Andrew Shoemaker | Fine Art Photography Blog

A Photographer's Guide To Antelope Canyon Photography

Arizona

This may sound strange coming from a photographer, but pictures don't do Antelope Canyon justice. Having only seen pictures of these slot canyons before going to photograph them myself, I can confirm that while pictures and art are a close second, there is nothing quite like seeing them yourself.

One of my favorite things is to be able to capture a moment in time of a subject that was millennia in the making. And even though I know I'll never perfectly capture or replicate that majesty with my camera - it's my favorite thing to try and fail at.

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The Wonder Of Arizona Slot Canyons

This was my first time venturing into the Canyonlands, and wow was I amazed! The type of sandstone that makes up these slot canyons is a specific type called Navajo Sandstone, distinctive for its extensive cross-bedding patterns, which show the wind and water erosion seen in the western United States. The sandstone walls change colors throughout the day depending on the lighting conditions and as a photographer, seeing the interplay of light is just plain paradise!

Every time you walk through, different lighting draws your eye to other areas. These canyons are formed by millions of years of water and wind erosion from the flash floods of the Arizona monsoon season on the sandstone. This ongoing process of erosion continues to shape the canyon today, with flash floods still occurring and further sculpting the rock formations. The result is a breathtaking natural wonder that showcases the power of water and time in shaping our landscape. It's really hard to believe it forms this way, but Mother Nature is the sculptor of this epic masterpiece.

Fine Art Photographer Andrew Shoemaker in Lower Antelope Canyon — Me venturing through Lower Antelope Canyon for the first time

Photographing The Upper & Lower Canyon

Antelope Canyon, located near Page, Arizona, is divided into two main sections: Upper Antelope Canyon (wider and A-shaped) and Lower Antelope Canyon (narrower, deeper, and V-shaped), each with its own characteristics resulting from slightly different erosion patterns and located on Navajo Land in northern Arizona. For the access I needed for photography, I needed a Navajo guide to visit these areas which was awesome to have to with me.

At the moment, there are no tripods allowed in either upper or lower Antelope Canyons so this is anything but a typical photoshoot in that regard. Luckily with the latest modern mirrorless cameras, you are able to pull off shots that wouldn't be possible without a tripod now. I couldn't decide which camera would work best in there between my Fuji GFX 100s and Nikon Z7 so I decided just to bring both! My wife was my lovely camera assistant helping me switch between camera bodies easily. Your mind can truly wander in here finding amazing images everywhere.

Photographer Andrew Shoemaker capturing light beams in Upper Antelope Canyon — Light Beams in Upper Antelope Canyon

Colorful Canyons With Beams Of Light

As if the slot canyons aren't amazing enough, if you can time it right, light beams can come into the canyons! Upper Antelope Canyon is more well known for the light beams and my Navajo guide made sure to get me in there during prime time. The canyon itself is other worldly and then you add these beams of light, and it's like another force is at play here.

When the timing is right, light beams come into the canyons adding an other worldly dimension to an already incredible scene. I could stare at these forever, but they usually don't last too long so I knew I needed to capture this frame quickly.

Slot canyons are just an amazing creation by mother earth and when you mix the canyon with sun beams, magic sure seems to happen in here! What a truly amazing experience it was to hike through these canyons and truly feel blessed.

a beam of light shooting into the magnificent upper antelope canyon near Page, Arizona. Fine art southwest photography by artist Andrew Shoemaker — When the timing is right, light beams come into the canyons adding an other worldly dimension to an already incredible scene. I could stare at these forever, but they usually don't last too long so I knew I needed to capture this frame quickly.

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photograph inside of upper antelope canyon in page, arizona featuring a beam of light from the sky. Fine Art Arizona photography from artist Andrew Shoemaker — Slot canyons are just an amazing creation by mother earth and when you mix the canyon with sun beams, magic sure seems to happen in here! What a truly amazing experience it was to hike through these canyons and truly feel blessed.

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Photographer's Tips For Beautiful Antelope Canyon Photos

You should always know the settings that work for you and what you want to experiment with when you get there, but here are some ideas on camera options and equipment. Also, quick pro-tips: you should be prepared for sudden shifts in lighting due to moving cloud cover and avoid changing lenses due to all the dust.

Camera Settings

ISO - Set between 100-3200, with 400-800 being common. Higher ISO helps in low light conditions but may introduce noise.
Aperture - Use f/5 to f/12, with f/8 to f/11 recommended for good depth of field, critical to showcase the beams of light.
Shutter Speed - Set between 1/10 to 1/200 second, depending on available light and time of day, mornings and late afternoons are best for lighting in the canyon.
White Balance - 4500-5500K for blue/purple tones, 5500-6500K for orange/pink tones. I usually use Auto WB as I only shoot RAW so I can correct this later.

Composition

Use wide-angle lenses (14-50mm for full-frame, 10-24mm for crop sensors).
Frame shots using canyon walls and curves.
Try vertical panoramas to capture more of the canyon walls.
Look for light beams and use them in your compositions.

Techniques

Practice manual focusing or carefully choose autofocus points.
Consider full-frame cameras, HDR or exposure bracketing for challenging light.
Remove filters that might slow down shooting.

abstract wall art image of lower antelope canyon in page, Arizona in the american southwest. Fine art nature photography from Hawaii artist Andrew Shoemaker — Whirlwind Collector's Edition of 100

The Art of Antelope Canyon

Many unique patterns and photos can be found in here and what I like is everyone's images are going to look so different. I'm glad that I did multiple trips through the canyons as the lighting changed so much and I was able to settle down more and think about the shot rather than just being blown away by the beauty of the canyon itself. The image below was not possible with the lighting the first time I went through the canyon. However the second time, it was absolutely magic! The contrast and transitions between the hot and cold tones here are really something that I've never seen before.

a beautiful photograph in lower antelope canyon resembling an angel with wings. Contrasting colors or purple, red, and orange make up this Arizona scene — Deep in this slot canyon I was captivated by this formation resembling the female form with what appears to be wings when viewed from this angle. Throughout the day the light changes so dramatically in here and the contrasting colors of purple, red and orange of this scene really made just magical to witness. I didn't have much of a time window to capture this wonder of nature but I managed to come away with this beauty.

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There are so many unique perspectives and compositions to find and so many leave the imagination to the viewer. There are also many other slot canyons in the area that you can visit and also enjoy. I visited a few others and really liked how there was no one else around.

Chronicle panoramic photograph of lower antelope canyon in the state of Arizona in the American Southwest. Fine art nature photography by Andrew Shoemaker — The American Southwest is home to some of the most amazing slot canyons in the world. The lines, tones and color separation are just truly mind blowing and fantastic for abstract photography

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sandstone formations inside of rattle snake canyon and the sunlight creates the look of a face in the rock. American Southwest Photography by Andrew Shoemaker — When I turned around in this narrow slot canyon in Arizona, the sunlight was hitting the sandstone just right to create a face.

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Inspiration

For someone that mostly photographs the Hawaiian Islands, this was a welcome treat and a unique challenge to me. After being locked down in Hawaii for so long with covid restrictions, a change in scenery was very refreshing for the soul. Some images in here would be considered abstract photography and some would be considered landscape. The variety is just endless.

Visiting Antelope Canyon

Feeling like you want to see Antelope Canyon for yourself now? I don't blame you as I think everyone should experience this wonderful gift from mother nature. Both Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons are located outside of Page, Arizona. Page itself is a small charming town but everything you need is right there. As far as tours through the canyons, there are a few companies you can go with......