Photographing Slot Canyons
How to Photograph Slot Canyons. RATE THIS STORY: Submit Rating. Backpacker Magazine. Rocks that look like sculptures deserve photos that look like art. Adapt to the Dimness. Hard truth: The tall, narrow walls that make a slot a slot also make it pretty dark. Your eyes adjust, but a camera will struggle to gather enough light. Box canyons can also shift and turn into slot canyons and vise versa. But for practical purposes for this article box canyons are going to be bigger and wider. The Colorado Plateau, from what I hear from photographers around the world, is like no where else. It has deep canyons, towering temples and mesa's and giant pillars and spires.
Our full-day Slot Canyon Photography Tour is designed for those craving adventure. We'll customize the outing to the level of physical exertion you desire, with the majority of locations being Moderate intensity.
Highlights
- Our full-day Slot Canyon Photography Tour is designed for those craving adventure. We'll customize the outing to the level of physical exertion you desire!
- Trek through narrow and winding slot canyons while photographing some of the most jaw-dropping scenery you've ever seen. We'll get you to the best parts at the best times of the day!
- Less strenuous options are available. Just let us know your desired level of physical activity.
- Professional photography instruction included on all outings. Take your slot canyon shots to the next level!
- Small group size capped at 5 people to ensure personalized instruction and individualized attention.
Trip Details
- Tour Length: 8 hours
- Drive Time: It depends on where we go. The closest canyons are around 30 mins drive from Kanab. Others are about an hour away.
- Time Spent on Location: Approx 5-6 hrs
- Tour Departure Time: This trip is slated to leave Kanab at 8AM and returning around 4PM. However, this start time can be flexible depending on your travel needs. Please arrive around 10 mins early to load your gear and finish the check-in process. Note that we operate on Utah time which is one hour ahead of Las Vegas. During the months of Daylight Savings (approx mid-March through early Nov), Utah is also one hour ahead of Arizona. Please take this into consideration if traveling from out of state.
- Tour Pricing: Please click on the Book Your Tour button for the latest pricing. Most of our tours require a 2-person minimum. Single individuals can always go, but may need to pay the 2-person rate if nobody else decides to join.
- Tour Meetup Location: You will meet at our office in Kanab, UT. The address will be given in your confirmation email. This is a safe place to park your vehicle and you can leave any valuables inside. Once you arrive, you'll load your gear and sign a liability release waiver. Las Vegas is the closest major airport to Kanab. There is no public transportation to Kanab, so you’ll need your own rental car or private vehicle. We recommend that you stay in a hotel in Kanab the evening of your tour. There are many good hotels in the area like the Best Western, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Comfort Inn & Suites, and the Canyons Botique.
- Permits: We hold commercial use permits for the locations we visit.
- Group Size: Our groups will never exceed 5 people per guide. We like to keep our tours small so we can give adequate individual attention.
- Instructors: Due to scheduling complexities, we don’t know which instructor will accompany your group until a day or two prior to your tour. If you want to request a specific instructor, please Contact Us to make your request. Although we’ll do our best to make it happen, please note that there are no guarantees.
Trip Details
- Weather Conditions: With this being a slot canyon tour, we cannot go if rain is in the forecast. Should this happen, we will make alternate arrangements and may have to visit an alternate destination. This decision will be made the day of the outing based on the consensus of the group. Your safety is our top priority! Note that we cannot offer refunds due to weather unless we cannot go out at all. There can be mud and water in the canyons after recent rains. Even though it might be hot outside the canyon, temperatures can drop quickly, so make sure you bring a jacket.
- Hiking / Fitness: When you book the tour, please let us know what level of hiking difficulty you want and we'll make sure we go to the best canyons for you.
- Food/Water: We do not provide food on our outings. All participants should bring food/water to hold them through while hiking. We will have a cooler where you can store food and drink.
- What to Wear: You should check the weather forecast prior to coming on the trip (search for Kanab, UT on Weather.com). If it’s going to be hot, wear light-colored clothing and a hat. If the temperatures are cold, bring some warm layers and long pants. Don’t forget sunglasses and sunscreen. If it’s very cold and or windy, don’t forget a jacket, warm hat and some gloves.
- Restroom Facilities: There are limited facilities where we will visit. If you need to use the restroom in the backcountry, we will have toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and a shovel available. You can dig a hole back behind a bush to do your business.
- Half-Day Option: If you want a less strenuous day, consider our Half-Day Slot Canyon Photography Tour.
