photos from the canyon itself!
A note about access … the canyon is only accessible via guided tour. It is on Navajo land and the tribe runs the tours. As far as I know, there is no way to get in just by yourself.
There are two types of tours: a $30 for half an hour where they rush you through the canyon with 10 other groups (total 100+ people in there – it gets crowded) so you can see the beams of light as the sun makes its transit across the sky, and a $50 one where they do the rushing and then give you another hour to explore, with the guide being a helpful resource as opposed to actively herding you. I of course recommend ponying up the extra $20! Ask for the “photographer’s tour” option when you book.
I cannot remember which guide company we went with, but I believe all the money just goes to the Navajo Nation so there’s no point in shopping around… they are not in competition and offer identical services. Here is one:
during the photographer’s tour segment (when the general population has been herded out) all the tour guides from all the companies are very friendly and accessible and helpful in pointing out places to stand to take good photos, and rock formations. And of course they carry shovels and are always happy to load the sandfalls! Did I mention I highly recommend the photo tour?
(I have no idea how to get in under the full moon if that is your gig, but I am sure if you inquire with one of the tour companies, they may be able to assist you in that endeavor.)
and one more thing to note: make sure to bring a fast (f/1.4 or f/1.8) lens, or one with image stabilization (Nikon VR, Canon IS, dunno what Pentax, Sony, etc call it but they all have the option)… my exposure times in these photos ranged from 1/20s to 1s at ISO-400 using my f/3.5 VR lens.
Beam of light: catch it while you can.
Hell’s kitchen table. See if you can spot the devil. Hint: he is playing piano, and wearing a hat with floppy dog ears.
One of those ever-present dripping clocks.
We take a break from our regularly scheduled programming to bring you this bat.
What is this outside world of which you speak?
It took me a good while to decide on an orientation for this photo. If it turns out to be upside down, all viewers will receive a refund.
Alot of these pictures are messed up when you try viewing them in full size…
These are awesome pictures though… they make great desktops!
You do fantastic work!
-S
Nice photos. What kind of setup and exposure times were used?
Agreed about the larger images being buggy. They don’t show up correctly in Firefox.
I used a Nikon D50 with the 18-200 lens. Exposure times ranged from 1/20 to 1/2 second or so, on ISO-200 and ISO-400 settings.
I really was having internet troubles when I first uploaded this batch. Let me do a mass re-upload. Check the large images again in a little while!
I’m going there in a few days. Do I need a tour guide to enter the canyons? People say differently about that.
I thought you did, but if people say differently, they may be right…
your pictures are amazing. Are you using an f/1.4 lens on tripod?
glad you like ’em! :)
I was using an 18-200 VR lens (f/3.5), which let me take exposures as long as 1 or 2 seconds without needing a tripod.