Photographing the Grand Canyon

Unless you like crowds, stay away from the S.Rim during summer. The N. Rim is supurb w/ 1/10 the # of tourists.Cape Royal is the finest overlook for photography in the park(IMHO).AM & PM are equally great. Pt Imperial is better in the AM but is also excellent in the PM. Bright Angel Pt. is best at sunset. You will definately want a Grad N.D. filter to keep the sky from being over exposed.

I second the previous post recommending the north rim, but I would not skip the south rim altogether. If you can go in the fall instead of the summer it will not be as crowded (though still more people that you'd like, esp. at the SR) and it will be a little cooler (though still hot if you hike down). Plus the fall colors are beautiful. I suggest hiking down a few trails as it will give you a different perspective, even if you do not go all the way to the bottom. I used only ISO 100 (Sensia) and 50 (Velvia) and didn't miss anything faster. But I had a tripod. I greatly benefited from having a wide angle (20mm) and I recommend it.

Vish, the problem with the rims are that your locations are rather limited and the subject is so vast and far away that it is almost impossible to take a photo that you couldn't just buy at the visitor center on a postcard. To get something interesting your only choice is to wait for unusual weather. If you are in moderately good shape and have the time, the hike to the bottom is unbelievable--especially when you reach the lower canyon. Although it requires some advanced planning and reservations well ahead of time, the phantom ranch at the bottom is a nice treat. You'll have a bed to sleep in and they'll cook you up a good dinner, breakfast and even a sack lunch for the trip up if you want. This allows you to carry more photo gear and move quicker without the burden of backpacking equipment. Getting into the guts of the canyon will give you an intimacy and deeper appreciation than you can possibly get on the rim.

The last time that I visited the canyon, I came across a booklet by an accomplished photographer who recommended sites for photography. (He has books for other western places, too.) I bought it and found it to be enlightening as to best time of day and all those other things of interest. I tried to find it in my library, but as I am preparing to make a move, all is in disarray. I cannot remember the author, so perhaps someone will help here.

Alex - would that be <A href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0811729001/ref=sr_aps_books_1_1/202-5622849-0671811">Photographer's Guide to the Grand Canyon and Northern Arizona</A> by Joseph K. Lange? I have that book, but only found it moderately useful. I also found the photos within to be a bit over the top - his insistence on a polariser and enhancing filter on every shot, coupled with Velvia, means the colours are a bit too much.</P> <P>Not a bad starting point for someone who has never been to the Canyon before, though, if you use it in conjunction with a normal travel guide (I particularly liked the Moon Handbooks Grand Canyon guide by Bill Weir).</P>

I just visited the Grand Canyon in April. I read the book "Death in the Canyon" on the plane ride over and decided not to hike to the bottom. I started out early in the morning, took some photographs of the sunrise, and started on my trek down the South Kaibab trail. I had a Lowepro mini-trekker loaded with my equipment, food, water, and a tripod. I spent a lot of time early in the morning setting up my tripod and taking fantastic pictures with Velvia. As the sun got higher, I switched to Provia and took fewer pictures.

As I hiked down it became clear to me that I was within striking distance of the river and decided "heck with it" let's go all the way. I reached the bottom around 11am, ate my lunch, and began the arduous trip back up the canyon taking the Bright Angel Trail. The trek back up was much more tiring and photography became less of a priority and survival moved up in priority. I was ready to ditch my tripod and simply buy a new one when I got to the top. I drank lots of water and finally made it to the top by 4:30pm. It was fun, but if I were to do it again, I would reserve a place at the lodge down by the river (Phantom Ranch) or plan to stay in a tent.

As for photographs I shot about five rolls of film. The best pictures were those shot within two hours of beginning my descent as the light was the best and I was focussed on photography and not on hiking.

I hope my experience helps.

I would recommend you bring a tripod and use it. Also note, that there is a lot of contrast between rock surfaces in the sun and shadow, and make sure you expose properly for that.

Before I went, I read that adding a little foreground, such as an interesting rock or tree, with the canyon behind it makes for a much more interesting shot. Try some like that, and then of the "typical tourist snapshot" of just the canyon, and you'll see what I mean.

My advice is to head for the north rim and wait until September. Less crowds a bit cooler and the thunderheads build up in the afternoon and can lead to great storm light images. I found I used my normal lens a few times and my telephoto's most of the time, I thought it would be a great wide angle place but it's so wide I found everything looked really small with my 50mm (6x7). Definitely bring a few grads and a polarizer too. Go to my site at www.dermotconlan.com the opening image was made in Sept at around 6:30pm over Mount Hayden on the north rim.

Let's face it, you're going to go see what plenty of other photographers and other tourists want to see. Sunrise and sunset are popular times for viewing and picture taking. You can usually, with some planning and an early arrival, stake out a good vantage point but you aren't likely to be alone. Use the shuttles and watch schedules so you can use them to best advantage. You can scout locations during the mid-day.

A Ranger had a good tip, bears repeating, that with changing weather and clouds, the sky can be spectacular. But the point there is the canyon, watch the play and change of the light below, not above the rim. The best promontories often are railed and made accessible with walkways and parking.

Getting away from the rim offers local wildlife, varied foliage, the railroad, etc.