Lower Antelope canyon

Stephen Fischer Photography

Rating: 1A-I

This is the definitive slot canyon of the southwest.  As a result, it is also the most popular and crowded, being visited by hundreds of tourists each day.  What still makes this an interesting location for a visit is the pristine nature of the sandstone walls that have retained a remarkably high degree of preservation. Meticuously sculpted over hundreds of thousands of years through the erosive powers of water, with sand and rocks actings as the abrasives.  The deep and narrow nature of this slot lends it well to high quality photography through the use of reflected lighting off the canyon walls.  The main challenges are the number people present that are constantly impeding your photography, or the Navajo "guides" that are trying to shepard people through as quickly as possible, or even worst other photographers (or guides) that insist on stomp-comping the classic beam-of-light shot by throwing sand in the air just before they fire their shutter release.  It helps to cover your camera with a jacket or windbreaker when that is going on.

When visiting lower Antelope Canyon, the trick is to get here earlier in the morning before the major crowds show up, pay the admission fee for the photographer tour, getting your name down to go in by late morning, but not too early that you can't take advantage of the sun illuminating the canyon walls further up.