Upper Antelope Canyon Photo Tour Experience

I just want to give a quick experience on my photo tour in the Upper Antelope Canyon. I went last month and have to say I expected it to be hectic. What I didn't expect is how authoritarian it was to actually take a photo. We had to be in specific spots depending on how wide our lens was and we couldn't really move with our tripods. The guide just told us where to be and that was most of the situations for the light rays. That meant any long shutter exposures were pretty limited. I wouldn't do the photo tour again. Either way, you won't know how it is until you experience it for yourself so why not if you have the cash. Be aware of the selfie stick gangs that you will encounter!

Check out some of the photos below. You can see more on my Instagram and the Nepal Earthquake Relief Galleries in my signature. Cheers!

FYI: Some of these are from my infrared converted camera so they might look different/odd.

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IMAGE LINK: https://instagram.com …FBej/?taken-by=trungsnaps

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Beautiful shots!!

NinetySeventy wrote in post #17561332
Beautiful shots!!

Thanks man! It's really one of those places where you have to go twice. I just won't do the photo tour the next time around.

I'm at the airport heading out to Page AZ, all the posts I've been reading it's almost like a hit or miss. I will do photo tours and regular tours, just hoping I get some good shots.

I'll be going in a couple weeks. I expect to go to Lower Antelope, so hopefully it will be a better experience. Thanks for the nice pics.

Upper Antelope photo tour was a bust for me. I did get some decent photos but did not enjoy the tour. In my opinion, it is way over priced for what it is.

I hated the tour, but I was on one of the last tours of the day, and I tipped the guide to let me linger for a bit. Either way, it was a very cool place to experience.

Yeah I feel you guys!

bubbajack wrote in post #17563964
Upper Antelope photo tour was a bust for me. I did get some decent photos but did not enjoy the tour. In my opinion, it is way over priced for what it is.

I also did the photo tour and can confirm it was VERY hectic and unpleasant, although the only way you are currently allowed to use a tripod.

To make my life a little more interesting (why not...) I was shooting 35mm color negative film (ektar100) on a Nikkormat Ftn (the wife had the digital SLR). Every exposure was 6 seconds of anxiety.

Honestly, I feel like I got a lot of photos, but never really "saw" the canyon. I generally like to view subject matter from many angles, perspectives before deciding on a shot/composition. At Upper, you go where they say, take pictures when they say, and that's it...

I would like to return and see Lower sometime, perhaps in the winter when the crowds are less. Upper gets really crowded in the summer because that's when the "light beams" are present due to the angle of the sun.

Here are a few I took:

IMAGE LINK: https://www.flickr.com …/album-72157658546147211/

Upper Antelope Canyon

IMAGE LINK: https://www.flickr.com …/album-72157658546147211/

img011

I think I'll pass. "Hectic and unpleasant, authoritarian." Regardless of the images you get, photography for me is somewhat therapeutic, and a time to enjoy being by myself (at least for landscape and nature photography). If I were selling the images, it would be a different story, I guess. Even at places like the Grand Canyon you can find a little solitude and take your time composing your shots. This doesn't sound like my cup of tea.

I do enjoy seeing other folks images, though, and good for them getting nice ones

LV Moose wrote in post #17837874
I think I'll pass. "Hectic and unpleasant, authoritarian." Regardless of the images you get, photography for me is somewhat therapeutic, and a time to enjoy being by myself (at least for landscape and nature photography). If I were selling the images, it would be a different story, I guess. Even at places like the Grand Canyon you can find a little solitude and take your time composing your shots. This doesn't sound like my cup of tea.

I do enjoy seeing other folks images, though, and good for them getting nice ones

I think you have to try it once. I was extremely pleased with the pictures I came away with. That being said, it was like Disney Land at it's peak busy time. I didn't experience the "authoritarian" guide but there were too many dumb people in the canyon. The guide I had when I went worked with some of the other guides and they timed everything and blocked off areas for us to photograph the light rays. Despite their effort, I only came a way with a few great shots that didn't have people in the way. I was still very happy with what I came away with. Also, I think I read that the lower canyon now requires a tour guide as well but when I went, photographers were free to roam without one. The lower canyon was the complete opposite of the upper and I had a great time down there.

OP, great work, I really like your pictures. They do a great job of capturing the colors.