Upper Antelope Slot Canyon in March. Near Page, Arizona
Upper Antelope Slot Canyon in March. Near Page, Arizona
Read less
Read less
Views
3421
Likes
Awards
Featured
Contest Finalist in Glitter And Flares Photo Contest
Peer Award
Absolute Masterpiece
Superb Composition
Top Choice
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
All Star
Genius
Top Ranks
Categories
trainwoman
April 15, 2016
This is fantastic Mark.......love the varying colors and the light flare.........super WOW
mihrt
April 18, 2016
fabulous capture Mark. This spot always looks different-love how the sun was there just at the right time.
JoyceDickens
April 19, 2016
Talk about a breathtaking composition Mark....you have captured it perfectly and at the ideal time....so awesome my friend!!! :-))
lizziemellis
April 27, 2016
Beautifully composed, love the, formations of the Rock ,colours and lighting:-)
KayBrewer
November 27, 2016
You're on a roll - congratulations on this image being a finalist in the Glitter/Flare contest!
KayBrewer
November 28, 2016
Wow wow wow - and here we were just chatting about contests 5 minutes ago. And your photo is a finalist again. Sure deserves it. Now win the damn thing!
brigittebonnefoidremiere
January 19, 2017
Antelope Canyon , un site magnifique et là quelle chance ce soleil qui entre juste au moment ou il faut. bravo
trainwoman
January 21, 2017
Congratulations on finalist finish in glitter and flares contest....very much deserved my friend
carolyns
February 23, 2017
Another beautiful shot Mark! Love the way you caught those sun rays. Amazing features in this part of Arizona.
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Upper Antelope slot canyon near Page, Arizona in mid March.Time
In doing a bit of research before coming to the canyons, I discovered that the morning hours prior to noon were usually best during this time of year, as the sun's position in the sky would determine where light beams fell inside the canyon.Lighting
The slot canyons have unique challenges for photographers - lighting can be extreme, not only during different times of the day, but also during different times of the year as it all depends on the position of the sun in the sky. Because no flash photography is allowed inside these canyons, tripods are a must, and those can only be used on the "photographer's tours". There are constant shifts in lighting throughout the day, and deep shadows are always a problem, so trying to photograph handheld is very difficult. In order to capture the unique colors of the sandstone walls, slower shutter speeds are essential as well as a white balance setting in the kelvin range.Equipment
This photo was taken using my Nikon D800 full frame DSLR with a 17-35mm Nikkor lens mounted on a tripod. No other equipment was used.Inspiration
The Navajo people call the Antelope canyons "where water makes a picture of itself in the stone". It is a magical and beautiful place, and because they are becoming very popular, they have been photographed countless times from every possible angle and under all types of lighting conditions. However, I knew that by waiting till just the right moment, the sun would send a shaft of light down onto the sandy floor. I was lucky enough to capture it just as the light appeared as a flare.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. Some adjustment was also made for clarity.In my camera bag
My camera of choice is a Nikon D800 full frame DSLR. I normally use a Nikkor 28-300mm zoom lens which I feel to be very versatile under normal shooting conditions. For this photo I used a Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8 lens. I also carry a Nikkor 35-105mm lens. I always have 2 64gb cards in my camera as I shoot in both Raw and jpg Fine and I keep 2 spare 64gb cards in my bag as well. Additionally, I use a Manfroto tripod with a ball head, and have UV and polarizing filters for all lenses. In my camera bag I have ND filters and cleaning supplies.Feedback
Travel, patience, researching information about your destination and a partner who enjoys photography are all essentials in my opinion!