Sands of Time
Sculpted over the millenia by wind, water and sand, the Antelope slot canyons near Page, Arizona in the American southwest should be on every photographer'...
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Sculpted over the millenia by wind, water and sand, the Antelope slot canyons near Page, Arizona in the American southwest should be on every photographer's "must see" bucket list. Even though they have been photographed countless times, it is like entering a different world and there is always something wonderful and different to capture in this unique and magical place. Considered sacred by the Navajo people, the light coming into both the Upper and Lower slot canyons creates constantly changing patterns and shadows in a myriad of different colors and hues.
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Jun, 2016Views
1035
Likes
Awards
Winner in Nature's Art Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
All Star
Magnificent Capture
Genius
Top Ranks
Top 30 rank week 2Top 30 rank week 1
Top 20 rankTop 20 rank week 3Top 20 rank week 2
Categories
Platinum
Platinum
Platinum
Bruz
June 28, 2016
Awesome shot of slot canyon. Different perspective makes it even more interesting.
Platinum
lizziemellis
July 08, 2016
Beautiful.. Perfect title..never seen anything quite like this shot ..unique well done:-)
PRO+
erickgarza
July 17, 2016
Every time i see this kind of pictures i see sand running down, is it always like that??? nice shot.
Platinum
rmr731
July 18, 2016
So cool! Love this Nina! The detail, the light, the color and composition - awesome!
Platinum
DutchTouch
July 19, 2016
I was in Antelope but at the wrong time (sun was too low in the sky) and I was just starting to get back into photography! This is beautiful, the light the movement! Fantastic Nina!
Platinum
PRO+
kathyk_abq
July 28, 2016
This place is magical, and you captured it perfectly, Nina! Just beautiful!
PRO+
carolsimmons_5489
August 30, 2016
Great shot.....have been there so I know what it is like to photograph inside the cyanon. Amazing !
PRO+
Platinum
p_eileenbaltz
September 10, 2016
Spectacular image! Congratulations on your well-deserved Challenge Win. :)
PRO+
Platinum
David_Blakley_Photography
December 09, 2016
Great title (that's what I would have used also). How did you get the sand to fall long enough to snap the shot? Congrats on your BTL award - very appropriate! :)
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in one of the most beautiful and most photographed natural venues in the world, the Antelope slot canyons near Page, Arizona.Time
I did some research and came to the conclusion that late afternoon would be the best time to photograph the slot canyons during our trip in mid-March. Because the sun was at a lower angle at that time of year, it created much warmer and softer tones from the diffused light.Lighting
These canyons have unique challenges for photographers - lighting can be extreme, not only during different times of the day, but during different times of the year as well, as it all depends on the angle of the sun. Because no flash photography is allowed in either Upper or Lower canyon, tripods are a must, and those can only be used on "photographer's tours". Different times of the day cause shifts in lighting conditions, including deep shadows, which ultimately contribute to the unique changes in color, hues and tones of the sandstone throughout these canyons; however, it also creates the need for slower shutter speeds.Equipment
This photo was taken using a Nikon D7100 DSLR with a Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens mounted on a tripod. Because of the necessity to shoot using slow shutter speeds a remote release was used as well.Inspiration
The Navajo people call the Antelope canyons "where water makes a picture of itself in the stone." It is an incredibly beautiful and magical place, and as such they have been photographed countless times and from every possible angle and under all types of lighting conditions. However, I knew that by pouring sand onto the saddle of this rock formation, it would allow the sand to slowly shift and spill over the edge thus creating a unique, slow motion effect that helped to create the illusion of timelessness that I was looking for.Editing
Even though the overall colors were rich and warm, the extreme variations in lighting required a bit of post processing in Lightroom to pull out some of the shadows. Minor adjustments for hue, saturation and clarity were also made.In my camera bag
Since shooting this photo with a Nikon D7100, I have upgraded to a full frame Nikon D750 with a Nikkor 24-120 f/4 lens as well as a Nikkor 70-300 f4.5/5.6 zoom lens. Both are very versatile lenses. I always have 2 64gb memory cards in my camera as I shoot in both Raw and jpg Fine, and I keep a spare 32gb card in my bag. Additionally, I always carry a spare battery, battery charger, UV and polarizing filters for all lenses, a lightweight but sturdy carbon fiber tripod, a Tiffen variable ND filter, the Cokin filter system, and cleaning supplies.Feedback
Usually, landscape photographers have the advantage of time and also the ability to return to a particular location at different times of the day (or night) to capture a specific scene under varying conditions. But in these canyons, photographers are restricted by the rules of the Navajo tour groups. In order to make the most of the limited time allowed in either canyon, usually about 2 hours, the "photographers tours" are a must. The regular tours do not allow the use of tripods and because of the extreme lighting conditions handheld shots usually don't turn out well. The Navajo guides are all experienced and very knowledgeable about which camera settings are best. Do your homework ahead of time: making reservations in advance are usually a good idea as these canyons are becoming more and more popular every year. However, visiting during "off season" usually allows for a less crowded and more personal experience in this stunning place. Most importantly, take time to just look around (and up!) and enjoy the beauty of this natural wonder.
