So Excited!

[JimFox]

For the first time in a few years, I am heading back to Antelope Canyon! Looking at @Douglas Sherman thread https://focalworld.com/threads/stud-horse-point-az.17863/#post-151658 made me think about Antelope Canyon. I have been wanting to get back there for a few years, and the pandemic interrupted my plans.

But today while enjoying myself at an Asian Buffet, I thought about Doug’s post, looked up Antelope Canyon to see if it was open, and the had 1 slot left for this week and I jumped on it!

I am heading back to Colorado, so I will detour to Page on my way.

Now unfortunately they don’t have Photo Tours anymore, so it’s all handheld cameras and fast lens! I should be good to go. It won’t be as nice as a photo tour was, but I will make due.

Anyway, I am excited!!!

 

[AlanLichty]

Good luck! Page is a good home base for a number of northern AZ and southern UT photo destinations and I did in fact combine my effort to find Stud Horse Point with a visit to both of the Antelope Canyons. You also have the Horseshoe overlook nearby as well.

I will be curious to hear your impressions of an Antelope visit these days. Upper or Lower canyon (or both)?

 

[JimFox]

All I signed up for was Upper. The last time I went to Lower you could go through it by yourself, but I think it's now a guided tour.

Yeah, I am not sure what else I will do there. I have been to Horseshoe Bend many times, so it's not really calling to me. As to what else I might go visit while there I haven't even thought of. Antelope Canyon was totally spur of the moment. I will probably think about it more tomorrow. They run tours to Canyon X and some other canyons there I haven't been before, so I might look into that.

 

[AlanLichty]

You do also have Stud Horse Canyon nearby to Page as well. Looking back through my archived shots I think I actually did find the place although not with great light like Doug's post showed. It's maybe a 45 minutes drive from Page at most and shouldn't be a problem for your Jeep.

 

[AlanLichty]

Still scratching my head over no tripod - most of my shots in the upper canyon were around 1.6-2 seconds @f/14 with ISO 100. You are going to have to use a pretty high ISO, fairly open f/stops, and some level of image stabilization to get much out of this.

 

[Ben Egbert]

My favorite destinations near Page is Toroweap and Alstrom Point

 

[AlanLichty]

What will the views be like from either of those overlooks with the current lake levels?

 

[JimFox]

Still scratching my head over no tripod - most of my shots in the upper canyon were around 1.6-2 seconds @f/14 with ISO 100. You are going to have to use a pretty high ISO, fairly open f/stops, and some level of image stabilization to get much out of this.

I won't have to use high ISO at all. I typically shoot at ISO 400 anyway, and I will be shooting wider with much more DOF, so f2.8 to even f5.6 should be fine. Going to ISO 800 or 1600 isn't a problem with either my D850 or D810. The 14mm doesn't have stablization, but I can shoot it at f2.8 with good IQ and of course all the way down to f1.8. My 24-120mm has stablization which I always use anyway when its handheld.

10 years ago I wouldn't have dared it without at tripod, I would have shot it the same as you with f13, etc. But now, maybe I have gotten smarter and for sure my lenses have gotten better. So I should be fine without a tripod. I also can shoot faster handheld, which will be a plus in a non photo group.

So anyway, I had already thought this through 2 years ago, so I will be fine without a tripod.

 

[JimFox]

What will the views be like from either of those overlooks with the current lake levels?

Toroweap looks over the Colorado River, it should be fine. The overlooks over Lake Powell don't do much for me. I have shot them, but they don't tickle me anyway.

 

[JimFox]

You do also have Stud Horse Canyon nearby to Page as well. Looking back through my archived shots I think I actually did find the place although not with great light like Doug's post showed. It's maybe a 45 minutes drive from Page at most and shouldn't be a problem for your Jeep.

Stud Horse Canyon is the whole reason my memory got jogged to go check on Antelope Canyon, so it's definitely in the mix of places I might go.

 

[JimFox]

My favorite destinations near Page is Toroweap and Alstrom Point

Thanks Ben, as I mentioned to Alan, Toroweap is a possibility.

 

[TimMc]

Jim, you just got yourself a good reason for a new camera. No tripod equals you need IBIS. One of the very few reasons to add a mirrorless camera to your kit.

And very sad to hear the dedicated photo tours of the canyon have gone away. They were really enjoyable .

 

[Jeffrey]

Good luck Jim. It is not like it once was for image making. Last visit was a freakin' zoo, I just entered and immediately left the lot. Mob scene. Expect disappointment. So glad I photographed that place earlier in this century.

 

[JimFox]

Jim, you just got yourself a good reason for a new camera. No tripod equals you need IBIS. One of the very few reasons to add a mirrorless camera to your kit.

And very sad to hear the dedicated photo tours of the canyon have gone away. They were really enjoyable .

I didn't even think about that Tim with the IBIS, that is a good reason for mirrorless. Sadly, my budget isn't going to allow for that, I will have to just rely on nerves of steel to hold my camera steady.

 

[JimFox]

Good luck Jim. It is not like it once was for image making. Last visit was a freakin' zoo, I just entered and immediately left the lot. Mob scene. Expect disappointment. So glad I photographed that place earlier in this century.

Thanks Jeffrey! One thing with the pandemic changes is the crowds will be cut by 50%, so it shouldn't be as crowded. And plus, even if it's crowded I can just point the camera up and take some photos.