The Navajo land near Page, Arizona

contains some of the world’s most

stunning slot canyons. The

concentration of slot canyons here is so

high that many posses no official name

and new canyons are being discovered

even to this day. These formations are

one of the most beautiful and most

photogenic landscapes in the

Southwestern USA.

Popular slot canyons

include Upper & Lower

Antelope Canyon, Blue

Pool Wash Canyon,

Butterfly Canyon, Owl

Canyon, Mountain Sheep

Canyon, Kaibito Creek,

Secret Canyon, and

Water Holes Canyon.

Of these, arguably the most

famous is Antelope Canyon.

However, being one of the most

visited and photographed slot

canyons in the world, the

challenge it presents virtually

every one attempting to

photograph it is the crowd!

If you’re wanting to photograph an equally stunning slot canyon less the crowds,

then you’d do well to visit Canyon X. This lesser-known slot canyon is located a

mere 16 miles away from Page, Arizona. Yet, despite its proximity to Page along

with its smaller size, you’re photographic expedition will never be hampered by

fellow photographers. That’s because access to Canyon X is strictly limited.

The only way to enter this canyon is by being one of no more than six

participants of the exclusive Overland Canyon Tours photo-tour allowed into the

slot per day. As these tours are led by an experienced slot photographer, Canyon

X is a must-go location if you’re a die-hard fan of slot canyon photography!

But what makes slot canyons so

incredibly beautiful to photograph

is the breath-taking interplay

between reflected light and colored

sandstone. Depending on the

position of the sun and your

location in the slot, shafts of light

can briefly penetrate the canyon

depths to create otherworldly

compositions of color, contour and

contrast.

Canyon X’s unique formation

and surreal colors are caused

by erosion of Navajo Sandstone

over millions of years, primarily

through flash-flooding. It is

these erosive forces that are

responsible for the smooth

surfaces and intricate shapes.

The tour started with a 16 mile drive

from Page, the last 5 miles of which

was on dirt road. Once we were

dropped off, it was a short but

moderately difficult hike into the

canyon. This otherwise fun route

takes you down a 30 yard crevasse,

over medium sized talus’ and finally

over a dune above the giant

sandstone alcove. Canyon X consists

of a non-slotted canyon bounded at

either end by a slot canyon.

Beware of your step, though.

Commonly lurking in the shadows

are rattlesnakes and scorpions ready

to bite!

Journey begin…

What’s more, if your camera and

lens are not weather-sealed, it may

be prudent to wrap them in a rain

cover. Two other essential pieces of

kit are a dust blower and cloth.

You will need both to clean your

lens frequently. It’s incredible how

much and how fast both you and

your equipment get covered in sand

and dust!

Of utmost concern inside the

canyon is the protection of your

equipment. Due to high levels of

dust and sand in the air, changing

lenses inside the canyon is not

recommended. The ideal is to come

prepared with two cameras – one

loaded with a wide angle lens and

the other with a telephoto lens.

However, if you’re limited to just

one camera body, my advise is to

mount it with a wide angle zoom.

As the canyon is dark for the most

part and you’ll be shooting long

exposures, a sturdy tripod is also a

necessity. As too is adequate

memory storage and sufficient

power supply - you’ll be

photographing practically non-stop

for hours. Finally, a remote shutter

is strongly recommended to avoid

the vibration.

Rather than wasting precious time inside

the canyon struggling with white balance,

I strongly recommend shooting in RAW

format. This provides you with all the

flexibility you need in post-processing,

particularly for difficult lighting conditions

that require the blending of two or more

images with different white balance

settings.

In an effort to ensure

accurate white balance,

any photography guides

recommend using “cloudy”

or warmer settings.

As for exposure setting, a low ISO

and small aperture are

recommended. While this will

increase exposure times, it will

minimize noise and maximize

quality. You may want to stop down

the aperture to f/11-f/15 to provide

adequate depth of field whilst still

retaining sharpness and image

quality.

Perhaps the greatest challenge is capturing the wide exposure range.

Exposure ranges in the vicinity of 10EV are not uncommon. I strongly

recommend bracketing all your shots, especially if you want to include sky in

your composition. It’s a good idea to check the histogram to make sure your

bracketed shots include sufficient exposure for highlights and shadows.

Bracketing Your Shots

Finally, when exploring these

stunning geological formations, take

your time. Many people believe

there’s no such thing as a “bad shot

in a slot.” I don’t agree!

To create a great image, it’s

necessary to invest sufficient time

exploring your location and

searching for that special mix of

composition and light – a

combination not always obvious at

the first glance.

With the infinite selection of form,

texture, color, contrast and light,

composing all these elements

harmoniously in a single image is a

challenging yet rewarding task.

Perhaps this explains why slot

canyons are so alluring for

photographers. Composition Matter

Thank you for reading!

I am Kah-Wai Lin. I am originally from Malaysia.

Currently I am a research scientist in US. I has

been taking photos since I was 15. When I was in

Sweden, I owned a company specialize in

architectural photography and virtual reality tour.

Since I moved to US in 2012, I has been

fascinated by the beautiful and unique American

landscapes that have now become my main

source of inspiration. Although my portfolio is

wide-ranging, the current focus of my work is on

church interior and landscape photography.

Welcome to my website at: http://kahwailin.com/

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