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Upper Antelope Canyon is a spectacular slot canyon on Navajo land near Page, Arizona. While the image appears serene, my back is against the canyon wall and I am elbow-to-elbow with fellow photographers. And just around the corner is another guide blocking access to the scene.
 
Upper Antelope Canyon is the most visited and most photographed slot canyon in the American Southwest. A guide is required for this slot canyon. And to get decent photos here, book a photo tour. The native guides will take you where you need to go when you need to be there.
 
You need to know what you are doing when shooting here - you do not have much time to capture your image.

One type of sunset photo I like is the silhouette. I found this unique landscape in Devils Garden, Arches National Park to be a great sunset foreground. Sometimes the sky performs so well that getting good shots almost feels like cheating.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is located in southern Utah, 12 miles southwest of U.S. Hwy 89 near Kanab. It features large coral-colored sand dunes amidst green evergreens and sage along with red sandstone.
 
A circular polarizer filter was used to increase saturation and a short telephoto focal length was used to compress the scene slightly. The sand dune and blue sky provide a clean canvas.

Bryce Canyon National Park is a photographer's dream location. Once finished shooting the hoodoos (rock spires), streams, and other details, move on to the wildlife including Pronghorn, Mule Deer and Prairie Dogs.
 
This image was shot at sunrise from Sunset Point. The reflected light creates a great color on the backlit spires.

This Sunrise at Grand Canyon National Park was taken from near/below Yavapai Point. This image is a composite of two shots - one exposed for the ground and one exposed for the sky.
 
This particular May morning was very cold (light snow can be seen in the distance) and windy. Having arrived very early in the morning I was disappointed to find cloud cover. But, as so often happens when the cloud cover is not solid, light rays began to stream through the openings in the clouds - and in this case, into the canyon, creating a constantly and rapidly changing landscape to capture.

Horseshoe Bend, Grand Canyon was one of the top photography locations on my Grand Tour list. This shot was taken in late morning - when the sun lights the Colorado River in the canyon below.
 
Horseshoe Bend begs for a 17mm or wider focal length (full frame equivalent) lens - unless shooting a panorama. In this example, the Canon TS-E 17mm lens allowed me to capture a much-wider-than-17mm view - in high resolution. Two vertically-oriented, oppositely-shifted shots were combined in Photoshop to create this ultra-wide view of Horseshoe Bend. One foot of my tripod was precariously positioned on the very edge of the cliff - and has been cloned out of the final picture.

Though not nearly as dramatic as Upper Antelope canyon, Sheep's Head Slot Canyon is far less visited. Along with the guide, we had the canyon to ourselves this morning. Reflected light from the red canyon walls create a very warm light on this piece of driftwood and the worn rock around it.
 
When shooting in dark slot canyons, it is important to avoid getting directly-sunlit areas in the frame as they will result in unattractive blown highlights.

Finding a good foreground for photos in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is very challenging. I found this small sand dune near the entrance to the park and took this shot late in the day - with the low sun emphasizing the rippled sand and West Mitten Butte.

Reflected sunlight illuminates the striated bottom side of Double Arch in Arches National Park. Being a very popular location in the park, this image required many people to be cloned out.

This Bryce Canyon National Park Panaroma was shot handheld from a location near Sunrise Point - at sunset. I was having trouble deciding which specific framing I liked best at this site, so, after shooting a lot of frames, blanketed the area with shots (using identical camera and lens settings). I later pieced the images together in Photoshop and cropped this shot from them.

Paria Rimrocks Toadstool Hoodoos in Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Utah was not high on my Grand Tour to-do list, but it was one of my favorite locations on this trip. My only regret was not spending more time there. White and red sandstone - and rock hats on rock columns - characterize this location.

Wahweap Marina and Lake Powell as seen from the Lake Powell Resort. The deep colors are the results of a circular polarizer filter.
 
One of the photography concepts I like to utilize is reducing the number of lines intersecting the edges of the frame. Especially the bottom of the frame.

