maaachuuun
Staging area
After descending the stairs into Lower Antelope Canyon, this is where our "photographer tour" group setup our tripods and took some test shots so we could adjust our camera settings.
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The photographer tour groups (only 8 people in a group) are required to have a SLR or DSLR and a tripod although there was a Japanese couple that stopped using their tripods after the initial setup - you need to be pretty proficient in quickly setting up the tripod on uneven ground and changing your settings and composing the shot while others are waiting for you to get your shot and move out of the way. Although we were also allowed to spend a little more time at interesting areas to setup and get our shots, it was still not enough in some areas where everyone wanted the same picture from the same spot. There were several times I was the last person in the group to take a shot but was told to move on because the next group was already waiting behind us for too long.
.
Regular tours (Non-photographer tour) were not allowed to use tripods and could not stop to linger and take pictures as long as we were allowed. If they stopped for too long they were told to keep moving along. If it was an interesting spot and the photographer tour was taking turns to get a shot, the regular tour would have to wait or we would pause and the regular tour would walk through the spot without stopping to allow them to take pictures. I kind of felt sorry for the regular tour people that weren't allowed to snap some quick shots because they were in a regular tour.
.
The tours are stacked back to back all day and guides are now required (due to vandalism) so if you checked out Lower Antelope Canyon before it became very popular and "pre-guide required" you will be shocked and at how hectic it has become. On my last visit we never saw another person (I did hear someone playing a flute and faint voices) and could stay anywhere we wanted to for as long as we wanted to.
DSC_2396 flat
Staging area
After descending the stairs into Lower Antelope Canyon, this is where our "photographer tour" group setup our tripods and took some test shots so we could adjust our camera settings.
.
The photographer tour groups (only 8 people in a group) are required to have a SLR or DSLR and a tripod although there was a Japanese couple that stopped using their tripods after the initial setup - you need to be pretty proficient in quickly setting up the tripod on uneven ground and changing your settings and composing the shot while others are waiting for you to get your shot and move out of the way. Although we were also allowed to spend a little more time at interesting areas to setup and get our shots, it was still not enough in some areas where everyone wanted the same picture from the same spot. There were several times I was the last person in the group to take a shot but was told to move on because the next group was already waiting behind us for too long.
.
Regular tours (Non-photographer tour) were not allowed to use tripods and could not stop to linger and take pictures as long as we were allowed. If they stopped for too long they were told to keep moving along. If it was an interesting spot and the photographer tour was taking turns to get a shot, the regular tour would have to wait or we would pause and the regular tour would walk through the spot without stopping to allow them to take pictures. I kind of felt sorry for the regular tour people that weren't allowed to snap some quick shots because they were in a regular tour.
.
The tours are stacked back to back all day and guides are now required (due to vandalism) so if you checked out Lower Antelope Canyon before it became very popular and "pre-guide required" you will be shocked and at how hectic it has become. On my last visit we never saw another person (I did hear someone playing a flute and faint voices) and could stay anywhere we wanted to for as long as we wanted to.
DSC_2396 flat