I need tips for taking pictues in the Grand Canyon!?

Question

I will be on the South rim...this summer I'm entering a photo contest and i need tips for photography in the Grand Canyon

Answer 1

Your options for photography at the canyon depends on what sort of camera you have (ie: what lens you have and how much control you have over the settings) and (to a lesser degree) your basic experience as a photographer. It would be helpful to state what sort of camera you have and how big of a print you want to make.

The poster above has some good general comments, but I would disagree about film vs digital. Unless you are planning on making a very large gallery-quality print, most of today's better digital cameras are fine and (especially if you are fairly new to photography) being able to instantly see and retake shots with the digital is a huge advantage.

As for the canyon itself...
As others have mentioned sunrise and sunset are best because of the soft light and because the shadows add contrast and detail. Taking a shot of the main canyon during the middle of a clear day will most likely cause the image to be washed out. In brightly lit areas of the canyon, you can sometimes get a little extra color, contrast and detail by slightly under-exposing your images, if your camera allows you to set this (usually a control with a +/- label). Clouds and summer monsoon storms can also make for dramatic shots (especially if they occur at sunrise or sunset).

Also as others have mentioned, the canyon can be challenge because it is so big and the views are so sweeping that it is hard to capture in a single shot. That is your clue... unless you have a very high-end very wide-angle lens don't go for plain wide-landscape views that try to take in the whole canyon. Find some specific detail to focus in on or put something else in the foreground with the wider canyon as a backdrop. People often get so focus on the big wide canyon view that they miss many excellent smaller shots.

Here are a few examples of what I am talking about:

- Find a place where there is a sharp bend or extending ridge on the rim and then instead of shooting outward at the canyon, shoot back along the edge of the rim with the nearby ridge or outcrop in the foreground and the wider canyon in the background. Walking along the rim trail to the west of the lodges (toward Hermit's Rest) provides some good shots looking back toward Kolb Studio and the top of the Bright Angel trail with the canyon beyond.

- Hike into the canyon a little ways and take a picture of some smaller feature in the canyon. For example, do the 3.5 mile hike down the Hermit Trail to Dripping Springs where you can capture a small spring that pours out of the cliffside into a little pool with moss and ferns. Or go down the South Kaibab trail 1.4 miles to Cedar Ridge reststop and get the boulders and trees there in the foreground with the wider canyon beyond. If you go down any of the trails, keep a sharp eye for unusual shots on the way up - such as catching the curving design of the trail as it switchbacks up the canyon wall. A note on canyon hiking: don't try to go to the bottom in a day and bring lots of water.

- Lastly, people often overlook the many interesting and historic buildings at the canyon. Lookout Studio, Hermit's Rest, Yavapai Observation Station and Desertview Watchtower are all very interesting buildings that make nice photographs just by themselves and are also close enough to the edge that you can put them in the foreground with the canyon in the background. At Desertview, walking along the rim a ways to the west will provide a nice shot that shows the tower perched on the rim with the canyon stretching out below. Without including the canyon at all, there are some nice possible shots of the historic Hopi House (built to look like an indian pueblo) and the grand El Tovar lodge (trying looking for interesting shots both inside and outside these buildings).

The important thing for photography where ever you go is to always be looking for a new shot. Move around to different angles and perspectives - try zooming in and out. Many people are so awed by the huge wide view of the canyon that they miss some of the smaller unique shots that might be right under their nose.

Answer 2

I sincerely HOPE you are going to use film, not digital. However, if you are going to use digital, use a camera with the most pixels and an optical zoom...

There is just NO way to do justice to the majesty of the Grand Canyon, unless maybe you are Ansel Adams. The best you can do is a relatively wide angle lens and very slow film. The wide angle to get a larger area into frame and the slower film speed to get the smallest grain size. The smaller the grain, the sharper the image and the larger an enlargement can be made. I use a 35mm Nikon F, an oldie but a goodie and worth its' weight in gold, going on 40 years young and still going as strong as the day I bought it. I'd probably use a 28-35mm zoom lens and Kodachrome slide film with an ASA of 32 (which I think is the slowest they make these days) and a polarizing filter to darken the sky a little bit. I prefer slides. But if you want pictures and negatives, go with Kodacolor which is a "warmer" film.. You can get another type of dramatic shot with a long lens, a telephoto, 135-200mm maybe, to take long shots down the canyon. Another person suggested sunrise and sunset, which I also recommend. There is nothing better than the long shadows in the morning and evening to provide contrast. The problem with the coloring in the canyon is that all of the colors are earth tones (Duh, of course!) and as a result have little contrast. Try to get some people in the far distance to show a size perspective. The further away the people, the more the size will be apparent. Everyone knows how tall people are. You need something in the frame that people viewing the picture can relate to, to appreciate the size. Use a tripod! Take a roll of slow speed black and white along and shoot that as well. A yellow filter will darken the sky and lighten the ground to improve the contrast ratio in a black and white image. Black and white can make scenery look very dramatic. See for yourself, do a search for images from the master, Ansel Adams.

Answer 3

A very common problem that people run into when photographing the grand canyon is photographing at high noon or mid afternoon when there is the greatest difference between highlights and shadows, or the other problem is figuring out where to meter your image.
As others suggested getting up early around dawn or shooting toward sunset will ensure a good shot. Typically what happens when most people go to the canyon to photograph is that they dont know where to meter for their image and as a result have these photos of great skies and a big black pit where the canyon is suppose to be. When you are metering get a reading for the canyon and not the sky. Especially during mid afternoon there can be a big disparity in lighting conditions in the canyon and the sky.

Answer 4

You definitely need a circular polarizing filter. It'll give you richer colors in the sky and the rocks, and it will cut down on the glare. The best photos I've gotten at the Grand Canyon were all taken in the late afternoon or early evening. Early in the day is good, too. I haven't been to the Skywalk yet, but if you're brave enough to go out on it you could probably get some really nice pics there. If you have enough time, consider heading south to Sedona. It's really beautiful there. :) Edit: I don't agree with the suggestion to take high capacity memory cards. My biggest cards are only 4GB, and they hold about 200 pics when I shoot RAW and JPEG. I usually use 2GB cards, which hold about a hundred pics. I'd rather take several memory cards and have to switch them out than have all my pictures on one card that goes bad on me... especially on an awesome vacation like yours!

Answer 5

Get up early. Be out there at the golden hours of sunrise and sunset. Hope for spectacular clouds and weather.

The GC doesn't translate too well to film (or sensor) The color variations and scale just isn't captured like it really looks. Also, GC has been done to death, especially from the south rim. So you will find it hard to get a picture that ten thousand other people haven't already taken. If you hike to the bottom you will have more opportunities for uniqueness.

Good luck, and enjoy GC!

Answer 6

here is as good a site I have seen that can give you some good pointers. Take lots of shots in order to get at least a few unique ones. Consider a polarizing filter to darken the skies a little and get a good saturated color. Have fun!

http://www.grandcanyonhiker.com/gcpics/faq_photo_the_gc.shtml

Answer 7

YOU CANNOT TAKE A BAD PICTURE OF THE CANYON. I WAS THERE SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AND ALL MY PICTURES CAME OUT LOOKING LIKE PICTURE POST CARDS. IT IS A GRAND EXPERIENCE LOOKING AT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL NATURAL WONDER