A laser-like beam of sunlight reaches 130' below the ground to the floor of Upper Antelope Canyon. I highly recommend a wide angle zoom lens when shooting at this popular location. There is a lot of sand blowing into this slot canyon (and the 4 other slot canyons I was in during this trip), so any lens changing should be done inside a protective bag. A towel or other protection for the camera and lens would also be a good idea.

Cottonwood trees and various colored rock characterize Capitol Reef National Park. A circular polarizer filter was used to create more saturated colors in this picture.

A settings sun and clouds combine to create and unusual light on the Zion National Park valley. A foreground rock characterizes the sandstone landscape. This shot was taken near the Zion National Park visitor's center.
 
What I didn't know when taking this shot was that the seeds from the grass I utilized in my foreground (and was sitting in) needled their way (one direction only) through clothing (socks, shoes ...) and into skin. I'm still getting them out of my hiking boots.

It is not hard to find rock and arches at Arches National Park, but finding interesting foreground subjects requires more exploring. I liked this dead tree and worked it against the blue sky over the arch in this picture.
 
I shot this picture with and without the circular polarizer filter - the difference is dramatic - I didn't keep the light-colored sky shot taken sans filter.

These reflected-light illuminated hoodoos are as-seen from near Sunset Point at sunrise. I used the gently rolling, hoodoo-less ridge as the foreground base in this shot.

The view of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park from near the visitor's center (very easily accessible) begs for a panorama shot. This nearly-80-megapixel panorama is composed of 7 images stitched together in Photoshop. The western sky is still brightened from the setting sun while a full moon rises over the east.

While Lower Antelope Slot Canyon is not quite as spectacular as Upper Antelope Slot Canyon, it is definitely worth visiting (photographing) - and it offeres some advantages of its own. The first major advantage is the lack of people.
 
Perhaps the second advantage to this slot canyon is the 4 hours of unattended exploration provided by the photographer pass. Simply drive up to the entrance to the slot canyon and ask for this pass. You will be escorted to the slot entrance and then have up to 4 hours to shoot as desired. The slower pace of shooting in this canyon was especially appreciated. And the landscape down there is incredible.

The blue, the white and the various-colored sandstone are signatures to a Lake Powell photo. This photo was shot near sunset from a location near the Lake Powell Resort.

White defines the previous water level in Lake Meade. The huge concrete Hoover Dam structures rise up out of the lake. A circular polarizer filter was used for this photo.

I liked how this desert landscape, located near Horseshoe Bend, worked with the clouds and blue sky.

Shooting distant landscapes, especially in the Grand Canyon, often involves air clarity issues. Plan on adding a lot of contrast to your images to counter these conditions. Shooting early in the day often helps.
 
Another challenge visible in this photo is the flat plateau. Like water, this flat surface is unforgiving to a non-level camera - and illuminates lens distortion. Lens distortion also makes it hard to level the camera in the first place.
 
This picture was taken near Yavapai Point. Note the late May snow in the background.

These very unique, silhouetted rock formations in Devils Garden, Arches National Park, provide a solid base for this sunset picture. The image is framed so that the most unique rock structure, 1/3 of the distance into the frame, has the most contrast - which tends to captures the viewer's eye. Taller rock formations near the image borders help frame the shot.

A climber stands on the rock formation by South Window Arch in Arches National Park. A circular polarizer filter was used to give the sky a deep blue color - and to saturate the rock's color. A wide angle focal length makes the large rocks appear especially huge relative to the climber.

A rock structure resembling some kind of bird or other animal looms out over the slot in Lower Antelope Canyon. Shooting upward can be a good method of avoiding people in your frame.

Water falls from high above Emerald Pool in Zion National Park. A slow shutter speed creates blur in the water - showing motion. This shot was taken handheld - with the assistance of image stabilization of course.

Running down sand dunes is great fun for kids - and makes for great photos. This sand dune is located in Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in southern Utah. I used AI Servo AF mode and burst drive mode to capture this shot.

