Monopod/Tripod Antelope canyon

Fretting over what to pack for the trip end of April. Looking for advice from those of you who have been there.

Would it be better to take my manfrotto 190xprob or my jobu monopod?

Not sure if the monopod will be sufficient, just got it and have not had much practice with it.

Any and all advice gratefully accepted.

Tks,

Tripod for sure. I wouldn't even attempt that with a monopod since the majority of my images were 30+ seconds and/or a manual blend of multiple images that need to be exact.

Tripod there is no way you will get anything without one in there.

Ok, thanks. I kinda thought that but needed some other opinions.

Its a long way from where I live to Utah to haul a tripod if I did not have to.

Tripod, plus your widest lens and don't change lenses in the dusty conditions in the canyon.

Tripod, and spring for the photographer's tour---they help keep the masses at bay while you get some shots.

Consider visiting Lower Antelope also/instead. With a tripod and SLR, they will turn you loose on the Photographer's Tour for two hours - without a guide! Free of the stampede, you can take your time, enjoy the environment and, hopefully, make better, more unique images. Work your way down to the climb-out point then, instead of taking the ladder out of the slot, reverse course and return the way you came. The light will have changed, offering more photo opportunities.

http://www.lowerantelo​pe.com/aboutTheTour.ph​p

Thanks for the tip.

Am planning on stopping at Page on my way from Monument Valley, going to Zion. I didn't realize that this could be a unaccompanied, I did see that in some of the research that I have done but nothing recently.

Any tips, pointers, advice is most welcome.

thanks,

Dashing from one Touron hotspot to the next will have you missing all manner of interesting, highly photogenic sites. If you really want to see the world, find the time to stop at some of the other picturesque slot canyons in the area. http://www.americansou​thwest.net/slot_canyon​s/map.html Many can be reached with a short hike, and are passable for at least some distance without climbing skills and equipment.

Here's another vote for the tripod and I'll ditto everything Geonerd said because that is what I did last June, although I went on my own, not in a tour. Also, I think the closer to sunrise the better, as the light will be indirect with fewer shadowy areas and harsh light. Some of the other, less traveled, slot canyons are just as beautiful and cheaper (free) too!

Oh, I do realize that the stop is not a lot of time for Antelope Canyon.

The whole trip is two weeks, 8 days up at Moab, the trip down to Zion is stopping at Monument Valley at the View Hotel over night, with enough time for tour the next day if wanted.

I am stopping at Zion for 3 days and Bryce for two days, so if I don't have enough for Antelope Canyon I will backtrack from Zion.

I was at Moab, two years ago with my Son and Daughter-in-Law and their children and vowed to go back solo. I love my grandchildren but you have to do things on their schedule.

Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, Zion and Bryce are all highlights that I want to pick-up this time back. I know that Zion alone has enough to keep me going for the entire two weeks but all that I am expecting to get is a feeling of what is there, so that when I come back again (and I will) I can concentrate on the Zion area. Its all a circular trip leaving Salt Lake City returning.

I gave myself a birthday present of a 6D so if anyone has any suggestions on settings for this, please fire away. I have the 17-40 f4.0 and 24-105, with a 7D as a backup body.

Thanks again for the help.

eastcoast909 wrote in post #15697755
Am planning on stopping at Page on my way from Monument Valley, going to Zion. I didn't realize that this could be a unaccompanied, I did see that in some of the research that I have done but nothing recently.

Any tips, pointers, advice is most welcome.

thanks,

Upper antelope is with a guide; in Lower, the 'standard' tour is guided, but Photography tour is not. Note that they have a 2-hour limit. When I went in late 2011, you could stay in there past that (I only about about 1/2 way through in about 3 hours) and just pay an extra $20. Went back last May, they told me the policy changed due to 'incidents' with some troublesome photogs. So after 2 hours they kicked us out, even after I offered to pay extra. We couldn't even go out, pay a full fee, and go right back in. We had to come back the next day, which was a bummer.

As others have said, tripod is necessary if you want sharp shots. As far as other tips, look up, look behind you constantly; you'll find interesting angles and formations everywhere. Don't change lenses if you can help it, windy and dusty in there (bring a blower/something to clean your lens periodically, and consider your lens hood for dust, not flare). I'd recommend your 17-40mm on your 6D, and 24-105 on the 7D, so you can get the occasional med-range shot without changing lenses.

I'd recommend bracketing shots; I found my lower exposure shots had nicer colors, and I almost exclusively used those (you can also HDR/blend exposures if you're into that). Photography versions of tours in both Upper and Lower are great, especially in Upper. They know where to go, where to point your camera and wait for a shot (especially for the sun beams); the non-photo tours in Upper will miss many of those opportunities, as they seem to rush you through. Some of the tourists and rude and selfish and will get in your shots even when the guides are yelling at them not to; I can't imagine what it'd be like without them.

eastcoast909 wrote in post #15699704
Oh, I do realize that the stop is not a lot of time for Antelope Canyon.

The whole trip is two weeks, 8 days up at Moab, the trip down to Zion is stopping at Monument Valley at the View Hotel over night, with enough time for tour the next day if wanted.

I am stopping at Zion for 3 days and Bryce for two days, so if I don't have enough for Antelope Canyon I will backtrack from Zion.

I was at Moab, two years ago with my Son and Daughter-in-Law and their children and vowed to go back solo. I love my grandchildren but you have to do things on their schedule.

Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, Zion and Bryce are all highlights that I want to pick-up this time back. I know that Zion alone has enough to keep me going for the entire two weeks but all that I am expecting to get is a feeling of what is there, so that when I come back again (and I will) I can concentrate on the Zion area. Its all a circular trip leaving Salt Lake City returning.

I gave myself a birthday present of a 6D so if anyone has any suggestions on settings for this, please fire away. I have the 17-40 f4.0 and 24-105, with a 7D as a backup body.

Thanks again for the help.

For all the redrock subjects, particularly high contrast canyons, chimp the RED histogram to avoid blocked, distorted colors. Lookup 'Fried Egg Effect,' the yellow halo that often surrounds the setting sun. It occurs when the red channel saturates, causing oranges to suddenly appear yellow. On many cameras, the histogram shows the green channel by default.

In Jackalope, do what you must to maintain DOF. With modern AF lenses that generally lack a distance scale, this can be a minor PITA. Also, mind glare / flare from the bright sky above. If you don't have a lens hood, consider bringing a ~1 foot square piece of cardboard, etc. to use as a shade.

Once again many thanks for all the advice. Watching the red histogram is something I will have to make a conscious effort to remember.

Getting pretty excited and still a month to go!

One more Jackalope suggestion - if the wind is blowing above, you may experience an intermittent shower of sand and occasionally larger grit. A jumbo clear ziplock-type plastic bag and a few rubber bands to seal the lens ring area will keep sand out of the lens and camera controls.