anavert

For all of you "amateur" photographers..............We are headed to the Grand Canyon with primary purpose being photography. Other than the obvious, do any of you have suggestions for their favorite places to photograph??????

Myer

I hate to say it but GC is not one of my favorite places.

Unless you hike down at least an hour, to me it just looked like a large bowl.

You will be only a few hours from Page and a couple of truly amazing sights; Antelope canyon and Horseshoe bend.

I would try to include those.

HowardR

"...it just looked like a large bowl"? You've got to be kidding!
One interesting/fascinating aspect of photographing the Grand Canyon is that the exact same scene has a different look and color at all different times of the day

emalloy

It's all good, you can't miss getting a fantastic shot from anywhere on the rim or down below it. It changes continually with the light.

MikePinTucson

Myer, you really do need to have your eyes checked.

Desert View, while not as deep as much of the canyon, is one of my favorite spots.

http://mikepintucson.shutterfly.com/418

Also, the view from the rim trail right by the lodges has some great views, particularly during thunderstorms.

http://mikepintucson.shutterfly.com/449

But, really, you can get great shots all along the road / trail.

I have to agree about Antelope Canyon. Definitely go there if you have a chance.

http://mikepintucson.shutterfly.com/1359#1376

christabir

I prefer the North Rim, but the south rim in fall (Oct - early November) light is perfect.

Bill_H

Other than the obvious ...

Just to cover the 'obvious', sunrise and sunset are the best times (mid-day the light is too flat and harsh), best spots on the rim are the "points" like Hopi, Mather, Yaki, Grandview etc. Or anywhere else that looks good to you.

If you're in good enough shape then hiking about half-a-mile to 1.5 miles down Kaibab trail before sunset will give you some great views as the sun comes up and you can view about 35 miles of canyon (have to hike past the wall to the east that forms Yaki Point, then you're gold). Don't try this on Bright Angel trail, the location isn't as good. Don't go more than 1.5 miles (Cedar Ridge) and plan on hiking out before it gets hot.

There's a mule train that comes hurtling down Kaibab at about sunrise, one wrangler and a dozen mules carrying supplies for Phantom Ranch. If you see it above you then scurry to find a spot where you can photograph the mule train as it passes with the canyon in the background. This is a nice shot most people miss (he moves fast so get set up).

Beyond the obvious, catching a clearing storm will typically give the best photo opps and great views, maybe even a rainbow. The best photos I've ever taken there were during and shortly after snow storms in the winter and after late afternoon rain showers in the summer.

Also, shoot with both wide angle lenses to get the breadth of the canyon but shoot with longer lenses to isolate specific features.

Hope for an afternoon storm

Myer

Well, I guess it's my eyes rather than my opinion.

After being in Bryce Canyon, hiking in a slot canyon (Willis Creek), hiking in Zion, seeing Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon the Grand Canyon wasn't very much.

Then after spending a few days hiking around Sedona, GC got lost in the competition.

Bill_H

If you're in good enough shape then hiking about half-a-mile to 1.5 miles down Kaibab trail before sunset ...

Ooops, I meant to type "before SUNRISE", not sunset ... the first shuttle to the trailhead leaves an hour before sunrise and you should be on it to make this work ...

Amuse_bouche

One thing, I find curious, but especially curious at the Grand Canyon is watching sunset and the mass exodus the momnt the ball drops. I mean the next hour is the real show!!! And you often spend it with just a few that get that.

MikePinTucson

Amuse, don't you mean sunrise? At sunset, once the sun is down, the canyon becomes just shades of gray, like just before sunrise. It is the light on the canyon before sunset and after sunrise that creates the changing colors. It is in the hour before sunset and after sunrise that the canyon is really magical.

And I would skip Hopi Point at sunset and Mather at sunrise, because that is where "everybody" goes. It is much too crowded to enjoy. I like Yaki Point for sunrise. There probably wouldn't be more than about 6 or 7 people there, at the most. For sunset, I like to take a bottle of wine and walk the rim trail east from the lodges. After only a short distance you are almost alone.

Amuse_bouche

Nope, unless the sunsets have changed in the last dozen years - a truly beautiful light show if you are lucky. I guess for some, defining the open sky of the canyon might not count, but for me.. . .

MikePinTucson

People who watch the actual sunset, really are missing the point of being at the GC at sunset. It is the changing colors and shadows on the canyon formations as the sun sets that provide the magic. And that happens during the (roughly) hour BEFROE sunset. After sunset, the canyon is gray.

Naturally, the western sky may (or may not, depending on weather conditions)have color which, yes, is wonderful to watch after the sun has set. You seldom get really nice sky colors unless there are some clouds, and not always even then. I would estimate that about 90% of sunsets aren't really good for color.

Amuse_bouche

Well I must be an anomoly as I have only been in the Grand Canyon 6 nights, and remember spectacular sunsets in the quiet after the crowds went screeching out of the parking lots. I only meant to suggest that pre sunrise and post sunset can be magical times that many often miss in their haste.

MikePinTucson

You were very fortunate to have had beautiful sunsets on all of your few nights there. And I would certainly agree -- IF there is a beautiful sunset, the most vibrant colors will be right after the sun has set. anyone not staying to watch is certainly missing something.

Amuse_bouche

Another favourite sunset story was at Sedona. We checked in and I asked the front desk where to go for sunset. They rolled their eyes, like right, sunset? It's cloudy out. Well we made our way to the chapel and it was the most glorious sunset, one of those sunsets of the lifetime that gives pause. One of those sunsets that you think you imagined until the footage or photos come back to comfirm that those colors really did exhist. Happy sunset everyone!

china_cat

we were there for just 2 nights, and really you don't have to go any place in particular to get good photos.
it just depends on the conditions. We happened to get our best late afternoon photos at Mather point. Here's one:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ChinaCat...48904633898162
We arrived around 4PM, and it was quite a bit before sunset, but the light was great, and the sky had a few clouds which just made for marvelous shots. We only got up early for one sunrise, but the air was hazy that morning and the photos weren't great.

I did really like the shots we got out from the easternmost part of the canyon, out at Desert View. That was one spot where you could actually get the ribbon of the river in the bottom in the pictures. like this one:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ChinaCat...33205401808994