UPPER ANTELOPE CANYON

Upper Antelope Canyon can not be approached by private cars nor by hiking. There are two methods to tour the canyon. One is to book with a tour company. Those companies are mostly located in Page, so visitors need to assemble in the morning at the offices of those tour companies to be transforted to the canyon. The driver usually serves as the tour guide, too. There are ordinary tours and longer tours for photographers. Another way to tour the canyon is to drive up to the parking lot of the canyon, and join the tour provided by the Indians at the entrance station. However, during the busy peak season, one should be prepared to wait for a long time in the second mode of touring the canyon.

During the high season, there are light beams coming vertically down from the ceiling openenings. Of course, the spectacular scene requires the sun to be high in the sky, meaning around the noon time. Usually there are a large number of photographers with tripods and DSLRs surrounding the spot where the ligh beam will come down from the sky. It will be really crowded there like a market place. Though naked eyes can see easily the pouring down ligh beam, it is difficult for cameras to catch near transparent light beam (human eyes are much more light sensitive than cameras). People throw sand at the light beam to make it more visible. Ones near the light beam should be careful about the sand getting into the camera. During the summer season the hue of Antelope Canyons is redish, but the hue changes to blusish in the fall. During the fall season, the vertical light beam becomes rare and rare, but some times, if lucky, one will catch some slanting light beams pouring down from the ceiling openings

Picture 1: Typical four wheel drives that take visitors to the entrance of the canyon.
Picture 2: The entrance of Upper Antelope Canyon with our Indian driver and guide.
Picture 3: A hall near the entrance. Light is quite dim so no strong color and hue have come out yet.
Picture 4: Light and shadow
Picture 5: If one does not look up, this kind of scene continues
Picture 6: Through a small window near the ceiling.
Picture 7: This is the reward of not ignoring the windows. In reality there is no such sharp structures. It is the magic played by the polarized light.
Picture 8: This is a slanting light. The time that the picture was taken is close to Thanks Giving.
Picture 9: The same slantng light from slightly different angle.
Picture 10: A typical scene looking through a window. Outside looks like a burning hell.
Picture 11: This scene has a name, "Little Monument Valley".
Picture 12: This is the exit of Upper Antelope Canyon. The return trip just retraces the trail and back to the entrence. Light in Upper Antelope is quite dim. Many pictures from the two pocketsize point and shoot have failed.