Canyon X. Photography in slot canyons is cool. There is a lot of brown rock that, when shot correctly, produces images of amazing color. Many years ago we visited a slot canyon called, "Canyon X". I have no idea why it is named so, as there is no "X" anywhere nor does it mark a spot. Anyway, we visited it and had a fantastic time shooting the rocks, looking at our images on the camera display, and marveling at the results. Woohoo, it was great. Note that there is no written record of this visit as it predates our blog. I checked. With so many great memories of our initial visit, we were anxious to go back to recreate some of our images. And create many new ones. We are much better photographers now, so it should be easy to improve upon what we had done. But, what sounds easy is not always so. Problem 1: Less Than Optimal Lighting. The best time to shoot a slot is during mid-day when the sun is directly above. The light comes down, bumping around the rocks, refracting like crazy. It was that way on our first visit, giving us great images. This time, the sun forgot to show up, hiding behind one cloud after another. What a wimp the sun is, getting blocked by some wispy clouds. Our shots of brown rocks were looking like shots of brown rocks. Finally, after being there over two hours, the sun mustered up the courage to show itself, but only for a few seconds at a time. We had to rush to get our shot as each exposure takes anywhere from 2 seconds to 20 seconds. We got some fair shots, but not nearly as many as we would like. Problem 2: People. On our first visit, there was only one other photographer in the tour. Using my math skills I computed that there are only four people in the entire slot, the three of us and Charly, our leader. Four people in a large canyon, and that's it. We roamed for hours, never bumping into each other. What a great experience. This time, the new owners opened the floodgates. Anyone can go, and they made it cheap. So, everyone went. There were scores of people meandering about, making shooting very difficult. Each time I would set up my tripod and compose a shot, someone would need to get by. They couldn't walk around as the slot is quite narrow. I would have to pack up and move. Can I get by, please? Sure thing, get on the ground and slither through my tripod, missy! Problem 3: Smaller Canyon? The slot canyon was much smaller this time. Last time, I remember it as a long winding slot, walls very high, and everything very dark. This time the canyon was very short - maybe that is why they charged a lot less to go. Stay as long as you want, the lady said. How long do you need when the slot is only a few feet long (OK, maybe 100 yards, but still much shorter than I remembered). What did they do with rest of the slot? Results Everything was photographically aligned the first visit to Canyon X. We had great lighting, wonderful canyon, and nobody to bother us. Even though I was a neophyte as a photographer, the resulting photos were everything I could have hoped for: [caption id="attachment_8043" align="aligncenter" width="600"] This Canyon X monster was shot at the optimal time[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8044" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Again, shot at the optimal time provides wonderful colors.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8047" align="aligncenter" width="600"] A signature shot from Sweet Light Photos, people have thought these were flower petals.[/caption] Flash forward five years to the present. The slot canyon gods were definitely against us. The lighting was poor (too many clouds), somehow the canyon was shortened, and there were people everywhere. We had to exercise patience (not my strong suit) to try and achieve some reasonable photos: [caption id="attachment_8046" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Shot from nearly the same spot as 5 years ago, the poor lighting contributes to muted colors.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8045" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Also shot from nearly the same spot as 5 years ago, the poor lighting again contributes to muted colors.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_8052" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Kas was able to shoot from the same location, trying to recreate genius. Unfortunately, the conditions were not on her side.[/caption] Considering the hardships, do you think we did OK? I'll help you with this one - I say no. Remember, it's all about the light.