This is a cropped two-shot panorama of Horseshoe Bend, Grand Canyon taken using the shift feature of the Canon TS-E 17mm f/4 L Lens in horizontal orientation.

The sun sets on Monument Valley, illuminating only the tops of the buttes.
 
Conditions in Monument Valley were very difficult for photography when I was there - a sand storm was making visibility very low. Contrast added in post processing helped this image significantly.
 
This is a multi-shot panorama.

Sandstone, sand, sage, blue sky and interesting clouds compose this Arizona landscape picture. This location is near Page, Arizona.

Dark clouds with a sunlit foreground often makes for a great landscape photo situation. I like the layers of dark and light in this shot - and the toadstool hoodoo certainly adds interest.

A narrow beam of light reaches the floor of Upper Antelope Canyon, 130' below the ground surface. With a long exposure and a short amount of time to shoot in (the guides are holding the other visitors back), you need to get your shot settings right quickly.

Bryce Canyon has simply amazing landscape. This waterfall is located in Water Canyon and is most accessible from the Mossy Cave Trail.

Arches NP rocks. And it is full of huge sandstone rocks. Interesting rock formations are not hard to find in Arches and these near Sand Dune Arch were some of my favorite. A circular polarizer filter was used to make the sky deep blue.

Mesa Arch is probably the most-photographed location in Canyonlands National Park. Mesa Arch is an especially good sunrise photography location as the sun rises over the background horizon and reflects warm-colored light onto the bottom of the arch. Timing and weather did not allow that shot for me, but I like this crop from a panorama.

Rays of sunlight stream through openings in the clouds to light the foreground and small areas of the distant Grand Canyon National Park background.

Purple and yellow wildflowers bloom in the Canyonlands National Park's desert landscape.

This eagle-shaped rock formation hangs out over the Lower Antelope Canyon slot. Careful composition is required when shooting in slot canyons - primarily to avoid any directly-lit rock - which results in hot spots.

Desert View is at the east end of the the Grand Canyon National Park's south rim road. It is a very unique structure that, unfortunately was under heavy rehabilitation construction during my visit. To avoid the yellow and orange heavy equipment, I strategically-positioned trees and then shot upward. The lens flare frames the stone building nicely.

Like in many of the canyons in the area, Capitol Reef National Park is rather void of interesting foregrounds. So when I came across this clump of yellow desert wildflowers surrounded by cracked mud, I knew I had to get the shot.

Bryce Canyon hoodoos glow in the early morning sunlight - with much of the warm color coming from light being reflected from the canyon. With wide angle through telephoto focal lengths available, the available Bryce Canyon compositions are nearly endless. A 200mm telephoto focal length was used to isolate this set of hoodoos from the thousands of others.

Rt 12, between Capitol Reef National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park, is one of the most scenic drives in America - and certainly on of the most scenic in the American Southwest. On May 30th, we started at the bottom of the mountain in very sumer-like weather. Midway up the mountain, the leaves were just coming out on the trees. At the top of the mountain, it was still winter with snow on the ground. Coming back down revered the seasons back to summer.
 
In this Dixie National Forest picture, white aspen tree trunks (sans leaves) stand out in strong contrast to the evergreen trees and the circular polarizer-darkened blue sky.

Navajo sandstone - red rock - swirls upward through Lower Antelope Canyon, becoming brighter as it approaches the ground surface.

South Window Arch frames North Window Arch in Arches National Park. A circular polarizer filter was used to darken the sky.

Sandstone swirls lead the viewers eye to characteristic-for-the-area mountains against a circular polarizer-darkended sky. This location is along the Zion - Mount Carmel Highway, not far from Checkerboard Mesa.

A telephoto focal length isolates a set of Grand Canyon National Park layers. Due to haze, the layers increasingly lose contrast as they become more distant. Light rays streaming through small openings in the clouds add another element of layers to this shot.

A dead tree and white rock foreground frame the Grand Canyon. What you do not see in the shot is the wind I was enduring this day. At times, an aerodynamic posture had to be assumed to prevent being blown off the rim - an unsurvivable event. Fortunately, the dead tree and rocks were not influenced by the wind and remain sharp in the photo.
 
