Grand Canyon
Apr 30, 2018 10:04:41 #
Apr 30, 2018 10:25:54 #
Everyone has offered great suggestions. One not mentioned is the great opportunities before dawn and after sunset blue hour and during the night. If conditions are good amazing star photos over the canyon are possible. I took this photo in January at the Desert View Watchtower near the east entrance to the park. Just experiment and have fun!
Apr 30, 2018 10:33:35 #
I recommend a helicopter tour - better vantage points and no need to fight crowds. The attached image is from 2005 using a 2mp Casio - imagine how much better you can do today.
Apr 30, 2018 10:38:23 #
First time I've ever posted on this board, but the GC is an interesting subject in more ways than one. First, as previously mentioned, haze is a major issue, Not so much
because of weather conditions as it is the distance from one side of the canyon to the other (on the N/S axis). Be prepared to deal with the pastel look of the distant surfaces.
As for favored areas, what's known as the South Rim is beautiful(and oh so crowded)but the real gem (well, at least my favorite)is to drive eastward to what's known as the "Desert" or East Rim.
There are little parking stops along the way, no crowds and wonderful vistas along the way and at the eastern rim itself.
The drive is relatively short, so whatever you do, I'd suggest you not skip that opportunity.
because of weather conditions as it is the distance from one side of the canyon to the other (on the N/S axis). Be prepared to deal with the pastel look of the distant surfaces.
As for favored areas, what's known as the South Rim is beautiful(and oh so crowded)but the real gem (well, at least my favorite)is to drive eastward to what's known as the "Desert" or East Rim.
There are little parking stops along the way, no crowds and wonderful vistas along the way and at the eastern rim itself.
The drive is relatively short, so whatever you do, I'd suggest you not skip that opportunity.
Apr 30, 2018 11:21:26 #
The Grand Canyon is just hard to photograph. It is all about the weather and time of day. Get lucky with and nice puffy clouds and you are in. The tonality of the canyon can get quite washed out especially in far away rock.
Otherwise don’t expect too much of the photos of the canyon itself. Turn your focus to smaller sections like the cliff edge trees and rocks.
I was on the north rim with another photographer camping for a few days and had no clouds the entire time. Ugh! The camping, sitting at the edge of the canyon with no one else around, the solitude and majesty of the place were the greatest takeaways. I only have two prints from the three day trip. In one I all but cropped out the sky when I took the shot. Like I said it is not an easy place to photograph. You have to be lucky to get that money shot.
Sedona will probably yield you much better results if you take the advice given from the other Hoggers above. It is too crowded for me so I have only been once.
Otherwise don’t expect too much of the photos of the canyon itself. Turn your focus to smaller sections like the cliff edge trees and rocks.
I was on the north rim with another photographer camping for a few days and had no clouds the entire time. Ugh! The camping, sitting at the edge of the canyon with no one else around, the solitude and majesty of the place were the greatest takeaways. I only have two prints from the three day trip. In one I all but cropped out the sky when I took the shot. Like I said it is not an easy place to photograph. You have to be lucky to get that money shot.
Sedona will probably yield you much better results if you take the advice given from the other Hoggers above. It is too crowded for me so I have only been once.
Apr 30, 2018 11:41:34 #
Apr 30, 2018 11:49:33 #
slhunky wrote:
Good morning,
Heading to the Grand Canyon and Sedona. Any suggestions about what to look for, best time for shooting or lens preference?
Heading to the Grand Canyon and Sedona. Any suggestions about what to look for, best time for shooting or lens preference?
In addition to my first suggestions the best photos I ever took of the GC were half way down from the north rim of incredible waterfalls and side canyons and pools. Fossils as well. overwhelmingly incredible and unimaginable things very few see and cannot be seen from a raft trip either.
Apr 30, 2018 11:58:58 #
I really think the key to have a chance at good photos is to be patient, watch the changing colors, consider filters (I didn't bring mine unfortunately), and look for perspective.
Apr 30, 2018 12:01:58 #
I have a friend from h.s. who graduated a couple of years ahead of me. Now 70, he's heavily into fitness due to a heart attack five years ago and does a lot of hiking around the country. He just finished a solo seven day hike along the bottom of Grand Canyon. I can't tell you how terrific the photos from the bottom of the G.C. are. One of his photos was a group of rafters going past him on the Colorado. Makes me wish I was young and in shape again.
Apr 30, 2018 12:02:59 #
Apr 30, 2018 12:22:58 #
At this time of year, haze *is* a definite problem at the Grand Canyon. The best months for photography there is in the winter, November through February 15. Sedona offers myriad opportunities for dramatic images almost any time of the year. You might want single focal length wide angle and normal lenses plus a good macro lens. You might benefit from taking a through the lens and a range finder body. The suggestion of exploring Jerome is a good one. You might also consider going to Walnut Canyon outside of Flagstaff as well.
Apr 30, 2018 14:49:08 #
If you go to SEDONA check out the Chapel in the rock awesome ask the locals if you can't find it,Sedona is a photographer's paradise. Thanks TOM B.
Apr 30, 2018 17:04:26 #
bsprague wrote:
The LR Dehaze filter is magic! I photographed a stage presentation where they had introduced artificial fog, and it worked wonders in cutting through the haze. I couldn't believe how effective it was.Your enemy is atmospheric haze. Your brain filter... (show quote)
OP, I recommend the Pink Jeep tour in Sedona! For the Grand Canyon you probably won't find a wide-angle lens that does it justice--you'll need to take overlapping photos and stitch them into a panorama. LR has the ability to do that, but I use a product called Autostitch mostly.
Grand Canyon pano 337-342 by David Casteel, on Flickr
And here is the same panorama after the LR Dehaze has been used:
Grand Canyon pano 337-342 by David Casteel, on Flickr
Apr 30, 2018 17:19:19 #
slhunky wrote:
Good morning,
Heading to the Grand Canyon and Sedona. Any suggestions about what to look for, best time for shooting or lens preference?
Heading to the Grand Canyon and Sedona. Any suggestions about what to look for, best time for shooting or lens preference?
Look for big rocks.
Shoot them when the sun comes up or goes down.
Between then, drink lots of margaritas.
Apr 30, 2018 18:16:44 #
Go to the north rim. It is a bit out of the way but the crowds are far fewer. Additionally, there a whole bunch of view points on the north rim of the canyon. Enjoy.
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