Evosia Photography
I am currently in Page, AZ. It’s a small town whose main industries are tourism and the nearby Navajo Coal Power plant. As a photographer there are a lot of attractions in the Page area: Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons, Horseshoe Bend, Vermillion Cliffs and the Coyote Buttes and more.
Weather hasn’t been what I call perfect, but I’ve kept my journey flexible. Been constantly checking weather updates. Saw today was a sunny day so I headed up to Page from Sedona through the tail end of a storm that dumped a lot of snow in Flagstaff. As soon as I got north of Flagstaff it’s been sunny skies.
It’s winter time and not too many people are visiting Upper Antelope Canyon today. In the summer months this place is packed with photographers trying to photograph the famous beams of light. Those beams depend on the angle of the sun and in winter the sun doesn’t shine into the canyon in the same way.
For Upper Antelope Canyon, you can only enter with a Navajo guide. They also have a choice of two types of tours: a 2.5 hour photography tour for photographers and a shorter 1 hour standard tour. I highly recommend the photography tour as the guide will give you tips on how to photograph the canyon, as well as what may make good shots. My photo group was 4 people including our Navajo guide. And the other two people in my group weren’t really photographers — just wanted the longer tour time that comes with the photography tour. Our guide’s 4×4 ran out of gas on the return so we got an extra 30 minutes in the canyon with perhaps 12 other people total.
Upper Antelope Canyon is really a magical place. But with so many people wanting to see it, it can be quite a zoo with tours going in and out like clock work. I guess it’s great for the Navajo as there’s not much else going for this sad looking town.
Some tips for visiting Upper Antelope Canyon:
1. Summer is the best time photography wise as you’ll get the beams of light. However it will be crowded and may only get a few good photos without people walking into your shot.
2. I rather go in the winter. Less people. It’s more laid back and you don’t have to worry as much about people walking into your shot. The quietest time is the week of Christmas.
3. Bring a tripod if you want to take some good photos home. I saw a lot of people without tripods. Camera flash will kill the delicate colors. And since it’s dark, if you don’t use a tripod your shots will come out blurry.
4. Switch your camera’s white balance to shade. Shoot RAW if you have the option so you can correct mistakes later.
5. Prime time to be there is supposed to be mid day — 11 to 1 — but my guide said afternoon is also nice since you’ll get different colors. If you’re looking for light beams go in the summer.
6. You have a choice of guides for Upper Antelope Canyon. I went with Chief Tsosie’s Antelope Slot Canyon Tours as they had better times to visit. The other groups went too early. Also our guide played the flute inside the canyon. Wow it was amazing.