Haze is frequently a problem with Grand Canyon photos. Adding contrast during post processing helps significantly.

Rays of light stream into Upper Antelope Slot Canyon, reflecting warm-toned light onto the already-red sandstone canyon walls. Note the 15 second exposure - a tripod is required for photographing the Upper Antelope Slot Canyon.

Reflected morning light casts a warm glow on these Bryce Canyon Hoodoos.

While there is a lot of interesting landscape in the Upper Antelope Slot Canyon, the light beams that occur certain times of the day and year are the biggest attraction for photographers.

There is not much in the slot canyons other than rocks and sand, but the occasional tumbleweed makes its presence there.

This is the characteristically-swirled red sandstone wall of Rattlesnake Slot Canyon, Arizona.

A circular polarizer filter and added contrast were used to cut the haze in this Lake Powell photo. A viewing area near the Lake Powell Dam is a great vantage point.

Drive back the rough road to the old Pahreah Town Site, Utah and this is the mountain you will be viewing. Interesting foreground was very scarce here, so I opted to remove it from the frame of many shots. Remaining is a very colorful mountain. A circular polarizer was used to darken the sky and increase saturation.

Carved rock walls lead to brighter light in Lower Antelope Slot Canyon.

The view from Rainbow Point, Bryce Canyon National Park.

The North Window Arch, Arches National Park provides a unique frame of some similarly unique rock structures behind it. A circular polarizer filter was used to darken the sky and saturate the rock color.

The walls of the Lower Antelope Canyon characteristically curve through this photo.

It is amazing how flat the plateau around the Grand Canyon is relative to the drop off into the canyon. In this photo, layers of the canyon rim can be seen behind the dried tree - included for foreground interest.

Warm-toned light from a setting sun ("Sweet Light") illuminates the red sandstone rock formations near Devil's Garden, Arches NP. I cropped some of the gray sky out of the original shot as I did not feel it added to the image.

One large rock shadows another large Arches National Park rock. A circular polarizer filter was used to make this image.

The North Fork Virgin River flows between a beaver-cut tree and a big Zion National Park rock.

The Coral Pink Sand Dune flows through Coral Pink Sand Dune State Park. A circular polarizer was used to enhance the sky color and to increase saturation.

I like the various layers and frames found in this image. A black foreground includes the silhouette of a dead tree. The next layer is a sun-lit sandstone window into sage brush and then unique rock formations.

A sure way to beat the crowds in Upper Antelope Canyon is to shoot upwards. And a sunlight beam certainly adds to most shots.

Bryce Canyon National Park is simply full of unique rock formations. One of my favorites is this dragon-like rock formation near Mossy Cave.

The last light of the day skims across Arches National Park's Salt Valley, catching a few red foreground rocks.

This is the typical view one can expect to see from the Grand Canyon Rim. Of course, haze appears worse without the help of a circular polarizer filter and post-processing-added contrast.

Bryce Canyon National Park is awesome and Bryce Point is a great location to photograph this canyon from. This vantage point has a complete view of the Bryce Canyon amphitheater with good lighting both early and late in the day. This image was captured just before sunset with the warm late day light reflecting into the scene from the back-lit pinnacles.

Sometimes we don't get it right when we first process an image. Usually, the older the image is, the less likely we got the processing right. As our skills increase, our older work does not seem as good as it once did, and that was the case with this image.

Significant underexposure was the issue I grew to dislike the most. Truth is, I'm not really sure what I was thinking when first processing this image, but I later prefered a much brighter brighter exposure (while still managing the highlights).

Check out our full list of Stuck at Home Ideas for Photographers.

I thought I would be dragging them along in my canyon photographic pursuits, but ... the girls' favorite Grand Tour location was the slot canyons around Page, Arizona. It is definitely better that they are climbing the walls here instead of my house. This photo was taken in Sheep's Head Slot Canyon - and required the girls to be very still because of the low light levels.