Last night we experienced our first almost-monsoon. What makes a storm a monsoon? There is a super-fancy definition which you can look up (or google it). But, to us, this had all the feelings of a monsoon. There was some rain, heavy at times. Check. It was windy. Check. There was a lot of lightning. Check. As you can imagine, monsoons can be quite dangerous and everyone is advised to seek shelter. Not us. We grabbed our cameras, tripods, and my new lightning trigger and headed for the back yard. To us, monsoon equals photo opp. This new lightning trigger is a device capable of black magic. I just hooked it up to my camera, pointed it in the direction of the lightning, and walk away. A little bit later it went click! [caption id="attachment_6276" align="aligncenter" width="600"] The lightning trigger worked great as it triggered the camera just before the lightning bolt.[/caption] And click! [caption id="attachment_6279" align="aligncenter" width="600"] This massive bolt came with a huge thunderclap. Maybe it was time to go inside. Nope.[/caption] Then, a little while later, click again. [caption id="attachment_6277" align="aligncenter" width="547"] The skies were ever-changing, going from purple to brown to blue.[/caption] While we were shooting. Or shall I say, while the camera was automatically shooting due to the lightning trigger, there was an incredible burst of wind. So much so that the large tree just outside our backyard snapped in half, falling on our stone fence and into the yard. Its funny, just the other day we talked about having the gardner trim in back. No need! There was so much lightning that you didn’t even need the new, fancy lightning trigger. Kas set up her camera in the front and pressed the camera trigger. She got the best shot of the night! [caption id="attachment_6284" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Multiple bolts explode out of the sky over our neighborhood.[/caption] Remember, here in Arizona, it’s all about the lightning!

In the Arizona desert, we can go weeks and even months with cloudless blue skies. This is great for the tourist snapshot, but not for the dramatic landscape photograph. So when the forecast was for clouds and a chance of a thunderstorm, we couldn't resist. Less than an hour from us is the rugged Superstition Mountain, an impressive scene and, hopefully tonight, it would have dramatic skies. We packed up the gear and headed out for a sunset shoot. Enroute across the valley we could see dark storm clouds and rain over the mountain. Never mind that we had no rain gear, the key question was, "Would there be light?" The rain moved off. We still had an hour before sunset when we settled into position below the mountain. No flowers for a foreground and the light was flat. No sun could be found. As we hoped for the sun to break through the clouds, lightning struck not too far away. I'm thinking, "we shouldn't be out on this ridge," while Jeff's thinking, "I should have bought a lightning trigger for my camera." As you can see, Jeff's always thinking about cool photography gear. And, I am sure he will be purchasing the lightning trigger real soon. A few moments later, I could see the rain moving across the mountain face and down to our location. We sprinted for the car and reached it just as the skies opened above us. Now Jeff's thinking, "This shoot's a bust," while I’m thinking, "Sit tight, the best is yet to come." Patience is the friend of a landscape photographer. Sure enough the rain passed and the sun broke through for a minute. We rushed out of the car. [caption id="attachment_5982" align="aligncenter" width="600"] The sun illuminated the Cholla Cactus on the left, ignoring the mountain for a bit.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_5983" align="aligncenter" width="600"] One moment the cactus on the left was well illuminated, then the light shifted onto the mountain.[/caption] The storm had passed, but the cloud cover remained. We hung around another 20 minutes hoping for the sun to break though again. And we were rewarded with this: [caption id="attachment_5984" align="aligncenter" width="600"] The sun peaked through the clouds for just a few seconds, lighting up the mountain.[/caption] Once again, it's all about the light, and clouds don't hurt either!

Hike to The Wave, Part 4: We are now up to seven miles into our hiking up and down buttes, through soft sand, and over large rocks, and we still have not visited The Wave. Our legs were starting to fatigue (remember we are also carrying a lot of photography gear in our packs). And as all you premium athletes know, once the legs go, then the mind quickly follows. We trudged up yet another butte to reach the Wave. How would it compare to our visit just over three years ago? Last visit was in early November with perfect conditions for photography. How different would the sun’s angle be? How would it affect the shots I wanted to take? These questions along with my tiring legs were giving me some trepidation. At last, we arrived to find it looked a lot different than we remembered. There was a lot more dirt on the ground. OK, it’s a desert, so there is a lot of sand everywhere. But, the place just looked a bit dirty to me. There was also quite a bit of ice on the ground. It hasn’t rained here in weeks (remember, it is a desert). I guess the ice stays around with the consistent cold in December (yes, it gets cold in Arizona). Walking around to take photos will now be a lot more challenging. And, add to this the position of the sun, which is definitely lower than last time. This is not so good because it creates a lot of shadowy areas. OK, enough whining. It’s time to shoot! Here is an overall shot. Notice all the dirt/sand on the ground. And see the creeping shadows on the left. [caption id="attachment_4338" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Poor sun angle and much dirt - not as nice as last time.[/caption] Here is a person who is having some trouble navigating the ice in The Wave. She finally gave up and walked all the way around to get in. [caption id="attachment_4339" align="aligncenter" width="600"] The ice made it dicey to navigate. She should have brought her ice skates![/caption] Here is a shot that incorporates the ice on the ground. [caption id="attachment_4340" align="aligncenter" width="600"] A lot of ice - bit it did make for an interesting photo.[/caption] Finally, here is a shot of The Wave from up high. How many people can you count that were there at the time of this photo? [caption id="attachment_4341" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Remember, there are only 20 allowed at the Wave per day.[/caption] If you are interested in seeing The Wave as we saw it three years ago, check out these photos in our portfolio: Wave! and Enveloped by the Wave . Remember, it’s all about the light, even if it is a bit uncooperative!

