JP's View -- Antelope Canyon, Arizona

Welcome back to JP’s View -

Nikon D7100, ISO 800, 1/8 seconds @ f11, 16-85 4.5 Nikon lens. Shot in RAW,
processed in Lightroom, curves and masks in Photoshop. Used tripod and remote release.

The past three years have been a time of dedication to family, we lost a battle to cancer after a long fight. It demanded that we curtail our retirement and our travel plans and stick closer to home. As a result JP’s view fell by the wayside.

Things are different now and we can take the time to go back out and enjoy this wonderful country again.

During that same time I grew to appreciate those writers who choose not to write about politics and other opinion pieces, I hear enough about that from other sources. So here’s what will be featured from now on, great places to go, how to get there and exactly how the featured photos were taken.

No fancy trips to far off lands, mostly the western U.S. with directions and photo information.

Let’s get started!

Nikon D7100, ISO 800, 3 seconds @ f19, -1 1/2 EV, 16-85 4.5 Nikon lens. Shot in RAW,
processed in Lightroom, curves and masks in Photoshop. Used tripod and remote release.

This is Antelope Canyon outside of Page, Arizona. It is a short bus ride out of town. Wholly owned by a few members of the Navajo nation you can only tour it with a Native American guide. I used Antelope Canyon Tours, Inc. https://www.antelopecanyon.com and they were fantastic. Seriously, no affiliation with them at all, but they did a wonderful job. I called at the last minute and they brought a guide back in from on their way home and setup a tour for myself, my wife and a gentleman visiting from Paris, France.

The guide was knowledgeable and well spoken, not only about the history and geology of the canyon, but about photography as well. They were a big help in holding back the crowds, telling you where to set up your tripod and keeping an eye on your gear while you were busy making images.

Nikon D7100, ISO 1600, .7 seconds @ f6.7, -2 EV, 16-85 4.5 Nikon lens. Shot in RAW, processed in Lightroom, curves and masks in Photoshop. Handheld, braced against the wall.

Here are some important things you need to know about photographing the canyon.

•    Take a tripod. You will have a hard time hand holding inside of the canyon, the light is amazing but it is low.
•    DO NOT change your lens. The dust and sand inside the canyon is like nowhere else I’ve ever been. You will wipe out your sensor in seconds.
•    Take a blower brush and blow the front element of your lens off frequently. Don’t rub it. I didn’t do this and the majority of my images were ruined by spots. More than could be corrected.
•    Keep the front element of your lens in the shade. The light that does make it down into the floor is very strong and will blow out your contrast.    
•    Bracket everything. Once you go to all the trouble of setting up and holding back the crowds take a full gamut of exposures. I had my Nikon set to +/- 3 stops and auto bracketed everything. It made a huge difference.
•    Next time I would not take my camera bag inside the canyon. It was always in the way and I never got anything out of it. Grab your tripod, camera and a blower brush. Maybe a remote release and be ready to move fast.

Nikon D7100, ISO 800, 3 seconds @ f19, -1/2 EV, 16-85 4.5 Nikon lens. Shot in RAW, processed in Lightroom.
Tripod and remote release

Antelope Canyon should absolutely be on your list of things to see, it is beautiful and easy to access. The best months are between March and September. We camped at the nearby Lake Powell Marina, it is an excellent base camp and offers its own stunning photo opportunities.

If you like JP’s View please share it with your friends and subscribe. Next up Horsehoe Bend!