cameras go. The lenses include a Tamron 70-200, Nikon 50mm f/1.8G, and my Rokinon 14mm f/2.8. The auxiliary items I carry tend to include the typical rag, blower, spare battery/cards, flashlight, tissues, and sunglasses. I also will commonly carry flashes and a wireless trigger when I think they will come in handy. These flashes are of the Nissan series I believe the Di700A's (two of them). In a second bag I might also carry two stands, two diffused umbrellas, and a silver umbrella.Feedback
In order to get a similar image there are a couple of things you should go about doing. You will first need to get there to Page, Arizona which is very remote. Second, you will need a guide as nobody can or is allowed to get there on their own (it is dangerous and rough terrain). I would recommend a photo-specific guide. All the guides know each other, and I went with a guy named Roman who was awesome! On these trips, you will be required to bring along a tripod, interchangeable lens camera, and a wide-angle lens (optional: trigger release because you can also use a delayed shutter on a timer). Post-processing is all going to be about what you really want, but a cloudy white-balance is typically recommended. It is going to be fairly straight-forward, and it is almost impossible to walk away with nothing good in the canyons!