Camera Gear
- Camera Gear: A wide angle zoom lens is the most useful on this trip (equivalent 16-35 on a full-frame camera or 10-22mm on a crop sensor). A mid-range lens can also come in handy (24-70 on full frame or 18-55 on crop sensor). Bring a polarizer to cut glare from the water. ND filters are nice for long exposures of water. All photographers should bring a tripod. Don’t forget extra batteries, memory cards, and cleaning supplies.
- Photography Advice: Read our article on Slot Canyon Photography
- Safety: Our guides are trained in CPR/First-Aid. All 4WD vehicles are equipped with extraction equipment and a first-aid kit. We carry a satellite beacon with us in case of emergencies outside of cell range.
- Cancellation/Re-Scheduling: Please see our Terms and Conditions.
Canon 5DS R w/ EF16-35mm f/4.0 @24mm f/16 3.2s ISO 100
Slot canyons of the American Southwest are famous for their otherworldly beauty. As such, they are high on many nature photographers’ bucket list. The best known and most visited are Upper and Lower Antelope Canyons near Page, Arizona.
With countless discussions in the gallery and my Navajo Nation Journey Workshop about 60 days from now, I thought it would be useful to compile a list of tips for slot canyon photography to share with others.
Ten tips for slot canyon photography
Challenges for slot canyon photographers seem endless. They include extreme dynamic range, low light focusing, long exposures, small spaces, and lots of dust. Although slot canyons present many challenges to photographers, the well-prepared and properly equipped photographer will not be disappointed. Here are ten tips for slot canyon photography success:
Two-shot pano: Canon 5DS R w/ TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II f/16 10.0s ISO 100
1. To the uninitiated, the insane circus that is Upper and Lower Antelope canyon can be very frustrating. Hundreds, if not thousands of tourists walk through these canyons each day during the summer season. If you go, prepare yourself mentally for fast pace, tight quarters, pushing, shoving, people in your frame, and guides barking out orders. However, there are many slot canyons that are not visited by the tour bus operators. These are the canyons where solitude, along with fantastic photo opportunities, can still be found.
2. Travel light. Even a small backpack will make it difficult to move around in narrow slot canyons.
Photographing Slot Canyons Village
3. Use a tripod. Although very colorful, these are low light environments. Shutter speeds of 20 to 30 seconds are not uncommon at ISO 100. Shutter speeds up to 120 seconds are sometimes necessary. Most cameras have a maximum shutter speed of 30 seconds. For anything longer you will need to use blub mode with a timing device, such as an intervalometer, to trip the shutter.
4. Stop down for maximum depth of field. Slot canyons twist and turn with layer upon layer of textures and colors. Don’t lose detail to shallow depth of field. Hyper focal distance can be an effective technique to maximize depth of field.
5. If you use auto focus, use single point mode with back-button focus. Multi-point modes will frequently lock onto surfaces other than which you intend. With back-button focus, you can choose your focus area and recompose for best results. Live-view manual focus also works well in this regard.
6. Learn to adjust your camera settings in the dark. Although you can bring a flashlight, it is one more thing to keep track of and carry. Preset as many settings as possible before you enter the canyon. My preferences include single point focus mode, evaluative metering, ISO 100, f/16, mirror lock-up, and Auto White Balance. Many photographers recommend white balance of 6500 to 7500K to achieve warmer tones. However, I prefer to make such adjustments in post.
7. Use your RGB histogram (rather than luminosity) and highlight warning (blinkies) to verify exposure. Colors in these canyons can over expose the red channel. Much detail will be lost if the red channel is blown out.
8. Dust is everywhere. Avoid changing lenses while in a slot canyon. Zoom lenses, rather than primes, are best due to their inherent flexibility. Although a medium telephoto lens can be useful for detail shots, I prefer to use a 16-35 or 24-70mm. If you have to change lenses, turn your camera off, keep the body pointed downwards and make it fast. Bring along a rocket blower for cleanup during and after your shoot. You might even want to bring a plastic bag to cover your camera while not in use or while changing lenses.
9. Wear sturdy boots, a wide brimmed hat, and dress in layers. The temperature at the bottom of a slot canyon can be 10 degrees F lower than topside. Also a surprising amount of sand and debris can blow in from above.
10. Don’t forget to look up. Sometimes the best compositions and light are overhead.
Slot Canyons Utah Hike
Canon 5DS R w/ EF16-35mm f/4.0L @ 21mm f/14 1.3s ISO 100
Slot canyons are some of the most challenging environments for the landscape photographer. But also they are some of the most rewarding. These tips for slot canyon photography will help you manage the technical aspects of photography while exploring the artistic opportunities around every curve. Whether you are looking for floor-to-ceiling compositions or abstract details, the options are endless.