Arizona Archives - Sweet Light Photos

A New Addition to the Family
Gallery

A New Addition to the Family

By Jeff Dannay|2020-01-25T09:54:58-07:00January 25th, 2020|Animals, Arizona, Birds, Landscape, Photography Genres, United States, Wildlife|

Later this year we are traveling to Namibia. For those of you who are geographically challenged, Namibia is in Africa just northwest of South Africa. [...]

3

Canyon X
Gallery

Canyon X

By Jeff Dannay|2017-08-27T12:58:21-07:00August 29th, 2017|Arizona, Landscape, Photography Genres, United States|

Canyon X. Photography in slot canyons is cool. There is a lot of brown rock that, when shot correctly, produces images of amazing color. Many [...]

3

Incredibolts!
Gallery

Incredibolts!

By Jeff Dannay|2016-07-30T11:57:33-07:00July 30th, 2016|Arizona, Night (Astro), Photography Genres, United States|

Last night we experienced our first almost-monsoon. What makes a storm a monsoon? There is a super-fancy definition which you can look up (or google [...]

0

We have clouds!
Gallery

We have clouds!

By Kathryn Dannay|2016-04-13T12:44:52-07:00April 10th, 2016|Arizona, Landscape, Photography Genres|

In the Arizona desert, we can go weeks and even months with cloudless blue skies. This is great for the tourist snapshot, but not for [...]

1

What’s so special about April 4?
Gallery

What’s so special about April 4?

By Jeff & Kathryn Dannay|2016-04-06T10:09:15-07:00April 6th, 2016|Arizona, Flowers, Photography Genres|

For days we have been walking by a lot of Cereus Cacti waiting for the beautiful “Argentine Giant” blooms. Nearby, the local hospital (Mayo Clinic) [...]

0

Enjoying the Desert Spring
Gallery

Enjoying the Desert Spring

By Kathryn Dannay|2016-04-06T09:25:37-07:00April 6th, 2016|Arizona, Flowers, Photography Genres|

Spring has come early to the desert and all the cacti are in bloom. Usually, we don't see flowers until early April, followed by a staggered approach [...]

1

Finally, the Wave
Gallery

Finally, the Wave

By Jeff Dannay|2016-08-23T17:53:29-07:00December 7th, 2015|Arizona, Landscape, Photography Genres|

Hike to The Wave, Part 4: We are now up to seven miles into our hiking up and down buttes, through soft sand, and over [...]

3

Waves & Water in the Desert?
Gallery

Waves & Water in the Desert?

By Kathryn Dannay|2015-12-06T09:29:48-07:00December 6th, 2015|Arizona, Landscape, Photography Genres|

Hiking to The Wave, Part 3: The Second Wave Departing from Sand Cove, we continued on our loop traversing up a sheer sandstone rock face [...]

2

Sand Cove (a.k.a. Olympic Racetrack)
Gallery

Sand Cove (a.k.a. Olympic Racetrack)

By Kathryn Dannay|2015-12-05T10:02:30-07:00December 5th, 2015|Arizona, Landscape, Photography Genres|

Hiking to The Wave, Part 2: Sand Cove Since we had visited The Wave the first time back in November of 2012, we had learned [...]

1

Ever been to a boneyard?
Gallery

Ever been to a boneyard?

By Jeff Dannay|2016-08-23T17:53:44-07:00December 3rd, 2015|Arizona, Landscape, Photography Genres|

Hike to the Wave, Part 1 A few years ago we visited the “Wave.” Ever since, we wanted to return, even with a long drive [...]

1