Photography at the Grand Canyon: I was speaking to a photographer friend who had felt her photos of the Grand Canyon did not reflect the majesty of the place but could not say what...

splinter Loc: UK

I was speaking to a photographer friend who had felt her photos of the Grand Canyon did not reflect the majesty of the place but could not say what went wrong.

I am visiting there in a few months and would like to know what equipment I would need to make sure I do get memorable images to be proud of. I have good cameras and tri-pod so do I need filters?

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

You say you have good cameras but nothing about lenses. A very good wide angle is the lens you want. Also a good CPL will be nice to have for several reasons. Often mid-day sun is actually best for shooting the canyons because early and late times will have very long shadows that can detract from the interest of the scenes. A tripod is usually not that necessary under those lighting conditions as shutter speeds will be fast enough to handhold most of the shots you want.

TdogKing

Its a tough call, I've felt the same way after visiting too. Sometimes its cloudless and a bit of haze which makes for a flat looking picture.I haven't been in the winter after a snow but that sounds like a cool thing to do.I say show up with what you have and fire away and you might end up happy as a lark with your results.Its just hard to capture how big and awesome it is but its sure worth a visit as I've never left disappointed.

MtnMan Loc: ID

MT Shooter wrote:

You say you have good cameras but nothing about lenses. A very good wide angle is the lens you want. Also a good CPL will be nice to have for several reasons. Often mid-day sun is actually best for shooting the canyons because early and late times will have very long shadows that can detract from the interest of the scenes. A tripod is usually not that necessary under those lighting conditions as shutter speeds will be fast enough to handhold most of the shots you want.

I agree with the first half of MT Shooter.

Having been there in June I don't agree with the last two points. The lighting is much more dramatic at dawn and sunset. You need to get in the right place for it. There is a famous one at the end of the bus route for sunset that you should not miss.

Also you want to set your lens at maximum f-stop to get the largest DOF possible. Thus you will need a tripod.

Unfortunately I didn't have my good CP or great wide angle lens yet in June.

Grand Dawn

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

I would shoot in RAW and JPEG. Unless you use raw a lot then just use it and you can make adjustments in PP to tweak how vivid you want , what color balance looks the best etc. If you have not done RAW PP you may want to get someone to help you. If you shoot JPEG check out and practice with the settings you have on your camera. Take a picture and view it in your viewfinder and then adjust to see if you can make it better. It's not like the mountains are going to move and the lighting does not change that quick. Try different lenses sometimes just a narrow angle of a telephoto will give a great picture. Take your time and try several different things at each location. Plan each shot (don't just click like mad and hope you get a good one) You may also want to look into HDR. You will have to learn how to do it before your trip but may be worth it. - Dave

jadeast Loc: Virginia

Depends on which side of the canyon you're going to visit! I personally prefer the north side but you always have the sun for the most part in front of you so you're dealing with more shadows. a set of ND grads will help keep the sky under control. A CP is helpful when you're shooting at or near right angles to the sun. A bit of luck in getting some puffy white clouds would be good no matter what lens you use. Be sure you bracket to give yourself ample opportunity. Try to allow yourself more than one day there to be able to take advantage of the range of lighting conditions morning to sunset.

splinter Loc: UK

Thankyou to everyone I can plan my trip now with more knowledge that will no doubt improve the experience.
I am staying on the South Rim for two days so hope to get a variety of locations and lighting but can only pray for good weather in May to be able to see anything.

BillBrennan Loc: Tucson, Az.

A wide angle is nice, I used a 17-54mm on my 60D works very nice. I also did hand held panos vertical stitching which also was very nice. The south rim has crowds at the usual tourist spots in between the crowds you has plenty of room to set up your tripod if you have one. I took one but never used it. I shot from sun up to sun down, filters are nice to cut down on the haze in the distance. Was at the canyon in both rain and snow. After a rain the colors are most vivid, snow and clouds moving in and out of the canyon are breathtaking. Plan on shooting a lot, as others have said use raw and jpeg, plan your shots. At the canyon edge you can use the trees as a frame in the foreground.
Have fun.
Bill

Zaydewise Loc: Nashville TN

What is CPL

rayrod388 Loc: Hudson Valley New York

A circular polarizer lens filter

nealabello Loc: SB Wine Country

jadeast wrote:

Depends on which side of the canyon you're going t... (show quote)

I was there last summer and spent several days there experiencing various times of day and lighting situations. It was spectacular any time of the day. I agree that a few clouds add to the feeling. Here is one that I took and it is basically as it came form the camera. I did have a CPF to help with the sun coming form the right. Just enjoy the place.

Colorado River low center

countyrose Loc: Erskine, AB Canada

Love your photo.

nealabello wrote:

quote=jadeast Depends on which side of the canyon... (show quote)

nealabello Loc: SB Wine Country

Thanks for the nice comment.

wddogger Loc: Fullerton, CA

jadeast wrote:

Depends on which side of the canyon you're going t... (show quote)

Jadeast is absolutely correct about allowing more than one day and hope for clouds! I was there this past mid-October. One day is not enough. We did a "one day round trip" from Williams on the train. Next time we'll drive up from Williams and allow a minimum of two days. BTW, don't forget shots at Williams too. It has some great "Route 66" nastalgia opportunities.

Aaron Braganza Loc: Sydney, Australia

MT Shooter wrote:

You say you have good cameras but nothing about lenses. A very good wide angle is the lens you want. Also a good CPL will be nice to have for several reasons. Often mid-day sun is actually best for shooting the canyons because early and late times will have very long shadows that can detract from the interest of the scenes. A tripod is usually not that necessary under those lighting conditions as shutter speeds will be fast enough to handhold most of the shots you want.

Hi MT Shooter, Always value your input. Could you recommend a good wide angle lens suitable for a Nikon D7000 - Thanks